"If the preceding six months were a testament to how a team can win without superstars, the Dodgers' 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series was a display of the firepower that can be purchased for $400 million. The Dodgers won a game in which a confusing play at the center-field wall resulted in an inning-ending double-play that cost them a run - and very likely more."
"The Dodgers won because they had a $162-million first baseman in Freddie Freeman, whose sixth-inning solo home run pushed them in front. The Dodgers won because they had a $182-million starting pitcher in Blake Snell, who pitched eight scoreless innings. Talent wins. The Dodgers can buy as much of it as they want. The visions of the Brewers' small-ball offense overcoming the absence of a Freeman or a Shohei Ohtani or a Mookie Betts? In retrospect, how cute."
Payroll disparity dominated attention before the series, highlighting the contrast between the Dodgers' heavy spending and the Brewers' small-market roster. The Dodgers won Game 1 of the NLCS, 2-1, despite a confusing center-field play that erased a run and despite leaving 11 runners on base. The Brewers emptied top relievers and used six pitchers to chase matchups. Freddie Freeman’s sixth-inning solo homer and Blake Snell’s eight scoreless innings provided the decisive edge. The Dodgers’ star power and payroll-produced talent proved pivotal. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2; Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow are slated for Games 3 and 4.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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