The Los Angeles Dodgers late comeback attempt from a five-run deficit fell a run short in a 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series Friday evening in Milwaukee.
The Dodgers had the tying run on third base when Corey Knebel struck out Justin Turner to end the game at Miller Park.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played Saturday, also at Miller Park.
Clayton Kershaw allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in three innings for the loss in his shortest postseason appearance.
The Brewers took the lead for good in the third as Hernan Perez’s sacrifice fly drove in Lorenzo Cain who singled, moved to second on a walk to Christian Yelich and to third on a passed ball by Dodger catcher Yasmani Grandal.
Relief pitcher Brandon Woodruff homered leading off the third, the third relief pitcher to hit a home run in postseason history, following Rosy Ryan of the New York Giants in Game 3 of the 1924 World Series and Travis Wood of the Chicago Cubs in Game 2 of a National League Division Series in 2016.
Milwaukee increased its lead to 5-1 in the fourth. Domingo Santana singled in two runs and scored on Ryan Braun’s two-out single.
Jesus Aguilar greeted Dodger reliever Julio Urias with a home run leading off the seventh.
The Dodgers began their comeback attempt in the eighth when Manny Machado singled in Joc Pedersen and Chris Taylor with two outs. Matt Kemp followed with a single that drove in Max Muncy, who walked.
Pedersen drew a full-count walk from Knebel with two outs in the ninth. Taylor followed with a triple, driving in Pedersen.
The Dodgers opened the scoring when Machado homered leading off the second off Gio Gonzalez.
Woodruff, the second of seven Brewer pitchers, was credited with the victory, pitching two perfect innings, striking out four.
Knebel received a save, allowing one run, one hit, walking one and striking out two in the ninth.
Gonzalez was replaced by Woodruff after allowing one run and one hit in two innings, striking out one and walking one.
The Dodgers committed four errors, two by Grandal. He was charged with catcher interference with one out in the third when his glove touched Aguilar’s bat.
Grandal was charged with another error on the next play when he failed to catch a throw. Grandal also had two passed balls.
Taylor made an error in the fourth when he failed to make a catch on Orlando Arcia’s single, allowing Arcia to take second and Manny Pina to take third.
The next batter, Santana, singled in Pina and Arcia.
Turner, the Dodger third baseman, made an error on Cain’s ground ball in the eighth. Yelich then grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The Dodgers were out-hit, 11-8.
The victory was the 12th straight for Milwaukee. It won the last eight of the regular season, including a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central Division tiebreaker to have the league’s best record, 96-67. They then swept the Colorado Rockies to win a National League Division Series.
Home teams are 67-33 when they win Game 1 of a best-of-seven series.