The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Sunday night at American Family Field, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series and gaining an early advantage in their bid to reach the World Series.

Milwaukee overcame an early deficit with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, then leaned on its bullpen to keep Los Angeles off the board for the rest of the game. The victory came a year after the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS, adding significance to Milwaukee’s opening-game performance.

Los Angeles struck first in the second inning when Andy Pages delivered an RBI single off Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal kept Milwaukee quiet through the first three innings before second baseman Brice Turang changed the momentum.

Turang launched a solo home run in the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. The Brewers then took the lead in the fifth when rookie Luis Lara drove in the go-ahead run, putting Milwaukee ahead 2-1.

Skubal finished with five innings pitched, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out seven. Despite his strong strikeout total, the Dodgers could not provide enough offense to regain the lead.

Misiorowski allowed one run over 4⅓ innings for Milwaukee before the Brewers turned to their bullpen. The relief corps delivered 4⅔ scoreless innings, shutting down the Dodgers’ lineup and preserving the one-run advantage.

Closer Trevor Megill faced a ninth-inning threat but escaped without allowing Los Angeles to tie the game. Milwaukee’s ability to limit the Dodgers after taking the lead proved decisive in a tightly contested postseason matchup.

Turang finished 1-for-2 with a home run, an RBI, a walk and a run scored. Mookie Betts went 1-for-4 with a walk for Los Angeles, but the Dodgers managed only seven hits and one run.

The Brewers finished with six hits and committed no errors, matching Los Angeles defensively while making their limited offensive opportunities count.

Milwaukee entered the postseason with a 103-59 regular-season record, the best in Major League Baseball. The Brewers are seeking their first World Series appearance since 1982, while the Dodgers are attempting to extend their run of championships after winning back-to-back titles.

The Brewers will look to build on their opening victory as the series continues in Milwaukee, while Los Angeles will aim to even the matchup before the teams move deeper into the National League Championship Series.