Milwaukee, WI - October 10, 2026: Player Kike´ Hernandez on the field as the LA Dodgers conduct an off day workout before game one of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers at American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
For the second year in a row, the Dodgers and Brewers begin the National League Championship Series in Milwaukee.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 13: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laughs with Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first step to seeing who represents the National League in the World Series begins Sunday night in Milwaukee. Can the Brewers finally break the stranglehold that the Dodgers have had on the NL the past 2 seasons? We’ll begin the discovery process Sunday night as first pitch is scheduled for 7pm central time. Game broadcast will be available from Fox/FS1.
MILWAUKEE - JULY 22: The Goodyear Blimp flies over the stadium during the San Francisco Giants game against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 22, 2007 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Brewers won 7-5. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Thanksgiving. We have a turkey cooking, and people are coming over. So I don’t know how much of today’s game I will get to watch. But it will be good to have some family time.
As is the norm lately, there is little Blue Jays news. Vladimir Guerrero had laser eye surgery. Apparently, Bo Bichette had it last year. I don’t know if we should blame his vision for this last season. But seeing better can’t hurt.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers kick off the championship series this Sunday, with a chance to represent the National League in the World Series. These two franchises have met three times in the NLCS, with Los Angeles taking both previous series in 2018 and 2025.
The Brewers come into the series following a franchise-record 103-win season and looking to avenge last year’s sweep at the hands of the Dodgers en route to their World Series win. The Dodgers look to duplicate their dominant pitcher performance from last year, when Milwaukee only averaged one run per game against them in the sweep. Now sporting trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal, Los Angeles is trying to keep the starting rotation edge. But, Milwaukee will have Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson going in the first two games, giving them a better chance against the Dodgers compared to last postseason.
These two franchises are the only MLB teams with at least 86 wins in the last nine full seasons, with Milwaukee having the best record in baseball the past two seasons. Los Angeles is chasing a chance to win their third consecutive World Series and become the first NL team to achieve that feat, and the first since the New York Yankees did so in 1998-2000.
The game starts at 7 PM Kauffman Standard Time, live on FOX, FOX Deportes, and FOX One. ESPN Radio will also provide national coverage of this game.
Who are you rooting for on the NL side of the bracket? Can the Brewers dethrone the Dodgers, or is another World Series berth for Los Angeles inevitable?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning in game one of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
And then there were four.
Tonight marks the first day of the 2026 Major League Baseball Championship series. Fittingly, the teams with the two best regular season records will kick things off.
The Milwaukee Brewers, looking to win their first World Series in franchise history, are the home team and top seed for the National League Championship series. They will turn to young staff ace Jacob Misiorowski to start the series off on a high note and keep the offense of the dreaded Dodgers in check.
Those Los Angeles Dodgers, looking to three-peat as World Series champions, will have left-handed trade acquisition and top pending free agent pitcher Tarik Skubal on the bump.
Who will emerge victorious?
Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 2) at Milwaukee Brewers (No. 1) — 6:00 PM MDT
Pitching Matchup: LHP Tarik Skubal (12-7, 2.72 ERA) vs RHP Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 03: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning in game one of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on October 03, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is going to be a really interesting series. Can the evil Los Angeles Dodgers, whose ownership has been allowed to run rampant with deferrals and exemptions from revenue sharing payments, three-peat? Or will the scrappy, super-analytical Milwaukee Brewers finally break through and reach the World Series?
We’re going to get a whale of a pitching matchup with which to begin finding out. RHP Jacob Misiorowski will defend home court as he takes on the two-time AL Cy Young winner, and most recent Dodgers superstar acquisition, Tarik Skubal.
The game is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX from American Family Field in Milwaukee, while the ALCS gets underway on Monday night.
LHP Tarik Skubal (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Jacob Misiorowski (0-0, 4.50 ERA) is the pitching matchup. Here are the starting lineups.
“Obviously very disappointed, to say the least. Let’s be honest here,” the big man said Sunday. “But even though there was no business done, there’s still business to be handled. After 53 years, we found a way to bring this trophy back to New York, and we intend for it to stay in New York.”
Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks speaks to the media during New York Knicks Media Day at the Knicks Training Facility on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Tarrytown, New York. Getty Images
Towns had been vocal about the stalled talks, especially since the Knicks are coming off their first championship since 1973. The Post previously reported the Knicks offered Towns a four-year deal worth about $200 million. That is $77 million less than his max and a pay cut from his current $57 million salary. Towns is willing to take a discount, but not such a drastic one.
Last week, Towns said he was surprised a new deal hadn’t materialized. When asked if he expected one, the six-time All-Star responded: “No s–t, Sherlock. I just won a championship. You’d think it was pretty easy. Unless you guys [reporters] think I have something else to prove.”
An extension isn’t coming for the foreseeable future after the Knicks said Friday they “will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.”
New York Knicks owner James Dolan sits courtside during the first half of a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Josh Hart and Miles McBride are also eligible for extensions. The front office is navigating owner James Dolan’s mandate to stay under the second apron.
Hart broached the topic Saturday, saying he won’t let his contract interfere with the task at hand. The Knicks hold a $22.3 million team option on Hart for 2027-28.
“Obviously, we have high expectations,” Hart said. “It’s good to be able to just focus on the season and keep it moving.”
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns looks to shoot during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Complicating matters, Towns has until Oct. 19 to decline his $61 million player option for 2027-28. Otherwise, he cannot sign a contract extension with the Knicks during the regular season — assuming the franchise reopens talks.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve thought about it, because I never thought it would get to this point,” said Towns, who played a key role in the Knicks winning it all last June, averaging 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in the playoffs. “But I think right now what’s best for our team is we just focus on the basketball.”
Towns seems on board with focusing on the coming season. While he wants a contract extension, it won’t get in the way of the ultimate goal: another title.
“We’re all humans, but what I do say is true: My only philosophy since we won and the only thing I’ve had in my mind is how do we win another one,” he said. “For me, the same focus I came in this season with is the same focus I’ll go into Game 1 with: How do we keep the trophy in New York past just this one summer?”
Brice Turang homered off Tarik Skubal and Milwaukee’s bullpen shut down the Los Angeles Dodgers after Jacob Misiorowski’s taxing outing, sending the Brewers to a 2-1 victory in the NL Championship Series opener on Sunday night.
Luis Lara hit a tiebreaking single off Skubal in the fifth inning as Milwaukee took Game 1 in the first NLCS matchup of 100-win teams since the Cincinnati Reds eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in 1976. The Brewers had dropped seven consecutive postseason games against the Dodgers, including a sweep in last year’s NLCS.
Game 2 is on Monday in Milwaukee. Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers, and Logan Henderson takes the mound for the Brewers.
Los Angeles, looking to become the first team to win three straight championships since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, grounded into three double plays, stranded nine runners and went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position, dropping to 2 for 22 in the playoffs.
The Dodgers chased Misiorowski, the favorite for the NL Cy Young Award, in the fifth inning, but they managed just two hits against four relievers.
DL Hall replaced Misiorowski with a runner aboard and got Freddie Freeman to ground into a double play, sending a charge through the rollicking crowd of 42,617. Abner Uribe allowed two hits in the sixth, then struck out Andy Pages with runners on the corners for the final out of the inning.
Aaron Ashby pitched two innings before Trevor Megill got three outs for the save. Kyle Tucker and pinch-hitter Josue De Paula walked with two down in the ninth before Mookie Betts flied to the center-field warning track.
The Brewers are among five current teams that have never won it all.
The Dodgers made Misiorowski throw 35 pitches in the second inning. Pages drove in Shohei Ohtani on a grounded single into right field, and Tucker loaded the bases when he reached on a 10-pitch walk that included four foul balls.
But Misiorowski limited the damage when he got Kiké Hernández to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
Turang responded with a leadoff drive into the home bullpen in the fourth. It was the second career postseason homer for Turang, who went 1 for 15 with six strikeouts in last year’s NLCS.
Sticking with the same brand of baseball that resulted in the majors’ best record this year, Milwaukee went ahead to stay in the fifth.
Garrett Mitchell reached on a leadoff walk and advanced on rookie Cooper Pratt’s sacrifice bunt. Lara, another rookie, then grounded an RBI single into center field. The Brewers loaded the bases with two down, but Skubal escaped the jam when William Contreras flied to right.
Up next
Yamamoto is 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 postseason appearances. The Japanese right-hander pitched a three-hitter in a 5-1 victory at Milwaukee in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS.
Henderson is making his second career postseason start. The right-hander tossed five-plus innings of two-run ball in Milwaukee’s 4-3 win over San Diego in Game 2 of their NL Division Series. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles this season.
And the uncertainty came from Redick openly acknowledging both of the final two starting spots were up for grabs.
Nearly 2 ½ weeks later, the Lakers are still figuring out who’ll fill those two final starting spots for the regular season opener against the Warriors on Oct. 21 at Crypto.com Arena.
Walker Kessler is also an obvious starter for the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
The nature of the Lakers’ first week of preseason has made it challenging for the team to assess who should fill those starting spots.
Reaves made his preseason debut, and Doncic and Thybulle played, in the Oct. 8 home win over the Kings, but Kessler, Williams and Sexton remained sidelined, with Kessler and Sexton yet to make their preseason debut.
Quentin Grimes is poised to be one of the Lakers’ starters come Opening Night. Getty Images
The Lakers’ player-availability changes have made it difficult for Redick and his staff to determine starters with 1 ½ weeks before the games start to matter in the standings.
“I would say we’ve certainly seen glimpses of the things we like,” Redick said. “It’s hard because we’ve just been a little disjointed with the guys being banged up, so there’s nothing definitive yet.”
Ziaire Williams has received a lot of praise for what he’s shown behind the scenes. NBAE via Getty Images
While the Lakers are using the final week to figure out who the starters will be, Quentin Grimes is primed to be one of those starters.
The 26-year-old wing has started in all three of the team’s preseason games so far, averaging 13.4 points (53.4% shooting, 46.2% on 3-pointers), regardless of who else was available.
“Feel like Quentin is a really nice complement to Luka and AR,” Redick said of Grimes last week. “He’s obviously got the experience of playing with Luka prior in Dallas. In all our team building, it was about finding guys that complement Luka and AR, and we feel like we did that.”
That leaves one starting spot open, with Ziaire Williams receiving a lot of praise for what he’s shown behind the scenes.
The 6-foot-10 forward played a significant part in setting the defensive tone in the preseason-opening win over the Kings, but has been limited over the last several days because of a foot contusion.
Jake LaRavia has been one of the most consistent performers for the Lakers during the preseason. NBAE via Getty Images
But the Lakers have been impressed by what the Lancaster native has shown.
“Activity, length, shot-making, plays the game the right way,” Reaves said of Williams. “[He] checks all of the right boxes for a guy you want on your team.”
Jake LaRavia has also impressed during the preseason, averaging 12.7 points (63.6% shooting), 3.3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the three preseason exhibitions.
He’s also showcased an improved jump shot (54.5% on 3s).
Could second-year forward Adou Thiero go from a rotation uncertainty to a potential starter? AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
“He’s worked on his shot,” Redick said. “There’s a lot of things that we did this summer. And he was really focusing on three very minor tweaks. From there, he felt really comfortable with those tweaks. And so from there, it just comes down to repetition. And from repetition, you get confidence. That’s just the way shooting works: It’s form, repetition, confidence. It’s hard to have confidence without the first two. And it’s hard to have good repetitions if your form sucks.
“And it’s not that his form sucked, his form had a really good base. But he just made small tweaks. He’s shot the ball really well in practice. In our live play, we tracked all the stats throughout every practice we’ve had so far, he shot it well. He shot it [well in games]. So he’s in a great place offensively. And then you add in all the stuff that he does: The intangible stuff, defensively and 50-50 balls, all that stuff. He’s a really valuable player.”
Notably, second-year forward Adou Thiero started in the most recent game against the Kings, when Williams was sidelined but Sandro Mamukelashvili, LaRavia and Thybulle were available.
Instead, he chose to tell himself a different story.
“It was tough, but I think it’s always important to remember things happen for a reason,” Kessler said at Lakers practice Sunday.
“And I think that with the absence of basketball, my longing to play basketball grew even more to where I’m gonna be playing with so much joy that I’ve played with in a long time because I’ve never sat out for a whole season.”
Walker Kessler of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during an NBA preseason game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Things have worked out for Kessler.
The Lakers acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah in July, sending two unprotected first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps to the Jazz and signing Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract.
So, he went from playing for a team that missed the playoffs the last four seasons and is trying to rebuild to a team that views anything short of a championship as a failure.
The Lakers really believe in Walker. They mortgaged their future for him. They don’t have any tradeable first-round draft picks over the next seven years.
“He’s a guy that I’ve followed since his rookie year,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday. “We played against him my rookie year coaching and [he’s] somebody that I had identified a long time ago [as] somebody that I loved to have in a Laker uniform at some point.”
Los Angeles Lakers player Walker Kessler during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, Calif., Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kessler now has the opportunity of a lifetime.
He’s playing for one of the league’s premier franchises. He’s sharing the court with Luka Dončić, one of the top-four players in the NBA. He has said multiple times that he’s ready to run through a wall for the purple and gold.
He jammed his finger against the backboard during training camp and has been sidelined for all three of the team’s preseason games. He’s questionable for Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Warriors.
Redick said Walker participated in live action drills at Sunday’s practice, but added that he’s “not willing to commit” to whether Walker will make his preseason debut Tuesday or in the Lakers’ final exhibition Friday.
Kessler joked that he blocked some shots with his wrapped up pinky finger, smiling while showing reporters how he moved it out of the way.
He’s eager to get on the court.
Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers look on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. NBAE via Getty Images
Kessler wants to establish himself as the anchor alongside a defense he has referred to as “nasty.” He wants to build chemistry alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves as a member of the Lakers’ Big 3. He wants to do what he loves again.
So, sitting out these last three preseason games for what he referred to as precautionary reasons has been tough.
“I think it would be a little different if I played last season, but because I didn’t play last season, I’m like, ‘Ah, I want to play really bad,'” Kessler said. “I’m ready to play, but I trust the staff and I trust the trainers, the coaches, and front office, you know? So yeah, just listening to them right now.”
Kessler is being patient.
He’s considered one of the league’s elite rebounders and rim protectors. He missed a season during his prime. Really, his ceiling is unknown at this point.
Los Angeles Lakers Walker Kessler throws out the Dodgers’ first pitch before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. Wally Skalij for CA Post
During the 2024-2025 campaign, he averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots per game. He contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, tying him for fifth-most in the league, according to NBA.com.
The Lakers are going to need even more from him.
They’re going to need him to transform into an All-Defense-type player. They’re going to need him to be a beast in the paint. They’re going to need him to put on a show catching lobs from Doncic.
Kessler is ready.
He’s waited a year for this moment.
And he’s choosing to believe that his long layoff will make him even more ready for this moment.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Kessler said, “you can always look at a positive outcome for some situations. So, that’s what I’m choosing to do.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after drawing a walk against the San Diego Padres during the third inning in game one of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The National League Championship Series kicks-off tonight with the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 tonight. The game is available on FOX and starts at 8PM Eastern. Both teams won 100 or more games during the 2026 regular season with Milwaukee leading all of MLB with 103 wins. The Dodgers disposed of the Atlanta Braves (again) in the NLDS while the Brewers made light work of the San Diego Padres.
There are some notable former Braves playing in this series, headlined by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and Brewers catcher William Contreras.
Chances are this chat might be a pro-Brew Crew bunch given the less-than-warm-and-fuzzy feelings most Braves fans have toward the Dodgers.
The starting line-ups for both teams are below.
See you in the comments or in the chat of the SB Nation app (which you should download, if you haven’t already).
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning in game one of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers at Brewers
Series tied 0-0
First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT TV: FOX Probable pitchers: Tarik Skubal, LHP (LAD), Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (MIL)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JUNE 29: Jonathan Hernández #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Monday, June 29, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tonight is game one of the NLCS, with the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jacob Misiorowski is going for the Brewers against Tarik Skubal for the Dodgers, so that is fun.
It is a 7:00 p.m. Central start time on Fox and FS1.
It's a rematch of last year's NLCS, in which the Brewers suffered an embarrassing sweep as the NL's top seed. But this Brewers team won 103 games and is primed to reach the World Series for just the second time in franchise history.
Sunday's game will air on Fox and can be streamed with Fubo.
What channel is Dodgers vs Brewers game? How to watch
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