Milwaukee Brewers: Game 3 Win Seizes Lead, Momentum In NLCS

The Milwaukee Brewers shut out the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Monday night in Game 3. That win is huge for Milwaukee in a number of ways.

Despite suffering through ten minutes of terror during the bottom of the ninth inning, the Brewers pitching staff pulled off a shutout of a potent Dodgers offense. They now possess a 2-1 series lead in the NLCS.

Now, even if the Dodgers win the next two games in Los Angeles, there will be a Game 6 at Miller Park.

Grabbing The Series Lead

Obviously, fans and players alike are going to feel more comfortable when their team has the series lead than when they’re behind in the series. But a win in Game 3 to break the tie just dramatically improved the Crew’s odds of moving on to the World Series.

It’s difficult to come back from a 2-1 series deficit, as shown by the stat above. Now that they have the lead, the odds are in their favor to move on to the World Series.

The Brewers Have The Momentum

In October, almost everything is about momentum. The Milwaukee Brewers are a hot team playing their best baseball at the perfect time. After the loss at Miller Park in Game 2, many people thought momentum was on the side of the Dodgers. With the series coming back to LA, it was hard to blame them.

But after a five-hit shutout and a Game 3 victory, momentum has swung back in favor of the Brewers.

The offense is functioning well, the initial out-getters have done a tremendous job, and the bullpen has mostly been great. Jeremy Jeffress has had his struggles, but he worked through a bases loaded, one out situation in the bottom of the ninth without allowing a run to score. That’s a big confidence booster for Jeffress and a confidence deflator for the Dodgers offense.

The Dodgers had a perfect opportunity to steal Game 3 and the momentum late in the game, but Jeffress shut the door. That’s incredibly deflating for an offense.

If they can win one more out in Los Angeles, the Brewers would ensure a return to Miller Park with a chance to clinch and move on to the World Series. The Crew is two wins away from their first World Series berth since 1982. Confidence is high and momentum is on their side, and it’s because of a huge shutout win in Game 3.

The Brewers have the Dodgers right where they want them. So far, everything is looking up for the Milwaukee Brewers.