That didn't take long.
Jackson Chourio opened Game 3 of the National League Championship Series with the loudest statement possible, ambushing Los Angeles Dodgers starter Blake Snell on the first pitch of the game. He sent it deep to right field for a no-doubt leadoff home run into the pavilion seats to give the Milwaukee Brewers an early 1-0 lead.
Snell began the game by trying to establish his fastball but left it just over the plate. Chourio, who hit a career-high 25 homers this season, didn't miss it.
Snell bounced back immediately and struck out Brice Turang, William Contreras and Andrew Vaughn to retire the side, but the Dodgers are now immediately playing catch-up in a crucial Game 3.
JACKSON CHOURIO FIRST PITCH BREWERS LEAD! pic.twitter.com/m6ndIzWPkK
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026
The Dodgers bats have struggled to produce all series, which brings pressure when the team is down 2-0 in the series.
Chourio just added even more before a single Dodgers batter stepped up to the plate.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackson Chourio hits leadoff home run to open NLCS Game 3 vs Dodgers
