MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers moved halfway to the pennant, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-4 in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series to secure a commanding 2-0 series edge before the matchup shifts west.
Milwaukee collected 12 hits in the victory, paced by three hits from William Contreras, according to Forbes. The win followed the Brewers’ narrow 2-1 decision over the Dodgers in Game 1 and puts the two-time defending World Series champions in an unexpected two-game deficit.
Ohtani struggles raise lineup questions
Los Angeles struggled to generate consistent offense in Game 2, highlighted by another difficult night for designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts, Bleacher Report reported. The outlet noted that Ohtani has not hit a home run since Aug. 18 and appears limited by a lingering shoulder ailment.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated after the game that he plans to speak with Ohtani about the possibility of sitting him for Game 3 in Los Angeles, as reported by The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Ken Rosenthal and cited by Bleacher Report. Ohtani previously ceased pitching for the season due to a left knee injury, and television analyst John Smoltz observed during the broadcast that the slugger was unable to handle elevated fastballs due to his shoulder, according to Bleacher Report.
The Dodgers entered October pursuing the first World Series three-peat since the New York Yankees won three consecutive titles from 1998 through 2000, Forbes noted.
ALCS opens with Rasmussen and Griffin
As the National League series heads to Los Angeles, the American League Championship Series opened in St. Petersburg, Florida, featuring the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians.
The series opener featured a pitching duel between Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen and Cleveland left-hander Foster Griffin, according to Forbes. Rasmussen posted a 16-5 record and a 2.67 ERA in the regular season, while Griffin finished 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA between stints with Washington and Cleveland. Rasmussen came into the start fresh off an eight-inning, one-hit gem against the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the Division Series, in which he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
Cleveland reached the ALCS by overcoming a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Chicago White Sox in five games during the ALDS, Forbes reported. Tampa Bay advanced after capturing the American League’s best regular-season mark at 98-64.
Payroll contrasts define remaining field
The final four teams present a striking financial contrast. Forbes reported that the combined 2026 payrolls of Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Cleveland total $360.5 million, well short of the Dodgers’ $433 million payroll.
Cleveland holds the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball at $74.46 million, while the Rays rank 28th and the Brewers sit 19th, according to The Sporting News. The Dodgers carry 11 players earning at least $15 million annually on their roster, compared to just one active player across the other three clubs combined, The Sporting News reported.
The NLCS resumes in Los Angeles for Game 3, where the Dodgers must decide whether to adjust Ohtani’s role while attempting to avoid a 3-0 hole against a Brewers club that led the majors with 103 regular-season wins.
