The Dodgers are struggling against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, trailing two games to none despite their previous advantages in pitching and hitting. In Game 2, a poor performance by starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto forced the Dodgers' bullpen into early action, leading to a 7-4 loss. The article highlights how the Brewers effectively wore down Yamamoto by manipulating pitch counts and taking advantage of missed calls from umpires to gain an offensive edge.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
MILWAUKEE – One by one, their advantages are vanishing.
asserted
advantages → vanish → one
The Dodgers are behind by two games in this race to four wins, and in the wake of their 7-4 defeat in Game 2 at American Family Field, they find themselves praying the Brewers will miraculously run out of gas before they reach the finish line.
asserted
they → find → line
Before the Dodgers can win this series, they will have to get back into it first.
asserted
they → win → it
They will play at home over the next three games.
asserted
They → play → games
They have Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow lined up to pitch in Games 3 and 4, respectively.
asserted
Snell → have → Games
But that alone doesn’t guarantee anything, not with how the Brewers are playing.
asserted
Brewers → guarantee → anything
They have an unspectacular but industrious offense.
asserted
They → have → offense
They have a relentless bullpen.
asserted
They → have → bullpen
And they display the kind of edge that makes it obvious they believe they can take down the two-time defending World Series champions.
asserted
they → display → champions
If there was a game the Brewers were expected to drop, it was Game 2.
asserted
it → be → ?
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was pitching for the Dodgers.
asserted
Yamamoto → pitch → Dodgers
The Brewers didn’t just beat Yamamoto.
asserted
Brewers → beat → Yamamoto
They wore him down and forced the Dodgers to empty their bullpen.
asserted
They → wear → bullpen
The result was an unmitigated disaster for the Dodgers, who have made it an annual tradition to have the Japanese right-hander bail them out of trouble at this time of the year.
asserted
hander → make → year
The Dodgers were intimately familiar with the script from which the Brewers read.
asserted
Brewers → read → which
Only this time, the Dodgers weren’t the team executing the game plan.
asserted
Dodgers → execute → plan
They were the team against which the plan was being executed, and Yamamoto was the target of the attack.
asserted
Yamamoto → execute → attack
Instead of a big game they anticipated from Yamamoto, the Dodgers received a big flop.
asserted
Dodgers → anticipate → flop
Yamamoto struck out Jackson Chourio to start the bottom of the first inning, and appeared to follow that up by striking out Brice Turang on three pitches.
asserted
Yamamoto → strike → pitches
But what should have been a called third strike was called a ball by home plate umpire Chris Segal.
asserted
been → call → Segal
Yamamoto and Smith didn’t challenge the ruling, and Turang made them pay with double to left field.
asserted
them → challenge → field
Turang scored on a single by William Contreras to tie the game, 1-1.
asserted
Turang → score → game
Yamamoto threw 25 pitches in the first inning.
asserted
Yamamoto → throw → inning
Two innings later, Yamamoto was once again the victim of a missed called third strike.
asserted
Yamamoto → miss → strike
Once again, Turang was the hitter, and Segal’s decision on a borderline pitch turned the would-be strikeout into a walk that gave the Brewers runners on first and second base with one out.
asserted
that → turn → out
Two batters later, Jake Bauers drew a 12-pitch walk to load the bases, setting the stage for a two-run single by Christian Yelich that moved the Brewers in front, 3-2.
asserted
that → draw → front
With his pitch count at 75, Yamamoto was removed from the game.
asserted
Yamamoto → remove → game
The 2 ⅔-inning appearance was the shortest postseason start Yamamoto had made in the major leagues.
asserted
Yamamoto → make → leagues
Once the game morphed into a battle of the bullpens, the game was decided.
asserted
game → morph → bullpens
The Brewers were able to play to their greatest strength.
asserted
Brewers → play → strength
The Dodgers had to expose their greatest weakness.
asserted
Dodgers → have → weakness
To win the World Series last year, the Dodgers had to overcome a three-games-to-two deficit against the Toronto Blue Jays.
asserted
Dodgers → win → Jays
Their title run the previous year started with them reversing a two-games-to-one deficit against the San Diego Padres.
asserted
them → start → Padres
The Dodgers have overcome deficits before.
asserted
Dodgers → overcome → deficits
But the Brewers are presenting them with the sort of problems they might not even be able to solve.
uncertain
they → present → problems
The Aporia
