So Much for the Three-Peat: Inside the Dodgers’ Shocking NLCS Exit
Well, that wasn’t how I expected the Dodgers’ season to end.
After winning back-to-back World Series titles, the Dodgers actually had a chance to do something that rarely happens in baseball. A three-peat. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I genuinely thought this team could pull it off. We had the talent, the experience, and a roster full of players who know how to win in October.
Instead, the Milwaukee Brewers swept LA in the NLCS. Four games, four brutal losses, and just like that, the season was completely over.
What makes this even more frustrating is that the Dodgers didn’t even look like the team we’ve gotten used to watching all year. The offense struggled, the pitching was inconsistent, and Milwaukee just seemed to have an answer for everything. As much as it pains me to admit it, the Brewers were just the better team in this series.
How the Series Went
The series opened in Milwaukee, and the Dodgers lost Game 1, 2-1. Tarik Skubal started for LA and went five innings, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out seven. Honestly, that’s not a bad outing. He kept us in the game, which is really all you can ask from your starter in October.
The bigger problem was the offense. Scoring one single run in a playoff game isn’t going to get you very far. Still, I wasn’t too worried after Game 1. It’s baseball, teams lose games, and I totally figured the Dodgers would bounce back stronger the next day.
Unfortunately, that is not what happened.
Game 2 was probably the most confusing game of the entire series for me. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started, and things went downhill so fast. He lasted just two innings, giving up four hits and three runs with only one strikeout. The Dodgers lost 7-4.
If you’ve watched Yamamoto pitch, you know how incredibly unusual that is. This is a guy who usually goes deep into games and completely shuts down opposing lineups. Seeing him get pulled after only two innings was honestly shocking. It didn’t look like the Yamamoto we’re used to seeing, and I think there might have been more going on than just a bad start.
The Pitch Tipping Question
One thing that really stood out to me was the rumor that Yamamoto might have been tipping his pitches. Pitch tipping happens when a pitcher unknowingly gives hitters small clues about the next pitch. It could be something so minor in his glove, grip, or delivery. Once hitters figure it out, they have a massive advantage.
I’m not saying this is 100% what happened, but it’s definitely worth talking about.
Milwaukee’s hitters were fouling off an unusual number of pitches. In one at-bat against Blake Snell, Jake Bauers saw 11 pitches and fouled off five.
Against Yamamoto, the Brewers had another 12-pitch at-bat, with six foul balls.
Obviously, some hitters are just really good at staying alive at the plate. But when it keeps happening against elite pitchers like Snell and Yamamoto, you have to start questioning things.
Speculation already suggested Mason Miller tipped pitches during the Padres-Brewers series. That doesn’t prove anything about what happened against the Dodgers, but it definitely makes the situation way more interesting.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Milwaukee picked up on something. I don’t think that’s cheating either. If a team can recognize a pitcher’s tendencies and use them, that’s just smart baseball. As painfully frustrating as it is to watch your team struggle, you have to give the Brewers credit for doing their homework. They seemed prepared for everything the Dodgers threw at them.
Back in LA
Going back to Los Angeles for Game 3, I really thought things would shift. We were home, the crowd was loud and behind us, and Blake Snell was on the mound. It felt like the perfect opportunity to get right back into the series. Instead, the Dodgers lost 6-2.
Snell pitched six innings, allowing four hits and four runs while striking out nine. I actually thought he looked so much more like himself in this game. His stuff was good, and he racked up strikeouts, but the Dodgers just couldn’t put it together.
This was probably the exact moment I started to accept that we might actually get swept. I hate saying that because I’m usually the person who believes the Dodgers can come back from literally anything. But there was just something missing. The energy was flat, the offense wasn’t clicking, and Milwaukee just looked better.
Game 4 was our absolute last chance to keep the season alive. Tyler Glasnow started and went four innings, allowing three hits and four runs while striking out six. Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run home run, which gave us something to cheer about, but it wasn’t enough. The Dodgers lost 6-4, officially ending our hopes of a third straight championship.
Honestly, getting swept is pretty embarrassing, especially for a team with this much talent. There’s zero point in pretending otherwise. But at the same time, winning three straight championships is ridiculously hard. It rarely happens for a reason.
That doesn’t make losing any less heartbreaking, though.
Looking at the Offseason
Now that the season is over, the front office has some big decisions to make. Several players are hitting free agency, including Alex Vesia, Enrique Hernández, Tarik Skubal, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, Kris Bubic, Eric Lauer, Brusdar Graterol, and Miguel Rojas.
Personally, I really hope we bring back Vesia and Kiké. They’ve become such crucial parts of this team, and I genuinely can’t imagine the clubhouse without them. Kiké especially brings an energy that you can’t really replace. He’s one of those players who makes the whole team fun to watch, even when things aren’t going our way.
I’d also love to see Treinen, Phillips, Lauer, and Bubic return. And if there’s even a realistic chance of keeping Skubal, the Dodgers should absolutely go for it. I know everyone already complains about how much talent the Dodgers have, but honestly, you can never have too much pitching.
What Rojas Means to LA
But out of everything happening this offseason, the Miguel Rojas situation probably makes me the saddest.
Miggy Ro is one of those players who means so much more to a team than the stat sheet shows.
He’s been a leader, a mentor, and someone his teammates can count on.
With Clayton Kershaw gone and no longer filling that veteran leadership role, Rojas became even more important in the clubhouse.
He’s helped players like Mookie Betts and Hyeseong Kim with their defense and has always been so willing to put the team before himself. That’s the exact kind of player every organization needs, and you just can’t replace that by signing someone new.
That’s exactly why the thought of Rojas leaving hits so differently for Dodgers fans. Obviously, we love watching our favorite players hit home runs and make incredible plays, but being a fan is so much more than that.
You watch these guys almost every day for six months, sometimes longer if you’re lucky enough to make a deep playoff run. You get used to seeing their personalities shine, their friendships, and the little things they do for each other. Eventually, they just become part of what makes watching Dodgers baseball feel so familiar.
Rojas has been one of those players for me, and I know so many other fans feel the exact same way.
What makes it even harder is that Rojas isn’t leaving because fans stopped wanting him around. It’s actually the opposite. I think so many Dodgers fans would love to see him play another season. He’s earned so much respect, not just for what he’s done on the field, but for how he’s carried himself and supported his teammates.
Seeing a player like that step away is just so sad, even when you know it has to happen eventually.
The only thing that makes it a little easier is the possibility of Rojas staying with the Dodgers organization in a front-office or coaching role. I really hope that happens because I can’t imagine him just being completely gone. He’s spent so much time helping the players around him that it just feels right for him to continue doing that in LA.
Still, it won’t be the same as seeing him in a Dodgers uniform. I think fans will miss his presence in the dugout as much as his insane defensive plays on the field. And honestly, this is the part of baseball I absolutely hate.
You spend an entire season stressing over every pitch, celebrating wins, and getting attached to players, only for everything to change during the offseason. One day you’re watching your favorite guys play together, and the next you’re wondering who will even be on the roster next year. I know it’s just part of professional sports, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
What’s Next for the Dodgers?
As disappointing as this postseason was, I don’t think the Dodgers need to panic and completely rebuild the roster. This is still an extremely talented team with plenty of opportunities to win another championship. They just need to figure out why things fell apart when it mattered most.
I want to see the offense become more consistent, the pitching staff actually stay healthy, and the team actually look like itself in October.
I also don’t want this one bad series to overshadow everything the Dodgers have accomplished lately. Winning back-to-back World Series titles in ‘24 and ‘25 is something most fan bases would do anything to experience. We’ve been so lucky to watch some incredible baseball, and one terrible series doesn’t erase that.
But I think it’s also fair to be disappointed. When you know exactly how good your team can be, watching them go out like this is just incredibly frustrating.
For now, I’m mostly just sad that Dodgers baseball is over for the year and that next year’s team might look a little different. I’m excited to see what the offseason brings, but I’m definitely not ready to say goodbye to some of these players—especially Miggy Ro.
I still believe this team has another championship in it. Maybe the three-peat didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean the Dodgers are done winning.
And yes, I’m still mad that the Brewers swept us.
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