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Blake Snell's NLCS Masterpiece Puts Him Near Dodgers Legend Status

When Blake Snell, starting pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers, took the mound on Monday, October 13, 2025, at 8:07 PM Eastern, the lights at American Family Field seemed to shine just for him. In Game 1 of the National League Championship SeriesMilwaukee, Wisconsin, Snell threw eight flawless innings, allowing one hit, no walks and striking out ten. The Dodgers walked away with a 2‑1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, and suddenly a conversation that once seemed purely nostalgic – "Is anyone ever going to match Koufax?" – turned into a very real debate.

Why the performance matters

Here’s the thing: a game score of 90 in a postseason start is a rarity. It’s only the 22nd time any pitcher has cracked that number, and for a Dodger, it’s practically unprecedented. In fact, Snell’s line mirrors the legendary 1965 postseason numbers posted by Sandy Koufax. Both logged around 20‑plus innings, gave up just a handful of hits, and piled up close to 30 strikeouts. The twist is that Snell achieved his feat in a modern era where hitters are armed with high‑velocity launch monitors and defensive shifts, making his dominance even more eye‑catching.

How the night unfolded

Snell opened the game with a fastball that seemed to glare off the night sky. By the third inning, he had already fanned the Brewers’ leadoff hitter and then induced a pop‑up that barely cleared the fence. The lone hit – a single to left field in the fifth – was promptly erased on a double‑play. During that stretch, Freddie Freeman launched a solo home run to deep right‑center, padding the Dodgers’s lead to 2‑0. The Brewers managed to scrape a run in the eighth thanks to a sac‑fly, but that was as close as they got.

Voices from the dugout

"It was a masterpiece," Freddie Freeman said, wiping sweat from his brow. "You could feel the energy every time he struck out a batter." On the other side, William Contreras, the Brewers’ catcher, nodded in respect. "Everybody knows who Blake Snell is. Everybody knows the work he's done," he remarked, adding that the Dodgers’s bench seemed to feed off the pitcher’s rhythm.

Putting the night in historical context

To appreciate the magnitude, you have to drift back 60 years. In the 1965 NLCS, Koufax delivered three shutouts, throwing a total of 24 innings with a 13‑hit, 2‑run line and 29 strikeouts. The Dodgers won that series and then captured the World Series against the Minnesota Twins. Fast‑forward to 2025, and Snell is the first Dodger since the late ’90s to post a sub‑one‑hit, double‑digit‑strikeout start in the playoffs. The only other pitcher with two consecutive postseason starts featuring nine or more strikeouts and one or fewer hits was Christian Javier of the Houston Astros in the 2022‑23 postseasons. Snell joining that exclusive club cements his place in the franchise’s elite roll‑call.

Impact on the Dodgers’ title chase

Stan Kasten, the team president, and Andrew Friedman, the executive president of baseball operations, have been trading confident nods all season. Their message is clear: this is a squad built to win now, and Snell’s performance is the centerpiece of a larger strategy that blends veteran poise with a deep bullpen. The morale boost from a Game 1 win usually translates into a tangible edge – think more aggressive baserunning, tighter defense, and a mental edge that can shave fractions of a second off every pitch.

What’s next for the NLCS

Game 2 is slated for Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the same venue. The Brewers will look to bounce back, likely leaning on their ace Corbin Burnes to keep the Dodgers off balance. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will probably ride Snell’s momentum, sending their bullpen—led by closer Kenley Jansen—into a high‑leverage situation if the series extends. If Snell can replicate his Game 1 brilliance, Los Angeles stands a solid chance of closing the series in four, a feat not achieved since the 2020 pandemic‑shortened season.

Key facts

• Snell’s Game 1 line: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 10 K, 0 R.
• Game score: 90 (22nd highest postseason ever).
• Postseason totals after Game 1: 21 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 28 K.
• Historical parallel: Mirrors Sandy Koufax’s 1965 postseason stats.
• Only the second pitcher ever with two straight postseason starts of ≥9 K and ≤1 H.