MILWAUKEE \u2014 When the Dodgers signed Blake Snell last offseason, it was to be a bona fide ace. But not just an ace \u2014 one who could lead L.A.\u2019s pitching staff through the postseason in big moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone wants to pitch in October,\u201d Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said before NLCS Game 1. \u201cI think for some it is literally a part of their identity and what they yearn for more than anything. And I think Blake is one of those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Snell is no stranger to big games, and his postseason r\u00e9sum\u00e9 backs that up, with a 2.92 ERA across 12 postseason starts entering Monday. So when the Dodgers were deciding who would take the ball for Game 1 of the NLCS<\/a>, there was little question whom they\u2019d turn to.<\/p>\n [Get more L.A. news: Dodgers team feed<\/a>]<\/p>\n And sure enough, in L.A.\u2019s 2-1 victory over the Brewers<\/a>, the two-time Cy Young Award winner did what he has done his entire career: Dominate.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like the whole postseason, I’ve been pretty locked in, pretty consistent,\u201d Snell said after his masterful performance. \u201cThe last three, I felt really good, really locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming off an NLDS performance in which he allowed just one hit<\/a> over six innings against the Phillies, the Dodgers\u2019 left-hander was even better in Game 1 against the Brewers<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Snell set the tone from the first frame, getting both Christian Yelich and William Contreras to strike out swinging. From those two at-bats alone, it was easy to see that Snell had everything in his arsenal working.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is as good as I can remember [from Snell] in the postseason against a very gritty team [that] puts the ball in play,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said afterward. \u201cThe changeup was the pitch of the night. His command was great. And you’re not going to see too many performances like that, certainly in the postseason. This was pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n Said Brewers manager Pat Murphy: \u201cI think it’s the most dominant performance against us. And I’ve been here 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n After that first inning, the two-time Cy Young winner continued to cruise, getting into a rhythm and setting down Brewers hitters one by one. Snell had his full repertoire working against Milwaukee, but as his manager observed, the pitch that stood out was the changeup. Of Snell\u2019s 22 swing-and-misses Monday, 14 came on the pitch.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cComing into the game, I want all four pitches to feel good, to just have some kind of feel,\u201d Snell said. \u201c[But] when I come out to the game, it’ll be different. This is what I’m seeing \u2014 I’ll go more changeups to this hitter or more sliders. But the whole goal is to feel confident I can strike all four.\u201d<\/p>\n In his outing Monday, Snell was not only dominant but also efficient. The Dodgers\u2019 ace got through eight shutout innings while facing the minimum. The only baserunner he allowed was on a Caleb Durbin third-inning single. After that, Snell promptly picked off Durbin trying to steal.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you face a power pitcher that can locate three plus pitches, you know it’s going to be tough,\u201d said first baseman Freddie Freeman, who broke the scoreless tie and gave the Dodgers a lead with a sixth-inning solo homer. \u201cHow he pitched tonight is probably not going to be how he pitches the next time. It’s hard to scout. It’s hard to feel good against someone like that. You might have success in one game, and it will be completely thrown out the door, and you’re going to strike out three times.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n