Brice Turang hit a homer off Tarik Skubal and Luis Lara followed with a tiebreaking single in the fifth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night.
After a taxing start by Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski forced Milwaukee’s bullpen into extended duty, the relievers limited the Dodgers to a lone run to protect the slim lead. The bullpen’s work proved decisive in the opener between the two 100-win clubs.
Skubal, who gave up the Turang homer, also yielded the run that broke a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth when Lara’s single drove in the go-ahead tally. The defensive and pitching performances from Milwaukee carried the team through the late innings as the Dodgers were unable to mount a comeback.
The victory marked Milwaukee’s first postseason win over Los Angeles after seven straight losses to the Dodgers, including a sweep in last year’s NLCS. The Game 1 result also represented the first League Championship Series meeting between teams that each won 100 games in a season since the Cincinnati Reds beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976.
The series shifts forward with Game 2 to follow, as both clubs look to gain early momentum in the best-of-seven NLCS.