Dodgers Interview: Dodgers Have Brewers on Their Heels as Murphy Calls for Urgent Response Ahead of Game 2

MILWAUKEE — Brewers manager Pat Murphy wasn’t in the mood for moral victories after his club’s Game 1 loss to the Dodgers. The Brewers battled late, but for most of the night, the Dodgers controlled the pace, something Murphy knows can’t happen again.

“Heading the count, attacking his three top pitches, clicking from pitch one — that’s what we need,” Murphy said about Game 2 starter Freddy Peralta. “All these games are critical.”

Peralta’s performance will be key. With Brandon Woodruff out due to injury, he is the unquestioned ace. Murphy praised his reliability, noting that his ability to “post” every fifth day has been a cornerstone for Milwaukee all season.

“You’re the guy,” Murphy said he told Peralta last spring. “The ace has to post, and that’s what Freddy does.”

But Murphy didn’t hide his disappointment in the way Game 1 unfolded. The Brewers didn’t record a baserunner until the ninth inning, while the Dodgers consistently created traffic and forced Milwaukee to play on its heels.

“They outplayed us in every way,” Murphy admitted. “You’ve got to take advantage of home games. You can’t let those slip away.”

That’s exactly what the Dodgers do best: grind at-bats, higher pitch counts, and force mistakes. Against a team that thrives on momentum swings, Murphy knows his offense has to apply pressure early instead of waiting for a late push.

The Brewers will again face Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Murphy was quick to downplay any advantage.

“He’s been one of the best five pitchers in baseball,” Murphy said. “You’ve got to have a strategy — even when he’s really good, find ways to knock him off course.”

If the Brewers want to flip the narrative, Jake Bauers could be a difference-maker. He’s been Milwaukee’s hottest bat since September, and Murphy said the team will adjust defensively to keep him in the lineup.

“He’s been as good as anybody swinging the bat in September,” Murphy said. “We’re going to sacrifice a little bit and put him in the outfield because he’s been that good.”

Murphy’s club has built its reputation on resilience — they haven’t had a losing streak longer than four games all year — but the Dodgers’ postseason experience and lineup depth make this a different kind of test.

“The practice of responding, the practice of washing it off — that’s been huge for us,” Murphy said. “They’ve heard my voice for seven months — I’m tired of it myself.”

For the Dodgers, Murphy’s comments reveal a team that feels the pressure to respond, especially with the series potentially shifting back to Dodger Stadium with a 2–0 advantage on the line.

“It’s all nine innings, 27 outs for each team,” Murphy said. “Now we’ve got to be the ones who take advantage.”

The Dodgers have the momentum, but Murphy’s Brewers have made a season out of bouncing back. Game 2 will show whether they can do it again. But for the Dodgers, they’ve been in this situation many times, with more postseason runs than any team in the MLB. The Dodgers have the experience and poise to take a quick 2-0 lead in this series. Key players must bounce back from Yamamoto’s performance, and Ohtani must get comfortable back at the plate. The Dodgers certainly have all it takes to win this series, and looking ahead, they must execute when it matters most.