NLCS Game 1: Brewers Bullpen Holds Off Dodgers 2

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MILWAUKEE — In a battle of elite pitching and high-stakes execution at American Family Field, the Milwaukee Brewers defended home turf to open the National League Championship Series (NLCS), defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–1 on Sunday night.

Riding a solo home run from Brice Turang, a clutch RBI single from rookie Luis Lara, and 4.2 scoreless innings from their bullpen, Milwaukee claimed a 1–0 series lead over the defending champions.

Here is a detailed breakdown of how Game 1 unfolded, key storylines, stats, and what lies ahead for Game 2.

Small Ball & Turang’s Blast Top Skubal

The matchup featured a premier marquee pitching duel between Milwaukee starter Jacob Misiorowski and Los Angeles left-hander Tarik Skubal.

Los Angeles struck first in the top of the second inning. Shohei Ohtani drew a walk and Teoscar Hernández singled to put runners on the corners. Andy Pages then lined a 100-mph fastball into right field for an RBI single to make it 1–0. Misiorowski managed to limit further damage by inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Enrique Hernández with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Milwaukee erased the deficit in the bottom of the fourth. Brice Turang turned on an inside sinker from Skubal, launching a 384-foot solo home run to left-center field to knot the score at 1–1.

21 years old and completely unfazed by the moment

That’s Luis Lara for you https://t.co/dMPshxQyi8

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 12, 2026

In the bottom of the fifth, Milwaukee utilized its classic manufacturing approach:

Garrett Mitchell led off with a walk against Skubal. Cooper Pratt laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Mitchell into scoring position. Luis Lara ripped a 101.9-mph RBI single up the middle to bring Mitchell home, giving the Brewers a 2–1 lead that held for the remainder of the contest.

Skubal took the loss, allowing two earned runs on five hits across five innings with seven strikeouts.

Milwaukee’s Relievers Shut Down Los Angeles

After Misiorowski was lifted with one on and one out in the top of the fifth following a 94-pitch effort, Milwaukee’s bullpen took full control:

DL Hall entered in relief and immediately got Freddie Freeman to ground into an inning-ending double play, earning the win.
Abner Uribe stranded two runners in the sixth, striking out Andy Pages to escape danger.
Aaron Ashby delivered two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth, navigating past the heart of the Dodgers’ lineup.
Trevor Megill sealed the victory in the ninth to earn his third save of the postseason. After walking Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula with two outs, Megill induced a deep flyout from Mookie Betts to Garrett Mitchell at the warning track in center field for the final out.

In total, Milwaukee’s bullpen extended its postseason dominance, having allowed just one earned run across 23.2 innings of relief work in October.

Game 1 Key Statistics

Metric	Los Angeles Dodgers	Milwaukee Brewers
Final Score	1	2
Hits	7	6
Errors	0	0
Team LOB	9	5
Strikeouts Thrown	8	13
Winning Pitcher	—	DL Hall (2-0)
Losing Pitcher	Tarik Skubal (1-1)	—
Save	—	Trevor Megill (3)

What Game 1 Means & Looking Ahead to Game 2

By securing Game 1, Milwaukee snapped a head-to-head postseason slide against Los Angeles, earning its first playoff win over the Dodgers since Game 6 of the 2018 NLCS.

Game 2 takes place on Monday afternoon back at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Dodgers will send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound seeking an even 1–1 series split before heading back to Los Angeles. The Brewers will counter with right-hander Logan Henderson, who holds a 2–0 record with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles during the 2026 regular season.