Five words the Los Angeles Dodgers haven't heard in awhile: The season is slipping away. The Milwaukee Brewers drained the energy out of Chavez Ravine Wednesday night by stunning LA 6-2. And now, the back-to-back World Series champs are one loss away from watching someone else head to baseball's biggest stage.

Los Angeles entered the MLB Playoffs earning a chance to become the league's first three-peat champion since the New York Yankees of 1998 to 2000. The Dodgers also walked in with a shot to join the 2000 to 2002 Lakers as the latest LA sports franchise to go back-to-back-to-back.

So now three gets presented in a harsher light for the Dodgers. Here are three Dodgers to blame for Wednesday's defeat.

Blake Snell

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning in game three of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Snell rose as the most schizophrenic performer wearing the LA uniform on this evening.

Jackson Chourio silenced the rabid crowd following the first pitch; blasting Snell's fastball and delivering the leadoff home run. Snell snapped back into his MLB All-Star form by striking out Brice Turang and William Contreras to help close the top of the first.

Snell struck out seven more batters from there. But that left arm started to fade in the seventh inning. Jake Bauers flipped the momentum back over to Milwaukee's side with his two-run home run blast.

JAKE BAUERS GIVES THE BREWERS THE LEAD WITH A 2-RUN HOMER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9G3gQTKYXo

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2026

But then Garrett Mitchell punished this Snell pitch, ensuring that the rest of the night would go Milwaukee's way.

BACK-TO-BACK

GARRETT MITCHELL COMES OUT WITH A HR OF HIS OWN AND THE BREWERS ARE UP 4-2 IN THE 7TH 😤 pic.twitter.com/kjRSwFrQ3Z https://t.co/TMxfGXVsA7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2026

Snell went from looking “possessed” per manager Dave Roberts to falling apart at the wrong moment. But he wasn't the only star who endured a rough night during a critical game.

Freddie Freeman

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) returns to the dugout after the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves in game four of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Freeman is one of LA's most trustworthy power hitters.

But he went to the bat four times…and never mustered one hit. Yet that's not the only blemish attached to Freeman.

He's chipped only one hit total through 11 at-bat attempts against the Brewers. This lineup of Brewer pitchers including the relief options have clearly taken him out of this series.

Freeman's struggles highlights the Dodgers' hitting woes in this series. It additionally doesn't help that Shohei Ohtani hasn't played healthy. Regardless, Freeman looks nothing like the past World Series champion hitter Dodger fans are used to.

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Dave Roberts

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts at press conference prior to game three of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The skipper takes the most heat in the end, though. Once again, the Roberts critics have returned in full force.

Fans saw the three-time WS skipper for LA take out Andy Pages early after two at-bats. The same Pages who's delivered his strongest postseason yet. He also didn't throw in a pinch hitter for Tommy Edman, who looked off on the offensive end.

Finally, Roberts never pulled Snell during the seventh. He even earned a chance to save Snell's arm from fatigue. But Roberts pulled him too late and costed LA in the end.

Roberts threw out Tarik Skubal for Game 1 and watched him struggle. Even top ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto fell on the losing end of Game 2. Now Roberts told reporters both won't be available for even relief duties in this elimination game.

The Roberts critics grew quiet amid this run. Now they're back amid this 3-0 deficit.