Brewers 2, Dodgers 1 — NLCS Game One
A fourth-inning homer and fifth-inning RBI single gave the host Milwaukee Brewers what they needed to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 2–1, in Game One of the 2026 NLCS Sunday night.
Brice Turang smacked the solo homer to tie the game, and rookie Luis Lara cracked the RBI single to give the Crew a 1–0 series lead. Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski was not at his best, but the relief quartet of DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to silence the two-time defending champions.
“It’s everything we can ask for,” Misiorowski said of the four. “Those guys are grinding out there. Every day being able to put up zeros, that’s the game. That’s the goal. It’s amazing what they’re doing and the work they’re putting in.”
Brewers – Dodgers Game Summary
The Dodgers took a 1–0 lead off Misiorowski in the top of the second on an RBI single by Andy Pages, scoring Shohei Ohtani from second. That lead held until the bottom of the fourth, when Brice Turang launched a solo homer to the Brewers bullpen in left-center off Tarik Skubal. A Luis Lara single in the fifth gave the Brewers a 2–1 lead.
The Dodgers put the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth when Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula drew two-out walks, but Megill induced a fly to center by Mookie Betts to slam the door.
What Went Right for the Brewers
Clutch Defense
The Brewers induced three ground-ball double plays. All three retired the side. The first one came from Will Smith in the first. Enrique Hernandez hit one in the second, and Freddie Freeman hit one in the fifth. Of note, the fifth-inning double play came right after Hall relieved Misiorowski and preserved the tie game.
Brewer Ball
The fifth-inning double play became even bigger in the bottom of the inning when the Brewers took the lead. But perhaps more impressive was that it was a manufactured run. It came after a leadoff walk by Garrett Mitchell, a sacrifice bunt by Cooper Pratt, and an RBI single by Lara.
Whatever It Takes
Two plate appearances after hitting the game-tying homer, Turang laid down a sacrifice bunt to get a potential insurance run into scoring position.
What Went Wrong for the Brewers
Too Many Pitches Early
Misiorowski took 35 pitches to get through the second and 22 to get through the third. These combined to shorten his outing. Though it did not cost the Brewers this game, in recent seasons, relief units of all postseason teams have tended to burn out. Therefore, the deeper the starters go, the better.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised his team’s plate approach after the game. Additionally, he reinforced the point about getting the Brewers relievers into the game. “I think the approach, how we went about it, was fantastic,” Roberts said. “We saw their four leverage guys (the relievers) tonight, and we just couldn’t muster anything. I guess the only solace is we got them in the game, got to take a look. We just know that if there’s any chance for them to win the game, we’re going to see those guys. Hopefully in a long series it could prove to be beneficial the more times we see them.”
Missed Opportunities
Though the Brewers scored the go-ahead run in the fifth, they could have scored more. That inning ended with the bases loaded. They also left the bases juiced in the bottom of the eighth. In total, they left seven runners on base in the game. Five were in scoring position.
Balk
Misiorowski was called for a balk in the fourth inning, reversing what initially appeared to be a pickoff for the third out. It could have cost the Brewers a run, but it was rendered moot when Misiorowski ultimately struck the batter — Tucker — out.
What Went Right for the Dodgers
Took Early Lead
The Dodgers turned a leadoff walk in the second into the first run of the game after a pair of singles.
Made Megill Work
In the ninth, the Dodgers forced Megill to take 19 pitches to put them away. It might seem minor at first glance, but it could come into play later in the series.
Relief Pitching
Though it came in a losing effort, the Dodgers relief trio of Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, and Tanner Scott deserve recognition. They combined to toss three scoreless innings despite allowing one hit and three walks. Additionally, they struck out six.
What Went Wrong for the Dodgers
Lack of the Big Hit
The Dodgers went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. They stranded runners there in the second, fourth, sixth, and ninth. In total, they left nine on base. Like the Brewers, five were in scoring position.
Rally Killers
As mentioned earlier, the Dodgers grounded into three side-retiring double plays.
Quotes
“We have a stick, a paddle. I don’t know if your parents use that, but we have a paddle we keep in the back out there, and we just paddle him. Think I struck him seven or eight times, but then after that, he seemed to get the message.” — Joke response from Brewers manager Pat Murphy when asked if he said anything to Jacob Misiorowski after the rough second inning to “help him keep going strong”
“I didn’t want to foul a ball off my knee again, so I was like I’m going to stay inside of this one. Not try to do too much other than drive it back up the middle and get inside of it. (I was) trying to stay inside of it, drive it up the middle, and sometimes less is more.” — Brewers second baseman Brice Turang on his home-run producing at-bat against Tarik Skubal
“DL Hall has emerged as a guy we really trust. But the other three — Uribe, Ashby, and Megill — I don’t know how you could get more out of them. We’re squeezing everything we can, and they just get better and more confident. They’re making pitches and pick each other up. (The three of them) don’t care. They just want to get outs for the Milwaukee Brewers, and that’s the beauty of it.” — Pat Murphy
Looking Ahead
Hall earned the win in relief as Skubal took the loss. Megill notched the save.
The Brewers and Dodgers will play Game Two of the best-of-seven NLCS Monday afternoon. It will be a duel of right-handers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14–9, 2.53 ERA in 2026 regular season) starting for the Dodgers against Logan Henderson (11–3, 2.47 ERA in 2026 regular season) of the Brewers. First pitch from American Family Field in Milwaukee will be at 4 pm Central/2 pm Pacific.
