Brewers' Small-Ball Approach Topples Dodgers in Tight NLCS Game 1 Duel

The Brewers did what they do best in a razor-thin win over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2026 NLCS.

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers players celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unsurprisingly, a game that featured Jacob Misiorowski and Tarik Skubal would be a low-scoring affair. The Milwaukee Brewers did just enough offensively to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 at American Family Field.

The win marked the first Brewers postseason win against the Dodgers since Game 6 of the 2018 National League Championship Series. The Dodgers won Game 7 of that series, then swept them in both the 2020 NL Wild Card Series and the 2025 NLCS.

Here are the main takeaways from the Brewers win.

Brewers Pitching Edges Dodgers in Game 1

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) and pitcher Trevor Megill (29) celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The starting pitching matchup of Jacob Misiorowski and Tarik Skubal was going to put everything at a premium. Every at-bat and managerial decision was going to have a large impact on the game's outcome.

The Dodgers did an excellent job at fouling off Misiorowski's fastball and grinding counts. The National League Cy Young Award frontrunner would fail to complete the fifth inning in consecutive starts.

Despite the early exit, Misiorowski kept the Dodgers off the board. He limited them to one run in 4.1 innings, thanks to a spectacular job from DL Hall. Hall faced one hitter and induced an inning-ending double play to keep the game tied 1-1.

The Brewers bullpen, who entered the postseason with the fourth-best fWAR, did what it did best. For the final 4.2 innings, they kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard. The final four innings went to their back-of-the-bullpen trio of Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby, and Abner Uribe. The game ended when Megill induced a Mookie Betts flyout that chased Garrett Mitchell to the warning track with two on base.

Brice Turang Snaps Postseason Slump in a Big Way

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) celebrates a solo home during the fourth inning of their National League Championship Series game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field on Oct 11, 2026. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Brice Turang's postseason hasn't gone as he'd hoped at the plate. He was coming off a 2-for-16 performance in the NLDS. Typically, Skubal isn't the type of pitcher any hitter would want to face in a slump.

Turang ended up busting out for a big game. His fourth-inning homer off Skubal tied the game 1-1. He turned on an inside sinker and blasted it out 384 feet to left-center.

The 26-year-old has been quietly one of the best players in baseball. In the last two seasons, Turang has an OPS+ north of 120. Combine that with strong defense and baserunning, and he's the type of player who could have a major impact in this series.

Brewers Small Ball Approach Plays Big

Oct 11, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Luis Lara (18) hits an RBI single against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in game one of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brewers knew going in that runs would be at a premium. So they employed their small-ball approach to get a lead on Skubal.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner made one of his rare mistakes, a leadoff walk to Garrett Mitchell to start the fifth. The two rookies hitting behind him executed their at-bats perfectly. Cooper Pratt laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Mitchell in scoring position. Luis Lara cashed in with a run-scoring single hit at 101.9 MPH up the middle.

That ended up being enough for the Brewers' bullpen to hang the loss on Skubal. The bullpen took care of the rest, shutting out the Dodgers for the final four innings to take Game 1.