Christian Yelich sat on the bench for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brewers manager Pat Murphy opted for right-handed hitter Andrew Vaughn at designated hitter and rookie Luis Lara in right field to counter left-handed starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
When the Milwaukee Brewers posted their lineup for the opening game of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium, one notable name was missing from the top of the order. Christian Yelich, coming off a productive postseason series against the San Diego Padres, watched the first pitch from the dugout as left-hander Tarik Skubal took the mound for Los Angeles.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy addressed the omission head-on during his pregame press session, explaining that the decision came down to pitching matchups and the physical limitations of his roster.
“It might not be the whole game, but it’s what’s best for our team today. You kind of look at matchups and you look at history and you look at how the guy pitches a guy potentially and what it could bring. And this kid that’s playing instead of Yelich in the first part of the game, he’s pretty good. And he’s had a pretty good history against the guy pitching. That’s what led to it.”
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager
How Matchups and Injuries Shaped the Milwaukee Lineup
Facing one of the game’s most dominant left-handers forced Murphy’s hand. Vaughn posted an .834 OPS across 331 regular-season plate appearances, holding a strong .336/.421/.517 slash line against left-handed pitching.
At the same time, physical constraints in the outfield locked the team into specific configurations. In an ideal setup, Murphy might have deployed Vaughn at first base while shifting Jake Bauers to right field, allowing Yelich to remain in his customary designated hitter role. However, Bauers played through the second half of the season managing a fractured right toe and shin splints.
“He can’t really get to the outfield,” Murphy said. “(Bauers) was playing some outfield, like 40-some starts in the outfield. We can’t kind of do that right now. So that’s the weight of it all.”
Pat Murphy, Milwaukee Brewers manager
To fill out the rest of the alignment behind starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers submitted a full batting order featuring Jackson Chourio in left field, Brice Turang at second base, William Contreras catching, Jake Bauers at first base, Andrew Vaughn as the designated hitter, Garrett Mitchell in center field, Cooper Pratt at shortstop, Luis Lara in right field, and Joey Ortiz at third base.
Looking Back at Prior Encounters With Skubal
The choice to start Vaughn over Yelich also rested on historical data against Skubal. Vaughn brings 22 career at-bats against the left-hander, collecting five hits and a walk, though he carries a .488 OPS against the pitcher specifically. Yelich, by contrast, holds an 0-for-2 mark against the starter. Vaughn also contributed eight hits and two RBIs against Los Angeles over the course of the regular season.
Milwaukee previously faced Skubal on August 16 at Dodger Stadium, just two weeks after Los Angeles acquired the two-time Cy Young Award winner from Detroit. The Brewers won that regular-season meeting 6-2, with catcher William Contreras leading off and Vaughn and Bauers combining for six hits.
Despite the initial benching, Murphy routinely relied on a fluid game plan during the regular season, working Yelich back into the action as soon as the opposing team burned their left-handed reliever and the platoon advantage shifted.
Front Office Connections and Postseason Familiarity
Beyond the action on the diamond, the series highlights deep-rooted front office connections between the two organizations. The Rays’ Erik Neander and the Brewers’ Matt Arnold both worked for the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman in Tampa Bay, marking the second straight year that Friedman and Arnold are facing off against each other in the National League Championship Series. The longstanding ties even extend to local dining spots, as Arnold maintains his own personalized knife at Carnevor steakhouse, an item Dodgers personnel noted was put to good use during their stay in Milwaukee.
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