Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound as Dodgers look to even NLCS after Game 1 loss to Brewers

There are a lot of people who will say that this series, for all intents and purposes, is the World Series. I’m sure most think whoever escapes the National League Championship Series will end up as the winner.

I’m not quite sure I fit that description. I think it is possible the Rays, and maybe to a lesser extent the Guardians, could beat either of these teams, but the NL will likely have the favorite in the World Series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers got to the postseason by being one of the best teams in baseball and winning the National League West. They built their team by adding pieces each year. This year in the offseason, they added a closer and the best hitter available. During the season, they added Tarik Skubal, the best pitcher potentially on the planet, and he pitched yesterday. The Dodgers have won two straight World Series and are looking for a third.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates throwing a complete game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of baseball’s National League Championship Series. The game was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Oct. 14, 2025. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

They have a great chance to win tonight given that they are sending out last year’s World Series MVP.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto seems to be one of the best postseason pitchers out there. This year he made one start, going 1-0, allowing four hits and one earned run over seven innings. He struck out 10 Braves in the 3-1 win for the Dodgers. Since he joined the Dodgers, he has pitched in 11 postseason games and the Dodgers have won 10 of them. He’s allowed 15 earned runs in 63 innings.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten here without the big additions that the Dodgers get. They are a solid team that has actually traded away or let players walk that were major contributors. It hasn’t mattered; they just keep winning.

This year, the team feels much more confident. The players look ready and locked in. Will that mean they can finally overcome the Dodgers? Honestly, it is hard to say. No one really matches up well with the Dodgers, but the Brewers have home field advantage, solid hitting, and a good pitching staff.

Milwaukee Brewers’ William Contreras rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning in Game 3 of baseball’s National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

The Brewers are sending out their second-best arm to the mound today. Logan Henderson takes the ball, and he went 11-3 in the regular season with a 2.47 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. He pitched against the Padres and allowed one earned run over five innings on two hits and three walks. He faced the Dodgers twice this year, allowing just one earned run on five hits over 12 innings of work. He struck out 13 hitters in those two games as well.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto gestures during the fourth inning in Game 6 of baseball’s World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

In Game 1, the Dodgers struck first, but despite hitting the ball well and getting runners on base, they couldn’t get more than one run. The Brewers tied the game on a home run. Then later, they got a walk, bunted, and singled home a run.

That was all the scoring in the game, and it gave Milwaukee a win in the first game. I was actually encouraged by the Dodgers’ bats – they didn’t get the hits when needed, but they had traffic on the bases and weren’t completely reliant on homers. With Yamamoto on the mound, I’m taking the Dodgers tonight.

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