Left Is Right: Brewers’ Southpaws Came Up Huge in NLCS Game 3

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It’s crazy the difference matchups can make. In the NLDS against San Diego, Pat Murphy rarely leaned on his left-handed arms against a right-handed-heavy Padres offense. But in the NLCS, it has been a much different story, and that was extremely evident in Game 3.

Left-hander Robert Gasser got the nod for Milwaukee to start the game, making the biggest start of his career. He was pitching in the championship series, on the road, against a lineup full of future Hall of Famers and All-Stars. Yet, it looked like just another Wednesday for him.

Gasser fired five shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out three. It wasn’t the flashiest outing; he didn’t overpower the Dodgers’ lineup or rack up a ton of swing-and-miss. But he did his job, and he did it extremely well. One of the biggest keys to his success was his ability to get ahead of hitters. Gasser threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 20 batters he faced, consistently putting himself in favorable counts and allowing him to dictate the at-bat. Against a lineup as talented as Los Angeles’s, that can make all the difference.

As we discussed before the appearance (and as he's been doing more often down the stretch), Gasser leaned heavily on his sinker. There was a clear focus on getting the pitch inside against left-handed hitters and letting it run away from righties. That approach helped him keep the Dodgers off balance, particularly when paired with his sweeper, which has been his primary pitch throughout his career. To be fair, there was some good fortune involved on the sinkers the Dodgers put in play. Not every ball found a hole, and Gasser benefited from some good defense. But that doesn’t take away from the effectiveness of his overall approach.

By establishing the sinker, Gasser created opportunities for his sweeper to do damage. The breaking ball generated whiffs on 50% of swings against it, giving him a reliable weapon when he needed to finish an at-bat. After spreading his pitch selection across his entire arsenal throughout the year, he concentrated on those two offerings in Game 3. A whopping 82% of his pitches were either a sinker or a sweeper, a significant departure from his usual approach.

The adjustment worked, and it gave Milwaukee exactly what they needed from their starter. Gasser kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard, limited their opportunities and handed the ball over with the Brewers in position to win a critical postseason game. Gasser wasn’t the only left-hander who was brilliant for Milwaukee, either.

After a rough appearance from Abner Uribe, Murphy called on DL Hall, and boy, did he deliver. Hall entered in the bottom of the sixth with one out and a pair of runners in scoring position. The Dodgers had a golden opportunity to add to their 2-1 lead, but Hall made sure that didn’t happen. He struck out Enrique Hernandez and Tommy Edman to end the inning, escaping a dangerous situation without allowing a run. That was a huge pick-me-up for Milwaukee, and it proved to be even bigger when the Brewers took the lead in the top of the seventh.

Hall’s night wasn’t done, though. He returned for a 1-2-3 seventh inning against the top of the Dodgers’ order, continuing to keep their offense in check. He then retired Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy in the eighth before a Shohei Ohtani single brought his night to an end. Hall was excellent. He generated whiffs on four of his 28 pitches, while only two of the six balls put in play against him were hit hard. Just like Gasser, Hall consistently got himself into pitcher-friendly counts, getting ahead of six of the eight batters he faced.

That ability to work ahead allowed him to put pressure on hitters and get them to chase pitches outside the strike zone. Rather than allowing the Dodgers to settle into comfortable at-bats, he forced them to swing at his pitches and capitalize on opportunities when they presented themselves. Considering the situation he entered, Hall's ability to shut down the Dodgers was especially impressive. He inherited a high-leverage mess in the sixth, escaped without allowing a run, and then continued to shut down one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups.

Game 3 of the NLCS felt incredibly on-brand for Brewers baseball. They threw strikes, played strong defense, and came through with timely hitting. It was a complete team effort, and Milwaukee is now just one win away from a trip to the World Series. That game goes in a much different direction without Gasser’s strong start and Hall’s ability to retire seven consecutive Dodgers after entering with runners in scoring position.

The two left-handers attacked hitters, made the necessary adjustments and delivered when Milwaukee needed them most. The Brewers' ability to get contributions beyond their stars has been a significant part of their success, and Game 3 was another example of that. Against the Padres, Milwaukee had limited opportunities to lean on its left-handed arms. Against the Dodgers, those same arms have become a major advantage.