The Los Angeles Dodgers are confronting something they rarely come face-to-face with — postseason adversity. The Dodgers coasted through the National League postseason on their way to the World Series, including a NLCS series sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers. However, the easy road took a bit of a turn in Game 1 of the World Series following an 11-4 victory by the Toronto Blue Jays.
The loss was shocking, especially after a nine-run sixth inning by Toronto, but Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy offered a stark reminder to those ready to write off Los Angeles or beckon the team for a wakeup call.
“Whether we win or lose, we have pretty much the same reaction out there. I know we caught a lot of heat for our celebration for winning the NLCS, but that’s just who we are as a team, Muncy told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal. “You’ve got to win four of these games. We understand that. You don't win or lose a series in Game 1. For us, it was a bad game. You get over it and you show up. It's a brand new day. It’s a zero-zero game in the first inning, and that’s how we’re going to play it.”
When asked if the Dodgers need to change anything ahead of World Series Game 2, Muncy expressed confidence in his teammates and the Dodgers' starting pitcher, Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“I think for Yamamoto tonight, he’s just got to be able to command most of his pitches and do what he’s been doing all season long,” said Muncy. “He doesn’t need to change anything. He just has to be himself. We have confidence in every single guy we stick out there, and it’s definitely no different tonight.
World Series Game 2 is the first time the Dodgers will be down by any deficit in the postseason since being down 2-1 against the San Diego Padres in the 2024 NLDS. The Dodgers came back to win that series 3-2 and went on to win the World Series. If they have the same success, Los Angeles will become the first team since the 1999-2000 New York Yankees to repeat as World Series champions.
