Dodgers Lose Rollercoaster Game 2 to Brewers, Face Major Hole in NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, 7-4, on Monday in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series.

The Brewers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series as it shifts to Los Angeles.

NLCS Game 2 Recap

The Brewers started rookie right-hander Logan Henderson in Game 2, who finished the regular season with a 2.47 ERA across 18 starts. After initially thinking he started Game 2 with a strikeout against Mookie Betts, the shortstop successfully challenged a call to make the count 3-2.

Betts was walked on the next pitch to put one on for Freddie Freeman, who grounded out to get Betts to second base. A wild pitch got him to third base, and a Teoscar Hernandez sacrifice fly put the first run of the game on the board.

Bring 'em in, Teoscar! pic.twitter.com/faibC7OjcT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2026

Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto started things off for the Dodgers, and secured a leadoff strikeout as it looked like it would be another dominant October outing for the 2025 World Series MVP.

The next batter, Brice Turang, was down 0-2 in the count as the next two pitches — both called balls — appeared to be within the zone. Catcher Will Smith nor Yamamoto elected to challenged the calls, and Turang proceeded to hit a one-out double.

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

Five pitches later, William Contreras tied the game with a single. Yamamoto was able to get out of the inning, but was already up to 20 total pitches.

In the top of the third inning, Tommy Edman and Betts collected back-to-back singles. With one out and the Dodgers 90 feet away from retaking the lead, Henderson committed a pickoff error that allowed Edman to get home safely.

In the bottom half of the frame, Turang was once again down 0-2 in the count, this time with one on and one out. Turang once again saw two more pitches that were called balls that could have been challenged.

An at-bat that could have been Yamamoto's second strikeout of the day resulted in a walk.

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

The next batter flew out, and with two on and two out, Yamamoto was in the midst of a 12-pitch at-bat with Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers, who fouled away six pitches in a row. The 12th pitch — Yamamoto's 73rd of the night — was called ball four and loaded the bases.

Christian Yelich then stepped to the plate and hit a two-out, two-run single to give Milwaukee the lead. Yamamoto's night was over after 2.2 innings, and Alex Vesia struck out the next batter to get out of the inning.

The Dodgers deficit continued up until the top of the fifth inning, when Kyle Tucker hit a leadoff double to start things off. Edman bunted two pitches later, and once again, it was an errant throw to first from Henderson that allowed another run to score.

Tie game! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/C3coWeFW6v
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2026

With the game tied and Henderson knocked out of the game, Betts advanced Edman to third with a grounder and Freddie Freeman sent him home with a sacrifice fly. Though the Brewers challenged the close play at the plate, the call stood and the Dodgers took the lead.

Tommy with the wheels! #NLCS pic.twitter.com/hr5xfGkTQw
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 12, 2026

In the bottom of the frame, however, it was Contreras again who hurt the Dodgers. This time, he hit a 436-foot solo shot to tie the game.

After the Dodgers were retired in order in the sixth, inning the Brewers found themselves with two on and one out and Contreras at the plate. On the first pitch he saw, he smacked an RBI single to give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Edgardo Henriquez — already at eight pitches from the inning prior — allowed a leadoff single to David Hamilton. After Hamilton stole second, a groundout got him to third to put Turang back in the batter's box. Three pitches later, he hit an RBI single to extend the lead.

Henriquez then walked Contreras on four pitches and was replaced by Justin Wrobleski. The left-hander allowed an RBI single three pitches into his outing to give Milwaukee a 7-4 lead.

Shohei Ohtani led off the ninth inning and flied out. He moved to 3-for-20 thus far in the postseason.

Smith then flied out to right, and Miguel Rojas — as a pinch-hitter for Max Muncy — struck out to end the game.

Add us as a preferred source on Google