Even MLB’s powerhouse team needs a wake-up call. And this time around in the NLCS, the Milwaukee Brewers eked out a statement win versus the boys in blue.
The Brewers defended home turf in Game 1 of the NLCS, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–1 in a tight pitching duel. After getting swept by the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS, Milwaukee hopes to rewrite the script and capitalize on their regular-season-best record.
Milwaukee flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits, one run, and three walks while striking out five. He threw 94 pitches (60 strikes).
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Baseball’s unicorn, Shohei Ohtani, continued his postseason struggles, and LA newcomer Tarik Skubal had a forgettable outing on the mound as Pat Murphy’s “underdog” Brewers edged the back-to-back champs.
LA scored first in the second inning, bringing in Ohtani with an Andy Pages RBI single to right. Milwaukee responded in the bottom of the fourth with a Brice Turang solo homer. The Brewers inserted 21-year-old Luis Lara in a big spot, and he delivered in the fifth with an RBI single to score Garrett Mitchell for the go-ahead run.
Skubal tallied 81 pitches through five innings, prompting LA manager Dave Roberts to activate the bullpen earlier than expected. Skubal gave up five hits and two runs while recording seven strikeouts.
The Dodgers will turn to generational ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, though LA rarely puts on an offensive showcase when Yoshi is on the bump.
LA struggled to bring in runners, an issue that has plagued prime NL contenders in recent memory, like last year’s Brewers and 2024’s NLCS Mets. The Dodgers went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. With a final chance to tie in the ninth, LA put the tying run in scoring position after Trevor Megill issued two-out walks to Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula, but Megill induced a game-ending flyout from Mookie Betts to preserve the huge win.
The Dodgers left nine guys on base Sunday night.
Historically, teams that win Game 1 of a League Championship Series advance 65.6% of the time; home teams winning Game 1 hold a 67.3% win rate.
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