The Dodgers NLCS Game 1 and 2 starters will be Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, manager Dave Roberts announced Friday as the team traveled to Milwaukee for its National League Championship Series matchup with the Brewers. Skubal gets the ball Sunday at 7 p.m. CT at American Family Field, with Yamamoto following Monday at 4 p.m. in Game 2 at the same ballpark.
The pairing puts the Dodgers’ two hottest arms from the NLDS at the front of the series against Milwaukee, a team both pitchers have already beaten this year.
Dodgers NLCS Game 1 and 2 Starters
Roberts confirmed the rotation order ahead of the club’s trip north, setting up Skubal and Yamamoto for the first two games of the NLCS Game 1 and 2 starters roles against Milwaukee. Both pitchers earned the assignments after dominant performances in the division series against the Atlanta Braves.
Skubal threw six innings of one-run ball in NLDS Game 1, allowing one run on two hits while striking out seven and walking two in the victory over the Braves, according to ESPN. Yamamoto was even more dominant in NLDS Game 3, striking out 10 over seven innings while allowing one run on four hits with a single walk, per FOX Sports.
What It Means For The Dodgers’ Series Strategy
Lining up Skubal and Yamamoto for Games 1 and 2 gives Los Angeles its two best current arms before the series shifts to Dodger Stadium for Game 3. Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, and Yamamoto, last year’s World Series MVP, both carry momentum from their NLDS starts into a series that opens on the road.
The move also sets up the potential for both pitchers to start twice in a seven-game series on normal rest, giving the Dodgers their top two options available for a possible Game 5 or 6 if the series extends that far.
Context: History Against The Brewers
Both pitchers have faced Milwaukee already in 2026. Skubal allowed six runs, five earned, over 12 innings against the Brewers in regular-season action, while Yamamoto gave up two runs in 13 innings against them. Yamamoto also has October success against Milwaukee specifically, having thrown a complete game in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS sweep of the Brewers, allowing just one run.
Rest Of The Rotation Picture
Roberts indicated the remaining rotation spots remain fluid. Blake Snell, who recorded only 11 outs in the Dodgers’ lone NLDS loss in Game 2 against Atlanta, will likely follow in Game 3 from Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. Tyler Glasnow would be the likely option for Game 4.
Roberts described the flexibility behind his top two choices. “You can put those three or four (starters) in a hat and kind of make a decision,” he said, signaling that the back end of the rotation order was less settled than the top of it.
What’s Next
Game 1 of the NLCS is set for Sunday at 7 p.m. CT at American Family Field in Milwaukee, with Skubal on the mound. Game 2 follows Monday at 4 p.m. at the same venue, with Yamamoto starting. The series then moves to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday.
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