- Oct 16, 2026
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Former Cy Young winner John Smoltz criticized the Dodgers' pitching approach following their elimination from the National League Championship Series.
The back-to-back World Series champions were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers despite a rotation featuring Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. None of the Dodgers starters completed more than five innings against Milwaukee.
Smoltz, who called the series alongside Joe Davis, voiced his concerns on the Flippin' Bats podcast. He said the staff pitched well but did not perform adequately in key moments when experienced arms should have avoided errors. The broadcaster also raised questions about whether pitch selections originated from catcher Will Smith or the pitchers themselves.
The Brewers overcame deficits in every contest, with their only four-run hole coming in the last game. Milwaukee out-homered the Dodgers and produced superior hitting with runners in scoring position. Smoltz described the Brewers bullpen as dominant in a way that has never been seen.
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).