Turang’s homer, Lara’s RBI and Brewers bullpen beat Dodgers in NLCS opener, 2-1

Brice Turang hit a tying home run, Luis Lara singled home the go-ahead run and the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen protected a one-run lead to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.

Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series at American Family Field. Trevor Megill secured the final three outs, working around two two-out walks before Mookie Betts flied to Garrett Mitchell in center field with the tying run on second base.

The Brewers had trailed after Andy Pages’ RBI single in the second inning. Shohei Ohtani walked and moved to second on Teoscar Hernández’s single before Pages drove him in. The Dodgers then loaded the bases with one out, but Jacob Misiorowski induced an inning-ending double play from Kiké Hernández to hold the damage to one run.

The official MLB clip shows Pages putting Los Angeles ahead.

Tarik Skubal kept Milwaukee scoreless for three innings before Turang opened the fourth with a home run to left-center field. That tied the game at one and gave the Brewers a way back into a game in which their starter was already carrying a heavy pitch count.

Turang’s tying homer is shown in MLB’s official video.

Milwaukee took the lead in the fifth through a different sequence. Mitchell drew a leadoff walk, Cooper Pratt sacrificed him to second, and Lara singled up the middle to bring Mitchell home. The Brewers later loaded the bases in the inning, but Skubal got William Contreras to fly out and kept the margin at one.

Lara’s go-ahead hit gave Milwaukee’s relievers the lead they would preserve.

Misiorowski allowed one run on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings, striking out five. He threw 94 pitches before a one-out walk to Betts ended his night. DL Hall entered and needed only four pitches to get Freddie Freeman to ground into a double play, Milwaukee’s third of the game.

Hall earned the win. Abner Uribe followed with a scoreless sixth, striking out Pages with runners at first and third. Aaron Ashby then handled the seventh and eighth, and Megill closed the ninth. The four relievers combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks.

Skubal took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out seven and walked two. Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips and Tanner Scott kept Milwaukee scoreless over the final three innings, but the Dodgers could not find another run against the Brewers’ relief group.

Los Angeles finished with seven hits to Milwaukee’s six. Teoscar Hernández and Jackson Chourio each had two hits. Both clubs left late chances unconverted: the Brewers stranded the bases loaded in the eighth, and the Dodgers’ ninth-inning walks put the tying and go-ahead runs aboard before Megill ended it.

Game 2 is Monday at 5 p.m. Eastern in Milwaukee. MLB lists Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the Dodgers’ probable starter against Logan Henderson for the Brewers.

Sources

MLB: Misiorowski battles into fifth against Dodgers · CBS Sports: Brewers win NLCS opener2-1 · MLB: Official final box and expanded plays · MLB: October12schedule and probable pitchers · MLB: Brewers take NLCS Game1 over Dodgers