LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series today in Milwaukee, starting their quest for their first back-to-back World Series berths since 1977 and 1978.
The Brewers have won 11 consecutive games. They won the last eight of the regular season, including a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central Division tiebreaker to have the league's best record, 96-67. They then swept the Colorado Rockies to win a National League Division Series.
Clayton Kershaw will be the Dodgers starting pitcher, coming off what manager Dave Roberts called one of his “best outings that I've seen,” where he limited the Atlanta Braves to two hits and one other baserunner over eight innings in a 3-0 victory last Friday at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA against Milwaukee during the regular season, part of a season he was 9-5 with a 2.73 ERA. Kershaw is 6-5 with a 2.71 ERA lifetime against the Brewers, including a 4-1 record with 1.40 ERA at Miller Park.
Fellow left-hander Gio Gonzalez will start for Milwaukee in his first appearance since Sept. 30. He is 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five appearances with the Brewers since being acquired in an Aug. 31 trade with the Washington Nationals. He was 10-11 with a 4.21 ERA for the season.
Gonzalez did not face the Dodgers during the regular season. He is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA lifetime against them. Gonzalez started Game 3 of a 2016 National League Division Series against the Dodgers, allowing three runs and four hits in 4 1/3 innings and not having a decision in the Nationals 8-3 victory.
The Dodgers were 4-3 against Milwaukee in the regular season, including winning two of three games at Miller Park.
This is the first time the Dodgers have played in the NLCS for three consecutive seasons. The Brewers are making their first NLCS appearance since 2011 when David Freese, now with the Dodgers, was the MVP in the St. Louis Cardinals victory in six games.