Dodgers’ Game 1 NLCS win shows financial might can make things right

MILWAUKEE — The disparity in payroll was the focus of the Series before the first pitch ever delivered, the work of the manager in charge of the small-market franchise that won more regular-season games than any team in baseball.

“I’m sure most Dodgers players can’t name eight guys on our roster,” joked Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers.

If the previous six months are 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 demonstration of the firepower that can be bought with a record $415 million payroll.

The Dodgers won a game in which a confusing play over the center field wall resulted in a late-inning double play that cost them a run — and quite possibly more.

They won a game in which they stranded 11 runners.

They won a game in which the Brewers emptied their bullpen of high-level bullpen to ensure as many favorable matchups as possible.

The Dodgers won because they had a $162 million first baseman in Freddie Freeman, whose solo home run in the sixth inning pushed them ahead. They won because they had a $182 million starting pitcher in Blake Snell, who pitched eight scoreless innings. They won because they had a $365 million outfielder turned shortstop in Mookie Betts, who hit a loaded walk in the ninth inning.

Talent wins.

The Dodgers can buy as many as they want.

Visions of the Brewers offense overcoming the absence of a Freeman, Betts or Shohei Ohtani?

In retrospect, how cute.

The thought on how the Brewers’ pitching depth could triumph over the Dodgers’ individual superiority?

In retrospect, it’s crazy.

The Dodgers absorbed the Brewers’ best collective shooting and pulled off a victory that gave them control of the best-of-seven series.

Their $325 million co-ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, will start the second game on Tuesday. Ohtani, their $700 million two-way player, and their $136.5 million No. 4 starter, Tyler Glasnow, will start Games 3 and 4 at Dodger Stadium in some order.

How can the Brewers match that?

Bring in the Seattle Mariners.

Bring on the World Series.

The Brewers’ futile effort to stop the Dodgers Monday night consisted of deploying six pitchers in a so-called bullpen game. The weapons assembly line was solid, but Snell was exceptional.

Snell surrendered just one baserunner in the eighth inning – Caleb Durbin, who singled to lead off the third inning.

Snell eliminated him.

Against the team with the lowest chase rate, Snell finished with 10 punchouts.

“It was pretty special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

It wasn’t until the Dodgers turned to their bullpen in the ninth inning that they were in danger, with Roki Sasaki appearing gassed after his three-inning relief appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the NL Division Series.

Also concerning was the effect of the previous series on the Dodgers’ most valuable property, Ohtani. In the four games against the Phillies, Ohtani was 1 for 18 with nine strikeouts.

There was no way to know if Ohtani was out of his mini-slump, as the Brewers chose to challenge him as rarely as possible.

Facing opener Aaron Ashby, Ohtani drew a walk to start the game. He was walked two other times, both intentionally.

He was hitless in his other two plate appearances, as he flew out to left field in the third inning and landed at first base in the seventh. His plate discipline was improved and his third inning at bat against Quinn Priester lasted eight pitches.

“I thought Shohei’s bat was great tonight,” Roberts said.

Before the game, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman pushed back against the perception that Ohtani was even falling apart, describing how the Phillies threw pitches at him in historical terms.

“I think it was the most impressive execution against a hitter I’ve ever seen,” Friedman said.

Perhaps not wanting to create display material for Ohtani, Murphy also described the mini-slump as a reflection of the excellence of Phillies pitchers Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Ranger Suarez.

“These guys are really, really good,” Murphy said. “So I don’t consider Ohtani to be in trouble. That’s not the case.”

Murphy behaved like this, his fear of Ohtani healthy enough to have caused him to intentionally load the bases in the ninth inning.

That decision backfired when Betts walked to initiate an insurance run.

Ohtani wasn’t the only big-money player on the team.