Brewers vs. Dodgers score: Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws rare complete game as L.A. goes up 2-0 in NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers were only the three seed on the NL side heading into the playoffs. After their 5-1 win in Game 2 of the NLCS, however, they've gone 7-1 in the playoffs so far. They went 3-1 against the second-seeded Phillies and now lead the No. 1 seed Brewers 2-0 in the best-of-seven NLCS. 

Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the star of the show in this one. He navigated some traffic, but was mostly in control after coughing up a leadoff Jackson Chourio home run. He'd end up only allowing that one run on three hits, but the big headline here is that he threw a complete game. We never see those in the playoffs anymore. This was the first playoff complete game since 2017, when Justin Verlander did it. The last time a Dodgers pitcher did it? The late Jose Lima, back in 2004. 

This was Yamamoto's first complete game here in Major League Baseball. He had 14 in his career in Japan's NPB.

The Brewers jumped out to the lead first in this one the Chourio solo shot. That euphoric feeling in American Family Field was only temporary. The Dodgers answered right back with two runs in the top of the second and never relinquished the lead. Teoscar Hernández homered to even things up. Then Kiké Hernández singled and came home on an Andy Pages double. 

Max Muncy hit a solo home run in the sixth to provide the Dodgers a little breathing room and then added a run in the seventh on a Shohei Ohtani RBI single. They added on again in the eighth with a Tommy Edman single. The Dodgers grabbed 11 hits in all with much of the damage coming lower in the order. Teoscar (hitting sixth) and Kiké Hernández (eighth) had two hits each, as did Edman (seventh).

The series now shifts to Los Angeles where Dodger Stadium will host Games 3 and 4. If the Brewers can win one of those, Game 5 will also be there. The Dodgers have a commanding lead in this series at present. They only need to win two of the next five games in order to advance to the World Series. The Brewers have the tall order of needing to win four of five from the defending champions and three of those games come on the road.

Only five teams have ever come back from an 0-2 hole to win a best-of-seven LCS in history with the most recent being the 2023 Diamondbacks against the Phillies.

It appears Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going for the complete game. The Brewers need a miracle.

Dodgers have runners on second and third with no outs after the HBP of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman's double. 

Dodgers' bullpen is active. 

This is just a starting pitching clinic from the Dodgers. After Blake Snell went eight innings last night in Game 1, Yoshinobu Yamamoto finishes the eighth inning in Game 2. He's only allowed two hits since that leadoff Jackson Chourio home run, which almost seems like a different game. He's only thrown 97 pitches, so it's possible he gets the ninth, though I'd bet against it. Then again, I didn't think Yamamoto would even throw a pitch in the eighth back when he was only through five innings.

The Brewers bring in lefty Robert Gasser and he strikes Ohtani out. It is 5-1 Dodgers going to the bottom of the eighth.

Tommy Edman singles through a drawn-in infield and the Dodgers are putting this one into miracle territory for the Brewers. 

Will Smith singled and Max Muncy has drawn a walk. Now the Dodgers have two on and no out with a 4-1 lead.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has gotten through seven innings with only one run allowed and that was a leadoff home run. He's cruised ever since. He's on 89 pitches. Dave Roberts could choose to try and get Yamamoto through the eighth, too. Regardless, there's a bit of a cushion here with the 4-1 lead and the Brewers down to six outs.

Does this mean the Dodgers continue to work around their bullpen issues? They are six outs from being 7-1 in the playoffs this year.

Their 4-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh gives them an 89.7% chance of winning Game 2 and thus taking a 2-0 lead in the series. 

Kiké Hernández had doubled and moved to third base on a bunt. With the Brewers' infield drawn in, Shohei Ohtani delivered a single through the right side to push the Dodgers' lead to 4-1 here in the top of the seventh. The Brewers are in deep trouble here of falling behind 0-2 in the NLCS at home.

Max Muncy hit a ball to deep center field in Game 1 that turned into one of the quirkiest plays we'll ever see. This time around, he sent it over the center-field wall. 

Though he deserved one in Game 1, this was Muncy's first RBI of the 2025 postseason. In this, his 70th career playoff game overall, he now has 14 home runs and 35 RBI. 

It is 3-1 Dodgers and Brewers starter Freddy Peralta is done for the night after 5 ⅔ innings. 

Obvious prediction is obvious? The Brewers are making Yamamoto work (65 pitches through five with some traffic), which means he isn't going to last through the eighth inning like Blake Snell did last night. The Brewers will get some looks at the Dodgers' beleaguered bullpen. The Dodgers have the ability to tack on, too. We're going to see some drama here late.

It shouldn't be a big issue, but the Dodgers are talking with Yamamoto and stalling a bit.

Bauers takes one to the warning track in right, but it winds up merely a loud out. 

It's still 2-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, and for the Dodgers that comes to a 61.4% chance of winning Game 2. 

.700 expected batting average on that William Contreras line-out to end the third. Unfortunately for the Brewers, Mookie Betts made the snare. 

The Dodgers' exit velocities that inning lined up with the eye test. With 95 mph considered a hard-hit ball, they hit the ball 91.3 mph, 105.9, 100.9, 98, 95 and 115.2. That last one was Shohei Ohtani's lineout. It was a bad sign for the Brewers even in retiring him.

Teoscar Hernández makes it 1-1 in the second inning, which this pull shot off Freddy Peralta: 

That's the fourth home run Hernández has hit this postseason. Soon after the Dodgers notched back-to-back hits with two outs, and the second of those was an RBI double by Andy Pages that put L.A. up 2-1.

Jackson Chourio greets Yoshinobu Yamamoto with extreme disdain, punishing the first pitch of the game from the Dodgers to an opposite-field home run. It was a fastball from Yamamoto. 

The Brewers lead 1-0 in the first.

This postseason alone we've now seen leadoff home runs for Shohei Ohtani, Michael Busch (twice), George Springer and now Jackson Chourio.

Peralta probably doesn't get quite enough attention. Three straight 200-K seasons. 

Great movement so far on Peralta's off-speed pitches, though he just walked Mookie Betts.

Ohtani's struggles persist. He's done very little at the plate since Wild Card Series Game 1 against the Reds. 

Freddy Peralta starts Shohei Ohtani off with two strikes to get us going.