MILWAUKEE — Blake Snell allowed just one hit over eight scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 2-1 victory when Milwaukee Brewers left the bases loaded in the ninth inning of the National League Championship Series opener on Monday.
Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and Los Angeles increased the lead to 2-0 in top of the ninth when Mookie Betts drew a bases-loaded walk.
Roki Sasaki replaced Snell to open the bottom of the ninth and issued a one-out walk to Isaac Collins. Jake Bauers followed with a pinch-hit ground-rule double to center, forcing Collins to halt at third. Jackson Chourio followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1.
Christian Yelich walked before Blake Treinen took over on the mound and walked William Contreras to load the bases. Treinen then fanned Blake Turang swinging on a 2-2 fastball for the save.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday in Milwaukee.
Snell (3-0) allowed only a leadoff single in the third to Caleb Durbin, and then one out later, picked him off first. Snell struck out 10 and did not walk a batter in a 103-pitch outing.
Freeman snapped a scoreless tie in the sixth with his first homer of the postseason, a one-out solo shot to right on a 3-2 pitch from Chad Patrick (0-1).
The Brewers escaped a bases-loaded situation in the fourth with a bizarre inning-ending double play.
Quinn Priester walked Teoscar Hernandez to open the frame, and Will Smith and Tommy Edman delivered consecutive one-out singles.
Max Muncy then sent a deep fly that center fielder Sal Frelick deflected high off the wall and back into his glove, forcing the runners to delay. Shortstop Joey Ortiz fired the relay home for a forceout. Catcher Contreras then ran to third and tagged the bag for another forceout.
The Brewers escaped again in the fifth when Enrique Hernandez hit a leadoff double and Shohei Otani was walked intentionally with one out. Betts then bounced into another inning-ending double play.
Milwaukee went 6-0 in the regular season against the Dodgers, sweeping home-and-away three-game series.
