LOS ANGELES — The quiet blared in the Dodgers clubhouse like a siren. A deafening absence of noise. The kind of desperation that screams through whispers.
The quiet lingered over Max Muncy as he sat at his locker, scrolling through his iPhone. Cut-sleeve dark gray shirt with his white Dodgers pants still on, he dodged the disappointment with his thumbs. Instead of getting dressed, he marinated in the 0-3 NLCS deficit against the Brewers a little longer.
The quiet muffled the voice of Blake Snell, who spoke so softly that even in the hushed home clubhouse one could barely make out his words. The bill of his black-and-camouflage Los Angeles cap hovered over his face, but it still couldn't hide his disappointment. The silence taunted Kiké Hernández at his locker, his face pointed toward the floor as he rummaged through his closely cropped, bleached-blond hair, searching for answers.
This home clubhouse has known the raucous rage of victory better than any other recently. The two-time defending World Series champs have filled this space and others with champagne and euphoria, three times in the previous six seasons. They made a noise that history could hear.
But Wednesday night, this place, with its wooden walls and royal blue chairs, sounded more like a mausoleum than a mosh pit. The Brewers have simply been better. The Brewers have a 3-0 lead in the NLCS.
One more victory and they'll capture the National League pennant for the first time in team history. They can finish a sweep of the Dodgers, who have been the World Series favorites all year long, on Thursday night. "It's a pretty simple answer," Muncy said.
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