Dodgers Face Historic 0-3 Hole as NLCS Shifts to Game 4
Dodgers Face Historic 0-3 Hole as NLCS Shifts to Game 4
The Los Angeles Dodgers must now win four consecutive games against the Milwaukee Brewers to reach the World Series for a third straight year, after falling behind 3-0 in the National League Championship Series. Los Angeles dropped Game 3 by a score of 6-2 on Wednesday night, leaving its bid for a repeat title in serious jeopardy entering Thursday's Game 4.
Only one team in Major League Baseball history has overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who rallied past the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. MLB on FOX analyst David Ortiz, a central figure on that Red Sox team, said the Dodgers should treat Thursday's game as a chance to play without pressure. "It's funny how that works, because you feel more pressure at the beginning of the series than when you are 0-and-3, because once you get there, when you hit bottom like that, it feels like you have got nothing to lose," Ortiz said after Game 3. He added that the team should avoid pressing: "Let's not try to get three hits in one at-bat. Let's not try to get three outs in one pitch. Let's go to the flow."Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, who were on the losing side of that 2004 Yankees collapse, also addressed the Dodgers' situation as MLB on FOX analysts. "The pressure is almost off them right now. Now, they just go out and win a game," Rodriguez said, noting the Dodgers will send Tyler Glasnow to the mound in Game 4 and could turn to Tarik Skubal in Game 5 if they stay alive. "It starts with the first pitch of the game, and you're playing for your life, and you do not want the Brewers to celebrate on your field."Jeter drew a direct parallel to 2004, when few expected the Yankees to win three straight over Boston. "If you're the Los Angeles Dodgers, you cannot take the field thinking that you're down three games. All you have to do is win one game." armwrestling betting
In best-of-seven postseason series throughout MLB history, teams holding a 3-0 lead have won the series 41 times out of 42, with 32 of those series ending in sweeps. Only two teams have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, and the 2004 Red Sox remain the only club to complete the comeback.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who played alongside Ortiz on that 2004 Boston roster, acknowledged the long odds but pointed to his team's postseason experience. "It's certainly possible. I've lived it. I think the thing is that our guys have been battle tested, as was that team I was a part of," Roberts said after Wednesday's loss. "We've won four in a row a number of times this year. But again, we got to win tomorrow. So that's our only focus." Los Angeles will need to beat Milwaukee in Game 4 simply to extend the series, with its season now resting on winning four straight games against the Brewers.
