Milwaukee takes a 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series after three home runs and a decisive seventh-inning rally. Los Angeles faces elimination in Thursday’s Game 4.
The Milwaukee Brewers moved within one victory of the World Series after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Three home runs and a seventh-inning comeback pushed Milwaukee to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series at Dodger Stadium.
Jake Bauers delivered the decisive hit, launching a two-run homer off Blake Snell after an 11-pitch battle in the seventh inning. Garrett Mitchell followed with another home run, turning a one-run deficit into a 4-2 Milwaukee advantage.
The defeat leaves the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers facing elimination Thursday night. Milwaukee needs one more victory to reach its first World Series since 1982, while Los Angeles must win four consecutive games to keep its championship hopes alive.
Brewers Turn the Game Around With Seventh-Inning Power
Milwaukee wasted little time establishing its presence. Jackson Chourio attacked Snell’s first pitch of the game and drove it over the fence for a leadoff home run, giving the Brewers an immediate 1-0 advantage.
Snell recovered quickly, retiring 14 consecutive batters during one stretch and holding Milwaukee scoreless over the next five innings. The left-hander struck out nine batters and appeared positioned to give Los Angeles the pitching performance it needed.
The Dodgers finally responded in the sixth inning after struggling to generate offense against rookie starter Robert Gasser. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy replaced Gasser with reliever Abner Uribe, who walked three batters and loaded the bases.
Will Smith then drove a two-run double off the wall in left-center field, giving Los Angeles its first lead of the night at 2-1.
Smith entered the game in a 1-for-25 slump, making his hit an especially important moment for a Dodgers lineup that had struggled throughout the series.
The comeback produced a loud celebration from the Dodger Stadium crowd. For the first time in the game, Los Angeles appeared ready to take control.
Milwaukee quickly ended that momentum.
Andrew Vaughn opened the seventh inning with a walk against Snell. Bauers followed with an extended plate appearance, repeatedly fouling off pitches and refusing to give the Dodgers pitcher an easy out.
After 10 pitches, Bauers connected with a fastball over the plate and sent it into the right-field pavilion. His two-run homer restored Milwaukee’s lead at 3-2 and silenced much of the home crowd.
Mitchell immediately followed with a solo home run to right-center field. The back-to-back shots gave Milwaukee a 4-2 lead and forced Snell out of the game.
According to Reuters, Bauers credited the Brewers’ ability to support one another when mistakes happen. The first baseman said his teammates focus on helping each other recover rather than dwelling on missed opportunities.
Milwaukee Finds Unexpected Home Run Power
The Brewers entered the postseason without the home run totals normally associated with a championship contender. They hit just 154 during the regular season, the fewest of any National League team.
Their offensive approach relied heavily on getting runners aboard, making contact and creating scoring opportunities.
Game 3 demonstrated that Milwaukee could also win through power hitting. Chourio, Bauers and Mitchell combined for three home runs against Snell, a pitcher who had not allowed a homer in his previous 46 1/3 innings this season, including postseason appearances.
The seventh-inning turnaround was particularly damaging because Los Angeles had just taken its first lead of the evening. Milwaukee answered immediately, continuing a pattern of responding quickly whenever the Dodgers scored.
Bauers had already played an important role in Game 2. He worked a 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, setting up a two-run single by Christian Yelich.
His patience became even more valuable Wednesday. By extending the seventh-inning at-bat, he forced Snell to throw several additional pitches before getting a fastball he could drive.
Mitchell, who grew up in Southern California, delivered his home run in front of family and friends. Bauers also has Southern California roots, making the decisive inning especially memorable for both Milwaukee players.
Dodgers Offense Continues to Struggle
The Dodgers entered the series with one of baseball’s most powerful lineups, but their offensive production has fallen sharply against Milwaukee.
Los Angeles collected just five hits in Game 3, following a three-hit performance in its 7-4 loss in Game 2. The Dodgers have struggled to bring runners home despite creating occasional scoring opportunities.
Manager Dave Roberts attempted to generate offense by changing his batting order. Shohei Ohtani moved to the sixth spot after struggling during the postseason.
Ohtani went 1-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch Wednesday. His performance offered limited encouragement, but the Dodgers still failed to produce enough hits to overcome Milwaukee’s late rally.
The sixth inning provided their best opportunity. Smith’s double put Los Angeles ahead and left additional runners in scoring position.
Milwaukee reliever DL Hall then struck out Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman to end the threat. Those missed opportunities became increasingly costly when the Brewers regained the lead one inning later.
The Dodgers also entered the series after defeating the Atlanta Braves in four games during the National League Division Series. Their offense had shown greater power earlier in October, but Milwaukee’s pitching has made sustained rallies difficult.
Roberts acknowledged the team’s offensive problems following Wednesday’s loss. He also indicated that he would consider further lineup changes before Game 4.
Los Angeles has received competitive starting pitching at times, but the lack of timely hitting has left little room for mistakes.
Brewers Pitching Staff Holds Off Los Angeles
Robert Gasser provided Milwaukee with five scoreless innings in his Game 3 start. The rookie left-hander allowed three hits and one walk while keeping the Dodgers from building an early rally.
His performance gave the Brewers a chance to remain competitive even as Snell settled into a strong rhythm.
Uribe struggled after replacing Gasser in the sixth inning, issuing three walks before Smith delivered the go-ahead double. However, Hall prevented further damage by striking out the next two batters.
Hall continued pitching into the eighth inning and finished with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. He received credit for the victory, improving his postseason record to 3-0.
Closer Trevor Megill recorded the final four outs, including strikeouts of the last two Dodgers batters. The save was his fourth of the postseason.
Milwaukee also added insurance runs late in the game. Brice Turang scored on a wild pitch by Justin Wrobleski in the eighth inning, and Joey Ortiz drove in another run with a ninth-inning single.
Those additional runs completed the 6-2 victory and removed any remaining opportunity for a Dodgers comeback.
The Brewers finished with nine hits compared with five for Los Angeles. Neither team committed an error, leaving the difference largely to Milwaukee’s timely power hitting and bullpen performance.
Dodgers Face a Historic Elimination Challenge
The Dodgers now face one of the most difficult situations in Major League Baseball postseason history.
Only one team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven MLB playoff series. The Boston Red Sox accomplished the feat in the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees.
Roberts was part of that Boston team and played an important role in its comeback. His stolen base in the ninth inning of Game 4 helped set up the tying run before the Red Sox eventually won the game in extra innings.
Boston went on to win four straight games and advanced to the World Series.
The Houston Astros also forced a Game 7 after falling behind 3-0 against the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 ALCS, but Houston lost the deciding game.
Los Angeles must now attempt what only Boston has accomplished. Even a Game 4 victory would leave the Dodgers needing three more wins against a Milwaukee team that has controlled the series.
The situation represents a dramatic reversal from the 2025 NLCS, when Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in four games before winning its second consecutive World Series championship.
This time, the Brewers hold the commanding advantage.
Game 4 Could Decide Milwaukee’s World Series Berth
Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to start Game 4 for the Dodgers on Thursday, October 15, at Dodger Stadium. Milwaukee plans to use a bullpen game as it attempts to complete the sweep.
The game is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. Pacific Time, following an adjustment to the postseason television schedule.
Milwaukee finished the regular season with 103 victories, the best record in Major League Baseball. The Brewers now have an opportunity to turn that regular-season success into their first National League pennant.
Their only previous World Series appearance came in 1982, when the franchise still played in the American League. Milwaukee lost that championship series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
For the Dodgers, the immediate priority is finding enough offense to extend the season.
Los Angeles still has experienced postseason players and a pitching staff capable of strong performances. However, Wednesday’s loss demonstrated how quickly a narrow advantage can disappear against Milwaukee.
Game 4 will determine whether the Brewers advance to their first World Series in 44 years or whether the Dodgers can begin another attempt at a historic postseason comeback.
IMAGE: Chase Anderson before the Milwaukee Brewers play the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 4, 2017. Photo: Willsome429 / Wikimedia, taken 2017-06-04, CC BY-SA 4.0