The Dodgers' NLCS Game 1 victory over the Brewers wasn't just a win; it was a testament to resilience and the sheer dominance of a single pitcher. The game was a rollercoaster of emotions, showcasing both the Dodgers' ability to overcome adversity and the Brewers' knack for making spectacular plays. But here's where the story truly unfolds…
The Brewers' presence in the National League Championship Series is a result of their ability to execute incredible plays, such as the remarkable double play that ended the fourth inning. This play highlighted the Brewers' solid fundamentals, which have made them the winningest team in baseball this season. But the Dodgers, on the other hand, owe their success to their ability to respond to such adversity, settling the panic with their dominant starting pitching, rallying at the plate with their star-studded lineup, and suffocating opponents with their record payroll's worth of talent.
In Game 1 of the NLCS, the Dodgers secured a 2-1 victory at American Family Field, with the most memorable moment of the evening being the fourth-inning cluster. The Dodgers had the bases loaded with one out, only to come up empty when Max Muncy's potential grand slam was robbed, and two runners were retired on forceouts at home and third.
However, the most critical contributions came after that, with Freddie Freeman's home run in the sixth inning giving the Dodgers the lead, and Blake Snell's masterful performance on the mound ensuring they wouldn't relinquish it. By the end of the game, Snell had become the real story.
Snell, the team's $182-million offseason signing, started strong in October, going at least six innings in each of his first two outings, conceding just two total runs. But on Monday, the two-time Cy Young Award winner elevated his game to a whole new level. Over eight innings of pure dominance, Snell faced the minimum number of batters, erasing his only baserunner by picking him off later in the inning. He struck out 10 batters, a postseason career high, needing just 103 pitches, with 69 going for strikes. Of those, 22 were swing-and-misses, the most any pitcher has generated against the contact-minded Brewers this season.
Before this game, Clayton Kershaw was the only other Dodgers starter with a scoreless eight-inning start in the postseason since José Lima's NL Division Series shutout in 2004.
Snell's excellence was crucial, especially considering the Dodgers' squandered opportunity in the top of the fourth. The inning began well, with the lineup awakening. Teoscar Hernández walked, and singles from Will Smith and Tommy Edman loaded the bases. Muncy stepped up to the plate and clobbered a fly ball to center field. However, what followed was a disaster.
Brewers center fielder Sal Frelick jumped, got a glove on the ball, and bobbled it. Hernández tagged up at third, before finally breaking for home plate. What the Dodgers didn't notice was left field umpire Chad Fairchild signaling that the ball had bounced off the top of the wall amid Frelick's bobble. This meant a force play was on for the defense.
When catcher William Contreras caught the throw home, Hernández was out. As the other Dodgers' baserunners stood still, Contreras ran to third and stepped on the bag, forcing out Smith. The play would be reviewed, but the call stood. This play could be interpreted as a lack of awareness from the Dodgers or a demonstration of the Brewers' ability to capitalize on every opportunity. What do you think? Was this a simple mistake, or a tactical masterclass by the Brewers?
More frustration followed for the Dodgers, who got a leadoff double from Kiké Hernández in the fifth, only to end the inning with another double-play grounder from Mookie Betts. For a moment, the Dodgers seemed to be falling into the Brewers' trap: struggling with their talented pitching staff, frustrated by their stellar defense, and one mistake away from losing to a team with inferior talent but impeccable resolve.
But Snell never let that happen. With one out in the sixth, Freeman launched a home run, giving the Dodgers the lead. After that, the Dodgers made the narrow lead stand. Snell retired his final 17 batters, and the Dodgers added an insurance run when Betts drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. Despite a challenging ninth inning, the Dodgers held on, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Do you think the Dodgers' resilience and Snell's dominance will carry them through the rest of the series?
