Only 13 Postseason Games Have Featured Pitching Duels This Great Since 1971

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are preparing for a highly anticipated National League Championship Series, but Sunday's Game 1 pitching matchup is already making history before either team takes the field.

Dodgers left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal and Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski are scheduled to face off in a showdown that ranks among the rarest postseason matchups in more than five decades. According to MLB.com, only 13 postseason games since 1971 have featured two starting pitchers ranked among the top four in baseball at the time of their matchup.

Skubal currently ranks as the No. 1 pitcher in baseball using Baseball Savant's rolling Enhanced Game Score metric, while Misiorowski checks in at No. 4.

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Tarik Skubal and Jacob Misiorowski are officially the Game 1 starting pitchers of the 2026 NLCS 🤩 pic.twitter.com/XNGESFUyyS
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 10, 2026

Postseason Pitching Matchups Since 1971

In the 1986 NLCS, New York Mets ace Dwight Gooden faced Houston Astros standout Mike Scott. Gooden also squared off against Boston Red Sox star Roger Clemens during that year's World Series. Clemens later appeared in two qualifying matchups against Athletics pitcher Dave Stewart during the 1990 ALCS.

More recently, Clayton Kershaw faced Adam Wainwright in the 2014 NLDS and Max Scherzer in the 2016 NLDS. The 2019 World Series also featured a matchup between Gerrit Cole and Scherzer, while Cole faced Shane Bieber in the 2020 AL Wild Card Series.

Interestingly, the latest qualifying matchup occurred earlier this postseason when Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale faced Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the NLDS. Before that meeting, there had not been a qualifying matchup since 2020.

Here are all 13 matchups, per MLB.com:

1. 1981 NLDS: Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) vs. Nolan Ryan (Astros)
2. 1985 NLCS: Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers) vs. John Tudor (Cardinals)
3. 1986 NLCS: Dwight Gooden (Mets) vs. Mike Scott (Astros)
4. 1986 World Series: Dwight Gooden (Mets) vs. Roger Clemens (Red Sox)
5. 1990 ALCS: Dave Stewart (Athletics) vs. Roger Clemens (Red Sox), Game 1
6. 1990 ALCS: Dave Stewart (Athletics) vs. Roger Clemens (Red Sox), Game 4
7. 2014 NLDS: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) vs. Adam Wainwright (Cardinals)
8. 2016 NLDS: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) vs. Max Scherzer (Nationals)
9. 2016 NLDS: Jake Arrieta (Cubs) vs. Madison Bumgarner (Giants)
10. 2018 ALCS: Justin Verlander (Astros) vs. Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers)
11. 2019 World Series: Gerrit Cole (Astros) vs. Max Scherzer (Nationals)
12. 2020 AL Wild Card Series: Gerrit Cole (Yankees) vs. Shane Bieber (Guardians)
13. 2026 NLDS: Chris Sale (Braves) vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)

Skubal and Misiorowski Bring Dominant Numbers to NLCS

The statistical significance becomes even more impressive when examining what both pitchers accomplished during the 2026 regular season. Misiorowski finished the year with a remarkable 1.80 ERA, establishing himself as one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball.

Meanwhile, Skubal enters the series with an impressive resume of his own. The former Detroit Tigers ace won consecutive AL Cy Young Awards before being traded to Los Angeles ahead of the 2026 deadline. In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves, the left-hander allowed just one earned run and two hits across six innings while recording seven strikeouts. Los Angeles went on to win the game, 5-3.

Los Angeles is attempting to win its third consecutive World Series championship, something no MLB franchise has accomplished since the Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 through 2000. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is looking to avenge its elimination against the Dodgers in last year's NLCS.

The Brewers finished the 2026 regular season with 103 victories, while the Dodgers also surpassed the 100-win mark.

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