It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t easy. But it was pure Dodgers baseball.
Under the bright lights of Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers clawed their way to a 2–1 win over the Brewers in Game 1 of the 2025 National League Championship Series — a tense, bruising duel that came down to the very last pitch.
Every hit mattered. Every breath felt like a countdown. And when it was over, all you could hear was the collective exhale of a team that refuses to blink.
Blake Snell, the lefty ace who’s faced more pressure than most pitchers ever will, delivered a performance that reminded everyone why he was built for October. Six innings, seven strikeouts, one earned run — and a stare of quiet defiance as he walked off the mound to a dugout that knew exactly what it meant.
“That’s Dodger baseball,” Snell said afterward. “It’s not about being perfect — it’s about fighting for every out, every pitch, every inch. And tonight, we did that.”
The Dodgers struck early, capitalizing on a wild pitch in the third and a clutch RBI single from Mookie Betts that silenced a Milwaukee crowd ready to erupt. But the Brewers — relentless as always — refused to go quietly, scratching a run across in the fifth and putting Los Angeles on edge for the rest of the night.
Then came Blake Treinen, summoned in the eighth inning with runners on and the season’s first real crisis on the line. One misplaced pitch could’ve flipped the game. Instead, Treinen delivered a clinic in control and composure — painting corners, forcing weak contact, and closing the door with ice in his veins.
“He’s the heartbeat of this bullpen,” manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “When Treinen’s locked in, there’s a calm that spreads through the whole team. You can feel it.”
The win wasn’t flashy — but it was defining. The kind that separates contenders from champions. For the Dodgers, it set a tone: they’re not here to chase revenge or make statements. They’re here to finish what last year started.
Freddie Freeman, who went 2-for-4 on the night, summed it up best: “We’ve been through too much to let moments like this slip. Every game counts, every win matters — and this one? This one sets the fire.”
As the Dodgers boarded their bus, the smiles were quiet but knowing. One down, three to go. And if Game 1 proved anything, it’s that this team has rediscovered its edge — the kind forged by heartbreak and hardened by belief.
Game 2 is next. The Brewers will come swinging. But for now, Los Angeles owns the night — and the NLCS lead.
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