Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Blake Snell turned in a terrific performance in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Snell had everything working, and he ended up facing the minimum over eight shutout innings while striking out 10 batters. He only allowed one hit, but picked off the batter shortly after the single.
At one point, Snell retired 14 consecutive hitters, which began after he allowed the single to lead off the third inning, and took him through the eighth.
With his dominant outing, Snell etched his name into MLB postseason history, becoming the first to record 10 strikeouts with one or fewer hits and no walks over eight or more innings, and also joining some very exclusive lists featuring some of the top-pitched playoff games ever, via Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
Blake Snell is the first pitcher in postseason history with 10+ strikeouts, 1 or no hits and no walks in an outing of 8+ innings
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
Pitchers to face the minimum through 8 innings of a postseason game:
2025 NLCS G1 Blake Snell
1956 WS G5 Don Larsen, perfect game
1914 WS G2 Bill James
1910 WS G1 Chief Bender— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
Blake Snell with the 13th outing in postseason history of 8+ innings and 1 or 0 hits allowed
First since Roy Halladay’s 2010 no-hitter
First by a Dodgers pitcher
10th to also not allow a run
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
Snell’s dominance hasn’t lasted just one game, it dates back to his first playoff start with the Dodgers. Against the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, Snell pitched seven innings while allowing just two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.
He followed that up with six shutout innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Division Series, while also adding nine strikeouts to four walks.
With his current run of elite postseason starts, Snell became the first pitcher in MLB history with multiple outings of six or more innings with one or fewer hits allowed in a single postseason, along with becoming the first to record 20 or more swings and misses in consecutive games, and also tallying the most performances of at least nine strikeouts and two or fewer hits over his playoff career.
Blake Snell is the first pitcher in postseason history with multiple outings of 6+ innings and 1 or no hits allowed in a single postseason
Only other pitchers with two such outings in a postseason CAREER:
Zack Wheeler
Max Scherzer
Anibal Sanchez— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
Pitchers with 20+ swings and misses in consecutive outings within a postseason:
2025 Blake Snell
2019 Justin Verlander
2013 Justin Verlanderh/t the wizard @JasonBernard_
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
Most postseason outings with at least 9 strikeouts and 2 or fewer hits allowed:
Blake Snell: 5
Max Scherzer: 3
Roger Clemens: 2
Josh Beckett: 2
Gerrit Cole: 2
Cristian Javier: 2— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) October 14, 2025
So far this postseason, Snell has gone 3-0 in three starts, tallying 21 innings pitched with a 0.86 ERA, 28 strikeouts, five walks and a 0.52 WHIP.
Should the Dodgers fail to sweep the Brewers, Snell is scheduled to start Game 5, and that means he also could be available out of the bullpen in Game 7 if it comes to that.
Blake Snell not falling for Brewers’ narrative
The Brewers and manager Pat Murphy continue to push a narrative they’re an underdog who has shocked the world by getting to the NLCS. Murphy has went on to say none of their players would be starting on the Dodgers, and they’re just a bunch of ;Average Joes’ that no one knows.
But despite all that talk, Snell isn’t buying into it after Milwaukee finished with the best record in MLB this season.
“I mean, it’s a really good lineup,” Snell said. “I’m not falling for the ‘Average Joes.’ They’re not. They have the best record in the NL.”
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