LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — In a taut, tense pitchers’ duel defined by missed opportunities and a single decisive inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers moved to the brink of the World Series, edging the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday night at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.

A crowd of 51,251 witnessed a masterclass in playoff pitching as the Dodgers took a commanding three-games-to-none lead in the National League Championship Series. The victory, secured in a brisk 2 hours and 48 minutes, puts the 101-70 Dodgers one win away from a sweep, while the 100-70 Brewers face elimination.

The game was a stark departure from pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a 7-4 Dodgers victory, and the betting markets set the over/under at 7.5 runs. Instead, the contest became a gripping, low-scoring affair where every baserunner was precious and every run felt monumental.

The tone was set early by a marquee matchup of starting pitchers, both of whom delivered on the October stage. The Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow was dominant, striking out eight over 5 2/3 innings while allowing just three hits and one earned run. His counterpart, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, was equally brilliant, matching him pitch-for-pitch with nine strikeouts over five innings, surrendering only three hits and one run.

Los Angeles struck first in the bottom of the opening frame. Shohei Ohtani, setting the table, ripped a line-drive triple to right field. Mookie Betts followed immediately, lacing a double to the same spot to plate Ohtani and give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead before many in the crowd had settled into their seats.

Milwaukee answered in the top of the second, manufacturing a run with opportunistic hitting. Rookie Caleb Durbin, in his first career playoff start, announced his presence with a line-drive triple to left field. Jake Bauers then delivered a clutch single up the middle, scoring Durbin to knot the game at 1-1.

From there, the duel intensified. Both Glasnow and Misiorowski, along with a parade of relievers, clamped down, turning the game into a stalemate. Scoring chances were scarce. The Brewers managed only four hits all night, while the Dodgers were held to five.

The deadlock was finally broken in the fateful bottom of the sixth inning. Misiorowski had been relieved by Jared Koenig, who recorded a strikeout before being replaced by Aaron Ashby. Ashby immediately found trouble, allowing a sharp single to Will Smith. A walk to Freddie Freeman put two men on, and Tommy Edman broke the tie, slicing a line-drive single to center field that scored Smith and moved Freeman to third.

The inning’s final run, which proved critical, crossed on a fielder’s choice. With Teoscar Hernández striking out, Max Muncy hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Brice Turang. Turang’s only play was to first, allowing Freeman to trot home from third, giving the Dodgers a 3-1 advantage and all the breathing room their bullpen would require.

Milwaukee’s best chance to respond came in the top of the seventh. Durbin, having a standout night, smacked a one-out double. But the Dodgers’ relief corps, a key to their postseason run, extinguished the threat. Alex Vesia, who was credited with the win to improve to 6-2, entered and induced a sharp flyout from Bauers before being replaced by Blake Treinen, who recorded a key strikeout to end the inning.

The Dodgers then turned the game over to their high-leverage specialists. Anthony Banda worked a clean eighth, and the electrifying Roki Sasaki took the ball for the ninth. Sasaki was flawless, striking out one in a perfect frame to secure his third save of the season and send the Dodger Stadium faithful into a frenzy.

The loss was charged to Misiorowski, who fell to 7-4 despite his stellar effort. For the Brewers, the offensive struggles were comprehensive. Beyond Durbin’s 2-for-3 performance with a triple, a double, a walk and the team’s lone run, the rest of the Milwaukee lineup mustered only two other hits and struck out 15 times.

The victory places the Dodgers in an enviable and historically strong position. No Major League Baseball team has ever blown a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series. The Brewers, who have now lost three straight games for the first time in recent weeks, must find a way to solve the Dodgers’ pitching juggernaut to extend their season.

The two teams will reconvene at Dodger Stadium on Friday for Game 4. The Brewers, their backs firmly against the wall, will attempt to stave off elimination and force the series back to Milwaukee, while the Dodgers will look to complete the sweep and secure their ticket to the Fall Classic.