Overview of NLCS Game 3
The NLCS pivoted to Los Angeles with a battle between the Dodgers and Brewers, live updates showing a game that swung on timely hits, standout pitching, and a few small-ball plays that made a big difference. After two tight games on the road, the Brewers looked to keep the series close, while the Dodgers aimed to stretch their lead and regain momentum in front of a sunlit 3:00 p.m. start.
Early Momentum and the Durbin Spark
Caleb Durbin has been a heartbeat for Milwaukee since arriving from the Yankees in the Devin Williams trade. In Game 3, Durbin continued to influence the scoreboard—tripling with one out, then later scoring on a Jake Bauers RBI single. Durbin’s aggressive baserunning and timely hits helped the Brewers’ offense wake up early, though the Dodgers responded with measured, disciplined at-bats of their own.
Durbin’s Impact
Durbin’s triple set the tone for Milwaukee’s early threat. A cerebral approach, including the infield-in defense during that sequence, opened the door for Bauers’ run-scoring hit. His ability to reach base and create pressure has been a recurring theme for the Brewers in this series.
Misiorowski vs. Glasnow: A Battle of Styles
Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers’ bulk arm, faced a tough assignment against a Dodgers lineup that has shown both power and patience. Misiorowski worked efficiently through five innings, throwing a handful of strikeouts and keeping Milwaukee’s defense engaged. His tempo and pitch mix kept the Dodgers’ hitters off balance for stretches.
Across the diamond, Tyler Glasnow was dealing with a different on-paper challenge: work deeper into the game and protect the lead. Through five innings, Glasnow flirted with a handful of strikeouts and sat over 80 pitches, using a mix of velocity and breaking stuff to stifle the Brewers’ offense. His strong performance helped the Dodgers maintain a lead as the bullpen began to map out a plan for the later innings.
The Crucial Sixth: Uribe’s Miscommunication and the Tie
The pivotal moment came in the sixth when Abner Uribe, entering in relief of Misiorowski, took a strikeout but then made a costly error on a pickoff attempt, allowing Freddie Freeman to score from third. That miscue briefly shifted the momentum back toward the Dodgers, who had already tied the game 1-1 in the second thanks to Durbin’s first-inning firepower and Jake Bauers’ timely hit.
Brewers’ Misiorowski, still effective, exited with respectably long relief innings, but the inning’s miscue left both teams locked at 1-1 and sitting on a tight, playoff-caliber tension. The Dodgers’ infield alignment and aggressive baserunning continued to exploit small mistakes that mattered late in the game.
Brewers Tie it Up and Dodgers’ Early Offense
Milwaukee answered early with a two-out rally in the second inning. Jake Bauers delivered a two-strike RBI single to capitalize on Durbin’s earlier scoring swing and knot the score at 1-1. The Brewers showed resilience, tying the game despite facing a strong Dodgers pitching line and a Dodgers lineup that still has yet to click at the top of the order in this series.
Dodgers Strike First; Can they Hold On?
Los Angeles opened the scoring when Shohei Ohtani crushed a leadoff triple and Mookie Betts followed with an RBI single, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. That fast start was significant, as the top of the lineup has struggled at times in this series. The early run support gave Glasnow a cushion, allowing him to settle into a rhythm and set the tone for a bullpen-backed effort as the game progressed.
What to Watch as the Game Progresses
With the score tied in the late innings and both bullpens getting work, bullpen management will be crucial. The Dodgers are balancing a deeper rotation with the need to keep Glasnow’s pitch count manageable, while the Brewers will lean on Misiorowski’s ability to bridge to Uribe and the late-inning relievers. Watch for how the Dodgers navigate defensive alignments and how Milwaukee finishes plays on the bases—small decisions in these late innings can swing a playoff game.
Series Context
Heading to Los Angeles, the Dodgers sit in a favorable position after taking the lead in Game 3, yet the Brewers have shown they can strike quickly when they string hits together. The NLCS is a test of depth, execution, and the ability to convert opportunities into runs. Expect both clubs to lean on their star players, with the Dodgers looking to capitalize on home-field advantages and Milwaukee aiming to even the ledger in a hostile environment.
Bottom line: this game embodies the intensity of playoff baseball—the meticulous defense, timely hitting, and strategic bullpen usage that define October baseball.
