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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explains leaving Blake Snell in before costly back-to-back home runs in Game 3

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts faced intense scrutiny after his decision to keep left-hander Blake Snell on the mound for the seventh inning of Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. Snell had already pitched six strong innings, striking out nine batters while allowing just one run and a single walk.

However, the Brewers’ lineup proved too much in the seventh, as Snell walked Andrew Vaughn before Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell each hit back-to-back home runs off him—something Snell had never allowed in his career. The two long balls, coming off a struggling Snell, effectively ended the Dodgers’ chances in a 6-2 loss, pushing the team closer to elimination.

Roberts defended his call, noting Snell’s strong performance and the lack of contact from Brewers hitters before the seventh inning, but the damage was done by the time the left-handed duo capitalized on Snell’s fatigue.

The Brewers’ offensive explosion in the seventh inning highlighted the Dodgers’ offensive struggles, as their lineup failed to mount a meaningful response. Snell’s marathon at-bat—spanning 21 batters before the seventh—also raised questions about the Dodgers’ bullpen strategy, given the late-game pressure.

Roberts’ gamble to let Snell face three more hitters backfired, but the manager insisted he believed the lefty’s stuff was still effective when the inning began. The loss now forces the Dodgers to regroup quickly if they hope to avoid elimination in the series.

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