Milwaukee undone by wild pitching in narrow NLCS Game 1 loss

Mack Baltes

Milwaukee undone by wild pitching in narrow NLCS Game 1 loss image

The Milwaukee Brewers dropped Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Monday night, falling 2-1 at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a tightly contested matchup defined by pitching dominance and missed opportunities.

Two key factors ultimately doomed the Brewers: the brilliance of Dodgers starter Blake Snell and Milwaukee’s persistent control problems on the mound.

Snell continued his remarkable postseason form, tossing eight shutout innings while allowing only one hit — a single by Caleb Durbin in the third inning. The left-hander struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter, extending his postseason ERA to a microscopic 0.86 through three starts. Durbin’s single was quickly erased when he was picked off from first base by Snell, keeping Snell’s night nearly spotless. Jake Bauers recorded the only other hit for Milwaukee, doubling off of Roki Sasaki in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Brewers’ pitching staff struggled with command. The group combined for eight walks, including three in the ninth inning that led to Los Angeles’ decisive run. Closer Abner Uribe issued a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts, bringing home the Dodgers’ second run of the game. This gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead heading into the final frame.

Milwaukee mounted a late rally in the bottom of the ninth, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jackson Chourio to make it 2-1. However, reliever Blake Treinen shut the door, stranding the bases loaded to seal the Dodgers’ win.

The Brewers will turn to Freddy Peralta in Game 2, hoping to even the best-of-seven series before it shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3, 4 and 5.

Mack Baltes

Mack Baltes is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He specializes in MLB and NBA, but also has experience covering the NFL, PGA Tour, English Premier League and NASCAR Cup Series. His work has been seen on Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated, FanSided’s Redbird Rants and Enforce the Sport.