For the second straight night, the Los Angeles Dodgers rode a dominant performance from their starting pitcher to a National League Championship Series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
This time it was Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivering a complete-game gem for the defending champs as L.A. moved two wins away from a return trip to the World Series.
How did L.A. take control of Game 2? We’ve got you covered with the top moments, takeaways — and a look at where this series is headed next.
L.A. leads series 2-0
It was over when … The Dodgers put up two runs in the second inning on Teoscar Hernandez’s homer and Andy Pages’ RBI double. The Brewers’ hitters just haven’t been able to touch L.A. starting pitchers so far in this NLCS, save for Jackson Chourio’s first-pitch, leadoff homer. Through two games, the Dodgers’ rotation has given one run, four hits, one walk and struck out 17 over 17 innings. The ERA: 0.53. — Bradford Doolittle
Game 2 star: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. For one batter, it looked like the Brewers were celebrating that someone not named Blake Snell was on the mound. Not so fast. Yamamoto rolled through all nine frames, with the Brewers never really threatening again. — Doolittle
The postgame vibe: The Brewers had no answers as it relates to beating the Dodgers’ pitching right now, admitting they might have just witnessed the best two games pitched against them all season. Pat Murphy figured holding the Dodgers to seven runs in two games could have led to a win — but not the way L.A. is throwing the ball.
“We chased way more than we’ve chased all year,” the Brewers manager said after Game 2. “We’ve been the best in baseball at not chasing. These pitchers brought out the worst in us.”
What it means for the rest of the series: Bad news for the Brewers. With Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani looming in home dates for the Dodgers on Thursday and Friday, it’s not going to get much easier for Milwaukee hitters. It’s hard to imagine the series continuing past the games in L.A. now. And unlike the Toronto Blue Jays, who are facing their own road challenge down 2-0, the Brewers have to overcome the championship experience of a loaded Dodgers roster while heading to a hostile Dodger Stadium. Tough days are ahead for the regular-season champs. — Jesse Rogers
Ohtani gets in on the fun with RBI single
Muncy’s drive adds to L.A.’s lead
Dodgers take their first lead of Game 2
Teoscar answers with a blast of his own
Chourio gets Brewers on board first