The result of Game 2 of the NLCS might have been different had Will Smith taken advantage of two ABS challenge opportunities against the Milwaukee Brewers. But, unfortunately for the Dodgers, he didn’t, leading to a 7-4 loss and a 2-0 series deficit.
Smith missed both challenges against Brice Turang in both the first and third innings, which deprived Los Angeles of crucial chances to potentially shift the game’s momentum.
The first opportunity came right when starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the verge of securing his second strikeout of the evening, having Turang down 0-2. He threw a splitter that seemed to hit the bottom corner of the strike zone, but it was called a ball.
Smith had the option to challenge the pitch but chose to consult with the third-base umpire instead about whether Turang’s bat crossed the plate. The ump ruled in favor of Turang, allowing his at-bat to continue.
“Will’s got a great view of that; you try to defer to your catchers for challenges,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mentioned. “Looking back, that definitely changes the outing.”
A few pitches later, following Smith’s missed challenge, Turang hit a double and was subsequently brought home on an RBI single by William Contreras.
Yamamoto did manage to close out the inning after Smith’s decision, getting Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich to make outs.
In his second at-bat, Smith had another chance to challenge a potential strikeout for Turang, who was facing a full count. After a cutter from Yamamoto that was ruled a ball, Smith opted not to challenge this call either.
During a postgame interview, Smith reflected on the missed chances. “It was kind of early in the game, we kind of had him on the ropes. I thought maybe we could get him out there. The walk one was disappointing. But it happens. It’s baseball,” he explained.
Following the walk to Turang, the Brewers capitalized in the third inning, with Yelich driving in two runs, forcing Yamamoto out of the game after he had thrown 75 pitches over just 2 ⅔ innings.
When the final whistle blew, the Dodgers found themselves still holding two unused ABS challenges. Compounding their troubles, Smith’s performance has not been strong since the playoffs began; he’s hitting just 1-for-23 with a single walk and eight strikeouts.
