Los Angeles Dodgers: Three keys to win the NLCS in Game 6

3. Don’t be afraid to manufacture runs

If the three NLCS games at Dodger Stadium taught us anything it is that the Los Angeles Dodgers really live and die by the home run ball. The National League’s leader in home runs, the Brewers pitching staff did a fantastic job of keeping the ball in the yard. LA did not hit a single home run at home.

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It took the Dodgers’ offense two and a half games to really get used to this. In Game 3 of the series, the Dodgers offense looked awful; trust me, I was there. In a game that was reminiscent to Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, the Dodgers continually failed to come up with runners on base.

The offense was still pretty bad in Game 4 but the bullpen put together the best Dodger bullpen performance of this five-year playoff run and gave the Dodgers plenty of chances to win the game. The team finally did on a manufactured run off a two-out Cody Bellinger single.

In Game 5, the offense was significantly better in not needing the long ball to succeed. The offense had a much better approach at the plate and started attacking first-pitch strikes while also staying within themselves. No longer was the narrative to hit a home run, it was to make things happen.

And that is exactly what happened and that is what the Dodgers need to do in Game 6.

Don’t be afraid to bunt a runner over to second if Justin Turner is on deck with no outs. Don’t be afraid to steal bases with Cody Bellinger or Chris Taylor and force throws.

Most importantly, do not try to hit the ball out of the park. Put it in play, good things usually happen when you do.

I would think that the chance of the Dodgers hitting a home run in this game is astronomically high. It is hard to see the team go four straight games without a home run, especially in Miller Park. However, the Los Angeles Dodgers cannot rely on the home run being the saving grace.