2 Controversial Calls That Changed the Dodgers' Game 2 Loss to the Brewers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost the first two games of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

While the Dodgers couldn't capitalize on offense, the difference in the game could have been Yoshinobu Yamamoto's two battles with Brice Turang.

Turang reached twice against Yamamoto, and both plate appearances would have ended in strikeouts had the Dodgers used their challenges.

Brice Turang reached twice against Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They both would've been strikeouts had the Dodgers challenged.

On the second one (right), Yamamoto wanted to challenge, but Will Smith chose not to.

This game would look a lot different if those at-bats ended in strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/5M1EcumJTo
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) October 12, 2026

Instead, the Brewers scored one run in the first and two in the third, with Turang's plate appearances playing a key role both times.

Before the two runs in the third inning, Yamamoto even wanted Will Smith to challenge the sixth pitch against Turang.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto REALLY wanted Smith to challenge this. pic.twitter.com/x3DOtiHBma
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 12, 2026

Technically, the calls were wrong by the home plate umpire, Chris Segal. However, because the calls were so close and it was early in the contest, the Dodgers elected not to go through with a challenge.

That proved costly in the end.

"It was kind of early in the game, we kind of had him on the ropes," Smith said to reporters after the game regarding the first-inning decision, which came early in the count. "I figured we could get him out there. The walk one was a bummer. But it happens. It's baseball."

As for the one in the third inning which came on a 3-2 pitch?

"That one was a splitter. It actually cut back a little bit," Smith said. "I just saw it out and didn't know if it came back enough or not."

Yamamoto said he thought it was a strike.

"I thought about [challenging]," he said through his interpreter after the game, "but that was too fine a line on the strike zone. So I just didn’t know."

Yamamoto's performance in Game 2 against the Brewers was far from his best. He lasted only 2.2 innings and allowed four hits and three earned runs with one strikeout.

The 28-year-old threw 75 pitches, with 46 of them strikes. The Brewers made Yamamoto work with 25 pitches in the first inning, 14 in the second and 36 in the third before being pulled.

After the Turang plate appearance, Yamamoto got an out before enduring a 12-pitch plate appearance against Brewers outfielder Jake Bauers, who fouled off six consecutive pitches before drawing a walk.

Christian Yelich then delivered a two-run single up the middle, giving Milwaukee a 3-2 lead in the third inning and ending Yamamoto's outing.

Manager Dave Roberts wasn't ready to put the blame on Smith after Monday's game.

"Obviously Will’s got a great view back there, as all catchers do," Roberts said. "Obviously in that spot, Will didn’t feel like it was a strike, but obviously if you look back, that’s a called third strike, he doesn’t double, and that changes the outing.

"But I’m not back there. So it’s one of those things that you’ve got to kind of trust the players to make those decisions when they get in those spots."

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