Pat Murphy didn’t exactly offer a seminar on calming a rookie down after Jacob Misiorowski got shoved into a tense early test by the Dodgers in Game 1. He went with humor instead.
“We have a paddle we keep in the back room. There, we just pat them.
I think I struck him seven or eight times. But then, after that, he seemed to get the message,” Murphy joked after Milwaukee’s 2-1 win Sunday night in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series.
“We have a paddle we keep in the back room…” 🤣
— ESPN Milwaukee (@ESPNMilwaukee) October 12, 2026
Pat Murphy jokes about what happened to Jacob Misiorowski after the 2nd inning.
#WinOurWay #ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/H8xDKEltHC
The Brewers needed Misiorowski to survive a rough second inning, and he did just enough to keep Milwaukee in position. The right-hander threw 94 pitches to get 13 outs, allowing one run on five hits and three walks while striking out five. Los Angeles forced him into a 35-pitch second inning and cashed in for its only run when Andy Pages lined an RBI single to score Shohei Ohtani.
Misiorowski still found a way out of further damage, getting Kiké Hernández to ground into a double play. Murphy said the rookie did not have his best stuff, but he liked the way he handled the danger when the Dodgers pushed.
Milwaukee then handed the game over to the bullpen in the fifth, and that group slammed the door. DL Hall came in with a runner on and immediately induced a double play from Freddie Freeman. Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill followed with scoreless innings to finish off the one-run lead, with the Brewers’ relievers covering the final 14 outs without giving up a run.
The offense came through in the middle innings, too. Brice Turang tied the game in the fourth with a home run off Tarik Skubal. Then in the fifth, Garrett Mitchell drew a walk, moved up on Cooper Pratt’s sacrifice bunt and scored when rookie Luis Lara singled home the go-ahead run.
The result snapped Milwaukee’s seven-game postseason skid against Los Angeles, a stretch that included a sweep in the 2025 NLCS. The Dodgers left nine runners on base and finished just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
In Other News...
Brice Turang Gave The Brewers Exactly What This NLCS Opener Needed
The NLCS opener had the feel Milwaukee needed from the start: tight pitching, clean defense, and a crowd that kept leaning into every small break. Brice Turang was in the middle of all of it, helping the Brewers stay attached in a game where run prevention mattered almost as much as run scoring, and where one sharp play or one well-timed swing could change the entire mood.
Turang supplied both. His defense helped Milwaukee navigate an early jam and keep the deficit from growing, then he came through with the kind of home run that can tilt a playoff game and settle a dugout. With the bullpen backing him up and the atmosphere building around him, the Brewers had exactly the sort of jolt they were hoping for in a series opener like this, even if the full impact of that night was still left to be decided. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Won Their Way But One NLCS Concern Just Got Bigger
The Brewers opened the National League Championship Series with exactly the kind of tense, low-scoring win they needed, slipping past the Dodgers 2-1 in Game 1. Jacob Misiorowski did not have his cleanest night, but Milwaukees bullpen picked up the slack with 4 2/3 scoreless innings, and the defense helped steady everything with three double plays as the Brewers kept the game from getting away.
Misiorowskis fastball was not fooling enough hitters, and the shortened outing only sharpens the attention on how Milwaukee will handle the rest of this series. The Brewers won the opener anyway, which is the important part, but against a lineup like Los Angeles, they will need more than run prevention and clean gloves if the concern around their young starter grows into a bigger issue. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphy Sounds All In On Jackson Chourios October Moment
As the Brewers turn their attention to the Dodgers, Pat Murphy made it clear that Jackson Chourio has been one of the defining reasons Milwaukee has been able to keep its October run alive. The left fielder has stood out for the kind of all-around impact that matters most this time of year, with Murphy pointing to his steady defense, consistent approach and knack for coming through when the pressure rises.
Chourio has also given Milwaukee needed production at the plate in the postseason, becoming a central part of the offense in key moments. His work so far has already changed the feel of the Brewers October, and with a matchup like this one looming, the attention on what he can do next only figures to grow. [Read more 🡒]