Brewers sweep Dodgers 6-4 to reach first World Series since 1982
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Milwaukee beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday to sweep the NLCS.
- The Brewers rallied from 4-0 down in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.
- Milwaukee reaches its first World Series in 44 years, since 1982.
Milwaukee is going to the World Series. The Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday. The win completed a four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series.
It is Milwaukee's first trip to the World Series in 44 years.
The win came on the road at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Dodgers led 4-0 early in the game. Milwaukee fought back and took the lead for good in the sixth inning.
The Brewers never trailed again after that point.
What happened
The Dodgers scored first in the second inning. Andy Pages drove in a run with a single. Shohei Ohtani followed with a three-run home run.
The blast gave Los Angeles a 4-0 lead.
The home run was big for Ohtani. It was his first home run since August 18. It was also his first extra-base hit of the playoffs.
The ball traveled 428 feet into the right-field seats.
But the Dodgers could not hold the lead. Milwaukee started its comeback in the fourth inning. Jake Bauers hit a two-run double.
The hit cut the Dodgers lead to 4-2.
The Brewers tied the game in the fifth inning. David Hamilton drove in a run with a single. That hit made the score 4-3.
It also ended the night for Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow. Bauers then drew a bases-loaded walk. The walk tied the game at 4-4.
Milwaukee took the lead in the sixth inning. Garrett Mitchell led off with a home run. The solo shot came off Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott.
It put the Brewers ahead 5-4.
Hamilton added one more run in the ninth inning. He hit a two-out home run off Edwin Diaz. The blast made the final score 6-4.
The Brewers bullpen did the rest of the work. Milwaukee used a bullpen game with no set starter. Four pitchers held the Dodgers scoreless over the final seven innings.
JoJo Romero pitched two innings and earned the win. Aaron Ashby handled the final three frames. He earned his second save of the postseason.
Glasnow took the loss for Los Angeles. He gave up four runs in four and one-third innings. He struck out six batters in the game.
The Dodgers had one last chance in the eighth inning. Will Smith reached third base as the tying run. Ashby retired Kyle Tucker on a fly ball.
He then struck out Teoscar Hernandez to end the threat.
Bauers earned NLCS MVP honors for the series. He drove in key runs in the deciding game. He also tied the game with his bases-loaded walk.
The sweep was a form of payback. Last season, the Dodgers swept Milwaukee in the NLCS. This time, the Brewers returned the favor.
The Dodgers held a lead in all four games of the series. They still lost every game.
Why it matters
This win ends a very long wait for Milwaukee. The Brewers last reached the World Series in 1982. That is 44 years ago.
It is only the second World Series trip in team history.
The 1982 trip came when Milwaukee played in the American League. The Brewers lost that World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.
This trip is the team's first National League pennant.
Milwaukee has never won a World Series title. The team now has a chance to win its first one. That is why this win means so much to the city.
The Brewers also play in the smallest market in baseball, according to USA Today. Small-market teams have less money to spend on players. We explained the payroll gap between the Dodgers and small-market teams earlier in this series.
Milwaukee still found a way to beat one of the richest teams in the sport.
The win also ends the Dodgers push for three straight titles. Los Angeles won the last two World Series. The team wanted a third title in a row.
Milwaukee stopped that run with the sweep.
The Dodgers reached the playoffs for a 14th straight year. They have won five pennants since 2020. They have also won three World Series titles since 2020, according to USA Today.
This loss ends their run at the top.
The win also shows the depth of the Brewers roster. Mitchell hit two home runs off left-hand pitchers in two days. He had hit only two such home runs all season before that stretch.
Young players stepped up all series long.
Brewers second baseman Brice Turang spoke about the fans after the game. He said the fans have stuck with the team through good times and bad times. He said the fans show up to every game.
He said it means a lot to give them this moment.
Owner Mark Attanasio plans a nice gesture with the trophy. He plans to present the NLCS trophy to Bud Selig. Selig brought the team to Milwaukee in 1970.
He owned the team until 2005. Attanasio said Selig has meant everything to the team and the city.
What happens next
The World Series starts on October 23. Milwaukee will open the series at home. The Brewers will host the first games at American Family Field.
The opponent is not set yet. Milwaukee will face the winner of the American League Championship Series. That series is between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Guardians lead that series 2-1. They won 3-2 on Thursday.
Milwaukee will wait for that series to end. The Brewers get a few days of rest first. The rest should help their pitchers recover.
The bullpen worked hard in the NLCS.
The Brewers will also set their pitching plan for the World Series. They used a bullpen game in the deciding game. They may use a set starter in Game 1.
The team has not announced its plan yet.
Ticket demand in Milwaukee should be high. The city has waited 44 years for this moment. Fans will pack American Family Field for the World Series.
The team will also play road games in the other city.
Before Game 3, we previewed the matchup and the stakes for Milwaukee. The Brewers won that game too. They then closed out the sweep in Game 4.
What to watch
Watch the ALCS result first. It decides who Milwaukee faces. The Guardians have a one-game lead.
The Rays still have a chance to come back.
Watch the World Series start date. Game 1 is set for October 23. The full schedule will follow once the opponent is known.
Watch how Milwaukee lines up its pitchers. The bullpen carried the team in Game 4. The starters will need to give the team length in the World Series.
That will be a key test for the Brewers.
Watch the Dodgers offseason too. Los Angeles has an older team. First baseman Freddie Freeman is 37 years old.
The team must decide how to reload for next season. The loss will shape those talks all winter.
Milwaukee waited 44 years for this trip. The Brewers earned it with four straight wins. They beat the champs on their home field.
Now they play for the first title in team history.
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