Brewers 7, Dodgers 4 – 2026 NLCS Game 2: More mistakes & still no big hits puts the Dodgers in real trouble

Chad Moriyama 10/12/2026 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

In terms of hype, Game 2 of the 2026 NLCS perhaps wasn’t as big of a matchup of aces as Game 1, but in terms of production Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers and Logan Henderson for the Brewers haven’t been that far off. This game didn’t really live up to the billing of those two, as both starters left the game early and it was a mistake-filled affair for the most part. Unfortunately, the Dodgers are the ones who made the most mistakes and the Brewers were the ones who got the big hits, as they took a commanding 2-0 series lead after a 7-4 victory.

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Another game, another pitching matchup that boils down to something like a tossup on paper. The primary difference between Yamamoto and Henderson is really mostly that of an already-hardened playoff veteran against a playoff rookie. Unfortunately, it didn’t really seem to matter much.

Dodgers & Brewers exchange early runs

Things started well against Henderson in the 1st, as Mookie Betts drew a full-count walk, got to second on a soft groundout, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a Teoscar Hernandez sac fly to make it 1-0 Dodgers before the inning was up.

After that 16-pitch frame, he issued just a two-out walk in the 2nd, though it did take 23 pitches.

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Unfortunately, the Brewers responded right back against Yamamoto. A strikeout started the 1st, but Brice Turang doubled after he stayed alive in the at-bat following an 0-2 split for strike three that was missed by the umpire and Will Smith.

That was followed by William Contreras almost literally throwing his bat at the ball for a bloop single to left that scored Turang and tied the game at 1-1.

Yamamoto got the next two to end the inning, but it did take him 25 pitches. He then bounced back with a 14-pitch clean frame in the 2nd.

Brewers knock out Yamamoto

The Dodgers got the advantage back in the 3rd, as Tommy Edman led off with a single, and Mookie Betts lined a sharp one at Cooper Pratt, who got handcuffed for a single that also could’ve been a potential double play.

Freddie Freeman then followed by ripping a liner to deep right, but Sal Frelick tracked it down with a leaping catch on the track that only advanced Edman to third.

However, that turned out to be important, as Henderson tried to pick-off Mookie at first and threw it into the dirt for an error to score Edman and move Mookie to second. 2-1 Dodgers.

Two groundouts from Teoscar Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani ended that chance, and it was a weirdly quick 12-pitch frame.

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Unfortunately that lead also didn’t last long. Yamamoto gave up a full-count single to David Hamilton to start, then got an out when Kyle Tucker made a nice running play in the gap on a Jackson Chourio liner. However, after Hamilton stole second, Turang drew a full-count walk on a pitch Yamamoto wanted to challenge and would’ve been right on.

That would’ve been Turang’s second strikeout of the night, but he instead reached and made the Dodgers pay again. After a Contreras flyout that would’ve ended the inning, Jake Bauers had a ridiculous 12-pitch at-bat that resulted in a walk to load the bases, and the defense could’ve made a play in foul ground during the at-bat but let it drop. That all came back to haunt them when Christian Yelich singled back up the middle to plate a pair.

That made it 3-2 Brewers and knocked Yamamoto out of the game. While it was his worst playoff start, it was also weirdly one where he could’ve held them scoreless if not for bad ABS challenge use on two non-challenges: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 75 Pitches.

Alex Vesia relieved him and got a strikeout on four pitches to stop the bleeding. In the 5th, it was Roki Sasaki, who issued a one-out walk but otherwise had no trouble in a 14-pitch frame.

Dodgers take the lead then give it right back

Meanwhile, Henderson at least seemed to settle with an eight-pitch 4th, but the 5th was immediately a mess for him. Kyle Tucker led off by ripping a double down the line in right, and on a Tommy Edman sac bunt attempt, Henderson threw it into foul territory to score Tucker and move Tommy to second (he could’ve taken third if he picked up Dino Ebel).

That was it for him, as old friend Dustin May entered in relief. Mookie then grounded out to second to move Edman to third, then Freddie hit a sac fly to medium left and Chourio’s throw was barely late on review to score Edman and make it 4-3 Dodgers.

A strikeout ended the rally, as May threw 14 pitches and got three outs. JoJo Romero then got the 6th for the Brewers, cruising through a 13-pitch frame with a pair of strikeouts.

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Surprisingly, Dave Roberts opted to take Roki Sasaki out of the game for lefty matchups despite him not really having handedness splits.

That cost them immediately, as after Kris Bubic got a strikeout to start the 6th, Contreras hit an 0-1 fastball to dead center for a no-doubt homer to tie things at 4-4.

After another strikeout, Bubic gave up a soft single and a walk and his night was done after a rough 22 pitches. Brock Stewart took over and gave up an infield single on a grounder to Edman, who almost made an amazing play but pulled Freddie off the bag. He did manage to limit the damage there by getting a strikeout, throwing just five pitches to close the 5th.

That allowed Stewart to continue in the 6th, and he started by hitting Hamilton on the foot. Then on a pick-off attempt, Freddie didn’t catch the ball for an error that allowed him to get to second. After Chourio grounded out to move Hamilton to third, Dave made another questionable decision, opting to intentionally walk Turang to get right-on-right with Contreras with Tanner Scott warm.

Well, Contreras hit a first-pitch hung sweeper for a single to left to make it 5-4 Brewers.

Stewart threw just seven more pitches in the inning for 12 total, but even that might’ve been too many.

Scott finally entered and carved through two hitters, striking out both and taking just nine pitches. He also started the 7th and struck out another hitter on just four pitches, but too little too late.

Edgardo Henriquez entered, gave up a bloop single that was erased on a caught stealing, then got a foul out to end that inning after eight more pitches.

Brewers get insurance and their pen slams the door again

Continuing in the 8th was Henriquez, giving up a lead-off single to Hamilton, who promptly stole second. He got to third on a groundout, then scored on a Turang single to make it 6-4. A walk followed and that was it for Edgardo.

Justin Wrobleski was summoned, and he gave up a bloop single to Jake Bauers for another run, and Andy Pages bobbling the ball in center allowed Contreras to take third. Wrobo did get a lineout and strikeout after to end the inning, but obviously that was more than their pen needed.

Now with the lead, the Brewers pen started their march towards the end with their leverage arms. Abner Uribe entered in the 7th and got the side on just eight pitches, then got one out in the 8th on a five-pitch strikeout. Pat Murphy then turned things over to Aaron Ashby, who took just six pitches to close the frame out.

Ashby resumed in the 9th, getting the side in order to close out the win for the Brewers.

Not a lot of positive to takeaway from this one. They were almost gifted a game and couldn’t take advantage. They’re just being thoroughly outplayed right now.

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The only other playoff series that saw the Dodgers lose a Game 1 since this run started in 2024 was during last year’s World Series, but this time Yamamoto wasn’t able to relieve the pressure on the team in Game 2, and so the dynasty now heads into uncharted waters. While they do have pitching advantages in the next two games, they no longer really have the luxury of either starter faltering, and they desperately need to take the next couple.

After a day off to travel back to Los Angeles, Game 3 will start at 2:00 PM HT/5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET on FS1. It’ll be Blake Snell looking to do better than his previous start, and he’ll be up against Robert Gasser.

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