Another Brewers playoff game, another nine innings filled with stress and heightened blood pressure across the state of Wisconsin. Game 2 of the NLCS was a back and forth affair, with both teams scoring in the first, third, and fifth innings. But it was once again the Brewers who came out on top 7-4.
The Dodgers were able to strike first without the benefit of a base hit. Mookie Betts was able to overturn a strikeout with an ABS challenge and then work a walk from it. He then reached second on a grounder
from Freddie Freeman and a wild pitch from Logan Henderson allowed Betts to reach third. Teoscar Hernandez’s job was simple and he did it, lifting a sacrifice fly to center and it was 1-0 Dodgers.
But the Brewers would answer right back in the bottom half. Brice Turang ripped a double down the left field line and then William Contreras drove him in with a single to tie the game at 1-1.
Then in the 3rd, the Dodgers were able to get another run after a Cooper Pratt misplay at shortstop turned what could’ve been a double play ball into a single with runners now at the corners. Henderson then made a poor pickoff attempt at first and the ball got away, allowing the Dodgers to take the lead again.
Once more, the Brewers answered right back. David Hamilton started the rally with a single and then stole second base. Brice Turang then walked to put two runners on. Jake Bauers then had the at-bat of the night against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, working a 12 pitch at-bat that culminated in a walk.
“That changes the game. We’ve seen him do that before… Yeah, you think about that and what it does to a pitcher. He can get through an inning in less than seven minutes, and he does all the time. He’s one of the best pitchers in the land. It was a great at-bat. I think a turning point, I really do.” Pat Murphy said.
“Yeah, it just got to a certain point where it was straight compete mode. A little bit of like blackout, just kind of in the flow a little bit competing.” Bauers said.
That loaded the bases for the Captain, Christian Yelich, who delivered the big hit.
After going multiple years without an RBI in the postseason, Yelich has come through a couple of times for the Brewers this year.
However, the Dodgers would still answer back in the 5th inning. After Henderson had retired six straight, Kyle Tucker led off with a double. Then Tommy Edman dropped a sacrifice bunt down to get Tucker to third, but Henderson sailed the throw to first base, allowing the run to score and Edman to reach second base. Pat Murphy was out to make the pitching change immediately.
Dustin May came in and settled things down, though he did allow a sacrifice fly to Freeman that brought in Edman and gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. Jackson Chourio did make it close, though. The Brewers challenged the safe call, but were unsuccessful.
But just like the first and third innings, the Brewers would answer right back in the bottom half, with William Contreras supplying the very loud answer.
“He’s a pitbull” Logan Henderson said.
Then, finally, the Brewers were able to score without having to make it an answer to the Dodgers. In the bottom of the 6th inning, Hamilton led things off with a hit by pitch. He then reached second on a failed pickoff attempt. Hamilton moved to third on a ground ball to the right side by Chourio. With the go-ahead run on third, the Dodgers chose to intentionally walk Brice Turang to face William Contreras.
A bold strategy that did not pay off. Contreras jumped all over the first pitch and lifted a single to put the Brewers on top for good.
Contreras becomes just the fourth player in MLB history to hit three game-tying or go-ahead base hits in a single postseason game. He joins George Brett, Steve Garvey, and Sandy Alomar Jr on that list.
“Fourth guy ever? Seems pretty good.” Cooper Pratt said.
Meanwhile, the Brewers bullpen was absolutely carving up the Dodgers lineup. After Dustin May came in to relieve Henderson two batters into the fifth inning, the Dodgers did not get a single baserunner. It was five perfect innings to finish out the game
“I don’t know that you’re necessarily planning to do that, that’d be awesome if you could. We’re in a really good spot right now with the way things are going in our bullpen.” Aaron Ashby said.
Abner Uribe was able to get four outs, he set up Aaron Ashby to get five outs to end the game. The Brewers were able to avoid using Trevor Megill for a second consecutive night.
The Brewers also added some insurance runs in the 8th inning to finally extend the run differential to more than two runs for the first time this postseason. David Hamilton singled and stole second, then Brice Turang singled to add the first insurance run. Contreras then walked and Jake Bauers singled home a second run to make it 7-4.
A little breathing room went a long way as the Brewers now extend their series lead to 2-0 over the Dodgers. They are just two wins away from the World Series and are at the very least guaranteed a return trip home to play at American Family Field.
The series now pivots to Los Angeles for Game 3. Robert Gasser will get the start for the Brewers and look to put the Brewers up 3-0 over LAD and further confirm their control over this series.
