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In the second game of a marquee NL series, the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday at 7:40 PM ET on TBS. Both teams are postseason contenders, but are coming into this three-game set from very different angles. The Dodgers are looking to bounce back after suffering a rare home sweep, while the Brewers are eager to regain consistency after a rocky East Coast road trip.
This game features one of the most intriguing pitching matchups of the week: a battle between future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and hard-throwing rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski. For fans of classic vs. cutting-edge pitching, this is must-watch baseball.
The Dodgers carry a 56-35 record, holding firm control of the NL West. However, they are coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros (their first time being swept in a series since mid-May), and only the second time all season. Offensively, LA has been dominant at home (best team OPS in the majors), but Houston silenced their bats in three straight games at Dodger Stadium.
That said, this is still one of the most explosive lineups in baseball. The Dodgers rank 6th in road OPS at .742 and feature elite left-handed hitters like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, as well as veteran righties like Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández. While they’ve struggled in small spurts against high-velocity arms, this is not an offense that stays quiet for long.
On the mound Tuesday night is the ever-reliable Clayton Kershaw. Now in his age-37 season, Kershaw just became the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. In 42 innings across 8 starts, he’s posted a 4-0 record with a 3.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. More importantly, he’s been lights out on the road, compiling a 1.50 ERA in four road starts.
The Brewers sit at 50-40, good for second in the NL Central behind the surging Chicago Cubs. They’ve had an uneven past couple of weeks, recently wrapping up a six-game East Coast trip with series losses to both the Mets and Marlins. In their last two games in Miami, Milwaukee managed just three total runs.
Despite the offensive drought, the Brewers return home to American Family Field, where they’ve gone 25-17 this season. But their struggles at the plate are a concern, especially in this matchup. Milwaukee ranks 26th in home OPS at just .658, and now they’ll face Kershaw, who’s owned this team historically.
Making his fifth career start on Tuesday is rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. The 6’7” flamethrower has quickly become one of the most exciting young arms in baseball, entering with a 3-1 record, 3.20 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in just 19.2 innings. He’s been dominant at home, with 13 Ks and no earned runs allowed in 10 innings pitched.
Misiorowski’s explosive fastball has been especially tough on right-handed hitters, who have just a .165 OPS against him. Lefties, however, have found more success, posting an .868 OPS with 3 home runs against the rookie. That split will be important against the Dodgers’ lineup, which includes dangerous left-handed sluggers like Ohtani and Freeman.
This one sets up as a potential pitcher’s duel between two arms at very different points in their careers. Kershaw may no longer throw 95, but his ability to command the zone and change speeds remains elite. Meanwhile, Misiorowski brings electric stuff that could give LA hitters some early problems.
However, this Dodgers offense is due. You don’t shut down this lineup for four straight games, and given Misiorowski’s struggles against lefties, Ohtani and Freeman could play key roles in sparking a bounce-back night.
Milwaukee will need to generate offense early because if Kershaw settles in and the Dodgers take a late lead, the LA bullpen is more than capable of slamming the door. Considering Kershaw’s career 1.54 ERA in Milwaukee, and how quiet the Brewers’ bats have been, LA appears poised to even up the series Tuesday night.
Ohtani enters this game mired in a mini-slump, going five straight games without an extra-base hit. But he loves to rise to the occasion, and Tuesday’s prime-time national broadcast is exactly the kind of spotlight where he thrives. He’s also facing a young pitcher who’s been vulnerable to left-handed power, and Ohtani remains the NL leader in home runs.
Misiorowski’s fastball-heavy arsenal is a great matchup for Ohtani’s bat speed and plate coverage. Look for the two-way superstar to make a big statement. Our pick is Shohei Ohtani to record a home run.
Zach has been a published sports writer since 2018 specializing in college football & basketball, MLB and NFL content for multiple publications.