There’s no denying it: the Los Angeles Dodgers are in the driver’s seat of the 2025 National League Championship Series, holding a commanding 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers as the series heads back to Dodger Stadium. But beneath the surface of this postseason surge, a lively debate is unfolding about how these Dodgers stack up against some of baseball’s most storied playoff teams—especially their bitter rivals, the San Francisco Giants.
On October 16, 2025, a prominent baseball social media account, Talkin’ Baseball, lit up the internet with a provocative post comparing the Dodgers’ current playoff pitching feats to those of Giants legends Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum. The post read: "The Dodgers are the first team to have two starters go eight or more innings in consecutive postseason games in one series since Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum pitched Games 4-5 for the Giants in the 2010 World Series." That’s a bold comparison, and it’s got fans on both coasts buzzing.
Let’s break down what’s happening on the field. Dodgers starters Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have dominated the Brewers so far. In Game 1, Snell tossed eight innings of shutout baseball, striking out 10 and handing the ball over to rookie Roki Sasaki and reliever Blake Treinen to close out a late Milwaukee rally. In Game 2, Yamamoto was untouchable, spinning a three-hit complete game shutout—the first postseason complete game by a Dodgers pitcher since Jose Lima in 2004. Combined, Snell and Yamamoto allowed just one run on four hits over 17 of the 18 possible innings in Milwaukee. That’s the kind of pitching that wins championships.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has found a clever workaround for his bullpen’s struggles: he’s barely used them. When asked about how many complete games his staff could deliver, Roberts laughed and said, "I'll take as many as we can get. They’re doing their part by attacking, being efficient and putting themselves in a position to do that." It’s a strategy that’s paid off handsomely so far, but can it hold up as the series shifts to Los Angeles?
The Dodgers’ rotation wasn’t always this sharp. Earlier in the season, injuries and slumps plagued the staff. Now, as October heats up, everything’s clicking. Tyler Glasnow, who starts Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, said, "It’s perfect timing. The vibe is really good in the clubhouse. Everyone is feeling great. It’s just a good time to get hot, for sure." Glasnow himself was lights out in the NLDS, tossing six scoreless innings against the Phillies to help seal that series.
And then there’s Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar who’s set to take the mound for Game 4. Ohtani is pitching for the first time since his second elbow surgery in December 2023, and the Dodgers have managed his innings carefully all season. Roberts explained, "The century mark isn’t like a ceiling on pitches. Yeah, I think it’s just kind of contingent on how he’s throwing. He’s waited for this moment, and I think with the rest that he’s got going into that game, he’s going to be ready to go." Ohtani himself is eager to emulate his fellow starters. Through a translator, he said, "That would be great. But my number one priority is making sure I’m putting up zeros no matter what and making sure we’re the team that scores first."
Yet for all their on-field heroics, some critics argue that these Dodgers aren’t quite like the Giants of the early 2010s. The Giants’ dynasty was built on homegrown talent—Lincecum, Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Brian Wilson, and Sergio Romo were all products of San Francisco’s farm system and played crucial roles in their 2010 World Series triumph. The Dodgers, by contrast, have spent eye-popping sums to bring in stars like Snell and Yamamoto. While they do have some homegrown players—catcher Will Smith, outfielder Andy Pages, and veteran Clayton Kershaw—the core of this postseason run has been bolstered by expensive free agents and blockbuster trades.
That difference hasn’t gone unnoticed. As one commentator put it, "Even if the Dodgers win the World Series this season to get back-to-back titles, there is a cheapness to it despite all of the money the team possesses." The Giants’ championships, the argument goes, had "soul and heart"—they were fueled by young players who’d come up through the system and veterans who’d been cast off by other teams but found new life in San Francisco. By comparison, the Dodgers’ success, some say, feels more like a big-budget Hollywood production—impressive, but lacking the underdog spirit that made the Giants’ run so memorable.
Still, you can’t argue with results. The Dodgers have won seven of their eight postseason games so far, despite getting almost nothing from Ohtani at the plate. The three-time MVP is just 2 for 25 in the playoffs, with no extra-base hits, but Roberts isn’t worried. "The contribution is not just by batting average," he said. "Certainly him being in the lineup, posting, I think getting the walks, allowing for Mookie (Betts) to have opportunities to drive runs in, that’s contribution. The first two games in Milwaukee his at-bats have been fantastic. That’s what I’ve been looking for. That’s what I’m counting on." Brewers manager Pat Murphy echoed that sentiment, insisting, "He’s dangerous, and we pitch him as tough and as careful as we can pitch him, and we bring a matchup in anytime we can."
The Brewers, for their part, are in a tough spot. They’ve now lost nine straight road playoff games dating back to 2018 and must win at least two of the next three games in Los Angeles to force the series back to Wisconsin. Their pitching plans for Game 3 are still "under construction," according to Murphy, though left-hander José Quintana is expected to play a role. Quintana said, "I think we pitched better than we played, our defense. We stay positive for the game tomorrow. We need to show really good baseball and win one ballgame at a time. Tomorrow we expect to get the first win."
Murphy was joined at his media session by his 10-year-old son Austin, who showed off some media savvy of his own. When asked what the Brewers need to do to get back in the series, Austin said, "Just stick with it and keep battling through it. The guys respond back really good. Started the season 0-4. Those games were not good. But then they responded with the best record in baseball, so I believe they can do it."
As the NLCS shifts to Los Angeles, all eyes are on whether the Dodgers’ star-studded rotation can keep up its historic pace—and whether the Brewers can find a way to flip the script. With Glasnow and Ohtani lined up, the Dodgers have a golden opportunity to put this series out of reach, but Milwaukee’s not ready to fold just yet. The stage is set for more drama in the City of Angels.
