MILWAUKEE -- The National League Championship Series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday night -- and suffice it to say, the Dodgers need this one.
The Brewers have raced out to a 2-0 series lead, protecting their home field with a pair of drama-filled victories in Milwaukee. But, well, these Dodgers have won consecutive World Series titles for a reason. They’ve proven they won’t go down easily.
“It’s certainly a challenge,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “Can we do it? Absolutely. But it’s just: You want to get that first one.”
Roberts, of all people, would know the stakes. Forty-two teams have fallen behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven postseason series. Thirty-two of them have been swept. Only one (Roberts’ 2004 Red Sox against the Yankees) has ever overcome that deficit.
Conversely, if the Dodgers can bounce back to win Game 3, it’ll feel like anyone’s series again. The Brewers know the deal.
“Keep going,” said Brewers catcher William Contreras, who delivered a titanic game-tying home run in the fifth inning of Game 2, as well as a game-tying single and a go-ahead single. “The goal is not to think about where we're at. … Just focusing on what's next.”
Here’s what you need to know about Game 3:
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 3 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium and will air nationally on FS1.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada. Sportsnet is MLB's exclusive English language broadcaster in Canada for every Postseason game, while TVA Sports will be covering the entire AL Postseason and the World Series in French and Broadcaster RDS will cover the entire NL Postseason in French.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Brewers: LHP Robert Gasser
Key stat: 2-0 with a 1.73 ERA in his last seven games (six starts) including NLDS Game 4
Gasser began the season at Triple-A Nashville but pitched his way to a start in Game 3 of the NLCS with a finishing kick that began Aug. 26 at Citi Field in New York, when Gasser took over for Dustin May after the right-hander was struck by a comebacker on the very first pitch. Something clicked, and Gasser rode his high-quality sweeper and growing confidence to a spot alongside Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson in Milwaukee’s super young starting rotation.
After Game 3, the Brewers are TBD in Game 4, so length from Gasser would help set things up for this three-day (if necessary) stretch at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers: TBD (likely LHP Blake Snell)
Key stat: 2.19 ERA in five starts at Dodger Stadium in 2026 (including postseason)
Shoulder, elbow and groin injuries limited Snell's workload this year, but he has been effective when healthy. The southpaw showed some rust in his first outing this postseason, issuing five walks across an abbreviated 3 2/3-inning start while still holding the Braves to just one run in Game 2 of the NLDS. The last time Snell faced the Brewers was in last year's NLCS, when he struck out 10 and faced the minimum across eight scoreless innings.
What might the starting lineups look like?
Brewers: If it’s Snell as expected, the Brewers would have some decisions to make. In Game 1 against left-hander Tarik Skubal, manager Pat Murphy started Andrew Vaughn at designated hitter over Christian Yelich and Luis Lara in right field over Sal Frelick. But even though Vaughn doubled and Lara wound up driving in the winning run, Murphy was second-guessing those calls a day later. He said he planned to start Yelich the rest of the way.
So, we’ll go with the lineup from NLDS Game 1 against Padres lefty Robbie Ray.
1. Jackson Chourio, LF
2. Brice Turang, 2B
3. William Contreras, C
4. Jake Bauers, 1B
5. Christian Yelich, DH
6. Cooper Pratt, SS
7. Luis Lara, RF
8. Garrett Mitchell, CF
9. Joey Ortiz, 3B
Dodgers: Roberts rolled out similar starting nines for the first two games, but he may tweak his lineup a bit against a left-hander. According to a report in The Athletic, the Dodgers will consider benching a scuffling Shohei Ohtani in Game 3. He (fourth) and Will Smith (fifth) have dropped in the order amid their struggles this postseason.
1. Mookie Betts, SS
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Teoscar Hernández, LF
4. Shohei Ohtani, DH
5. Will Smith, C
6. Andy Pages, CF
7. Kyle Tucker, RF
8. Kiké Hernández, 3B
9. Miguel Rojas, 2B
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Brewers: Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby have pitched a lot -- Uribe appearing in all six of Milwaukee’s postseason games and Ashby in five. But why not? Neither has surrendered an earned run. The same is true for closer Trevor Megill, who warmed up in Game 2 but wasn’t needed, and DL Hall. Brewers relievers have combined for a 0.31 ERA in 28 2/3 innings so far in this postseason. Getting May involved in relief in Game 2 was an interesting twist; he could still start Game 4, Murphy said.
Dodgers: The series off-day came at the right time, as L.A. had to use seven of its nine relievers after a short start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2. The Brewers have seen every one of the Dodgers' bullpen arms save for Edwin Díaz, who is the primary option to pitch in high leverage, whether it be in the ninth inning or earlier in the game.
Any injuries of note?
Brewers: None.
Dodgers: Ohtani (right biceps, left knee) and Freeman (right knee) are managing lingering injuries. World Series hero Will Klein (right elbow discomfort) has faced hitters, but he has not pitched in a game since July 31 and is viewed as more of a depth option. Blake Treinen (right shoulder inflammation) is unlikely to pitch this postseason.
Who is hot and who is not?
Brewers: Yelich and Contreras became the fourth set of Brewers teammates with multiple hits and multiple RBIs in a postseason game and the first since Yuniesky Betancourt and Ryan Braun in Game 1 of the 2011 NLCS. With Turang, Pratt and Hamilton also tallying multiple hits, the Brewers matched the club mark with five players logging multi-hit games in a postseason contest. That hadn’t happened since Game 1 of the 1982 World Series (Paul Molitor, Jim Gantner, Charlie Moore, Ted Simmons and Robin Yount).
Dodgers: Tucker (6-for-20) has been L.A.'s most consistent hitter coming off a disappointing regular season. Most of the others in the lineup have scuffled to some extent, with Smith (1-for-23) and Ohtani (3-for-20) among the team's coldest bats.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• The Brewers are 39-37 when allowing the first run this season, including the postseason. The World Series champion 2009 Yankees were the last team to finish a season above .500 in such games (excluding 2020).
• The Dodgers are the third team to have only one hitter record a hit with runners in scoring position through their first six postseason games. The others are the 1983 Phillies (Gary Matthews Sr., 3-for-6) and the 2020 A's (Chad Pinder, 4-for-6).