Every single October, baseball promises a few stories nobody saw coming. This year, the biggest one involved a small-market underdog, a superstar-filled rival, and one very loud voice that could not stay quiet.
Stephen A. Smith is never shy, and he had plenty to say once the dust settled. His reaction sparked heated talk across sports media and among fans on both sides of the debate right now.
The sweep that shocked Dodger Stadium
The Brewers beat the Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday night to complete a four-game sweep. Milwaukee ended Los Angeles’ pursuit of a third consecutive championship at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles built a 4-0 lead in Game 4, with Shohei Ohtani hitting a three-run homer in the second inning. Milwaukee answered with 5 consecutive runs, taking the lead on Garrett Mitchell’s sixth-inning home run before adding an insurance run in the ninth.
The Brewers advanced to their first World Series since 1982, ending a 44-year absence from the Fall Classic. Their previous appearance came when Milwaukee competed in the American League; the franchise moved to the National League in 1998.
What Stephen A. Smith actually said
Smith spoke on First Take after Game 4 and told Jessica Mendoza the Dodgers had simply been outplayed. He said Mendoza was being kind to Los Angeles before pointing to shortcomings throughout the roster.
Smith highlighted the pitching staff, naming Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow among the pitchers who failed to deliver when Los Angeles needed them most.
Smith also emphasized the Dodgers’ spending. He referenced more than $2.1 billion in total guaranteed compensation commitments, including deferred money, and rejected fatigue as an excuse for highly paid stars earning tens of millions of dollars per season.
Why he rejected the fatigue excuse
ESPN titled the clip with an all-caps shout that the Dodgers got outplayed. The same show also covered baseball’s labor fight and the collective bargaining talks looming this winter. Smith wanted that point heard.
Mendoza argued the Dodgers looked tired and stopped hitting for power. Smith disagreed with the tired part since players earning those salaries are paid to perform in October, and he said so plainly on air.
Even Dodgers manager Dave Roberts agreed with that verdict after Game 4. He said Milwaukee outplayed his team in every phase and deserved a tip of the cap. That honesty matched Smith’s message almost perfectly.
Dodgers pitching fell apart at the worst time
Dodgers starters allowed 13 earned runs over 18 innings in the series. That works out to a 6.50 ERA for a rotation built to dominate October. Milwaukee hitters made every Dodgers mistake count all week.
Tarik Skubal took the Game 1 loss after five innings. Yoshinobu Yamamoto then lasted only 2 2/3 innings in Game 2, the shortest postseason start of his career. That put heavy pressure on the bullpen.
Blake Snell had given up no homers in his previous 10 starts. Milwaukee hit three off him in Game 3 while Ohtani hit the only Dodgers homer of the series. Power clearly belonged to Milwaukee.
Brewers wanted revenge for 2025
The Dodgers swept Milwaukee in the 2025 NLCS. A year later, the Brewers returned the favor with a sweep of their own. No other team had ever done that after being swept a year earlier.
Pitcher Aaron Ashby said the team played with a chip on its shoulder. Smith echoed that idea, saying Milwaukee wanted the Dodgers badly while Los Angeles was not ready. That gap in motivation showed.
Milwaukee became the first team to begin a postseason with six comeback wins in its first eight games. That grit returned in Game 4 as Milwaukee erased an early hole.
A massive payroll gap between rivals
The Dodgers carried an estimated luxury-tax payroll of about $433 million this season, while Milwaukee’s payroll was approximately $154.7 million, ranking 19th in MLB. The large spending gap became part of the wider debate over baseball’s economic system.
The Brewers won 103 games and finished with MLB’s best regular-season record for the second consecutive year. Players including Jackson Chourio and Cy Young contender Jacob Misiorowski played central roles in Milwaukee’s success.
Shohei Ohtani’s contract carries a nominal salary of $70 million per season, with $68 million deferred annually. For luxury-tax calculations, however, his contract is valued differently because MLB uses the present value of deferred compensation.
Late home runs turned the series
Milwaukee won Game 3 6-2 with a late home-run surge. The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning before the Brewers answered immediately.
Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning. Brewers starter Robert Gasser held Los Angeles scoreless for 5 innings, and Bauers later earned NLCS MVP honors.
Mitchell said the Brewers had become battle-hardened since the previous season’s defeat. Milwaukee ultimately out-homered Los Angeles 7-1 across the four-game series.
Smith predicts a salary cap is coming
Smith also used the sweep to discuss baseball’s looming labor negotiations. He predicted that some form of salary cap is coming, although he said it might not be a hard cap, and cited the spending disparity between Los Angeles and Milwaukee.
MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1. Owners have pushed for a salary cap and payroll floor, while the MLB Players Association has historically opposed a cap. A lockout is widely considered possible upon the agreement’s expiration.
Smith warned that losing a season to the dispute would be extremely damaging to baseball. Mendoza was more skeptical that negotiations would wipe out an entire season.
Little-known fact: Smith reportedly earns about $21 million annually from ESPN, while his SiriusXM agreement is worth $36 million over 3 years and his podcast reportedly generates nearly $7 million annually.
TL;DR
- The Brewers swept the Dodgers and reached their first World Series since 1982.
- Stephen A. Smith said the Dodgers got outplayed and rejected fatigue as an excuse.
- Dodgers starters posted a 6.50 ERA while Milwaukee hit far more homers.
- Smith predicts some form of salary cap is coming to baseball.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
