The Los Angeles Dodgers moved closer to a stunning postseason exit Monday night after William Contreras helped the Milwaukee Brewers take a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.
Contreras tied the game with a fifth-inning home run, then delivered the go-ahead single in the sixth as the World Series favorites suffered their second consecutive defeat.
Four Milwaukee relievers retired the final 15 Dodgers hitters in order, sealing Game 2 of the best-of-seven series. The matchup now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday.
The Brewers are pursuing only the second pennant in franchise history and their first in the National League. Their lone World Series appearance came in 1982, when Milwaukee was still an American League team.
Los Angeles is attempting to become the first National League club to win three consecutive World Series titles. The Dodgers last overcame a 2-0 series deficit in 2020, defeating the Atlanta Braves in a seven-game NL Championship Series before winning the World Series.
To keep their hopes of returning to the Fall Classic alive, the Dodgers will need considerably more production from their offense. They managed only three hits Monday and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position, leaving them 2 for 26 in those situations this postseason.
William Contreras powered Milwaukee to a 2-0 series lead over the Dodgers
The Brewers carry a 2-0 advantage to Los Angeles in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series
The Dodgers also failed to receive a lift from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who came into the game with an 8-1 record and a 2.14 ERA in 11 career playoff appearances. Yamamoto lasted just 2 2/3 innings, making it his shortest postseason start.
‘Just wasn’t sharp today,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ‘He just didn’t have it tonight, which is very rare.’
The Dodgers took the lead on three occasions in the first five innings. Milwaukee responded each time, the last coming when Contreras tied it with a 436-foot homer to center off Kris Bubic in the fifth.
The early exits turned the contest into a test of both teams’ bullpens, and Milwaukee once again held the advantage.
Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to silence Los Angeles after Brewers starter Logan Henderson departed early. Milwaukee’s relievers have surrendered just one earned run across 28 2/3 postseason innings.
The game was tied 4-4 when Milwaukee’s David Hamilton opened the sixth inning by getting hit by a pitch from Brock Stewart. Stewart then tried to pick Hamilton off, but the throw deflected off first baseman Freddie Freeman’s glove and rolled into foul territory for an error, allowing Hamilton to reach second.
Jackson Chourio grounded out before Stewart, a right-hander, walked left-handed hitter Brice Turang. That brought up right-handed batter Contreras, who had already homered in his previous plate appearance.
Contreras singled to left this time to bring home Hamilton with the go-ahead run.
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Shohei Ohtani watches after flying out in the ninth inning of Game 2 in Milwaukee
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani swings during the third inning of Monday night’s game
Turang and Jake Bauers added RBI singles in the eighth inning, giving Milwaukee extra breathing room.
The much-anticipated pitchers’ duel between Yamamoto and Henderson never developed as expected.
In his three previous playoff starts after Dodgers losses, Yamamoto had gone 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA. Against Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS, he threw the first playoff complete game since Justin Verlander accomplished the feat in 2017.
This time, Yamamoto did not make it through the third inning, leaving with Los Angeles trailing 3-2.
Henderson entered Monday having not allowed more than three runs in any of his 24 career starts (including the postseason). That streak ended when he allowed four runs over four innings.
Because Henderson committed two errors, matching his previous career total, only two of the runs were earned.
Milwaukee trailed 2-1 in the third when Bauers capped a 12-pitch plate appearance by taking a 3-2 offering in the dirt to load the bases with a walk. Christian Yelich followed by lining a single up the middle that brought home two runs and knocked Yamamoto out of the game.
Los Angeles bailed out Yamamoto by scoring twice in the fifth.
After Kyle Tucker hit a leadoff double, Tommy Edman sacrificed him to third. Henderson fielded the bunt and made a wild throw to first, enabling Tucker to score and moving Edman to second.
It was a disastrous night for Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Edman advanced to third when Mookie Betts grounded out and scored on Freeman’s sacrifice fly.
Henderson also had made a wild throw to first on a pickoff attempt in the third inning that allowed Edman to score from third.
Robert Gasser (5-5, 3.87 ERA) is expected to start for Milwaukee in Game 3. Gasser allowed one run over four innings when the Brewers won 3-1 at San Diego to clinch their NL Division Series.
The Dodgers are yet to announce their Game 3 starting pitcher.
