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After spending seemingly the entire 2026 MLB season talking about the prospects of winning a third-straight World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves a game away from not even making it to the Fall Classic, falling 3-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers in a series of demoralizing contests.
The bats aren’t batting, the Brewers continue to win the pitching duels, and Dave Roberts has consistently found himself outcoached by Pat Murphy, who has changed his tune in 2026 after his underdog message didn’t quite work in 2025.
With just one more game guaranteed and three more consecutive victories required after that to secure another World Series berth, the Dodgers can’t afford to play like they have a full series in front of them, but instead must unload the proverbial clip in order to force their way through what could be their final game of the season in Chavez Ravine.
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As a result, Roberts can’t get too cute and must instead attack Murphy instead of playing defense, even if that means breaking with his typical routine to put his best players on the field at all times.
1. Start Tarik Skubal in Game 4, not Tyler Glasnow
As things presently stand, Tyler Glasnow will likely get the nod in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
On paper, this makes sense. Glasnow last pitched on October 7, was LA’s fourth starter in 2026, and hasn’t given up a home run since mid-September against the San Francisco Giants.
And yet, the Dodgers gave up three prospects, including highly-touted Zhyire Hope, to the Detroit Tigers to bring Tarik Skubal, and depending on how the next few hours, days, and weeks shake out, Game 4 very well may be his final game in Los Angeles before he hits free agency in December.
If that’s the case, why not give him the start in Game 4 and see how long he can go, with Glasnow ready to go in the bullpen to take over, be that in the third inning, sixth inning, or even later?
Last pitching on October 11 in Game 1 against the Brewers, Skubal would be entering Game 4 on four days’ rest. Over his two playoff runs with the Tigers, the two-time Cy Young winner never pitched on less than five days’ rest and was able to go nine days between his appearances against the Atlanta Braves and the Brewers in 2026. But with the season on the line and no guarantee he will ever pitch for LA again, why not put the ball in Skubal’s court and see how many innings he can go?
If he can make it through the seventh with minimal damage, the Dodgers could close things out with Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz, who both didn’t play in Game 3. And if he gets blown up early on? Well, Glasnow could enter the game at any point and take over, saving bullpen arms for a potential Game 5.
2. Max Muncy must start at third base no matter what
To say Dave Roberts has been a bit too cute with how he’s utilized Max Muncy in the NLCS is an understatement.
Arguably Los Angeles’ most consistent bat, with good enough defense on the corner to earn him an All-Star berth, Muncy has hit more home runs than any other member of the Dodgers so far this postseason despite ranking ninth in plate appearances at 19.
In Game 3, Muncy was kept out of the starting lineup because the Brewers opted to start lefty Robert Gasser, deploying him in the sixth inning on an ill-fated pinch-hitting attempt with a man on first and second. Roberts deployed a similar strategy in Game 1 of the NLCS, using Muncy in the ninth inning, and twice in the NLDS too, in Games 2 and 3 against the Braves.
But in Game 4, the Dodgers must make sure Muncy gets as many at-bats as possible, so not only should he start, but he should probably hit no lower than fifth in the order, with third an obvious spot in place of Teoscar Hernandez, who was hitless in Game 3.
Would it be nice to have Muncy as a super bat off the bench who can be deployed in the perfect situation? Sure, but the Dodgers have another pro bat on the bench who can do just that, freeing up Muncy to hit as often as possible and see if he can make Milwaukee pitchers pay for a mistake.
3. Dave Roberts must get aggressive with Josue De Paula
Much has been said, written, and discussed about whether or not the Dodgers should have started Josue De Paula at DH against the Brewers in Game 3, but to a degree, Shohei Ohtani shut that discussion down, getting on base three times after being walked, recording a hit, and being hit by a pitch while batting sixth.
How Roberts deployed DePaula in Game 3, however, was an absolute farce, announcing the young slugger as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning as well, only to pull him for Kike Hernandez after DL Hall entered the game.
Now granted, had De Paula been available, would the Dodgers have gone to him in the ninth inning with Hernandez, Tommy Edman, and Mookie Betts scheduled to hit? That’s hard to say, as if they didn’t secure the lead, he would have been forced to play a position on defense, which he’s yet to do at the MLB level, but not having the option was firmly a mistake on Roberts’ part and can’t happen again in Game 4.
Because De Paula is a hitter only, the Dodgers have to keep either Hernandez or Rojas ready as a fielding option should the 20-year-old Brooklyn native get his number called. Unless the game is an absolute blowout, the Dodgers have to be prepared to strategically deploy De Paula like they would Muncy, even if that means one of their veteran reserves barely sees the field as a result.
Related: Dodgers’ Blake Snell can’t believe Brewers got to him in NLCS Game 3
Related: Dave Roberts reveals how Dodgers can keep World Series dreams alive in NLCS Game 4
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