The Los Angeles Dodgers hit the ground running on Monday night at American Family Field, where they faced the unwavering Milwaukee Brewers.
Left-handed pitcher Blake Snell’s performance in Game 1 didn’t go unnoticed. The seasoned veteran proved himself untouchable on the mound, cruising through a postseason-career-high eight innings straight before turning it over to the bullpen.
Since the Brewers are a team known for creating chaos on base, Snell negated all the trouble by making sure they could not even reach base. He allowed no walks, only one hit, and struck out 10 hitters.
After the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy gave Snell his praise.“I think it’s the most dominant performance against us,” Murphy said. “I’ve been here for 10 years…The kid was amazing.”
Initially, the Dodgers struggled to find their offensive rhythm in foreign territory. Only in the first game of a long, potential seven-game series, both teams are determined to set the tone. As the sixth inning dawned the action, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman finally broke the scoreless tie. A solo homerun off right-handed pitcher Chad Patrick shifted the game’s momentum in LA’s favor.
The Brewers had their moments throughout the night, too. The most notable one came at the top of the fourth inning, when a freak double play held the stadium still. A hit by third baseman Max Muncy to deep center made it look like a grand slam, but as right fielder Sal Frelick chased the ball all the way to the wall, a bobbled catch created confusion on the field before Frelick realized he had to deliver it to shortstop Joey Ortiz. Once there, it reached catcher William Contreras at home base, who tagged right fielder Teoscar Hernandez at the plate for the force out.
The Dodgers started the ninth inning with an insurance run that arguably saved their game. With the bases loaded, Mookie Betts drew a walk, driving in a run. With a 2-0 lead, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts sent out reliever Roki Sasaki to close off the game. Sasaki was expected to shut down the Brewers’ lineup. Instead, the Brewers rallied for a run. When Sasaki was pulled and relief pitcher Blake Treinen came in, he earned a chance to redeem himself in front of a sold-out Brewers’ stadium and manager Roberts. Striking out Brice Turang on a 95-mile-per-hour fastball, the game came to an end.
The Dodgers only kept building their momentum in game two. With right-handed starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound, the Brewers faced a tall task. Following Snell’s gem, Yamamoto dominated the Brewers’ lineup. He pitched the full game and only gave up a single home run on his first pitch. He struck out seven batters while allowing only one to walk.
Meanwhile, October looks to be Hernandez’s time to shine. While base-running may not be his strong suit, his batting numbers have skyrocketed. In 36 plate appearances, he holds a 1.010 OPS, and it was he who evened the score to 1-1 in the second inning after hitting a solo homer to right field. Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani also had his moment in this game during the seventh inning. A crucial RBI single extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-1.
On the Brewers’ side, there was a struggle to build an offensive threat. Besides the first inning, where center fielder Jackson Chourio had a leadoff home run, it was hard for them to find a rhythm that could push back the Dodgers’ momentum. Things will only get harder as the Brewers arrive in Los Angeles and prepare for Game 3.