The Dodgers are facing the Brewers in the NLCS for the second year in a row, and they’re getting the attention of Los Angeles.
Blake Snell, who was a hero in the postseason last year for the Dodgers, is paying attention to everything Milwaukee is doing on and off the field in the second go-around.
“I noticed how they talk, a lot of one-on-one competition is a key for them. The way Pat Murphy talks to the team is way different than last year,” Snell said. “So I understand that.”
A year ago, the Brewers finished the regular season 97-65, the best record in baseball.
When they met Los Angeles in the NLCS, they were swept.
A year later, the roles are reversed.
“How do you counter that? How do you get them into a different place? I think They’re in a good spot now, especially being up 2-0 but adversity hits and that’s when thoughts start racing,” Snell said.
The Dodgers are certainly facing early adversity in the series as they’re in a 2-0 deficit in Milwaukee.
Both Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto had their shortest postseason outings in their careers on Sunday and Monday night. Skubal was pulled after throwing 80 pitches through five innings, while Yamamoto was sent to the showers following 75 pitches through 2 ⅔ innings.
In Game 1, Los Angeles got NL CY Young candidate Jacob Misirowski to exit early after he tossed 4 ⅓ innings on 94 pitches, giving up five hits.
When they faced the Brewers bullpen, the Dodgers only mustered up two more hits and squandered scoring opportunities in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings.
With Yamamoto’s early exit in Game 2, Los Angeles exhausted their bullpen by using seven different pitchers, who gave up a combined four runs.
Snell is set to take the mound when Game 3 begins on Wednesday night and will need to pitch deep to get the Dodgers out of the hole they’ve dug.
Snell has made only one start this postseason, and it was 10 days ago. And didn’t necessarily go the distance.
In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Braves, Snell gave up only three hits and one run. But also threw 90 pitches in 3 ⅔ innings.
In the NLCS last year, Snell threw an eight-inning game that featured 10 strikeouts against the Brewers.
So with Game 3 on the horizon, it begs the question.
Which postseason version will the Dodgers get from Snell?
