MILWAUKEE — Common-season dominance over an opponent normally means little, if something, for a rematch within the playoffs.
Simply ask the 2015 Mets, who went winless in seven video games towards the Cubs through the common season earlier than sweeping 4 video games from them within the NLCS to realize a World Collection berth.
The Dodgers this 12 months misplaced all six regular-season video games towards the Brewers, however on Monday evening, the payback tour started for the defending World Collection champions.
Blake Snell’s left arm delivered it. Reaffirming the choice by the Dodgers to signal him final offseason, Snell confronted the minimal 24 batters over eight innings in his crew’s 2-1 victory in Recreation 1 of the NLCS at American Household Subject.
The Brewers rallied within the ninth towards the Dodgers bullpen, however in the end left the bases loaded after scoring as soon as towards Roki Sasaki.
Caleb Durbin’s single main off the third accounted for the one Brewers base runner towards Snell. However Durbin was picked off first — formally a caught stealing — and the Brewers went quietly till Snell departed. Snell set a profession postseason excessive with 10 strikeouts over his 103-pitch evening.
The twirling yellow rally towels and enthusiastic crowd — excited in regards to the first NLCS look by the Brewers in seven years — may present solely a lot vitality for the house crew.
Max Muncy was inside inches of a grand slam within the fourth however as an alternative noticed his deep fly to middle subject flip into an inning-ending double play.
Sal Frelick juggled Muncy’s shot close to the highest of the fence, with the ball hitting the padding earlier than settling into Frelick’s glove. Teoscar Hernández, who retreated to 3rd base to tag up after which hesitated, was thrown out on the plate on a power play earlier than catcher William Contreras walked to 3rd base and compelled out Will Smith, who had stayed near second, to conclude the inning.
The Dodgers wasted one other alternative within the fifth, when Quinn Priester acquired Mookie Betts to floor into an inning-ending double play after Enrique Hernández had doubled main off the body.
Freddie Freeman homered within the sixth for the sport’s first run. It was the primary blast this postseason for Freeman, who dominated final 12 months’s World Collection with 4 homers towards the Yankees.
Freeman doubled within the eighth towards Trevor Megill however was left stranded at third base. Betts drew a bases-loaded stroll within the ninth that prolonged the Dodgers lead.
Sasaki, who has transitioned into the nearer’s function after spending the common season within the Dodgers beginning rotation, may get simply two outs within the ninth, permitting a run earlier than he was eliminated with runners on the corners. Blake Treinen walked Contreras to load the bases earlier than Brice Turang struck out to finish the drama.
