Max Muncy provided the Los Angeles Dodgers with their most damaging assessment of the team's current form on Wednesday, bluntly stating that the club is "playing like s---" while the Milwaukee Brewers are "playing great." The comment came immediately after the Dodgers suffered a 6-2 loss in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium, leaving them trailing the series 3-0.
Muncy, an All-Star third baseman, made the remark to reporters following a game in which he finally hit his first home run of the postseason. Despite the long ball, Muncy remains in a significant slump, batting just 4-for-21 in the current postseason. Three of his four hits have been home runs, but all three occurred during the National League Division Series. In the three games of the NLCS against Milwaukee, the Dodgers have yet to record a single home run.
The team's offensive struggles are evident in their performance with runners in scoring position, where they stand at just 3-for-32 during the postseason. Wednesday offered a brief moment of hope when catcher Will Smith hit a drive off the wall in left-center field in the sixth inning. Smith's hit drove in two runs to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, but Brewers reliever DL Hall entered the game and struck out the next two batters, capping off the inning without further damage.
The lead did not last. In the top of the seventh inning, Jake Bauers engaged in an extended at-bat against starter Blake Snell before launching a two-run home run to put the Brewers ahead 3-2. Garrett Mitchell followed immediately with a solo home run against Snell, extending Milwaukee's lead to 4-2. After that point, the Dodgers' offense went silent. The Brewers retired nine consecutive batters to close out the game and secure their third straight victory in the series.
The defeat places the Dodgers' pursuit of a third consecutive World Series title in jeopardy, as they now face an insurmountable 3-0 deficit. The team must avoid a sweep in Game 4, which is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.