It’s unclear what the outcome of Game 2 of the NLCS would have been if Will Smith had taken advantage of two ABS challenge opportunities against the Milwaukee Brewers.
But the fact is that’s not the case, and now Los Angeles faces a 2-0 deficit in the NLCS after a 7-4 loss Monday night.
Smith missed two ABS challenges against Brice Turang in the first and third innings, costing the Dodgers a chance to turn the game around.
The first missed opportunity occurred after starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the verge of his second strikeout of the game when he brought in Brice Turang for an early 0-2 count.
Yamamoto threw a 91.2 splitter into the bottom corner of the strike zone and it was ruled a ball.
Smith had the chance to contest the pitch in ABS, but ultimately decided to check with the third-plate umpire to see if Turang’s bat had crossed home plate.
The referee ruled that his stick didn’t do it, keeping his stick alive.
“Will has a great vision for it; you try to rely on your receivers to overcome challenges,” Roberts said. “If you look back, it changes the outcome.”
Three pitches later, after the failed attempt, Turang reached base on a double, then was brought home in the next at-bat, following an RBI single by William Contreras.
Yamamoto eventually got out of the inning after Smith’s missed challenging opportunity by getting Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich out.
Smith’s second chance to strike out Turang came in his second at-bat, when he faced a full count.
After Yamamoto threw a cutter to the outside middle of the zone, the pitch was ruled a ball and Smith had the chance to challenge the call, but chose not to.
Smith said postgame that he went to look at the two missed opportunities.
“It was kind of early in the game, we kind of had him on the ropes,” Smith said. “I thought we could get him out. The walk was disappointing. But it happens. That’s baseball.”
After Turang was walked, the Brewers’ offense exploded in the third inning after Christian Yelich drove in two runs, sending Yamamoto to the showers early after throwing 75 pitches in 2 ⅔ innings.
Once the game was over, the Dodgers were left with their two ABS challenges at their disposal.
Aside from the struggles on defense, Smith is 1 for 23 in the postseason with one walk and eight strikeouts.
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