The Los Angeles Dodgers were caught in the middle of what was an expected pitcher's duel in Game 1 of the NLCS, with Tarik Skubal starting for them against Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski. In the end, the Dodgers could not cobble together enough runs against the Brewers even though they chased Misiorowski after just 4.1 innings of work, as they went down in the series courtesy of a 2-1 defeat.

Skubal ended up allowing two runs in 5.0 innings of work, with the Brewers opening up their scoring account in the series with a Brice Turang long ball. They followed that up with a Luis Lara RBI single on the very next at-bat in the bottom of the fifth after a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt moved the leadoff runner, which reached base on a walk, to second base.

The Dodgers know that the Brewers are a major force to be reckoned with. After all, Milwaukee won the most games in MLB in 2026, with 103. Thus, manager Dave Roberts knows that the road ahead isn't going to be easy at all.

“You can't go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win 4. It's going to be a long series, we knew it coming in,” Roberts said, via MLB Network on X.

“You can't go into a long series against a team that has the best record in baseball and expect to just win 4. It's going to be a long series, we knew it coming in…”

Dave Roberts discusses the Dodgers losing Game 1 of the NLCS. pic.twitter.com/FvKJZzGnxV

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 12, 2026

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Last season, the Brewers also had homefield advantage after winning an MLB-best 97 games. That scarcely mattered in the postseason, as the Dodgers demolished them to the tune of a four-game series sweep in the NLCS, denying them what would have been just the second World Series berth in franchise history.

That sweep must be replaying in the collective mind of this Brewers team, and they have at least now gotten over the hurdle of winning at least one game against the Dodgers in the postseason.

But this Dodgers team is locked into their goal of winning a third-consecutive World Series title, and they know what it takes to win it all. The NLCS is a clash between the unstoppable force and an immovable object, and this series looks like it will go the distance.