The National League Championship Series begins Sunday with Game 1 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers, featuring a pitching duel between Tarik Skubal (Dodgers) and Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers). The series marks the second consecutive year the two teams have met in the NLCS, with both sides arriving with high expectations after dominant regular seasons.
Shohei Ohtani is expected to bat fifth or fourth in the Dodgers' lineup, following a slump in the NLDS where he went 2-for-13 with two singles. Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates noted Ohtani has adjusted his mechanics, focusing on bat speed and timing to break out of his struggles. Meanwhile, Misiorowski, the Brewers' Cy Young candidate, emphasized the importance of pitching aggressively regardless of Ohtani's recent performance.
The Brewers hold a 4-3 edge in the regular-season series against the Dodgers, including a 4-2 win in the final meeting on September 24. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete, stating, “Every night when you play these guys, you know you’re going to face a Cy Young-caliber pitcher.”
The Dodgers' rotation, bolstered by Skubal's acquisition in an August trade, presents a significant challenge. The trade, which Milwaukee declined to match, included a young pitcher the Brewers chose not to part with. Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy acknowledged the difficulty, saying, “Obviously, that wouldn’t be very fun to come in here and face Miz then Skubal.”
For the Brewers, rookie Logan Henderson is slated to follow Misiorowski in the rotation. Henderson posted a 2.47 ERA in 18 appearances this season, outperforming both Yamamoto and Skubal in that span. Henderson's performance could be pivotal if the Brewers aim to overcome the Dodgers' formidable starting staff, which includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell, both of whom struggled in their division series starts.
The series begins at American Family Field with first pitch scheduled for 5:07 p.m. PT / 7:07 p.m. CT. Both teams have emphasized the importance of starting strong, with the Brewers seeking to avenge last year's sweep while the Dodgers aim to advance to the World Series for the third consecutive season.