Yamamoto throws 3-hitter as Dodgers beat Brewers 5-1 for 2-0 lead in NLCS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Relying on an old-school pitching strategy has the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers two wins from returning to the Fall Classic.

As long as their star-studded rotation can continue working deep into games, they don’t need to worry about their inconsistent bullpen.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a three-hitter for the first postseason complete game in eight years as the Dodgers beat the slumping Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 on Tuesday to extend their lead in the National League Championship Series. Yamamoto's gem in Game 2 came one night after two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell allowed one hit over eight shutout innings for a 2-1 victory.

“We said before this postseason started, our starting pitching was going to be what carried us,” said Max Muncy, who set a Dodgers record by hitting his 14th career postseason homer. “And so far it’s been exactly that.”

It's a dramatically different approach than the one the Dodgers took last year, when starting pitchers worked six innings in only two of their 16 postseason games. They have seven quality starts in eight playoff games this year, and their starters own a 1.54 postseason ERA.

That stellar pitching has the Dodgers closing in on another World Series berth even with the bullpen struggling and three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani going 2 for 25 at the plate over his last six games.

After winning nine of their last 11 regular-season games, the Dodgers are 7-1 in the postseason.

“Our entire team is playing the best baseball we’ve played all year,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The focus, the concentration level is at the highest, and we’re peaking at the right time.”

Teoscar Hernández also homered to help the Dodgers leave Milwaukee with a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday. Yamamoto allowed a home run to Jackson Chourio on the first of his 111 pitches — 81 strikes — but shut down the Brewers the rest of the way.

The $325 million right-hander struck out seven and walked one during his first complete game in two major league seasons. He retired his final 14 batters and didn't give up a hit after the fourth inning.

“I reset my mind (after Chourio’s homer) and then I just focused on executing my own pitches,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.

The previous postseason starter to go the distance was Justin Verlander when he tossed a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts for Houston against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2017 ALCS on Oct. 14, 2017 — eight years ago to the day.

Yamamoto’s complete game was the first for Los Angeles since Gavin Stone’s four-hit shutout on June 26 last year at the Chicago White Sox. The last Dodgers pitcher to throw a complete game in the postseason was Jose Lima against St. Louis in Game 3 of their 2004 NL Division Series.

“I established my rhythm and then I dictated the tempo based off the game,” Yamamoto said. “So that was great.”

This is the first time since 1970 that both LCS road teams started 2-0. The Seattle Mariners own a 2-0 lead over Toronto in the ALCS heading into Game 3 on Wednesday in Seattle.

Twenty-four of the previous 27 teams that took the first two games on the road in a best-of-seven series with a 2-3-2 format have gone on to win. The three teams to come back after losing Games 1 and 2 at home all came in World Series: the 1985 Kansas City Royals against the St. Louis Cardinals, the 1986 New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox, and the 1996 New York Yankees against the Atlanta Braves.

“You guys might have us counted out,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “And I understand that 90% of the teams that have been in this situation don’t win the series. But this team has been counted out a lot this year. And I think there’s some fight left in them.”

The Brewers pulled out all the stops Tuesday as they tried to avoid that 2-0 deficit. Former slugger Eric Thames got on the field to exhort fans just before the game and popped open his jersey to reveal his bare chest.

Chourio then delighted a sellout crowd with his fourth career postseason homer, tying Orlando Arcia and Prince Fielder for the Brewers record. It was the fifth leadoff homer of this postseason, tying an MLB mark originally set in 2007.

That seemed like a foreboding start for Yamamoto, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning in a 9-1 loss the previous time he pitched in Milwaukee. But he bounced back and silenced the Brewers the rest of the way.

The NL Central champions, who led the majors with 97 wins during the regular season, have five hits in the series.

“We’ve just got to play better," said slugger Christian Yelich, who is 0 for 13 in his last four games. "It’s not an ideal start to the series, by any means. Just have to continue to battle and find a way to get the offense going. I’ve got to be better. We’ve got to be better. It’s just facts.”

Los Angeles became the first team to have consecutive postseason starts of at least eight innings in the same series since San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and Tim Lincecum did it in Games 4 and 5 of the 2010 World Series against Texas.

After Chourio’s homer, the Dodgers wasted no time coming back against Brewers ace Freddy Peralta.

Hernández, whose baserunning mistake contributed to the Brewers’ unusual 8-6-2 double play in Game 1, sent a 3-2 curve over the left-field wall for his fourth homer of this postseason. One out later, Kiké Hernández singled and scored on Andy Pages’ double.

Pages had been 1 for 27 in the postseason before delivering his shot into the right-field corner.

Muncy extended the lead to 3-1 with his two-out homer in the sixth, which came on Peralta’s 97th and final pitch. The Dodgers added two more runs on RBI singles by Ohtani in the seventh and Tommy Edman in the eighth.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy hits a home run during the sixth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Brewers fans react during the sixth inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Enrique Hernández scores past Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras on a double by Andy Pages during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates throwing a complete game against the Milwaukee Brewers, in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández celebrates his home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Andy Pages doubles against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Freddy Peralta walks to the dugout after the top of the fifth inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning in Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — This wasn't a typical Broncos game. For the first time this season, they didn't trail, and the final minutes were not overly stressful.

What was typical? They won again.

Bo Nix passed for 212 yards and rushed for a touchdown, and Denver extended its winning streak to 10 games, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 24-17 on Sunday, a score that wasn't reflective of the Broncos' dominance.

“It did not feel like some of these other (games) recently,” coach Sean Payton said. “My headset was off earlier.”

The Raiders lost quarterback Geno Smith, who injured his right hand and shoulder in the third quarter and was replaced by Kenny Pickett. Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll said Smith's hand was cut and his shoulder “really locked up” but there didn't appear to be significant damage.

The Broncos (11-2) appear to be on the verge of ending Kansas City's nine-year reign in the AFC West, and they tied idle New England for the top seed in the conference. Denver owns the tiebreaker because of its 6-0 record against common opponents; the Patriots lost to the Raiders.

The Broncos ended their NFL record of rallying for nine consecutive victories — this time, they only had to pull away from an early 7-7 tie. Denver has its best record through 13 games since 2013.

The Broncos have their skeptics, however, given how many victories they've had to eke out, and beating up on the free-falling Raiders likely won't silence the doubters.

“Ten in a row's a long streak,” Nix said. “You want to be appreciative of this opportunity and appreciative of the wins no matter how they come. But at the same time, we're always looking to get better.”

The Raiders (2-11) have lost seven in a row and 11 of 12. Las Vegas also has lost 11 consecutive divisional games, the league's longest active skid.

Statistics pointed to a potential mismatch with the Broncos bringing in a top-five defense against a Raiders offense that's at or near the bottom of several statistical categories. Denver held the ball for 39:03 and gained 356 yards with 27 first downs. The Raiders had 229 yards and 16 first downs.

Nix was highly efficient, completing 31 of 38 passes.

Nik Bonitto had two sacks, giving him 12 1/2 for the season. He is the first Denver player with double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons since Von Miller did it five straight times from 2014-18.

Smith was 13 of 21 for 116 yards and a touchdown. Pickett completed 8 of 11 passes for 96 yards and a TD.

“I've seen a lot of Kenny in practice,” Carroll said. “He's active, he's quick, he's really athletic, he's a good thinker, he's clearly a competitive guy. I see nothing but positive stuff. I'm coaching the hell out of him because I want him to be ready if the opportunity pops.”

Maxx Crosby had two tackles for loss, giving him 25 for the season to break his team record of 23 set three years ago.

Each team had just one possession in the first quarter — and made them count.

The Broncos opened with a 14-play, 81-yard drive that took 8:54, with Nix running in from 8 yards to complete the series. Then the Raiders took the remaining time off the clock, with Smith hitting Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD.

That was the first opening-series touchdown the Broncos have allowed this season. It also was the first opening Las Vegas drive to go the distance since the first game at New England.

Both offenses had their difficulties in the second quarter, with the only score coming on a 48-yard punt return for a touchdown by Denver's Marvin Mims Jr.

RJ Harvey's 3-yard scoring run late in the third period gave Denver what seemed like an almost insurmountable two-touchdown lead. Harvey has five TD runs this season and four through the air.

Daniel Carlson's 46-yard field goal on the final play gave a particularly nasty beat to Broncos bettors. Denver was favored by 7 1/2 points at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Carlson would never have had a shot at the field goal if Broncos safety Brandon Jones hadn't drawn a delay-of-game penalty for not allowing wide receiver Tyler Lockett to get up after a 26-yard gain. That penalty stopped the clock with 5 seconds remaining.

“We're going to run the clock out,” Payton said. “That wasn't real smart.”

Broncos: DT D.J. Jones (ankle) and TE Nate Adkins (knee) did not play.

Raiders: CB Kyu Blu Kelly (knee), who leads the team with three interceptions, was injured early in the second quarter. ... TE Ian Thomas (calf) was hurt in the fourth quarter. ... TE Michael Mayer (ankle) and WRs Alex Bachman (thumb) and Dont’e Thornton Jr. (concussion) did not play.

Broncos: Host Green Bay next Sunday.

Raiders: Visit Philadelphia next Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly, middle, is carted off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) passes against the Denver Broncos during the first half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) scores in front of Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) during the first half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)

Denver Broncos' Marvin Mims Jr., middle, is congratulated by teammates after returning a punt for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Candice Ward)