Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski labors into 5th inning of NLCS opener against Dodgers

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski faced a grueling challenge during the first inning of the National League Championship Series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night. The Cy Young Award frontrunner struggled to maintain his pace, allowing the Dodgers to bat 21 pitches before his final hitter, Mookie Betts, reached on a one-out walk.

Misiorowski's efforts saw him strike out five and walk three over four innings, but the Dodgers managed to score two runs, with Kiké Hernández recording a double play in the second inning. Despite throwing 42 pitches at speeds reaching 104 mph, including his first pitch to Freddie Freeman, Misiorowski surrendered one run and five hits.

The 24-year-old right-hander reached his triple-digit pitch count of 52 out of 88 throws, showcasing his dominance with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings this season. Misiorowski led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and helped Milwaukee secure a 3-2 victory over San Diego in the first game of their NL Division Series on October 3rd.