Brewers Sweep Dodgers 6-4 in NLCS, Ending Los Angeles’ World Series 3-Peat Bid/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Dodgers 6-4 Thursday to complete an NLCS sweep and reach their first World Series since 1982. Garrett Mitchell hit the go-ahead homer, David Hamilton added insurance and Aaron Ashby delivered three scoreless innings for the save. Milwaukee will host Cleveland or Tampa Bay in the World Series opener on Oct. 23 after ending Los Angeles’ pursuit of a third consecutive championship.
Quick Look
- Pennant secured: Milwaukee won its first National League pennant and second pennant overall.
- Comeback sweep: The Brewers trailed in every game but won the series 4-0.
- Decisive swing: Mitchell’s sixth-inning homer broke a 4-4 tie.
- Bullpen strength: Ashby pitched three scoreless innings to finish Game 4.
- Series MVP: First baseman Jake Bauers earned NLCS MVP honors.
- World Series schedule: Milwaukee hosts Game 1 on Oct. 23 against Cleveland or Tampa Bay.
- Series sweep: Milwaukee won all four NLCS games to eliminate the defending champions.
- Comeback victory: The Brewers overturned a 4-0 deficit in Thursday’s Game 4.
- Dodgers’ struggles: Los Angeles hit .185 in the series and was outhomered 7-1.
- Decisive homer: Garrett Mitchell put Milwaukee ahead with a sixth-inning solo shot.
- NLCS MVP: Jake Bauers delivered a two-run double and drew a bases-loaded walk.
- Historic bid ends: The Dodgers fell short of becoming the first National League team to win three straight World Series titles.
Deep Look
Brewers Sweep Ends Dodgers’ Three-Peat Pursuit
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers’ bid for a third consecutive World Series championship ended Thursday as the Milwaukee Brewers erased an early four-run deficit to win 6-4 and complete a four-game National League Championship Series sweep.
Los Angeles had hoped to become the first team to win three straight World Series titles since the New York Yankees from 1998 through 2000 — and the first National League club ever to achieve it.
Instead, inconsistent hitting, bullpen difficulties and an ailing Shohei Ohtani’s postseason slump helped bring the title defense to an end.
“I’m not used to those consolation speeches,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I personally told our guys that there’s no apologies, there’s no sorrys. We gave it everything we had, and it wasn’t good enough. That’s part of life.”
Brewers End 44-Year World Series Wait
The Milwaukee Brewers are returning to the World Series for the first time in 44 years after completing a four-game sweep of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
Milwaukee overcame a 4-0 deficit Thursday to win Game 4 of the National League Championship Series 6-4, relying on another comeback and a bullpen that repeatedly escaped late trouble.
“We weren’t coming in to play patty-cake,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We were hungry, and as long as it’s an even playing field, we’re going to come in and give it our best shot to win. That’s exactly what we did.”
Garrett Mitchell supplied the go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, and David Hamilton added a ninth-inning solo shot as Brewers supporters celebrated in the Dodger Stadium stands.
Milwaukee Will Host World Series Opener on Oct. 23
After leading the majors with 103 regular-season victories, the Brewers now have an opportunity to win their first championship.
They will have a week off before hosting either Cleveland or Tampa Bay in Game 1 on Oct. 23.
“I’m excited that we’ve got a few more games to play and get to go home with the fans and celebrate there, too,” Mitchell said.
The victory secured Milwaukee’s first National League pennant. The franchise belonged to the American League when it reached its only previous World Series in 1982, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
Brewers Reverse Last Year’s Sweep by Dodgers
Milwaukee became the first major league team to sweep a postseason opponent that had swept it in the previous postseason.
The Dodgers won all four games against the Brewers in last year’s NLCS.
“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we’ve got a bunch of gamers — and the gamers won this week,” Murphy said.
“I think the Dodgers figured out that we came in here with a little different attitude this year.”
Milwaukee also became the first team to sweep a best-of-seven postseason series after trailing in every game.
“There was never a doubt in that dugout what was going to happen tonight. We knew we were going to win that game,” said first baseman Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP.
Ohtani’s Homer Gives Dodgers Early Four-Run Lead
Los Angeles initially appeared positioned to extend the series.
Andy Pages hit an RBI single in the second inning before Shohei Ohtani launched a three-run homer, his first of the postseason, to make it 4-0.
The four-time MVP raised his arms and shouted as the crowd of 49,104 erupted.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow retired his first 10 batters, six by strikeout, before Milwaukee began its comeback in the fourth.
Brice Turang walked, William Contreras hit a ground-rule double and Bauers followed with another ground-rule double to cut the deficit to 4-2.
Walks and Stolen Bases Help Milwaukee Tie the Game
The Brewers kept applying pressure in the fifth inning, when Dodgers pitchers issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases.
Sal Frelick walked and stole second before Hamilton singled him home, bringing Milwaukee within 4-3 and ending Glasnow’s outing.
With two outs, reliever Evan Phillips walked two batters, one intentionally.
Alex Vesia then entered and walked Bauers with the bases loaded, forcing home Hamilton to tie the game.
“We got down early tonight and we were like, it’s going to be a great story,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re going to come back and win this. Like, stay together, start chipping away. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Mitchell Wins Full-Count Battle for Go-Ahead Homer
Leading off the sixth against Tanner Scott, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before taking three consecutive balls.
With the count full, he drove a 409-foot homer to center field, giving Milwaukee its first lead at 5-4.
Mitchell also homered in Wednesday’s 6-2 Game 3 victory.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” Mitchell said. “You talk about the battle-tested Brewers. We went down early and the belief in that dugout got stronger and stronger.”
Romero and Ashby Escape Repeated Dodgers Threats
Milwaukee’s relievers protected the narrow advantage despite Los Angeles repeatedly placing the potential tying run at third base.
Winning pitcher JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to finish the sixth.
In the seventh, Ashby struck out Ohtani with one out and a runner at third before getting Mookie Betts to ground out.
Will Smith doubled with one out in the eighth and advanced to third on Frelick’s fielding error. Ashby responded by retiring Tucker on a shallow flyball and striking out Teoscar Hernández.
“Playing with that chip on our shoulder,” Ashby said. “You don’t ever know what to expect going into a series like that last year (against the Dodgers). You don’t know how bad it can be, and then it was as bad as it was. And we came out and we survived, and we came back this year, and those guys played their tails off.”
Ashby finished with three scoreless innings for the save.
Hamilton Adds Insurance as Dodgers’ Three-Peat Bid Ends
Edwin Díaz retired the first two Milwaukee hitters in the ninth before Hamilton homered to extend the lead to 6-4.
The No. 9 hitter had hit only four home runs during the regular season.
Los Angeles’ pursuit of a third consecutive World Series title ended amid offensive struggles and injuries to Ohtani and others on its veteran roster.
No team has won three straight championships since the New York Yankees from 1998 through 2000, and no National League club has accomplished the feat.
Brewers Owner Honors Selig and Uecker
As Milwaukee celebrated, owner Mark Attanasio reflected on what the breakthrough meant for Wisconsin and the figures who helped shape the franchise.
“It’s so important for the community, the entire state of Wisconsin,” Attanasio said. “We’re standing on shoulders of Bud Selig and Bob Uecker.”
Ohtani Homer Gives Los Angeles Early Hope
Ohtani hit a three-run home run that helped the Dodgers establish a 4-0 lead in Game 4.
It was his first homer since Aug. 18 and ultimately Los Angeles’ only home run of the NLCS.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow initially protected the advantage, retiring his first 10 batters, including six by strikeout.
But Milwaukee gradually worked its way back into the game, exposing the pitching problems that would end Los Angeles’ season.
Bauers Helps Brewers Erase Four-Run Deficit
Jake Bauers hit a two-run double in the fourth inning to cut into the Dodgers’ lead.
David Hamilton added an RBI single in the fifth, chasing Glasnow and leaving Milwaukee down 4-3.
The Dodgers then struggled to contain the Brewers’ offense and running game. Los Angeles issued four walks during the fifth inning, while Milwaukee stole two bases.
After Evan Phillips appeared in relief, Alex Vesia entered and walked Bauers with the bases loaded, forcing home the tying run.
Bauers was named NLCS MVP.
Mitchell and Hamilton Deliver Decisive Home Runs
Garrett Mitchell led off the sixth inning with a two-strike home run against Tanner Scott, giving Milwaukee a 5-4 lead.
The Brewers added insurance in the ninth.
Edwin Díaz retired the first two batters before Hamilton, Milwaukee’s No. 9 hitter, homered to extend the advantage to 6-4.
“Every facet of the game, if you kind of unpack it, we were bested,” Roberts said.
Dodgers Waste Late Chances With Runners at Third
Los Angeles repeatedly threatened to tie the game but could not produce a timely hit.
Trailing 5-4, the Dodgers had a runner at third base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Max Muncy struck out to end the sixth. Mookie Betts grounded out to finish the seventh, and Teoscar Hernández struck out to close the eighth.
The Dodgers were retired in order in the ninth.
Los Angeles batted below .100 with runners in scoring position across the postseason. In the NLCS, it went 4 for 27, a .148 average, in those situations.
“We got outplayed in all facets,” Roberts said. “Those guys played flawless. Defensively they pitched better than we did, they hit better than we did, they slugged more than we did. You’ve got to sometimes just tip your cap.”
Ohtani and Will Smith Struggle Through Postseason
The Dodgers hit .185 overall against Milwaukee and were outhomered 7-1.
Ohtani and catcher Will Smith struggled during both the four-game Division Series victory over Atlanta and the NLCS.
Across eight playoff games, Ohtani batted .192, going 5 for 26 with 10 strikeouts, four walks, three RBIs and three runs.
Smith finished 3 for 31, a .097 average, with nine strikeouts. He recorded two doubles, no home runs, one walk and two RBIs.
First baseman Freddie Freeman went 0 for 3 with a strikeout Thursday and said the defeat could not be reduced to one moment.
“I know there wasn’t one pitch, one at-bat,” Freeman said. “They just outplayed us in the series, which is kind of how it goes. We had our opportunities. We didn’t get the job done.”
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