Oh boy, the Milwaukee Brewers are in a real pickle right now, staring down a daunting 2-0 hole in the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers – and it's all because their usually stellar approach at the plate has gone completely off the rails! If you're a fan of baseball drama, you know this is the kind of slump that could define a season, but stick around because there's plenty more to unpack about how a team with the league's best regular-season record is suddenly looking vulnerable.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers are committing the very same plate-discipline errors that they skillfully sidestepped throughout their remarkable regular season, where they clinched the top record in Major League Baseball.
It's no surprise, then, that they're heading back to Los Angeles after falling behind 2-0 (https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-brewers-yamamoto-nlcs-80e947da3e89fba73e78e19d8b22c5c2) in this best-of-seven showdown versus the Dodgers.
"We've simply got to elevate our performance," remarked Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich. "This isn't the kind of beginning we wanted for the series. We need to keep pushing hard and figure out how to ignite our offense. I'm responsible for stepping up, and so are we as a team. These are just the plain facts."
Throughout the regular season, the Brewers held the second-best on-base percentage in the majors at .332 – that's a key stat measuring how often hitters get on base, which is crucial for scoring runs – along with ranking third in total runs scored (806) and batting average (.258), all while achieving a franchise-record 97-65 record. For beginners, think of on-base percentage as a way to gauge a player's ability to avoid striking out and reach first base, often through walks or hits, which keeps the offense alive.
Yet, in this series, they've managed only five hits across the opening two games, scraping together just a single run in each contest.
In Game 1, they notched just two hits in a narrow 2-1 defeat (https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-brewers-score-snell-mlb-playoffs-18ef6125aa4db3e6d8efde75bf465a35), as Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, dominated with one hit allowed and zero walks over eight scoreless innings for the Dodgers. On Tuesday, they eked out three hits but still dropped a 5-1 decision when Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered the first postseason complete game in eight years.
During the regular season, the Brewers boasted the lowest chase rate in baseball – meaning they swung at the fewest pitches outside the strike zone, a smart strategy that helps hitters be patient and wait for hittable balls. But their recent tendency to pursue pitches outside the zone has let the Dodgers' aces pitch deep into games, limiting opportunities against Los Angeles' bullpen, which has been more hittable.
And this is the part most people miss – it's not just about swinging at bad pitches; it's about how that impatience derailed their entire game plan, turning potential rallies into quick outs.
"Those two starters were as unbeatable as any duo could be," said Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy. "We chased pitches far more than our usual standard all year long. We've led the league in avoiding chases, but these hurlers brought out our worst instincts."
A prime example was Blake Treinen whiffing Brice Turang on a high fastball with the bases full, sealing Game 1.
But here's where it gets controversial... The same chasing habit resurfaced on Tuesday, enabling Yamamoto to complete a full nine innings for the first time since joining the majors last year under a massive 12-year, $325 million deal (https://apnews.com/article/yamamoto-dodgers-e2efb94278f96ef8f3b37aa66156e96d). Critics might argue that the Brewers' over-reliance on their regular-season discipline masked underlying weaknesses, or was it just the sheer dominance of these pitchers? Food for thought!
Jackson Chourio did homer on Yamamoto's very first pitch, building on his strong postseason showing. The 21-year-old has now matched a Brewers record with four career playoff home runs, tying Orlando Arcia and Prince Fielder.
Beyond that, though, the Brewers didn't accomplish much. Their other knocks were mere two-out singles from Brice Turang in the third and Sal Frelick in the fourth.
This lack of firepower is especially galling given how they dismantled Yamamoto in their only regular-season meeting, a 9-1 rout (https://apnews.com/article/dodgers-brewers-score-peralta-yamamoto-vaughn-309f6def0e511a60b891fdb881db1e57) on July 7, where he surrendered five runs – three earned – and lasted just two outs.
This time around, Milwaukee had no counter.
"He wasn't leaving pitches over the plate," Turang explained. "We smacked some hard, but they were right there catching them. That's just how baseball goes sometimes. He executed perfectly."
The offensive woes have spread across the entire lineup so far.
Three-time All-Star and 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich is hitless in his last four games, going 0 for 13. Two-time All-Star William Contreras and Andrew Vaughn, who each blasted two homers in the NL Division Series (https://apnews.com/article/cubs-brewers-nlds-eb27c0ab262231e9f54bdf2680525f1c) against the Cubs, remain without a hit in this series.
"We need to seize those at-bats," Chourio stated via interpreter. "That's the foundation. But give credit where it's due – they've been tough. Our luck hasn't favored us. We must adhere to our strategy, trust the process, and aim to flip the script."
Still, the Brewers hold onto optimism for a comeback. They swept all six regular-season games against the Dodgers back in July. While the Dodgers are performing at a higher level now, Milwaukee knows they can display far greater patience at the plate than they've shown in these first two nights.
"You might already have us written off," Murphy added. "I get it – most teams in this spot don't come back. But this squad has faced the odds all season, and I believe they've got grit left."
What do you think – can the Brewers rally from this deficit with a return to their patient hitting style? Is this just a temporary hiccup, or does it expose deeper issues? Some might say the pressure of the playoffs amplifies mistakes, while others argue it's a failure of fundamentals. Do you agree or disagree with the team's confidence? Drop your thoughts in the comments – let's debate!
