The pitching duel that we were promised on Monday never materialized.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers each scored a run in the first inning in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, a precursor to what became a relative brawl. Thanks to a big game at the plate by William Contreras, the Brewers took the lead to secure a 7-4 victory and a 2-0 series lead.
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The combined 11 points were the most in a National League playoff game.
The Brewers are now two wins away from avenging last season’s NLCS sweep at the hands of the Dodgers and a trip to the World Series.
William Contreras helped the Brewers take a 2-0 lead in the NLCS.
(Aaron Gash via Getty Images)
With All-Star and reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound for the Dodgers and standout Logan Henderson starting for the Brewers, Game 2 was expected to resemble Milwaukee’s 2-1 victory in Game 1.
But each starter threw 39 pitches over the first two innings, and the Dodgers took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the third. There, the Brewers ended Yamamoto’s day.
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Yamamoto returns to earth
Yamamoto issued two walks in the third, including a two-out free pass to Jake Bauers in a 12-pitch battle that loaded the bases. Then, captain Christian Yelich hit a two-run single to give Milwaukee a 3-2 lead.
And Yamamoto’s day was over. Milwaukee forced him to throw 36 pitches in the third inning that produced only two outs, and Dave Roberts called his bullpen. After entering Monday’s game with a 1.07 ERA in his previous five postseason starts, Yamomoto allowed 3 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in 2 2/3 innings.
But the Dodgers weren’t done. Defensive errors by the Brewers, including two throwing errors by Henderson, allowed them to regain the lead at 4-3. They chased Henderson with no outs in the fifth.
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Contreras delivers with several clutch shots
But Contreras responded in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to tie the game at 4-4.
Contreras then delivered again with an RBI single in the sixth to give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead. The Brewers never trailed again.
Contreras also knocked in the Brewers’ first run in the first inning and finished his day 3 for 4 at the plate with 1 walk, 1 home run, 1 run scored and 3 RBIs.
Brewers bullpen makes history
While eight Dodgers pitchers failed to contain the Brewers’ bats, the Milwaukee bullpen finished the game with four perfect frames.
Including Dustin May’s perfect fifth after Henderson struck out, May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to secure the final 15 outs of the game without allowing a baserunner. According to the Fox broadcast, this is the first time in postseason history that a bullpen has pitched five or more innings without allowing a baserunner to end a game.
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Ohtani and Dodgers stars struggle at the plate
The vaunted top of the Dodgers order of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández and Shohei Ohtani combined to go 1 for 13 with 1 walk. The bets were on the hit and the walk.
Ohtani, who is clearly still reeling from nagging injuries, finished 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and 0 walks. He is now 1 for 7 in the series and slashing .150/.261/.150 in the postseason.
The Dodgers will need more production from their stars and a better outing from scheduled starter Blake Snell in Game 3 on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET), or they risk digging an 0-3 hole in the series.
Miguel Rojas pinches shots for Max Muncy and strikes. It’s the game.
The Brewers win both home games to lead 2-0 in the NLCS and have really outscored the Dodgers in the first two games. This series now moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday.
Will Smith also flies away, and it’s 2 points less.
The Brewers are 1 out away from being up 2-0 in this best-of-seven.
Ashby stays to try to close this deal for the Brewers. Trevor Megill warms up in case he needs it.
Ohtani flies out, and it’s 1 down.
Wrobleski gets away with the outs of Yelich and Mitchell, but the Brewers just got some crucial insurance as we head into the ninth.
The Dodgers still have 3 outs and need to score 3 runs.
Bauers greets Wrobleski with another single, and it’s 7-4 Brewers as Turang comes in to score.
Contreras draws a walk. He and Turang both reached base 4 times today.
And the Dodgers are making a pitching change, bringing in Justin Wrobleski, who was an All-Star in the regular season but was not on the NLDS roster.
Turang cashes in with his second hit of the day, and the Brewers now have a 2-run lead.
David Hamilton got back on base with a leadoff single, then moved to second on a stolen base and to third on a groundout.
The Brewers threaten to add some insurance with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
Jason Owens
Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined for a 1-2-3 run in the top of the eighth against the top of the Dodgers order.
Milwaukee maintains a 5-4 lead and the Dodgers still have three outs to make up at least one run. A struggling Shohei Ohtani will be expected in ninth.
Jason Owens
The aggression turned on the Brewers in the bottom of the seventh, and they got out of the frame with no extra runs.
Cooper Pratt tried to steal second after a one-out single, but a pinpoint throw from Will Smith got him out at second base. Milwaukee maintains a 5-4 lead through seven innings.
Jason Owens
Brewers reliever Abner Uribe needed eight pitches to go 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, and the game entered the home stretch with Milwaukee looking to build on a 5-4 lead.
Jason Owens
Tanner Scott took the mound with two on and one out in the bottom of the sixth after William Contreras’ RBI single. He recorded strikeouts of Jake Bauers and Christian Yelich to limit Milwaukee’s lead to 5-4.
Jason Owens
William Contreras does it again.
With runners on first and third in the top of the sixth, the Brewers catcher delivered a single to left field to score David Hamilton for a 5-4 Milwaukee lead.
Contreras is now 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBIs. And the Dodgers are going to bring Tanner Scott out of the bullpen with one out in the frame.
Jason Owens
JoJo Romero pitched a 1-2-3 frame in the top of the sixth that began with a strikeout of Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani tried to control his swing on a pitch off home plate, but couldn’t hold on. Ohtani is now 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Jason Owens
Milwaukee loaded the bases after William Contreras’ solo home run on a single by Christian Yelich, a walk by Garrett Mitchell and an infield single by Cooper Pratt, all with two outs.
But no one else returned home. Brock Stewart retired Sal Frelick on three pitches to end the game and send the game into the sixth tied at 4-4.
Jason Owens
And now we’re tied again.
William Contreras tied the score in the bottom of the fifth inning with a one-out rocket over the center field wall for a solo home run off Kris Bubic to tie the score at 4-4.
Jason Owens
The Dodgers are back on top.
After chasing Logan Freeman, Freddie Freeman hit a fly ball to left that scored Tommy Edman from third.
The Brewers contested the play at the plate, but the field call stood. Los Angeles takes a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
The four runs count on Logan Henderson’s final line: 4 innings, 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 4 runs (2 earned), 64 pitches (44 for strikes).
Henderson’s two throwing errors at first base account for the two unearned runs.
Jason Owens
Logan Henderson finished.
The Brewers starter had a pretty solid day on the mound. But his second error on a second bad pitch to first allowed another Dodgers run to score, this time on a Tommy Edman bunt that plated Kyle Tucker from second.
Los Angeles tied the game at 3-3 with no outs in the fourth, and Dustin May is out of the Milwaukee bullpen.
Two of those Dodgers runs came thanks to Henderson’s errors.
Jason Owens
Roki Sasaki issued a walk to Sal Frelick but was unhurt in the bottom of the fourth. He struck out Jackson Chourio on three pitches to end the game.
Milwaukee’s lead remains at 3-2 after four innings.
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