The Milwaukee Brewers were viewed as the underdog heading into the 2025 season and yet, they won the most games this season and even advanced to the NLCS! However, they’re up against the Los Angeles Dodgers right now, who’ve twirled two consecutive games in their lead. Well, the Brewers couldn’t avoid that and Pat Murphy admits that, “When they’re that good, it is surprising. But they’re that good.”  Murphy is not alone in believing so. An ESPN insider who has already predicted the championship series outcome holds the same opinion.

The host of First Take on ESPN, Stephen A. Smith, recently shared a blunt yet not-so-surprising NLCS take on his show.

”This series is over for all Milwaukee Brewers. Congratulations on a great, great season. You’ve been wonderful. You went 6-0 against the Dodgers in the regular season, but you did it in July. Obviously, the Dodgers are a different team right now, and it’s over.” He said.

Well, Smith is not just speaking off the cuff. In postseason play, the clubs that secure a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series have won 78 of 93 times, or about 83.9%.

“You’re going to get swept. I believe they’re going to get swept. I don’t think the Brewers will win this series. You don’t lose two games at home in Milwaukee and then go on the road at Chavez Ravine, and you’re going to beat them. I just don’t see it. I doubt it.” He added.

The last team that rallied from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series was the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. In fact, the last team to do so after losing the first two games at home, like the Brewers, was the Yankees against the Atlanta Braves back in October 1996 baseball.

So, in a nutshell, what the Brewers are about to battle in Los Angeles is going to be incredibly tough and far more demanding than it seemed at the week’s outset.

Largely because it’s not simple to contend with the Dodgers’ starting pitching staff.

The Dodgers’ starting rotation is their greatest asset

The MLB teams have experimented with different strategies in recent years to get all 27 outs in postseason games. For example, skippers turn to their openers and limit them to three traditional innings or even less.

But the Dodgers? They’re doing it old school. The Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game to help the Dodgers beat the Brewers 5–1 at American Family Field on Tuesday.

On Monday, Blake Snell allowed the minimum number of batters over eight innings in another win. It made them the first teammates since Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto of the Giants in 2016 to each pitch at least eight innings in back-to-back October games.

Los Angeles’ starters have thrown more than two-thirds of the team’s total outs in this postseason. And guess what? There’s no other club in the league that has gotten even half of its outs from its starters.

The Dodgers have had seven starters across the first eight games this month who have gone at least six innings. And dodgers manager Dave Roberts never holds back in flexing his starters. “If you look at the construction of our roster currently, the strength is starting pitching. And when you can have your most talented pitchers get the most outs, then you’re in a good spot.” He said the other day. Well, the Brewers can now only try to avoid a disastrous three-game deficit on Thursday.