LOS ANGELES — Jacob Misiorowski held off the Los Angeles Dodgers with 102 mph heat. When he faded, so did the Milwaukee Brewers.
The 6-foot-7 rookie right-hander came out of the bullpen to escape a first-inning jam and struck out nine as the Brewers rallied in a game that remained tied through five innings.
When his velocity dropped in the sixth, Tommy Edman hit a go-ahead single and the Dodgers went on to a 3-1 victory and a 3-0 NL Championship Series lead.
“I think I had a few starts during the year that I felt better, but I felt good,” Misiorowski said. “I did my job and felt like I performed the way they needed me to.”
Misiorowski debuted in June and went 5-3 with a 4.36 ERA in 14 starts and one relief appearance. Milwaukee has used him three times in relief during the playoffs. He has a 1.50 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings with three walks.
He threw 17 pitches from 100.1 mph to 102.5 mph from the first through fifth innings, but his fastball ranged from 97.6 mph to 99.1 mph in the sixth.
Will Smith singled with one out on a slider in the middle of the strike zone and Freddie Freeman walked after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Edman, who had struck out twice against Misiorowski, lined a low slider into center on Misiorowski’s 73rd and final pitch. Smith scored for a 2-1 lead as Sal Frelick made a weak throw.
Abner Uribe relieved made a run-scoring error on an errant pickoff attempt.
“We needed him today, and he was there for us,” Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin said of Misiorowski. “Wish we could’ve had his back a little bit more.”
