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Rays World Series disappearing act only makes Dodgers' flop vs. Brewers more frustrating

The Dodgers could've won their third straight World Series title.
ByPat Ragazzo
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Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland reacts in the dugout after game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Alex Freeland reacts in the dugout after game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite having the largest payroll in baseball and landing Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to win their third consecutive World Series title this year. Instead, they were swept by the eventual champions in the Milwaukee Brewers in four games in the NLCS.

Given the way the World Series played out, it's even more frustrating that the Dodgers couldn't get past the Brewers. If they beat the Brewers, the Dodgers likely could have pulled off the three-peat against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Fall Classic.

Why the Rays' performance makes the Dodgers' flop more disappointing

With the exception of their Game 4 extra inning walk-off win, the Rays didn't show up against the Brewers in the World Series, losing in five games. The Rays only scored a total of 12 runs in five games, and were beat 10-1 in Game 3. Tampa Bay's pitching staff allowed an average of five runs per game in the series.

It seems like the Dodgers certainly could've handled the Rays in a head-to-head series this October. However, Los Angeles only scored 11 runs in four games versus Milwaukee in the NLCS. The Dodgers allowed 21 runs to the Brewers in their series, as opposed to the Rays who surrendered 25 runs to Milwaukee.

That being said, the Brewers were a team of destiny and whoever won the NLCS was likely going to go on to be crowned champions in the World Series. The Brewers thumped the Dodgers and it only took them one extra game to knock off the Rays in the final round.

The Dodgers appeared to be a team that was built to three-peat, but their offense ran out of gas in the postseason. Not to mention, superstar DH Shohei Ohtani was dealing with biceps and knee injuries, which hampered him at the plate. The promising sign was that Ohtani hit a three-run homer in Game 4 of the NLCS. If that was a sign that his bat was getting going, the Dodgers would've had a strong chance to beat the Rays.

In the end, the Rays' dissappearing act in the World Series makes the Dodgers' flop against the Brewers even more frustrating. Had the Dodgers gotten past the Brewers in the NLCS, they possibly could have been hoisting the World Series trophy as the last team standing in October once again.

With an expected lockout on the horizon, the Dodgers will now have a long offseason to figure out how to get back to being World Series champions in 2027.

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