The Los Angeles Dodgers defined their first two starters for the National League Championship Series (NLCS), in which they will face the Milwaukee Brewers with the aim of reaching their third consecutive World Series.
Manager Dave Roberts announced that Tarik Skubal will start the first game on Sunday, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be in charge of taking the mound on Monday for the second game, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, has a 1.97 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 45.2 innings during his postseason career. For his part, Yamamoto, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player, has an ERA of 2.14 and 58 strikeouts in 63 playoff innings throughout his three seasons in the Major Leagues.
The Brewers, who will be home at American Family Field for the first two games, plan to respond with Jacob Misiorowski for the opening game. Right-hander Logan Henderson would be the starter for the second game.
The Dodgers also have top-level alternatives for the following games. Blake Snell, winner of two Cy Young awards, and right-hander Tyler Glasnow could join the rotation after the second game, which offers the Los Angeles team different options to face a series that could be decisive in their championship aspirations.
The tie will reissue the 2025 National League Championship Series, when Los Angeles swept Milwaukee to advance to the World Series and subsequently win its second consecutive title. Now, the Dodgers will look to repeat that outcome and extend their dominance in October.
