The Milwaukee Brewers drew first blood in the 2026 National League Championship Series against the two-time reigning world champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but their Game 1 win means absolutely nothing if they can’t figure out Yoshinobu Yamamoto tonight. Milwaukee needs to find a way to get to a pitcher who has been nothing short of spectacular for most of his postseason career if they want any shot at a 2-0 lead.
Yamamoto’s Playoff Dominance Is No Joke
Let’s talk about Yoshinobu Yamamoto, because the dude is an absolute machine. Since joining the Dodgers in 2024, the 28-year-old Japanese right-hander boasts an insane 8-1 record with a 2.14 ERA across 11 playoff games, 10 of those being starts. Think about that. He’s allowed fewer than two runs in eight of those 11 appearances, and seven of the last eight. That’s not just good, that’s historically good. Last year, in the 2025 playoffs, Yamamoto went 5-1 with a ridiculous 1.45 ERA and even tossed two complete games. He then took home the World Series MVP award after notching three victories against the Toronto Blue Jays. And get this: one of those complete games came in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS, where he completely shut down these very same Brewers, limiting them to just three hits and one run while racking up seven strikeouts. His 2026 postseason debut against the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of their NL Division Series? Pure dominance: one run, four hits, and 10 strikeouts over seven innings. The Brewers have seen him before, and they’ve been baffled.
Brewers Face a Monumental Task to Reach the Fall Classic
Milwaukee, who owned the best record in the major leagues this regular season at 103-59, made their only trip to the Fall Classic way back in 1982, losing in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals when they were still in the American League. They got swept by Los Angeles in this very round last year, and now they’re trying to avenge that, but man, Game 2 is a doozy. They’re countering Yamamoto with rookie Logan Henderson, who only made his first career playoff appearance this year in Game 2 of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres. He went five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits in a no-decision. That’s a huge step up from the Padres to facing Yamamoto and the two-time defending champs.
Game 1 saw the Dodgers take an early lead on Andy Pages’ RBI single in the second inning, but Brice Turang’s second career postseason homer in the fourth and Luis Lara’s run-scoring base hit in the fifth put the Brewers ahead for good. Their relievers, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill, kept the Dodgers off the board for the final four innings, which was huge. But can they keep that up when the offense might be completely stifled by Yamamoto? Game 2 is happening at American Family Field at 5 p.m. ET. For the Brewers, this is more than just Game 2; it’s a test of whether they can actually stand against a pitcher who looks truly unbeatable right now. This is where you see if a team is built for the long haul.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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