MILWAUKEE — In sports, a team’s regular-season success against an opponent often doesn’t guarantee similar results when the stakes are higher in the playoffs.

For instance, the 2015 Mets famously lost all seven of their regular-season matchups against the Cubs, only to turn the tables by sweeping them in four games during the NLCS, securing their spot in the World Series.

This year, the Dodgers faced a similar scenario, having been defeated in all six of their regular-season encounters with the Brewers. However, on Monday night, the defending World Series champions began their quest for redemption.

Blake Snell took center stage with a stellar performance, justifying the Dodgers’ decision to sign him last offseason. Snell was nearly untouchable, allowing only the minimum 24 batters to face him over eight innings, leading his team to a 2-1 victory in Game 1 of the NLCS at American Family Field.

The Brewers made a late push in the ninth inning against the Dodgers’ bullpen, loading the bases and scoring once against Roki Sasaki, but ultimately fell short of completing the comeback.

Caleb Durbin’s single leading off the third accounted for the only Brewers base runner against Snell. But Durbin was picked off first — officially a caught stealing — and the Brewers went quietly until Snell departed. Snell set a career postseason high with 10 strikeouts over his 103-pitch night.

The twirling yellow rally towels and enthusiastic crowd — excited about the first NLCS appearance by the Brewers in seven years — could provide only so much energy for the home team.

Max Muncy was within inches of a grand slam in the fourth but instead saw his deep fly to center field turn into an inning-ending double play.

Sal Frelick juggled Muncy’s shot near the top of the fence, with the ball hitting the padding before settling into Frelick’s glove. Teoscar Hernández, who retreated to third base to tag up and then hesitated, was thrown out at the plate on a force play before catcher William Contreras walked to third base and forced out Will Smith, who had stayed close to second, to conclude the inning.

The Dodgers wasted another opportunity in the fifth, when Quinn Priester got Mookie Betts to ground into an inning-ending double play after Enrique Hernández had doubled leading off the frame.

Freddie Freeman homered in the sixth for the game’s first run. It was the first blast this postseason for Freeman, who dominated last year’s World Series with four homers against the Yankees.

Freeman doubled in the eighth against Trevor Megill but was left stranded at third base. Betts drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth that extended the Dodgers lead.

Sasaki, who has transitioned into the closer’s role after spending the regular season in the Dodgers starting rotation, could get just two outs in the ninth, allowing a run before he was removed with runners on the corners. Blake Treinen walked Contreras to load the bases before Brice Turang struck out to end the drama.