Milwaukee Brewers chased Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the third inning of NLCS Game 2. Christian Yelich hit a two-run single after Jake Bauers drew a 12-pitch walk.
The Milwaukee Brewers chased Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the third inning of Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday. Christian Yelich delivered a go-ahead two-run single, capitalizing on a 12-pitch walk by Jake Bauers that loaded the bases with two outs.
Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP, recorded just eight outs and threw 75 pitches in his outing. According to Sportsnet, this marked the shortest playoff start of Yamamoto’s MLB career in his 11 postseason starts. He finished with three earned runs, four hits, two walks, and one strikeout.
The Brewers lineup forced Yamamoto to work extensively with two strikes. The pitcher threw 32 two-strike pitches during the game, nine of which were fouled off by Milwaukee hitters. Yamamoto entered the game with a career 2.14 ERA in 63 October innings. In the regular season, he posted a 2.53 ERA over 28 starts and 185 innings.
The Brewers entered Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead after winning Game 1 by a score of 2-1. In that contest, Brice Turang homered off Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal, and Luis Lara hit a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning. Milwaukee’s bullpen shut down the Dodgers after starter Jacob Misiorowski was chased in the fifth.
The Dodgers, who are seeking to become the first team to win three straight championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, struggled offensively in Game 1. They grounded into three double plays, stranded nine runners, and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted after Game 1 that the team had "our chances, but they made plays, pitches when they needed to."
The Brewers turned to rookie Logan Henderson for Game 2. Henderson, 24, had previously beaten the Dodgers twice in the 2026 regular season, including a seven-inning, one-run performance in August. Before Game 2, Brewers teammate Jake Bauers commented on Henderson’s demeanor: "I don't know what the secret sauce is, man, but he's in the clubhouse now chopping it up with some of the guys like he doesn't have one of the biggest starts of his life tonight."
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman had previously expressed satisfaction with the team’s decision to acquire Skubal at the trade deadline, noting it prevented the Brewers from facing him in the postseason. "I am very happy it’s Skubal versus Miz and not Miz and Skubal [for the Brewers] in the next two," Friedman said before Game 1.
The Brewers’ ability to chase Yamamoto early in Game 2 challenges the Dodgers’ rotation depth and offensive consistency. Milwaukee’s strategy of extending at-bats and forcing high pitch counts has proven effective against elite starters, as seen in both Game 1 against Skubal and Game 2 against Yamamoto. The series now shifts to a critical juncture where the Dodgers must adjust their approach to avoid falling behind 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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