MLB Baseball
2025-10-14 - Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Playoff National League Championship Series Game 2
Tuesday 14th October 2025 - Scheduled 8:08pm
1:08am (British Time)
Preview
The bullpen was only asked to come out and make the Save for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the bottom of the Ninth Inning after starter Blake Snell recorded twenty-four of the twenty-seven Outs needed in Game 1. He had kept the Milwaukee Brewers off the scoreboard and the Dodgers had a two run lead, but the bullpen loaded up the bases and needed a big Strike Out to secure the win.
Twelve months ago, it was the relief arms of the Los Angeles Dodgers that were key to winning the World Series, but in 2025 the starters have been dominating. Going into the Playoffs, the story was that the Dodgers bullpen was vulnerable, but teams have not really been allowed long looks at the relievers thanks to a starting pitching crew operating with a 1.65 ERA.
Next up is Yoshinobu Yamamoto who has a 1-1 record in two Playoff starts this season and with a 2.53 ERA. He cruised through the first of those after some early issues, but Yamamoto was knocked around for three runs by the Philadelphia Phillies and lasted 4 Innings while absorbing the decision loss.
The pitcher will be expecting to bounce back from a difficult outing and he will point out that he had one poor effort in four Playoff starts in 2024. However, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dominant in the other three starts and he will certainly have some confidence in his own ability to avoid back to back sub-par efforts.
In saying that, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will have some mental demons to exorcise when he heads onto the mound in this ballpark.
By far and away his worst start of the season came right here against the Milwaukee Brewers as he was tagged with three earned runs and failed to get out of the First Inning. He took the decision loss in that effort back in July and it will give this Milwaukee batting lineup some belief after being bamboozled by Blake Snell in Game 1.
The Brewers will counter by giving the ball to Freddy Peralta who finished the regular season with a 2.70 ERA and who is making the third Playoff start in 2025. It has been tougher work in the pressurised environment of the post-season and Freddy Peralta has a 1-1 record from the two previous Playoff starts, while carrying a 4.66 ERA as he has completed just shy of 10 Innings.
It was Freddy Peralta standing on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers opposite Yoshinobu Yamamoto when these teams met in that game in July and the Brewers starter completed 6 Innings and did not give up a run. He earned the decision win over the Los Angeles Dodgers that day and did the same two weeks later at Dodger Stadium, although on that occasion Freddy Peralta allowed four runs in 5 Innings thrown.
The starter is now 4-2 with a 3.27 ERA in eight starts against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his rookie season, Freddy Peralta also pitched against the Dodgers in the Playoffs, although as a reliever.
He did the same two years later in 2020 and in the 4 Innings thrown, Peralta allowed a single run.
Prediction
If Game 1 is anything to go by, this is going to be a tight and competitive Series and may only take one or two big Hits per game to earn a victory.
It was Freddie Freeman getting up to his usual Playoff tricks in smashing out a Home Run and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a narrow 2-1 win.
The key for the National League West Winners is getting the starter through multiple Innings and not allowing the bullpen to implode. Even with 8 scoreless Innings completed by Blake Snell in Game 1, the Dodgers almost gave away Game 1 and so the Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to get after Yoshinobu Yamamoto and force the relievers out earlier than planned.
They could not have gotten Yamamoto moved from the mound much quicker when facing him in the regular season- the pitcher failed to complete an Inning- and Milwaukee will take confidence from that, even if the batters struggled on Monday.
Freddy Peralta will have to be operating at a high level against a very dangerous Los Angeles batting lineup.
He had two mixed starts against the Dodgers in the regular season, while has been a little inconsistent in two Playoff starts too. That has to be a slight concern for the Number 1 Seed who are under pressure to respond on Tuesday before heading out West to LA for three games.
Backing against this Dodgers team to 'find a way' to win is not easy- they have plenty of power through the batting lineup and players who come alive in October.
However, this Milwaukee team proved themselves very strong in the regular season and did beat the Dodgers all six times. They were a Hit away from taking Game 1, despite not being near their best, and Milwaukee can perhaps find the big shots needed as the home underdog.
Backing Shohei Ohtani for a Home Run felt a little short-changed when the Brewers chose to pitch around him.
His price has shortened for the deep ball in Game 2 and that may be down to the fact he has two Home Runs against Freddy Peralta in 12 Plate Appearances against him.
Seeing one of the premier batters in the Major League score a Home Run would not surprise anyone, but Ohtani may be having limited At-Bats if the Brewers will happily offer him a Walk and take their chances with Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez following up.
The top of the Dodgers batting lineup struggled in Game 1, but this is a team that bats very deep and players like Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy are incredibly dangerous.
Both have had decent success against Freddy Peralta, as has Tommy Edman, and that is where the Dodgers could make some hay.
It is Max Muncy who could be in a clean up spot the most and he is 3.30 for at least one RBI in Game 2.
The same player is 2.60 to score a Run in Game 2, which is another decent price considering he got himself onto base with two Walks. That would see Muncy being in a position to potentially have the top of the order moving onto the Plate with a chance to bring him over, while he had one At-Bat yesterday that came very close to seeing the ball leave the park and Max Muncy is 5.50 for a Home Run.
We have recommended the Milwaukee Brewers to find a way to come out on top, but respect for the bottom of this Dodgers batting lineup has to be kept high.
Enrique Hernandez is 2.00 for a single Hit and he can be doubled up with either Tommy Edman or Freddie Freeman to do the same, which will produce a minimum of a 3.00 price.
Milwaukee only had two Hits in Game 1, but this is a batting lineup that is much better than that and the previous success against the Los Angeles starting pitcher cannot be ignored. However, they have something to prove and so the Prop angles can be behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, even if they may ultimately come up short in the contest.
The Pick :
Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Los Angeles Dodgers
