Snell’s Secret Weapon Poised to Shut Down Brewers’ Powerful Offense—Can They Crack the Code?

We’re down to the final four, and here’s a thought—does anyone outside California, or die-hard Shohei Ohtani fans, actually want the Dodgers to clinch the World Series? Honestly, you’ve gotta admire a franchise that spares no expense to chase greatness. They boast arguably the best player of this era and a solid rotation that could scare anyone. But, call me biased, I’d love to see a new champ crowned—though the Brewers flaunting that giant “L” flag after ousting the Cubs? Not exactly inspiring confidence. The Dodgers roll in with some serious perks—a much-needed rest break and a pitching edge with Blake Snell on the mound, who’s been nothing short of dominant. The Brewers, meanwhile, are rolling the dice with a bullpen game, strategizing around icons like Ohtani and Mookie Betts. Will the Brewers’ crafty moves and mix-and-match manager tactics upset the Dodgers’ powerhouse? My gut says a tight, low-scoring battle, with Snell and the Dodgers edging it out 3-1. Curious to see if that “L” flag haunts them yet. LEARN MORE.

Dodgers vs. Brewers, 8:08 ET

We’ve reached that point in the baseball season where we are down to the final four. I have to imagine that basically anyone outside of the state of California, or Shohei Ohtani fans are rooting for anyone but the Dodgers to win the World Series. I personally have a great deal of respect for the franchise that goes after every great player available. They have the best player of this generation, some great arms, and continue investing in the club even with the success they are having. However, I am interested in seeing one of the other three teams make, and win, the World Series. Well… maybe not the Brewers after they flew the L flag after beating the Cubs in five games. Let’s see how we should play Game 1 between the Dodgers and Brewers.

The Dodgers come into the series with a couple of pieces of clear advantages: They have a big rest advantage. They took down the Phillies in four games, and haven’t had to play since the 9th. They also have a better starting rotation, and that probably will be true the remainder of the postseason, even if they advance to face the Mariners or Blue Jays. Does rest help or hurt in this situation? Honestly, I have no idea. The Mariners won last night after not having rest and playing an extremely long game. The Dodgers also found out they needed to travel on the 11th, so they traveled yesterday to be ready for today’s game. Not exactly like they had a ton of time to prepare. They are going to start Blake Snell, so they should have a distinct advantage in this one. Snell has already thrown two games for the Dodgers, going 13 innings, allowing just five hits, and striking out 18 hitters. He has been very dominant despite allowing 10 baserunners in the 13 innings of work. He did not face the Brewers this year, but has held them to a .152 batting average in 33 at-bats.

The Brewers found a way to advance, winning all three games at home in the five-game set with the Cubs. I can’t say it was all that surprising, given that the Brewers were the more dominant team most of the season. The team hit three solo homers, which is not what I would’ve expected for the club. Their offense went silent on the road, scoring just three runs in the two games away from Miller Park. I have to give a bit of a tip of the cap to the Brewers manager, as he found a way to repeatedly play matchups and make enough changes to keep the Cubs offense guessing. Ultimately, it was Chicago living and dying by the longball. Their players repeatedly struck out when it mattered most. Trolling the Cubs by “flying” the L flag was a bit goofy. I don’t think I’d ever take a picture with my team and a big L flag in the background. I’m not butthurt about it, but now you have something out there that everyone can post when you fall short of winning the World Series. The Brewers, at the moment, have not declared a starter, which likely means this is a bullpen game.

The plan for the Brewers has to be to try and navigate the Dodgers lineup carefully. I’d fully expect them to pitch around Ohtani and Mookie Betts as much as possible. There is only so much pitching around you can do, though. At some point, you need to attack the lineup. The Brewers do have the pitching to do it. Personally, I think this will be a low scoring game. I’m backing the under 7.5 here as I think Snell and the Dodgers take this one 3-1.

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