The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers are set to collide in the National League Championship Series for the second year, reprising a matchup defined by a stark financial contrast, according to reports. Last season, the Dodgers swept Milwaukee in four games during the same round, holding the Brewers to a solitary run in each contest behind dominant pitching performances. This time around, Milwaukee enters the rematch carrying a 4-3 regular-season record against Los Angeles, bolstered by a healthier pitching staff, and the absence of Shohei Ohtani on the mound.
Brewers Match Dodgers Wins Despite Smaller Payroll
The Brewers operate with a player payroll of $154 million, while the Dodgers boast a superstar-laden roster totaling $432 million. Despite the financial gap, Milwaukee topped Major League Baseball for the second straight year by securing 103 wins in the regular season, followed by a 100-win campaign from Los Angeles. Brewers manager Pat Murphy pointed to his squad’s 3-1 National League Division Series victory over the San Diego Padres—which snapped a 12-game postseason road losing streak—as evidence that his team has evolved beyond past playoff struggles.
Brewers Keep Jacob Misiorowski Fresh for Game 1
Last October, Milwaukee’s pitching rotation was severely compromised by fatigue and injuries, forcing them to open games with relievers like Aaron Ashby and pitchers dealing with physical ailments such as Quinn Priester. This season, the Brewers advanced through the Division Series in four games, allowing rookie flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski to stay fresh for a Game 1 start on Sunday night. Misiorowski finished the regular season leading MLB with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts.
Christian Yelich Finds Postseason Rhythm
Brewers captain Christian Yelich enters the championship series carrying a .900 OPS from the Division Series against San Diego, echoing his most productive historical postseason numbers. Yelich drove in a run during Game 3 against the Padres, marking his first postseason RBI since the 2018 National League Championship Series against the Dodgers and snapping a 19-game playoff drought without a run batted in. Rather than feeling pressured to shoulder the entire offense alone, Yelich emphasized a collective team approach of taking quality at-bats and passing the baton to the next hitter in the lineup.
Shohei Ohtani Limited to the Batter’s Box
A major difference for the Brewers this October is the absence of Shohei Ohtani as a starting pitcher. In Game 4 of last year’s series at Dodger Stadium, Ohtani tossed six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts while hitting three home runs in a historic individual playoff performance. This autumn, Milwaukee faces Ohtani strictly as a hitter. While Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that the superstar is due to break out after batting .566 in September and struggling through a 13-for-2 stretch in the Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, the Brewers enter the matchup without having to decode his pitching repertoire.
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