The Milwaukee Brewers are heading into their second straight NLCS with a familiar challenge waiting: the Los Angeles Dodgers, the same club that swept them last year before going on to win a second straight World Series title.
This time, Milwaukee gets the first two games at home when the series opens Sunday night, but the real test may come once the matchup moves to Los Angeles. That’s where left-hander Robert Gasser is expected to factor in again.
According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Gasser is likely to start either Game 3 or Game 4 on the road against the Dodgers. Milwaukee is expected to open the series with Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson in the first two games at home, then turn to Gasser once the setting gets louder and less forgiving.
That kind of assignment fits what the Brewers asked of him in the NLDS. Gasser started Game 4 against the San Diego Padres and handled the moment well, giving up just one run over four innings before handing the game over to Aaron Ashby. He also had a simple message from the night before that outing, one McCalvy relayed this way:
“You’re going to have 50,000 people rooting against you tomorrow. Don’t give them one more. Root for yourself.”
Gasser clearly took that to heart, and Milwaukee will be counting on that same edge again in the NLCS.
The 27-year-old lefty put together a solid 2026 season, finishing 5-5 with a 3.87 ERA across 21 starts and 109 1/3 innings. He also struck out 103 batters. Those numbers, along with his work against San Diego, help explain why the Brewers are comfortable giving him another big postseason spot.
He was acquired from the Padres in the Josh Hader deal in 2022, and that move has worked out well for Milwaukee. Now he gets another chance to show what he can do, this time against a Dodgers lineup that presents an even tougher assignment.
The Brewers will be looking for a better ending this year after last season’s NLCS disappointment, and their pitching staff gives them at least a real shot. Gasser looks like one of the arms they’re willing to trust when the pressure ramps up most.
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