The Milwaukee Brewers Fear No One And Now Lead The Dodgers 2-0 In The NLCS Behind Clutch Hitting And An Un-hittable Bullpen

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Last year the scrappy Brewers got swept out of the NLCS at the hands of the Dodgers, scoring just one run in each game. Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Ohtani had their way with this lineup as they cruised to a date with the Blue Jays for the title. Milwaukee hit just one homer all series and never really had any moment of hope. Pretty deflating for a team that won 97 games and felt like they had turned a corner as a franchise. The result gave many the payroll card to play, another example of why there should be a salary cap. Who could ever beat the Dodgers and that unlimited resource of money? 

Well, the Brewers came ready for their NLCS rematch this year. Now they're on the offensive, making the Dodgers uncomfortable and putting all the pressure on them. 

This time the inevitable offense paired with clutch pitching is coming from Milwaukee. In Game 1 the Brewers only got 13 outs from the Miz. In a game against Tarik Skubal that should normally doom you. So what happened? The Brewers bats tired out Skubal, getting him out of the game after just five innings. The Brewers pen, something that has been a major strength all year, picked up Miz and completely shutdown the Dodgers bats. Game 1 went impressively to the Brew Crew. 

I felt like Game 1 was a must win for Milwaukee because of how thin their SP gets after their first two guys in the rotation. Not really their fault because that's an issue most teams have. Most teams aren't the Dodgers who have aces everywhere you look to start games. Game 2 wasn't necessarily a must win for the Dodgers, but if you lose that game boy are you in trouble and need to be next to perfect the rest of the way. 

With Yamamoto on the mound it felt like a big advantage to the Dodgers. Just a year ago he pitched a complete game in this series. Monday night? He didn't escape the third inning. Jake Bauers' 12 pitch at bat in the 3rd helped swing the game for Milwaukee. Not only did it help them grab the lead right there, but it knocked the game's current best postseason pitcher out before he could record 9 outs. 

This Brewers lineup won't scare you on paper, but once you're in it, it's hell. They are relentless and they don't care if they're down in the game. It feels like no one ever gets tight. Maybe that's the Pat Murphy charm. As of right now they're 39-37 on the season when giving up the first run of the game. That's a good tell of a great team. 

On Yamamoto's 75th and final pitch of the night, Yelich ripped a hanging curveball up the middle to give the Brewers the lead. Yamamoto was gassed. Honestly it was shocking to see him get yanked so early, not because the game situation didn't call for it, but because we've learned to know him as this October machine. A pulse-less nightmare who goes deep into his starts with ease. Not tonight. 

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The biggest advantage for Milwaukee in this series is easily the bullpen. After Logan Henderson exited at the end of four, the pen combined to toss five perfect innings. 

This game one night after they twirled 4.2 IP of two hit ball when the Miz was unable to go deep. Helps when you have someone like Uribe to come in and throw fireballs. 

As for the other side, LA's relievers are nowhere near as daunting. If the Dodgers aren't going to get depth from their horses then Milwaukee is going to pounce on these guys. That they did in Game 2. 

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The Brewers play an awesome, fearless brand of baseball. They aren't bad at anything. Clutch hitting, speed, defense (minus Henderson's throws to first), and an elite pen is tough to beat in October. As talented as this Dodgers team is, it doesn't feel like that at the moment. Sure, both of these games were in Milwaukee and like I said earlier, the rotation advantage swings greatly to LA with Miz and Henderson out of the picture for a bit. With that being said, their big bats are getting neutralized right now. Shohei Ohtani is going to be the big talking point until Game 3 rolls around. For about a month and a half now, he's been totally lost. 

Injuries are definitely playing a part in that, and you saw it with this strikeout against Romero. This is just not the same guy. No excuses of course because who isn't dealing with something at this point in the season, plus fuck the Dodgers. 

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You can't sit Ohtani, but man he's giving you nothing out there. You have your top prospect Josue De Paula on the bench, but this is a guy with minimal MLB at bats in his career. He's not a good defender so the only way he gets in there is with Ohtani hitting the bench or a pinch hitting spot. This lineup needs a jolt right now and De Paula would be an interesting chess move. Beside Shohei though, Mookie, Freddie, Will Smith, Muncy, Pages, and Tucker are giving you nothing themselves. 

If LA wants to get into this series that has to change and fast. It's not often we see a team push the Dodgers' backs up against the wall, but it's happening right now. All the credit to Milwaukee, they're meeting the moment and smell blood in the water. 

P.S. While I think a change scenery in the World Series is a good thing, MLB has to be panicking at the thought of a Tampa Bay vs. Milwaukee World Series. Talk about a ratings nightmare. For people who love baseball it'll probably be a great matchup on the field, but any shot of getting the general public to tune in goes right out the window there.