Brewers Beat Dodgers 7-4 to Take 2-0 NLCS Lead
The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 on 12 October in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. The win put Milwaukee ahead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, where the first team to four wins moves on to the World Series. The Guardian
William Contreras carried the offense. He drove in a run with a single in the first inning. Then he tied the game at 4-4 with a solo homer in the bottom of the fifth. The numbers show it traveled 436 feet to center field off Kris Bubic. The Guardian
He struck again one inning later. Contreras singled home the go-ahead run in the sixth. Milwaukee never gave the lead back. That is how quickly an October game can turn.
The bullpen did the rest. Starter Logan Henderson left early. Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby followed and retired the last 15 Dodgers hitters in order. Those are relievers, the pitchers who work after the starter, and they delivered five perfect innings to end the night.
Los Angeles went quiet after a fast start. The Dodgers finished with three hits. They went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, which means no hits in four chances with a runner on second or third.
Starting pitching was part of the problem. Yoshinobu Yamamoto recorded only eight outs, lasting 2.2 innings. It was his shortest postseason start.
Milwaukee added breathing room in the eighth. Brice Turang and Jake Bauers each hit RBI singles. The two runs stretched a one-run lead to three. Small hits. Big cushion.
The opener had been much tighter. Milwaukee won Game 1 by 2-1 at American Family Field on 11 October. Brice Turang homered in that win, and Luis Lara broke the tie with a fifth-inning single. The Brewers had reached this round with a 3-1 road win over the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of the previous series.
Los Angeles arrived with a strong resume. The Dodgers finished the regular season 100-62 and first in the NL West. None of that helped across the first two games in Wisconsin.
What makes this stand out is the balance. Milwaukee won the opener with pitching. It won Game 2 with power, timely hits and a shutdown bullpen. Now the series shifts west.
Game 3 was scheduled for Wednesday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers need a win at home to stay close. The Brewers need two more wins to take the pennant.
