MILWAUKEE – One by one, their advantages are vanishing.
asserted
advantages → vanish → one
The Dodgers are behind by two games in this race to four wins, and in the wake of their 7-4 defeat in Game 2 at American Family Field, they find themselves praying the Brewers will miraculously run out of gas before they reach the finish line.
asserted
they → find → line
Before the Dodgers can win this series, they will have to get back into it first.
asserted
they → win → it
They will play at home over the next three games.
asserted
They → play → games
They have Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lined up to pitch in Games 3 and 4, respectively.
asserted
Snell → have → Games
But that alone doesn’t guarantee anything, not with how the Brewers are playing.
asserted
Brewers → guarantee → anything
They have an unspectacular but industrious offense.
asserted
They → have → offense
They have a relentless bullpen.
asserted
They → have → bullpen
And they display the kind of edge that makes it obvious they believe they can take down the two-time defending World Series champions.
asserted
they → display → champions
If there was a game the Brewers were expected to drop, it was Game 2.
asserted
it → be → ?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was pitching for the Dodgers.
asserted
Yamamoto → pitch → Dodgers
The Brewers didn’t just beat Yamamoto.
asserted
Brewers → beat → Yamamoto
They wore him down and forced the Dodgers to empty their bullpen.
asserted
They → wear → bullpen
The result was an unmitigated disaster for the Dodgers, who have made it an annual tradition to have the Japanese right-hander bail them out of trouble at this time of the year.
asserted
hander → make → year
The Dodgers were intimately familiar with the script from which the Brewers read.
asserted
Brewers → read → which
Only this time, the Dodgers weren’t the team executing the game plan.
asserted
Dodgers → execute → plan
They were the team against which the plan was being executed, and Yamamoto was the target of the attack.
asserted
Yamamoto → execute → attack
Instead of a big game they anticipated from Yamamoto, the Dodgers received a big flop.
asserted
Dodgers → anticipate → flop
Yamamoto struck out Jackson Chourio to start the bottom of the first inning, and appeared to follow that up by striking out Brice Turang on three pitches.
asserted
Yamamoto → strike → pitches
But what should have been a called third strike was called a ball by home plate umpire Chris Segal.
asserted
been → call → Segal
Yamamoto and Smith didn’t challenge the ruling, and Turang made them pay with double to left field.
asserted
them → challenge → field
Turang scored on a single by William Contreras to tie the game, 1-1.
asserted
Turang → score → game
Yamamoto threw 25 pitches in the first inning.
asserted
Yamamoto → throw → inning
Two innings later, Yamamoto was once again the victim of a missed called third strike.
asserted
Yamamoto → miss → strike
Once again, Turang was the hitter, and Segal’s decision on a borderline pitch turned the would-be strikeout into a walk that gave the Brewers runners on first and second base with one out.
asserted
that → turn → out
Two batters later, Jake Bauers drew a 12-pitch walk to load the bases, setting the stage for a two-run single by Christian Yelich that moved the Brewers in front, 3-2.
asserted
that → draw → front
With his pitch count at 75, Yamamoto was removed from the game.
asserted
Yamamoto → remove → game
The 2 ⅔-inning appearance was the shortest postseason start Yamamoto had made in the major leagues.
asserted
Yamamoto → make → leagues
Once the game morphed into a battle of the bullpens, the game was decided.
asserted
game → morph → bullpens
The Brewers were able to play to their greatest strength.
asserted
Brewers → play → strength
The Dodgers had to expose their greatest weakness.
asserted
Dodgers → have → weakness
To win the World Series last year, the Dodgers had to overcome a three-games-to-two deficit against the Toronto Blue Jays.
asserted
Dodgers → win → Jays
Their title run the previous year started with them reversing a two-games-to-one deficit against the San Diego Padres.
asserted
them → start → Padres
The Dodgers have overcome deficits before.
asserted
Dodgers → overcome → deficits
But the Brewers are presenting them with the sort of problems they might not even be able to solve.
uncertain
they → present → problems
The Aporia
