MILWAUKEE -- Blake Snell was injured and unavailable to pitch in July when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost all six of their regular-season meetings with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Facing the Brewers for the first time this year in the National League Championship Series, the two-time Cy Young Award winner showed just how much of a difference he can make.

Snell allowed one baserunner in eight shutout innings before Los Angeles' bullpen barely held on as the Dodgers opened the NLCS with a 2-1 victory Monday night. Brewers manager Pat Murphy called it perhaps the most dominant performance he's seen by an opposing pitcher in the 10 years he's been on Milwaukee's staff.

"It was a masterpiece tonight," said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose sixth-inning solo homer broke a scoreless tie.

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