MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers aren’t letting up. Riding a stellar performance from William Contreras and a bullpen that simply wouldn’t allow any runs through, the Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 on Monday night. This gives Milwaukee a commanding 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.
It was a display of the Brewers’ signature grind-it-out style. They put star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the test early, forcing him to throw 75 pitches while barely chasing anything outside. Yamamoto, who threw a complete game against Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS, was pulled in the third inning after giving up multiple walks and hits. The epitome of Milwaukee’s patient approach? Jake Bauers’ grueling 12-pitch walk right before Yamamoto’s exit.
‘The approach we’ve cultivated plays against anybody if we execute it,’ Bauers said.
Once Yamamoto was gone, the game got messy, mostly due to some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes. Both teams committed a pair of errors, and the Dodgers snuck in four runs. But the Brewers’ offense kept the pressure on. Contreras tied things up with a home run to center field in the fifth, then delivered the go-ahead hit with an RBI single in the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Brewers’ bullpen was absolute perfection. Relievers Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby combined to throw five flawless innings. This is part of an incredible stretch where Milwaukee’s relief staff has allowed just one earned run over 28⅔ innings in this postseason.
‘We just go out there and compete, pitch by pitch,’ Uribe said. ‘Doesn’t matter the situation.’
Manager Pat Murphy, known for keeping things light, saw exactly what he wanted to see from his squad. ‘This year, they don’t want to be denied,’ Murphy said. ‘And they’re going against arguably one of the best teams in baseball ever put together. And they don’t care. They won’t be denied. It starts with the dude behind the dish.’
That dude, Contreras, has been a force on both sides of the plate. His teammates can’t say enough about him. ‘That dude’s unreal,’ Jacob Misiorowski said. ‘It’s awesome to have him back there.’
Aaron Ashby secured the final five outs, but he’s far from the only one stepping up in high-leverage spots. As Ashby put it, Contreras seems to be calling the right pitches, and the guys are simply executing the plan.
Now, the Brewers head to Dodger Stadium, knowing there’s still a long way to go. ‘The job is far from over,’ Ashby warned. ‘Everyone in here respects the team across the field immensely.’
Still, if they keep playing this brand of baseball, the Brewers are looking at their first World Series appearance since 1982.
