The Dodgers have set their rotation for the first two games of the NLCS, and the matchup with the Brewers is shaping up to be all about the arms.
Los Angeles will send reigning two-time American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to the mound in Game 1, then hand Game 2 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Milwaukee is expected to counter with Jacob Misiorowski in the opener and Logan Henderson in the second game.
It’s a far different setup than last year, when the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS. This Milwaukee team arrives with a 103-win season behind it and plenty of confidence, and the regular-season series only adds another wrinkle: the Brewers took four of seven from Los Angeles.
Skubal looked sharp in his Dodgers postseason debut during Game 1 of the NL Division Series, working six innings, allowing one run and striking out seven. Since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, he posted a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts for Los Angeles.
Misiorowski has been every bit the headline act for Milwaukee. He finished the season 16-5 with an MLB-best 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 174.2 innings.
In NLDS Game 1 against the San Diego Padres, he gave up two runs in four innings and struck out six. He also saw the Dodgers in Game 3 of last year’s NLCS, when he allowed one run over five innings with nine strikeouts.
Yamamoto was just as imposing in his last outing, firing seven innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. The reigning World Series MVP turned in another strong regular season in 2026, going 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 185 innings.
Henderson gives Milwaukee another tough right-hander to throw at Los Angeles. The rookie broke out in 2026, going 11-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 98.1 innings. In his first career postseason start this past weekend, he allowed one earned run and two runs total over five innings against the Padres.
While the Dodgers have not officially announced the rest of the rotation, left-hander Blake Snell is expected to start Game 3 and right-hander Tyler Glasnow is lined up for Game 4. Both had trouble working deep into their NLDS starts, and both will be looking to tighten up their command against Milwaukee.
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Pat Murphy Made One Brewers Adjustment The Padres Never Matched
Pat Murphy spent the NLDS managing the series like a chess match, and the Brewers benefited from the way he handled his pitchers at Petco Park. Rather than asking his starters to grind through the Padres lineup a third time, he turned the game over early and kept the workload spread across a bullpen that had become one of Milwaukees biggest strengths.
The contrast with San Diego was hard to miss. Craig Stammen also showed a short leash with his starters, but the Padres never seemed as comfortable making the same leap into relief depth, and that difference showed up as the series tightened. Milwaukee kept finding answers in the late innings, which made Murphys willingness to trust his relievers look less like a gamble and more like the adjustment that decided the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Murphys Postgame Tribute Gave Brewers Fans Chills After NLCS Berth
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Uecker, the longtime Brewers broadcaster who died in January 2025, remains woven into the fabric of the organization, and Murphys postgame remarks reflected that bond in a way fans could feel. In a week when Milwaukee got the kinds of plays that can swing a series and change a season, the reminder of who has been there for so much of the franchises history added another layer to the celebration. [Read more 🡒]
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Milwaukees place in this conversation matters because the sports broader labor debate is already hovering over the next few seasons. With talk of a possible 2027 lockout and renewed salary-cap discussions, the divide between the Dodgers and clubs like the Brewers is likely to keep coming up, especially if the postseason keeps serving as the clearest argument for both sides of baseballs spending fight. [Read more 🡒]