Dodgers take 2-0 LCS lead with 3-hit complete game over Brewers

Relying on an old-school pitching strategy has the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers two wins from returning to the Fall Classic.

As long as their star-studded rotation can continue working deep into games, they don’t need to worry about their inconsistent bullpen.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a three-hitter for the first postseason complete game in eight years as the Dodgers beat the slumping Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 on Tuesday to extend their lead in the National League Championship Series. Yamamoto’s gem in Game 2 came one night after two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell allowed one hit over eight shutout innings for a 2-1 victory.

It’s a dramatically different approach than the one the Dodgers took last year, when starting pitchers worked six innings in only two of their 16 postseason games. They have seven quality starts in eight playoff games this year, and their starters own a 1.54 postseason ERA.

That stellar pitching has the Dodgers closing in on another World Series berth even with the bullpen struggling and three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani going 2 for 25 at the plate over his last six games.

After winning nine of their last 11 regular-season games, the Dodgers are 7-1 in the postseason.

Yamamoto allowed a home run to Jackson Chourio on the first of his 111 pitches — 81 strikes — but shut down the Brewers the rest of the way.

The previous postseason starter to go the distance was Justin Verlander when he tossed a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts for Houston against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS on Oct. 14, 2017 — eight years ago to the day.

This is the first time since 1970 that both LCS road teams started 2-0. The Seattle Mariners own a 2-0 lead over Toronto in the ALCS heading into Game 3 on Wednesday in Seattle.

Teoscar Hernández also homered to help the Dodgers leave Milwaukee with a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday. 



(AP Photo Ashley Landis)