The Dodgers are set to kick off the National League Championship Series on Sunday in Milwaukee, facing the Brewers in Game 1. This series marks a rematch of last season's NLCS, which the Dodgers swept in four games.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking at a news conference Saturday, downplayed the relevance of last year's series, stating, “I really don’t think there’s anything we can use from last year to this year.” He acknowledged the Brewers as a "really good ball club" with similar personnel and noted there would be “no secrets” between the teams. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, however, suggested familiarity could be an asset. He commented that while strategies and personnel change, having "fought a guy once and you fight him the second time, you should have a better idea."
A key roster note for the Dodgers concerns infielder Miguel Rojas. Roberts expects Rojas to be on the roster for the series despite a lower-back injury sustained in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. Rojas initially experienced tightness and discomfort while fielding a ground ball in the fifth inning on Tuesday. Although he remained in the game, the injury "flared up and sharply aggravated" during an at-bat in the eighth inning, forcing him to exit.
During the regular season, the Dodgers held a 3-4 record against the Brewers, including a 2-1 mark when playing at American Family Field in Milwaukee. For Sunday's Game 1, the Dodgers will send left-hander Tarik Skubal to the mound, while the Brewers will counter with right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.
Skubal's most recent outing was on October 3, where he pitched six strong innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Braves, limiting them to one run and two hits, striking out seven, and earning the victory in a 5-3 win. Roberts praised his performance after that game, saying, “I thought Tarik was fantastic,” highlighting his fastball and effective change-up. That game began at a scorching 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Major League Baseball. Skubal, a 2024 and 2025 American League Cy Young Award winner, was acquired by the Dodgers on August 2 from the Detroit Tigers. Since joining the team, he has a 5-2 record with a 2.61 ERA in 10 regular-season starts, with the Dodgers winning eight of those games, including the last seven. In four career starts against the Brewers, Skubal holds a 2-1 record with a 2.10 ERA, though he took the loss in his one appearance against them as a Dodger on August 16.
On the other side, Jacob Misiorowski brings an impressive resume to the mound. He led the National League with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, and the fewest hits allowed per nine innings at 4.947, along with a 0.802 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP). His 16 victories tied for second in the league, contributing to a 16-5 record and a .762 winning percentage. Skubal himself acknowledged Misiorowski's skill, stating, “He doesn’t walk anybody. He forces teams to beat him.” Misiorowski also ranked sixth in the NL for fewest walks per nine innings and second in strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has a 2-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in two career appearances against the Dodgers, including a 4-1 victory at Dodger Stadium on August 15. His last start was on October 3, allowing two runs and four hits over four innings in the Brewers' NLDS Game 1 win against San Diego.
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-13 with four strikeouts in the NLDS against the Braves, with both hits being singles. Roberts addressed Ohtani's approach for Game 1 against Misiorowski, stressing the importance of "good at-bats" and getting on base. He emphasized that "production is just doing anything positive for the club," and the team needed everyone to contribute.
This series marks the Dodgers' record 18th appearance in the NLCS, having won 10 of their previous appearances, including the last two seasons. The Brewers advanced to their fourth NLCS by defeating the Padres in their division series, though they have lost all three of their previous NLCS appearances. The franchise's only League Championship Series victory came in the 1982 American League Championship Series. In the regular season, Milwaukee finished with the best record in Major League Baseball at 103-59, while the Dodgers were second-best at 100-62. Both teams were the only ones in MLB in 2026 to achieve at least 100 victories.
Analytic sites have weighed in on the series outcome. FanGraphs gives the Dodgers a 70.4% chance of winning the best-of-seven series, making them the favorite to win the World Series at 53.2%. The Brewers are given a 29.6% chance to win the series and are second favorites for the World Series at 16.4%. For Game 1 specifically, ESPN Analytics’ Matchup Predictor leans towards the home team, giving the Brewers a 58.2% chance of winning, compared to the Dodgers’ 41.8%.
First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday. The game will be televised on Fox and streamed on Fox One. For radio listeners in Southern California, the English broadcast will be on KLAC-AM (570) and the Spanish broadcast on KTNQ-AM (1020).
