Los Angeles Dodgers Look To Take a Commanding 2-0 NLCS Lead

In the grand theater of baseball, sometimes the script writes itself. Monday night in Milwaukee was one of those times. The Los Angeles Dodgers, a team with a payroll that could probably fund a small country, walked into American Family Field and did what they do best: win. They squeezed out a 2-1 victory over a gritty Brewers team that, on paper, had their number all season.

Let’s be real, facing the Dodgers is like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube in the dark. They’re a powerhouse, a juggernaut, a… well, you get the picture. Even when they look vulnerable, they find a way. This game was a masterclass in that very concept.

Snell’s Masterpiece Silences Milwaukee

The story of Game 1 was Blake Snell. The man was simply untouchable. For eight innings, he carved up the Brewers’ lineup like a Thanksgiving turkey, allowing just a single hit. It was a performance so dominant that it felt like he was playing a different game. He became the first pitcher since Don Larsen’s 1956 perfect game to face the minimum through eight postseason innings. That’s not just good; that’s legendary stuff.

While Snell was dealing, the Brewers’ bullpen game was a nail-biter. They held the mighty Dodgers at bay, but you always felt like the dam was about to break. And in the sixth inning, it did. Freddie Freeman, who always seems to come up big when it counts, launched a solo shot that broke the scoreless tie. It was the kind of moment that makes you tip your cap, even if it breaks your heart.

A Ninth-Inning Thriller and a Tough Pill To Swallow

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the ninth, which proved to be the most important run of the game. Because in the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers decided they weren’t going down without a fight. They rallied, loaded the bases, and brought the sold-out crowd to a roaring frenzy. The tying run was just 90 feet away.

Then, the moment that will haunt Brewers fans. With two outs, Brice Turang faced a pitch that nearly hit him, a pitch that could have tied the game. But instinct took over, he dodged it, and the at-bat continued. A strikeout later, the game was over. Just like that. The roar turned to a collective groan. It was a brutal, gut-wrenching end to a game that felt within reach. As Turang himself put it, “As much as it sucks, you move on.”

Now, the series shifts to Game 2. The Brewers will send their ace, Freddy Peralta, to the mound, a guy who’s had the Dodgers’ number this year. But this is October. The Dodgers have weathered the storm, stolen home-field advantage, and now have their own monster, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, ready to go. The pressure is squarely on Milwaukee to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole before heading west. Can Peralta be the hero they desperately need? We’re about to find out.