Updated October 16, 2026, 3:55 p.m. ET
LOS ANGELES – The tears had mostly dried in the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse.
About 30 minutes had passed after the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series. Their hopes of winning a third straight World Series title were officially extinguished with a 6-4 loss Thursday, Oct. 15, at Dodger Stadium.
What happened before the club’s doors opened to the media?
Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ veteran second baseman, was misty-eyed. He is retiring and expressed his gratitude to the team because his years in the Dodgers organization changed his life – not just as a player, but as a husband and father.
He said he received emotional hugs from his teammates as Rojas retired.
Max Muncy, the Dodgers third baseman, evoked an invisible emotion.
“Right now we’re trying to soak in what we have in this clubhouse,” he said. “We all try to tell each other that we love each other and thank each other. There will come a time when we’ll worry about next year, but that’s just not the case right now.”
In fact, the worry may start now.
Ohtani told reporters he didn’t know if he would need surgery for knee and biceps problems that limited his throwing and led to a horrible slowdown in hitting.
“I failed to understand what I learned this season,” Ohtani said after the match. “I’m going to go back to the drawing board in terms of treatment, training program and see what I can come up with for next season. … And I’m looking forward to having a better season next year.”
Age-old problem
The Brewers looked sharp as they ran the base paths. Not the Dodgers.
Ohtani, 32, has seven years remaining on his 10-year, $700 million contract. Mookie Betts is under contract through 2032. But Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy, both older Dodgers, have just one year left on their contracts.
Freeman, the 37-year-old All-Star first baseman, is among the most grizzled Dodgers. He smiled as reporters gathered around his locker and referenced remarks made by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the clubhouse before the doors opened.
“Obviously he came in pretty injured,” Freeman said. “But (Roberts) said some encouraging things. Sports are sometimes difficult when you go out there and give it your all. Sometimes you fail, but that’s life.”
But the philosophical will compete with the digital.
A hypothetical MLB salary cap could force the Dodgers to operate under financial constraints for the first time since Mark Walter and his partners purchased the team in 2012 for $2.15 billion.
Repressed emotion
The Dodgers’ biggest emotion came during the game. Those were the screams and gestures after Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the second inning.
It was his first home run since August 18, and as the ball crossed the right field wall, Ohtani turned toward the Dodgers dugout, raised his arms and shouted.
“I think there was a lot of pent-up anger and frustration. It was the best ball he’s hit in probably two, three months, and it was a big hit,” Roberts said. “For him to look at the dugout, show that emotion, it shows how much he cares. He’s still human. He still cares and wants to help his team win a baseball game.”
Ohtani looked calm in the clubhouse as he appeared at his locker with his translator.
Perhaps it’s better to end at the entrance.
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow retired the Brewers’ first nine batters in a row and had six strikeouts. Los Angeles had taken a 4-0 lead.
But less than two innings later, he was removed from the game and the Brewers tied the score 4-4.
“I just think they played a lot better than us,” Glasnow said, looking dejected in front of his locker. “They were talking about everything and I just think it wasn’t our year.”
With that, there’s still time for the Dodgers to shed a few more tears.
Gn sports
