Dodgers near repeat World Series
trip, beat Brewers 3-1 behind Glasnow, Edman for 3-0 NLCS lead
[October 17, 2025]
By BETH HARRIS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to become the
first defending champion to reach the World Series in 16 years.
Tommy Edman hit a tiebreaking single off hard-throwing rookie Jacob
Misiorowski in a two-run sixth inning, and the Dodgers beat the
Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday to take a 3-0 lead in their
best-of-seven NL Championship Series.
A team that needed to win a Wild Card Series at the start of the
playoffs is 8-1 in the postseason behind outstanding starting
pitching, an improved bullpen and just enough offense.
“We're just excited,” said Edman, the 2024 NLCS MVP. “We didn't play
great during the regular season and we're getting hot at the right
time.”
No defending champion has reached the World Series since the 2009
Philadelphia Phillies. No team has won consecutive titles since the
1998-2000 New York Yankees took three in a row.
“You got to treat it like it's a do-or-die game,” Dodgers third
baseman Max Muncy said. “You can't look ahead, and I think that's
something a lot of teams struggle with.”
Game 4 is Friday. The only one of the 41 teams that overcame a 3-0
postseason deficit was the 2004 Boston Red Sox against the Yankees,
sparked by current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
“We're up, but like Kobe (Bryant) said, ‘The job’s not done,'”
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts said. “We got to keep going and just
keep applying pressure. We got to keep in mind we're five wins away
from what we really want.”
Shohei Ohtani tripled off Andy Ashby to start the bottom of the
first and scored on Betts’ double to put the Dodgers ahead, but Jake
Bauers tied the score with an RBI single in the second.
That was the only run allowed by Tyler Glasnow, who has combined
with Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to give Dodgers
starters a 1.54 postseason ERA.
Misiorowski replaced Ashby with two on and one out in the first, and
struck out Edman and Teoscar Hernández. The 23-year-old right-hander
topped 100 mph with 17 pitches and struck out a Brewers postseason
rookie record nine, but his fastball velocity dropped to 98-99 mph
slightly in the sixth.
Will Smith singled with one out on a slider in the middle of the
strike zone and Freddie Freeman walked after falling behind 1-2 in
the count. Edman, who had struck out twice against Misiorowski,
lined a low slider into center on Misiorowski's 73rd and final
pitch. Smith scored for a 2-1 lead as Sal Frelick made a weak throw.
“Misiorowski was nasty today. He's got unbelievable stuff,” Edman
said. “Will did a good job of capitalizing on a mistake and hitting
one in the gap. He gave me one I could hit and fortunately, we were
able to scrape one across and let our pitching do the rest.”
Abner Uribe relieved and struck out Hernández, then made a wild
pickoff throw past first as Freeman scored, the second straight game
with an error by the Brewers closer.
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith celebrates in the dugout after
scoring against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in
Game 3 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Thursday,
Oct. 16, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
“I was really surprised," Edman said. “I'm glad it
happened. It gave us that insurance run.”
Glasnow allowed three hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings while
striking out eight, leaving to a standing ovation from the crowd of
51,251.
Alex Vesia followed Glasnow and got two outs for his second win of
the playoffs.
Rookie Roki Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth, finishing a four-hitter.
Dodgers relievers allowed one hit in 3 1/3 innings. A rookie moved
to the bullpen when he returned from a four-month injury layoff in
the season's final week, Sasaki became the first pitcher since saves
became an official statistic in 1969 to earn each of his first three
career saves in the postseason.
Eleven of 19 batters struck out in the middle innings as shadows
crept across home plate and made it difficult for hitters.
“Take nothing away from Glasnow, who pitched great,” Brewers manager
Pat Murphy said. “Take nothing away from Miz, who pitched great, but
it was a really tough visual for both teams. Nobody can think of a
hard-hit ball hit during that time. That’s very unusual in a game.”
Smith agreed, saying, “That was not fun. Even catching, I know it's
coming, it's still hard to catch. The at-bats are even harder.
That's just kind of one of those games within the game and it's who
can kind of handle it better.”
Milwaukee, which swept the Dodgers 6-0 during the regular season,
has lost its last 10 postseason road games dating to 2018. After
leading the major leagues with 97 wins during the regular season.
the Brewers have three runs and nine hits in the series. Dating to
the Division Series finale, the Dodgers became the first team to
allow no runs or one run and four hits or fewer in four straight
postseason games.
“It’s going to be tough no matter what we do, and you’re facing the
Dodgers,” Misiorowski said. “I think we got this. Stay positive with
the boys, and I think just put a few hits together and we’ll be
fine.”
Up next
Ohtani, 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in the postseason, makes his second
postseason start after the right-hander struck out nine over six
innings against Philadelphia in the NL Division Series. The two-way
star was 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and is hitting .158 (6 for 38)
with one homer and six RBIs in nine postseason games. “I expect him
to be good tomorrow,” Roberts said, “be focused and put forth a good
effort at the bat, too.” Milwaukee has not announced a starter.
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