Brewers overcome Jacob Misiorowski's struggles, rally to steal NLCS Game 1 from the Dodgers

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers have known for quite some time that if they want to be the best, they have to beat the best. And one year after getting swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, Milwaukee came into the rematch of the National League powerhouses looking to show that it's more prepared this time around.

For the Brewers to beat the back-to-back World Series champions and reach the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982, they'd have to play a nearly flawless series, beginning with a hot start in Game 1. But in a Game 1 in which Jacob Misiorowski didn't make it through the fifth inning and Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal dominated Milwaukee's lineup the first time through the order, things looked eerily similar to last year's NLCS disappointment.

Yet in their 2-1 win over the Dodgers to open the NLCS on Sunday, the Brewers showed that they can steal a game from the jaws of defeat even when they don't play their best. And they showed that this Brewers team isn't scared of a little adversity.

"That's just Brewers baseball," left-hander DL Hall said postgame. "We've all bought into that."

Misiorowski was the Brewers' MVP this season, and the equation for Milwaukee's success in this series was always going to include winning both of the fireballer's starts. But the Dodgers made the Brewers' right-hander work on Sunday and put some doubt in that plan. L.A.'s hitters took something from the Padres' approach in the NLDS, grinding out every at-bat and running Misiorowski's pitch count into the 40s by the second inning. In fact, 15 of the 19 Dodgers hitters Misiorowski faced in Game 1 saw at least four pitches in their at-bats.

But doing what an ace has to do, "The Miz" kept the Brewers in what remained a tight ballgame, getting huge double plays in the first and second innings to limit the damage. Despite throwing just 4 1/3 innings, Misiorowski allowed only one run on an Andy Pages RBI single.

"Their approach was really good," Misiorowski said afterward. "Trying to foul stuff off of me and get me out of the ballgame and try not to go deep in the game."

Misiorowski's counterpart had a much different start to the game. Skubal was dominating Brewers hitters from the start, striking out six of the first 10 batters he faced. And as the Dodgers' left-hander was carving up Milwaukee's lineup while the Brewers' ace navigated some struggles, you could feel the tension building in the anxious crowd.

Milwaukee needed an answer. And this year, whenever the Brewers have needed a spark, they've usually gotten it.

In Game 1, Brewers second baseman Brice Turang was the one to help turn things back in his team's favor. Turang's impact started defensively, as he made three strong plays to help Misiorowski get out of trouble.

And after using his glove to provide an instant impact, Milwaukee's second baseman came through with the big swing he'd been waiting on. Turang was able to inside-out a 95.5-mph sinker in the fourth inning, driving it into the Brewers' bullpen and tying the game 1-1. His first homer of the postseason couldn't have come at a better time.

"I didn't want to foul a ball off my knee again," Turang joked about his early swings off Skubal. "So I was like, 'I'm going to stay inside of this one.' … Just trying to stay inside of it, drive it up the middle, and sometimes less is more."

After Turang's home run, there was a collective exhale across the state of Wisconsin, but the Brewers still needed to get — and keep — a lead.

Rookie right fielder Luis Lara wasn't on the roster when the Brewers played the Dodgers last postseason. But with an opportunity to provide his own chapter to Milwaukee's Game 1 story, the rookie came up huge.

In the fifth inning, Lara ripped an RBI single up the middle, scoring Garrett Mitchell, who opened the frame with a walk, to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. The 21-year-old's base hit ended up being the game-winner, as Milwaukee's bullpen tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings following Misiorowski's exit.

"Really, I was just looking to push the runner across," Lara said. "That was the only thing that was going through my mind. That's what I'm focused on in that moment, is just finding a way to connect, put the ball in play and find a way for the run to score."

Even when a game doesn't start their way, this Brewers team has a knack for finding a way to turn things in their favor. They've now done it on multiple occasions this postseason. Their grit and determination helped them overcome a ninth-inning deficit against baseball's best closer, Mason Miller, and walk off the Padres in Game 2 of the NLDS , and that mentality was on display once again in their Game 1 NLCS victory over the Dodgers.

Last year's Brewers probably lose a game like that in Game 1 – looking for a big hit, needing to turn the momentum and with a starter in a jam — but this year's Brewers have preached that they're different, and based on the results of this postseason, it's hard to argue with them.

"Guys are getting more experience. They're learning the game — even for me, still learning, getting experience. That's a big factor in this," Turang said. "Then not giving up when we are behind in the game and knowing that we can do it. We can make up runs.

"This group is really, really good with that, and it's part of the buy-in factor that these guys have done. It's part of learning and understanding and wanting to learn. It's really cool to see every day guys are learning, every day guys are getting better."

The 2026 Brewers have already done something they weren't able to do in last year's NLCS: Win a game against the Dodgers. Perhaps more importantly, they showed they can win even when the circumstances aren't perfect — a hallmark of a good team.

With Milwaukee now three wins away from the World Series, with confidence rising, there's no doubt that the Brewers know they are one.