Emmet Sheehan and Ben Casparius stood on the mound at Dodger Stadium with one task: contain the hard-hitting Milwaukee Brewers and help the Los Angeles Dodgers avoid being swept in the season series. But as it has happened four times before this season, Milwaukee proved too powerful, too relentless, and once again, the Dodgers’ pitching couldn’t hold. The Brewers slugged their way to an 8–7 victory on Sunday, making it a perfect 6–0 against Los Angeles this year, a frustrating and historic sweep that leaves the Dodgers searching for answers and momentum in a season that’s beginning to ask hard questions.
Sheehan started with a burst of promise, striking out Brice Turang to open the game and navigating the first two innings with confidence. He even fanned Christian Yelich and helped erase an early baserunner with a pickoff. But everything unraveled in the third. Blake Perkins drilled a triple to right-center that set the tone for the inning. Joey Ortiz followed with an RBI single. William Contreras lined a two-run double to the wall. And when Andrew Vaughn lifted a sacrifice fly to score the fourth run, Sheehan’s outing was already teetering. His slider had no bite, and his fastball location drifted across too much of the plate. The Brewers, who had been punishing every mistake all season long, did not miss their chance to pile on.
Still, the Dodgers weren’t ready to roll over. In the bottom of the third, Shohei Ohtani ignited the offense with a towering solo homer to right field—his 33rd of the season and second in as many games. That blast cut the deficit to three and breathed life into the home crowd. Miguel Rojas followed with an RBI double, and then a wild pitch allowed a third run to score. Within a few minutes, the Dodgers had tied the game 4–4, reminding everyone just how quickly their lineup can respond. But that momentum, like it has been in previous games against Milwaukee, didn’t last long.
The top of the fourth was when the Brewers truly seized control. Isaac Collins, one of the least heralded names in their lineup, belted a two-run home run that put Milwaukee back up 6–4 and ended Sheehan’s night after just 3⅓ innings. Ben Casparius was summoned from the bullpen, and while he got out of the jam, he didn’t fare much better. By the time the sixth inning rolled around, Milwaukee had added another run courtesy of a Caleb Durbin double that scored Joey Ortiz, who was a constant thorn in the Dodgers’ side all game long.
Casparius has been used as a multi-inning arm, a bridge when the Dodgers’ starters struggle or need rest, but Sunday’s outing only further exposed the team’s depth issues. He allowed three hits, two runs, and failed to miss bats when it mattered most. The Brewers, patient and potent, waited for pitches they could handle and executed with runners in scoring position—something the Dodgers struggled with all game. It wasn’t just about raw power; it was the mental sharpness Milwaukee displayed that set them apart.
Even so, the Dodgers tried to mount another comeback. In the bottom of the sixth, Tommy Edman, breaking out of an 0-for-29 slump, singled and came around to score on a well-placed base hit from Rojas. Ohtani then drove in another run to cut the deficit to one. Suddenly, the game was 7–6, and the Dodgers were knocking at the door again. Edman wasn’t finished, either. In the bottom of the eighth, he launched a solo home run to right field that gave Dodger fans a jolt of belief. On the very next pitch, Rojas smashed a homer of his own, a back-to-back sequence that made it 8–7. That would be the final run scored. The Dodgers had closed the gap, but they never managed to draw even or take the lead.
Milwaukee’s closer Trevor Megill handled the ninth with little drama, recording his second save of the season. For the fifth time this year—and the sixth if you count a rain-shortened two-game series earlier in the season—the Brewers outslugged and outlasted the Dodgers. It was the first time in the modern era that either team had swept a season series of six or more games against the other. Milwaukee came into the season under the radar compared to the star-studded Dodgers lineup, but they’ve now shown they can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the league—and beat them consistently.
The Dodgers had their chances. Ohtani finished with two hits and three RBIs. Rojas had three hits and drove in two. Edman looked revived with two key hits, including the eighth-inning homer. In total, Los Angeles collected 10 hits and scored 7 runs, a solid offensive output on paper. But the glaring issue was what they couldn’t do in key moments. They left multiple runners on base and failed to capitalize when the game was in the balance. In the third, with the bases loaded and nobody out, they managed just one run. In the sixth, they left the tying run stranded at second. These missed opportunities piled up, and against a team like Milwaukee, they proved fatal.
The defense didn’t help matters either. In the fourth inning, two defensive misplays opened the door for Milwaukee to score unearned runs. In the fifth, a misjudged fly ball and a rushed throw home allowed another runner to advance and score later in the inning. These weren’t charged as errors on the scoresheet, but they were mental lapses in a game that offered little margin for error. These kinds of mistakes have been creeping into the Dodgers’ play in recent weeks, and the coaching staff is well aware that sloppy defense isn’t something you can overcome against elite competition.
After the game, Clayton Kershaw, who started the previous game in the series and was also burned by poor defense, cut his postgame interview short. Visibly frustrated, he tossed his glove in the dugout after being pulled the night before and offered only a terse comment: “I don’t have much to say. I’m going to get myself in trouble.” That kind of emotion from the veteran left-hander isn’t typical unless something deeper is brewing. Kershaw isn’t only dealing with physical limitations late in his career—he’s wrestling with the stress of playing on a team that, despite its talent, continues to falter in critical moments.
The Dodgers are now just 3–6 over their last nine games and have dropped nine of their last 15 at home. They still sit atop the National League West, but their lead has shrunk. Injuries continue to be a factor—Freddie Freeman missed the series finale with a sore wrist, Max Muncy remains out with an oblique strain, and the starting rotation is still waiting on the return of Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. But no amount of injury excuse-making can erase the fact that Milwaukee, with a fraction of the payroll and far less star power, has played smarter, sharper baseball all season long when facing the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, the Brewers are on a roll. Sunday’s win marked their 10th straight victory, tying their longest win streak since 2021. They’ve vaulted themselves into a strong position in the NL Central and look every bit like a playoff-bound team with a chip on their shoulder. Christian Yelich has reached base in 26 straight games. Jackson Chourio extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Joey Ortiz has emerged as a clutch bat in the heart of their lineup. Manager Pat Murphy has found a mix of youth and experience that works, and his bullpen continues to lock down games even when the starters struggle.
For Los Angeles, the path forward requires adjustment, reflection, and a bit of urgency. Sheehan may need to be shifted into a bullpen role if his command doesn’t sharpen soon. Casparius, while promising in spurts, isn’t yet dependable in high-leverage spots. The defense has to clean up, especially if the team wants to avoid taxing an already thin pitching staff. Offensively, there’s less to complain about—Ohtani is producing MVP-level numbers, and Rojas, Edman, and even Andy Pages have contributed at key times. But the offense can’t carry everything, and the Dodgers’ front office knows it.
