LCS Day 2: Updates, takeaways from Dodgers-Brewers, Guardians-Rays

          • ESPN
          Oct 12, 2026, 11:08 PM ET

          The final four teams standing in the 2026 MLB playoffs were all in action Monday.

          The Milwaukee Brewers continued their strong showing against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, winning Game 2 and heading to L.A. with a 2-0 National League Championship Series lead. In the American League, the Cleveland Guardians took the opener at the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, who led the contest 2-0 but couldn't hold off Cleveland's rally.

          Here's your one-stop shop to relive all the game action and postgame analysis from Milwaukee and St. Petersburg.

          More: Passan: Epic NLCS matchup | Picks | Rankings | How they were built

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          LAD-MIL | CLE-TB

          Cleveland Guardians 7, Tampa Bay Rays 4

          Cleveland leads series 1-0

          It was over when ... The Rays had the second hitter of the game, Jonathan Aranda, bunt over Yandy Diaz who had doubled. They chose to play small ball instead of going for the big inning as they had three more hits in the frame plus a stolen base and a hit batter. They only scored two runs. That was one more than they scored the rest of the game. With Foster Griffin looking iffy that inning, they should have gone for the crooked number.

          Game 1 star ... Chase DeLatuer. He got the Guardians on the board with a solo shot in the sixth then had the key hit to get the rally going in the eighth when he doubled Jose Ramirez to third. He walked in the ninth and came around to score to help seal it.

          The stat that defined the game ... The Rays only had one true extra base hit -- a Cedric Mullins homer. Almost all game, it was all singles (outside of Yandy Diaz's leadoff double -- which should have been ruled a single and an error).

          What it means for the rest of the series ... It's a devastating blow for Tampa Bay, which led 2-0 after the first inning but couldn't add on or hold the lead against a team coming off an emotional Game 5 win in the division series on Saturday. And the Rays know what's ahead of them: playing in cold, potential rainy weather on the road in three Cleveland home games. That's what made this one huge -- and Tuesday even bigger. -- Jesse Rogers

          Top moments from Tampa

          Jose Ramirez stays hot

          Mullins cuts the deficit

          Guardians take the lead in the eighth

          Patrick Bailey makes this a tie ballgame

          Guardians on the board

          Rays up two after one

          Caminero helps Rays strike first

          Milwaukee Brewers 7, Los Angeles Dodgers 4

          Milwaukee leads series 2-0

          It was over when ... Pat Murphy penciled William Contreras in at the 3-hole before the game. It was an easy decision, of course, but Contreras was the Brewers' answer again and again in a back-and-forth tussle, driving in three and hammering a long home run to center off Dodgers lefty Kris Bubic.

          Game 2 star ... Contreras drove the offense, but once again, the Brewers' bullpen proved to be airtight. Milwaukee relievers have allowed one earned run in 28⅔ innings in the postseason. Hot bullpens win championships, especially when they're already really good.

          The stat that defined the game ... 4. That's how many swing-and-misses the Brewers had on Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 75 pitches. Milwaukee saw 5.3 pitches per plate appearance with Yamamoto on the mound and chased him before the end of the third inning. That's Brewers ball.

          What it means for the rest of the series ... For the Dodgers, it ain't good. You can't count out the two-time champs, but the bottom line is the Dodgers had Tarik Skubal and Yamamoto lined up for the first two games and won neither. The Brewers are in a great position. -- Bradford Doolittle

          Top moments from Milwaukee's Game 2 win:

          Two games, two wins for the Brew Crew

          Brewers add to their lead again

          Turang, Brewers tack on insurance run

          Brewers three outs away from another win

          Contreras comes through again

          Contreras corks one 436 feet!

          Freeman's sac fly puts L.A. up 4-3

          Another wild throw from Henderson and they're tied again

          The captain drives in two, knocks out Yamamoto

          Dodgers take lead back on wild pickoff throw

          Brewers immediately answer in bottom of first

          Dodgers strike first in Milwaukee