The Dodgers pitching implodes, and down 0-3 in the NLCS to the Brewers

Los Angeles Dodgers #16 Will Smith (C) doubled in the bottom of the sixth inning to centerfield against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium. This photo is by TGSportstv1.

 LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves on the brink of elimination after the red-hot bats of the Milwaukee Brewers powered them to a 6-2 win at Dodger Stadium tonight.

The Brewers blasted their way to a win, lighting up Blake Snell early and decimating the Dodgers bullpen late.

Jackson Chourio made a statement on the first pitch of the game, blasting a 414-foot bomb into the right field stands off of the struggling Snell. The former Cy Young leader settled down after that, throwing a gem his next five innings.

On the opposite side of the mound, starting pitcher Robert Gasser twirled five scoreless innings, striking out three before skipper Pat Murphy turned to his bullpen.

The Dodgers took the opportunity to pounce on the change, manufacturing a pair of runs off of reliever Abner Uribe, who had been stellar this series in the prior two games.

Uribe walked back-to-back hitters, putting Kyle Tucker on first base and Teoscar Hernandez in scoring position on second.

 After an ice-cold Shohei Ohtani walked to load the bases, equally cold-from-the-plate Will Smith doubled in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring Tucker and Hernandez as the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead.

It was a clutch hit for Smith, who had been hitless going 0-for-9 up until that point. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, that led to DL Hall replacing Uribe mid-inning, who struck out Kike Hernandez and Tommy Edman, stranding Ohtani at third base to end the inning.

Stranding batters on base has been a common theme for the Dodgers this series.

“We’re just not getting timely hits,” said Dave Roberts. “We had some opportunities with guys on base but can’t get those hits.”

In the seventh inning, things unraveled quickly for Snell, who walked his first batter, Thousand Oaks native Christian Yelich. Newport Beach native Jake Bauers then stepped up to the plate, uncorking a 445-foot blast as the Brewers reclaimed the lead 3-2. Snell then served up another home run to Garrett Mitchell as the Brew Crew found themselves up 4-2.

The mayhem continued in the eighth inning after a pair of singles had Milwaukee in scoring position again. Justin Wrobleski then threw a wild pitch, allowing Brice Turang to steal home, giving the Brewers a 5-2 lead as hope began to fade from the Dodger faithful in the stands as fans began heading for the exits by the hundreds.

In the top of the ninth, the Brewers added insult to injury as Cooper Pratt scored off a Joey Ortiz hit, sealing the win 6-2.

“This one sucks,” said Hernandez. “We’ve got to find a way to turn the page quick because tomorrow is going to be here fast.”

Hernandez’s words echo true because with a hungry Milwaukee team as close to a World Series as they’ve been in the past 44 years, if the Dodgers don’t show up tomorrow, they’re done. No three-peat, failures across the board, and they will have the whole off-season to figure out where things went wrong.

The Dodgers face the Brewers in a do-or-die Game Four at Dodger Stadium tomorrow at 5 pm.