The hardest hit the Los Angeles Dodgers had on Wednesday, came from a locker room quote, not on the field.
After the Dodgers’ 6-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, their third consecutive loss in the NLCS, All-Star third baseman Max Muncy did what he hasn’t yet done at the plate this series: hit one out of the park.
“It’s a pretty simple answer. We’re playing like s—, they’re playing great. As simple as that,” Muncy told reporters after the game.
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The slugging third baseman is one of several Dodgers stars mired in a slump this postseason, as he is just 4-for-21. However, Muncy has made the most of his hits, as three of them have gone for home runs.
Unfortunately for the Dodgers, all three of those home runs came in the NLDS. In their three losses to the Brewers in the NLCS, they have yet to hit a home run and have struggled to deliver a big hit. In the postseason, the Dodgers are just 3-for-32 with runners in scoring position.
They finally got a clutch hit in the sixth inning on Wednesday, when catcher Will Smith hit a ball off the wall in left-center field to drive in two runs and give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. However, Brewers reliever DL Hall entered the game and struck out the next two batters, preventing any further damage.
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The Dodgers’ lead was short-lived, as Jake Bauers hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning after an epic battle with Blake Snell to put the Brewers ahead 3-2. Center fielder Garrett Mitchell followed Bauers’ blast with one of his own, taking Snell deep for a solo home run to put the Brewers up 4-2.
The Dodgers’ bats went quiet, as they went down in order after the Brewers took the lead, with nine consecutive batters retired to end the game.
With the defeat, the Dodgers’ quest for a third straight World Series title seems farther away than ever, as they are down 3-0. If they continue to play like Muncy so aptly described, their dreams of making history could vanish on Thursday.
The Dodgers will look to avoid a sweep when they play the Brewers at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.