Brewers Secure 2-0 NLCS Lead with Victory Over Dodgers

On Monday, Yoshinobu Yamamoto stood on the mound at American Family Field, facing the Brewers once more. Last year, he delivered a complete game performance, but this time, the Los Angeles Dodgers fell to Milwaukee 7-4 in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. Yamamoto pitched just 2⅔ innings before being pulled from the game.

Brewers’ captain Christian Yelich energized the crowd with a two-run single, prompting Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to remove Yamamoto. This decision placed pressure on the Dodgers’ bullpen, while Milwaukee’s bullpen stifled L.A.’s hitters for five hitless innings, restricting the Dodgers to only three hits.

The series now shifts to Los Angeles with the Brewers holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Dodgers aim to make use of their home-field advantage, needing to claim victory in four of the next five games to reach the World Series.

The pitching match-up featured Yamamoto against Logan Henderson, a rising star for the Brewers. Yamamoto’s shortest career start saw him surrender three runs on four hits. Nevertheless, the Dodgers took advantage of the Brewers’ defensive errors to score four runs against Henderson, only two being earned.

Success for the Dodgers’ offense began early. Mookie Betts, leading off, secured a walk after challenging a strikeout into a full count. Betts then advanced up the bases, ultimately reaching third on a wild pitch.

Reflecting on Game 1’s defeat, Teoscar Hernández highlighted missed opportunities with runners in scoring positions. In Monday’s game, Betts stood 90 feet from home plate during Hernández’s first at-bat. Roberts altered the batting order, positioning Hernández at third and moving Will Smith down to fifth.

Roberts placed confidence in Hernández, remarking, “For Teo to get three cracks at this guy, I like it.” Hernández responded by transforming an 0-2 count into a sacrifice fly, scoring Betts.

Quickly, the Brewers equalized the score. Yamamoto struck out Jackson Chourio, who homered last year during Yamamoto’s complete NLCS game, but Brice Turang’s double and William Contreras’ hit off an inside slider tied the game.

Two innings later, Dodgers reclaimed the lead due to Brewers’ defensive lapses. Tommy Edman began with a single, followed by a sharply hit ball by Betts, which shortstop Cooper Pratt mishandled. Eventually, Edman advanced on a Freeman fly ball aided by another Brewers’ defensive error.

The bottom of the third saw Brewers regain the advantage. Yamamoto allowed a leadoff single and two walks. With two outs, Yelich’s centerfield hit scored two. Turang’s walk included a contentious ball-four call, and Bauers’ walk extended over 12 pitches.

Despite setbacks, the Dodgers regained momentum in the fifth. After Kyle Tucker’s double, Edman’s sacrifice bunt was not fielded correctly by Henderson, leveling the score. Freeman’s sacrifice fly later gave Dodgers a 4-3 lead, short-lived as Contreras’ centerfield homer tied the game.

Against Dodgers pitcher Brock Stewart, Contreras added another RBI single. Errors, including Freeman’s failed pickoff, complicated the inning. Relief arrived through left-hander Tanner Scott, striking out Bauers, Yelich, and Mitchell.

The Brewers solidified their lead with RBI singles from Turang and Bauers in the eighth inning, wrapping up the win.