The Dodgers head into Monday afternoon needing a response after dropping Game 1 of the NLCS to the Milwaukee Brewers, a night when Los Angeles managed just one run. Now they turn to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in hopes of leveling the series.
That choice has been a strong one all October. The Dodgers are 9-1 in Yamamoto’s postseason starts, and they have not lost in any of his six road playoff outings. He also knows this matchup well: the last time he saw the Brewers in the NLCS, just last season, he delivered his first career complete game in a 5-1 win.
Milwaukee, though, has its own answer ready. The Brewers are going with rookie Logan Henderson, who went 11-3 with a 2.47 ERA in the regular season and has thrown 5.0 innings this postseason.
In his lone playoff appearance so far, he allowed one run on two hits against the San Diego Padres while striking out four. Milwaukee pulled him after five innings and 71 pitches.
Henderson already has one encouraging outing against this Dodgers club on his résumé. In August at Dodger Stadium, he out-dueled Tarik Skubal, working a career-high seven innings in a win that helped the Brewers secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Los Angeles scored its only run that day on a Max Muncy homer in the fourth inning. The Dodgers also saw him in Milwaukee and failed to score.
Across 12 innings against the Dodgers this season, Henderson has racked up 13 strikeouts.
For Los Angeles, the issue hasn’t really been reaching base. It’s been the finish.
The Dodgers have struggled to cash in runners, and only Andy Pages has delivered a key hit that wasn’t a home run. The arm talent is there.
What the Dodgers need now is the offense to start matching it.
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Dodgers Let Game 1 Slip Away With One Costly Problem
The Dodgers had enough pitching to stay in Game 1 at American Family Field, but not enough offense to make it matter. Milwaukee got a leadoff homer from Brice Turang and leaned on a sharp start from Tarik Skubal before he exited after five innings, while Jacob Misiorowski matched him with five solid frames of his own.
Los Angeles managed just one run and repeatedly stalled when it had a chance to build something bigger. Three double plays wiped out rallies and left the Dodgers with a 2-1 loss, a reminder that even in a tight postseason game, one costly inning can be the difference between taking control and chasing the series from behind. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Let Two Brewers Moves Put Instant Pressure On Game 2
Milwaukees Game 1 win in the 2026 National League Championship Series did more than grab an early edge over the Dodgers. It also set the tone for a series that already feels tight, with Jacob Misiorowski holding Los Angeles to one run over 4 1/3 innings and Luis Lara delivering his first playoff hit to put the Brewers in front for good in a 2-1 victory.
Now the pressure shifts immediately to Game 2, where Logan Henderson is lined up for Milwaukee and Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball for Los Angeles. After dropping the opener, the Dodgers are staring at an early test of whether they can settle in quickly and even the series before the matchup starts to tilt toward Milwaukee. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Offense Faces One NLCS Pressure Point Friedman Didnt Ignore
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Postseason offense has a way of shrinking the margin for error, and Friedmans comments put a spotlight on the exact kind of swings that can decide a series. The Dodgers have enough talent to survive stretches where the bats go quiet, but Milwaukee is the sort of opponent that can make every missed chance feel bigger, which leaves Los Angeles with a clear pressure point entering the NLCS. [Read more 🡒]