The Milwaukee Brewers have had a sensational season in winning the National League Central Division title and a Major League-best 103 games this season. The Brewers were victorious in the National League Division Series in their best-of-5 series with the San Diego Padres.

That has earned the Brewers a spot in the National League Championship Series for the second consecutive year against the Los Angeles Dodgers. These two teams met in the NLCS last year, and the Dodgers won the series in a 4-game sweep. The Dodgers have won consecutive World Series titles and they are hoping to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series titles.

Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy attempted to play the underdog card a year ago as his small-market Brewers were going up against the rich and powerful Dodgers. Murphy said that may not have been the way to go. “That was a mistake,” Murphy said. “I will say that there is familiarity with them and that should help.”

Murphy was not about to say that it gave the Brewers an advantage, because the Dodgers have such a powerful team and a dynamic track record under manager Dave Roberts.

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The Dodgers are planning to start Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first two games of the series. Skubal is the two-time, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher. Yamamoto was the MVP in last year's World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Brewers are starting fireballer Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1 against Skubal and Logan Henderson will get the start in Game 2 against the Yamamoto.