October baseball is absolutely buzzing, and can you believe the comeback story unfolding right now? The Dodgers are deep in the Championship Series, and a beleaguered closer, who just a month ago was stuck in Triple-A trying to sort out a nightmare season where his ERA as a Dodger ballooned to 11.85, is now locking down wins and answering all their ninth-inning questions. He went from looking like a total bust in the first year of his three-year, $69 million deal to throwing five scoreless big-league appearances to finish the year, then adding three more scoreless outings in the NLDS, even securing saves in the Dodgers’ last two wins. Talk about a complete flip!
NLCS Showdown: Milwaukee’s Bats vs. LA’s Arms
This National League Championship Series is set to be an absolute slugfest between the Milwaukee Brewers’ relentless offense and the Dodgers’ ridiculously stacked pitching. The Brewers, the best team in MLB with a 103-59 record, led the league in batting average during the regular season, and guess what? They’re doing it again in the postseason. This isn’t just dink-and-dunk stuff, either; Milwaukee ranked seventh in hard-hit rate all year and is smashing the ball even harder right now. Seriously, these guys know how to make pitchers work.
On the other side, the 100-62 Dodgers are rolling out what might be the most talented collection of starting pitchers we’ve ever seen: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow. Any one of those dudes could be the ace on pretty much any other playoff team. But here’s the kicker: Snell and Glasnow each walked five batters in the NLDS. That’s a red flag when you’re facing a Brewers lineup that just grinds out at-bats better than almost anyone. If those top arms pitch to their potential, stopping the Dodgers from a three-peat is gonna be nearly impossible. But if they’re wild? Milwaukee could feast.
Ohtani’s Silence and the $69 Million Comeback Kid
While that closer’s story is pure Hollywood, another Dodgers superstar, the three-time MVP Ohtani, is battling some serious struggles. For months, he just hasn’t looked right physically, dealing with left knee and right biceps issues. The Dodgers finally moved him to the injured list as a pitcher in mid-September, hoping to get him somewhat closer to full strength as a hitter for October, even though they knew he wouldn’t be 100%. The NLDS certainly wasn’t encouraging; Ohtani went a paltry 2-for-13 with no extra-base hits. You have to wonder, can he flip the script with one huge swing and change a game like only he can?
The drama kicks off Sunday, October 11, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX, with the Brewers hosting Game 1. Game 2 is Monday at 5 p.m. ET, also on FOX, then the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday, October 14, at 9 p.m. ET on FS1. This series has all the makings of an instant classic, with the Brewers trying to prove they’re the best in baseball and the Dodgers fighting for a three-peat. You do not want to miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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