Will Smith has received life-changing news just hours before the Dodgers’ crucial NLCS Game 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers. With Los Angeles trailing 0-2, A loss would put the Dodgers one game from elimination in a best-of-seven series; the catcher now has a special reason to celebrate amid growing pressure to deliver on the field.

“Our third October baby girl… Carter,” wrote Will Smith’s wife, Cara Smith.

Will Smith received the happiest news of his life before the Dodgers faced Milwaukee in Game 3. The announcement came approximately 3 hours before first pitch. His wife, Cara, announced the birth of their third daughter, Carter, as Los Angeles returned home trailing 0-2. All 3 of their daughters have now been born in October, with Charlotte arriving in 2022 and Layton following in 2024.

Back in May, Cara had announced her pregnancy, writing, “growing our little fam🤍👶🏻🫶🏼✨ shoutout to Will for his photography skills.” And now in October, Carter’s arrival gives the Smith family a special moment while the Dodgers face their biggest challenge yet.

However, Smith has his own challenge waiting when he returns to the field against the Brewers. The catcher has managed just 1 hit in 23 postseason at-bats, striking out 8 times and drawing only 1 walk. After a three-month neck injury, Smith returned in September and hit .290 in his final 21 games, a sharp contrast to his postseason struggles.

But the postseason has brought a sharp change, and manager Dave Roberts has moved him down to seventh in the lineup. But Will Smith batted .276 with 16 hits, 2 home runs, and 8 RBIs across 15 games during the Dodgers’ 2025 postseason. He also recorded a .364 on-base percentage and .777 OPS, making him a productive contributor during their championship run. With the Dodgers needing a win in Game 3 of the NLCS (the Dodgers are down 2-0), Smith will hope to find that earlier rhythm when it matters most.

The happy news also brought congratulations from another Dodgers family, with Kayla Vesia among the first to respond.

Alex Vesia’s wife welcomed Carter in the comments, writing, “Carter welcome to the girl gang 💗.”

The moment showed the support shared among Dodgers families while the team faces a difficult postseason fight. For Smith, the warm wishes offer a personal celebration before he returns to the pressure of October baseball. Now, he has a chance to turn that happiness into a performance that helps his teammates.

The Dodgers have a major concern

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ offensive struggles have become a serious concern after falling 2-0 behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS. Their .193 postseason batting average and 2-for-26 record with runners in scoring position show why scoring has become difficult. Even at home, Los Angeles faced another setback when Jackson Chourio homered off Blake Snell on the opening pitch of Game 3.

For Dodgers fans, the early blow brought back familiar frustrations as their lineup continued searching for answers. Milwaukee has found ways to punish those struggles, leaving Los Angeles under pressure to respond.

The problem starts with missed chances, and the Dodgers have struggled to turn baserunners into runs. They went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position in Game 1, wasting opportunities to build an early lead. Shohei Ohtani has managed just 3 hits in 20 postseason at-bats, with lingering biceps and knee issues adding concerns. Will Smith has also struggled, recording 1 hit in 23 at-bats while posting a .043 batting average and .126 OPS.

With key hitters unable to produce consistently, Los Angeles has lacked the support needed to challenge Milwaukee.

Those struggles have become harder to overcome because Milwaukee’s pitchers keep shutting down the Dodgers when games tighten. In Game 2, the Brewers scored 7 runs in their 7-4 victory, while their bullpen protected the lead late. JoJo Romero struck out Ohtani and challenged Smith, while Abner Uribe forced groundouts from Tommy Edman and Kyle Tucker.

Milwaukee’s relievers have combined for a 0.31 ERA across 28⅔ postseason innings, showing just how difficult they have been to score against. The Dodgers cannot afford to keep wasting chances against a pitching staff performing this well.

The pressure now rests on Los Angeles to change its approach before Milwaukee moves closer to a World Series appearance. Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser retired several Dodgers hitters early in Game 3, while Kyle Tucker recorded the Dodgers’ first hit in the 2nd inning. Ohtani was moved to sixth in the batting order, reflecting how seriously the team is treating his recent struggles.

The Dodgers still have enough talent to make the series competitive, but their numbers explain why a comeback looks increasingly difficult. Unless they start getting timely hits and making scoring chances count, Milwaukee has every reason to believe it can advance.