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The unsung Brewers rookie hero who somehow got better of Tarik Skubal to beat Dodgers in NLCS Game 1
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- The unsung Brewers rookie hero who somehow got better of Tarik Skubal to beat Dodgers in NLCS Game 1
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The Milwaukee Brewers opened the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at American Family Field. While rising star Brice Turang's home run helped Milwaukee get on the scoreboard , it was rookie Luis Lara who came through in the clutch against Tarik Skubal , the two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.
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Making his first NLCS start, the 21-year-old drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning, helping the Brewers draw first blood over the defending World Series champions.
Lara entered Game 1 with just 61 games of major-league experience after making his debut in early July. He had recorded a .246/.311/.325 batting line during his first season in the majors, but Milwaukee trusted him to start in right field with Skubal on the mound, because of his switch-hitting ability.
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The outfielders first plate appearance offered little indication of what was coming. Batting eighth, Lara struck out against a 97.6 mph sinker above the strike zone after seeing four pitches from the veteran southpaw.
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However, his next opportunity was where the game turned on its head.
Garrett Mitchell opened the bottom of the fifth with a four-pitch walk before fellow rookie Cooper Pratt advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Lara then attacked the first pitch he saw, sending Skubal's changeup up the middle into center field. Mitchell scored without a throw, giving Milwaukee a 2-1 advantage that it maintained through the final out.
Skubal exited after five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking two. A 25-pitch fifth inning contributed to his early departure.
Lara's breakthrough came after an impressive run at Triple-A Nashville, where he compiled a .321/.432/.470 slash line across his first 78 games. His progress at the plate, combined with his defensive ability, helped earn him a seven-year, $31 million contract during the season. He had also won a minor-league Gold Glove the previous year.
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The Brewers once again relied on their steady bullpen after starter Jacob Misiorowski couldn't make it through five innings. The right-hander surrendered five hits and three walks while striking out five over 4⅓ innings. Shohei Ohtani scored in the second on an Andy Pages single, but Milwaukee prevented further damage with an inning-ending double play after Los Angeles loaded the bases.
The Brewers' bullpen subsequently pitched 4⅔ scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Aaron Ashby contributed two innings and extended his scoreless postseason stretch to 7⅔ innings.
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Trevor Megill earned the save despite walking Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula with two outs in the ninth. He finished the game by inducing a deep fly ball from Mookie Betts that was caught near the center-field warning track.
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Milwaukee has more reason to celebrate after being swept by the Dodgers in last year's NLCS without ever leading in a single inning. The Brewers are now seeking their first World Series appearance since 1982.
Related: The key to Brewers' historic secret playoff weapon that's not so secret anymore
