Season-changing Brewers injury might've just guaranteed Dodgers NLCS sweep

UPDATE: In an odd turn of events, Chourio told reporters after the game that he was suffering from a cramp and is expected to play in Game 4.

The Dodgers were once again grinding against the Brewers in Game 3 of the NLCS, but none of these games have given you the indication Milwaukee has the capability to pull off a comeback. Even after LA nearly blew Game 1, it still felt like they were fully in control after Blake Snell's dominance.

And things just got worse for the Brewers, who probably lost their best hitter for the rest of the way. Jackson Chourio, who suffered a hamstring injury in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Chicago Cubs — seemingly re-aggravated the injury after fouling off a pitch from Blake Treinen in the seventh inning of Thursday night's game.

It was so bad that he was removed from the game and couldn't finish the at-bat. With the Dodgers leading 3-1 and Milwaukee barely threatening offensively, it very much feels like this game is all but over.

And make that the series — because if Chourio was that hobbled, then it's hard to believe he will be in the lineup on Friday or Saturday ... by which point the Dodgers will have wrapped this thing up to secure a World Series berth.

Unless the Brewers have an offensive awakening, this series is more than likely finished on Friday. At the very least, it's not going back to Milwaukee.

Dodgers News: Jackson Chourio's injury just made NLCS vs Brewers that much easier

The Brewers had their best chance to expose the Dodgers in this particular game with LA's weakest starter on the mound in Tyler Glasnow — who has been good but isn't Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Shohei Ohtani — and they couldn't do it at full strength.

Without Chourio, the Brewers' offense is almost flatlined. He's been their best postseason hitter with a .276 average and .842 OPS. He leads the team with eight hits, two doubles, two homers and eight RBI.

It's important not to get cocky — something Dodgers fans weren't on board with when the LA Times declared the NLDS over after the 2-0 lead — but this feels much different. The Brewers have grinded to the bone with little results to show for it and they just probably lost their best source of offense.

To declare this wrapped up (assuming the Dodgers close it out tonight) after Friday's game — with Ohtani on the mound — does not feel like an act of bravado. It's pretty much just being realistic after what we've watched over the last 26 innings.