William Contreras owned Monday night, and the Brewers put themselves in complete control of the National League Championship Series.
Milwaukee knocked off the Dodgers again, this time 7-4, to grab a two-game edge over the two-time reigning World Series champs. Contreras was the central figure in the win, but he was far from the only Brewer who came through in Game 2.
Contreras finished 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a walk, continuing a playoff run that has made him the driving force in Milwaukee’s push. His fifth career postseason homer tied Jackson Chourio for the most playoff home runs in franchise history.
The Brewers got enough from their starter, but not a clean outing. Henderson worked four innings and gave up two earned runs and four runs overall. He also committed two errors, which added some extra stress to a night that could have been smoother for Milwaukee.
The lineup backed him up in plenty of places. Brice Turang went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks.
Cooper Pratt and Christian Yelich both turned in multi-hit games. And then there was the night’s biggest surprise: David Hamilton.
Playing third base instead of Joey Ortiz, he went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and scored three runs.
Milwaukee’s bullpen kept doing what it has done all postseason: shut people down. Dustin May came on in relief of Henderson in the fifth, and then JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby finished the job. The Brewers’ relief group combined for five hitless innings with seven strikeouts, no walks and no runs allowed.
Pat Murphy also kept pushing the right buttons. In Game 2, his best calls were putting Hamilton in the lineup and pulling Henderson when he did. So far in this NLCS, every move has seemed to land.
In Other News...
Jake Bauers Opens Up As Brewers' October Run Gets More Personal
Before the Brewers even got rolling in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, Jake Bauers found himself thinking beyond the box score and into the kind of life that often gets swallowed up by October baseball. During the National Anthem before the playoff game, the Milwaukee first baseman reflected on how far his career has come and how much of that journey has been supported at home, with his wife Lauren providing steady backing through the challenges that have come along the way.
Bauers has also had reason to appreciate the timing of his recent on-field success, which has fit neatly into a Brewers season built on depth and resilience. With Milwaukee taking the opener against the Dodgers, his personal run and the teams push have started to feel intertwined, even if the bigger story still belongs to what comes next in a series that rarely leaves much room for reflection. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Message Says Everything About These Brewers Right Now
The Brewers have spent this postseason looking anything but overmatched, and their latest pair of wins against the Dodgers only reinforced that impression. Milwaukee became the first team since 2002 to beat a reigning Cy Young Award winner and a World Series MVP in back-to-back games, a reminder that this run is being built on more than just one hot stretch or a timely swing.
Pat Murphys postgame message fit the moment, praising the clubs hunger and the way it has carried itself against one of the sports heavyweights. William Contreras and David Hamilton drew notice for their key contributions, while the bullpen has quietly turned series control into a habit and helped push the Brewers into a 2-0 lead with the kind of edge that changes how a playoff opponent has to think. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Keep Betting On A Slumping Bat Brewers Fans Know Matters
The Dodgers find themselves in a deep hole in the National League Championship Series, and one of the biggest reasons is the quiet night at the plate from Will Smith, a catcher Brewers fans know well from too many postseason matchups. Los Angeles has leaned on him all year, and even with the offense sputtering, the club is still treating him like the same middle-of-the-order presence rather than a problem to be solved in the middle of October.
Smith has admitted the slump has been hard to shake, but he has also pointed back to the time he missed earlier in the season after a neck injury and said he expects better at-bats to come. For Milwaukee, it is another reminder that a familiar opponent is trying to talk itself through a slump instead of changing course, and the Brewers are left watching to see whether one of the Dodgers most important bats can find a spark before the series gets away from them. [Read more 🡒]