The Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Milwaukee Brewers for Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at 8 p.m. Eastern. Milwaukee finished 103–59, the best regular-season record in baseball; Los Angeles finished 100–62 and enters as the two-time defending champion.
Reported facts and pitching plans
MLB lists left-hander Tarik Skubal for Los Angeles and right-hander Jacob Misiorowski for Milwaukee. Skubal allowed one run and struck out seven over six innings in his NLDS Game 1 start. Misiorowski enters the series after Milwaukee used him in its Division Series; the official probable-pitcher page lists a 4.50 postseason ERA with six strikeouts.
ESPN’s current injury listing includes Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas as day to day. Milwaukee’s injured-list group includes pitchers Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester and Angel Zerpa. The postseason roster and confirmed lineup, not the regular-season injury list alone, determine who can be used tonight.
ISR analysis: where the game can turn
Both starters can miss bats, so the first useful question is not simply which lineup strikes out less. It is which lineup forces longer plate appearances without surrendering hittable counts. A six-pitch out can have more strategic value than a first-pitch out when the goal is to reach a thinner bullpen layer.
Milwaukee’s contact plan against Skubal has to protect the outer half without becoming passive against early strikes. Los Angeles faces a different geometry against Misiorowski’s velocity: foul-ball survival matters, but so does avoiding chase that makes his fastball play even faster.
The managers’ first leverage decision could arrive before either starter reaches a conventional pitch threshold. Game 1 is important, but this is a seven-game series; bullpen usage has to account for Monday’s quick turnaround.
Factors to watch
- First-pitch strikes and chase rates from both starters.
- Whether either lineup turns traffic into extra-base damage.
- The first bullpen matchup with the tying or go-ahead run aboard.
- Rojas’ final status and each club’s confirmed bench.
Market snapshot and source check
Source: DraftKings odds displayed by ESPN’s game page, checked October 11, 2026, 7:25 a.m. EDT. Displayed line: MIL -113; total 6. This is a timestamped source snapshot, not a closing-line claim or a betting recommendation. Scheduled starters and availability may change before the game.
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