The One Decision That Changed Game 2 for the Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has been pushing all of the right buttons throughout the 2026 National League Championship Series so far.

The Brewers still need two more wins to advance to the World Series. So, the series obviously isn't over yet. But it seems like every decision Murphy and the Brewers have made has been the correct one. Whether that has been shifting the lineup, mixing guys in based on matchups or pulling starters early, everything has worked out so far. In Game 2, the biggest decision that shifted the game was the inclusion of David Hamilton in the starting lineup against Yoshinobu Yamamoto over Joey Ortiz.

We actually made the case for Ortiz to stick in the lineup because of past success against Yamamoto.

David Hamilon Was A Game-Changer

Oct 12, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers infielder David Hamilton (6) hits an RBI single to score infielder Brice Turang (not pictured) against Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) during the eighth inning in game two of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But the Brewers rolled with the lefty-hitting Hamilton instead against the righty Yamamoto and the decision worked out, to say the least. Hamilton gave the Brewers a spark at the bottom of the lineup. He went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. In general, his speed was a problem on the base paths for the Dodgers to deal with. In the sixth inning of Monday's Game 2 contest, Hamilton advanced after the ball popped out of Freddie Freeman's glove.

Freddie Freeman couldn't hang on to the ball and David Hamilton advances to second base with no outs in the 6th

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/7hGD5W5SMd
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 12, 2026

The second Hamilton got on base, Dodgers pitchers had to be thinking about him, which isn't easy to do on the hill. Hamilton scored in the third inning, the sixth inning and then again in the eighth inning. It seemed like every time the Dodgers got close to swinging the momentum in their favor, Hamilton would do something on the bases to give the Brewers an edge.

In the playoffs, every pitch is heightened. A single run can win you a game and a single win in a series can completely change the calculus of a series. The Dodgers entered the NLCS viewed as the favorites after winning the last two World Series. Last year, the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS. This year, the Brewers outplayed the Dodgers in the first two games and also had a few things break their way.

Inserting Hamilton into the lineup on Monday gave the Brewers an unexpected boost at the bottom of the lineup. The Brewers scored seven runs in total. Hamilton scored three of them. He has only played in three total games in the playoffs so far. Murphy sticking with him on Monday was a brilliant call and arguably changed the game.

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