Brewers Upset Costlier Dodgers, Take NLCS

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 15, completing a four-game sweep and earning a trip to the World Series. Milwaukee’s roster carried an estimated $143 million price tag, 19th in MLB; according to CNN, the Dodgers had the league’s second-most-expensive roster. Money didn’t decide the game. The Brewers did.

Garrett Mitchell, whose homer put Milwaukee in front, said the team’s belief grew after it fell behind. “We went down early and the belief in that dugout got stronger and stronger,” he said. “It's absolutely surreal.”

A comeback built together

Los Angeles grabbed a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Shohei Ohtani launched a three-run homer off Dustin May, sending the ball 428 feet as the crowd of 49,104 roared. The Dodgers, two-time defending champions, had swept Milwaukee in all four NLCS games last season. This time, Milwaukee became the first major-league club to sweep a postseason opponent after that same opponent had swept it in the previous postseason.

The Brewers began chipping away in the fourth. Brice Turang walked, William Contreras hit a ground-rule double, and Jake Bauers followed with another ground-rule double to bring home two runs. Bauers earned NLCS MVP honors.

Milwaukee drew even in the fifth after the Dodgers’ bullpen issued four walks and the Brewers stole two bases. David Hamilton’s single made it 4-3. Then a walk to Bauers brought Hamilton home. The score was tied, and Los Angeles had given Milwaukee another opening.

Mitchell moved the Brewers ahead in the sixth, launching a 409-foot leadoff homer off Tanner Scott. It marked the first home run of Mitchell’s career on an 0-2 count. He’d homered in Milwaukee’s 6-2 win Wednesday, too. “I've always dreamt of moments like these as a kid,” he said.

Dodgers threats, Brewers answers

Milwaukee’s relievers turned back repeated attempts by Los Angeles to seize control. JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to end the sixth. In the seventh, Aaron Ashby struck out Ohtani and got Mookie Betts to ground out. The Dodgers put the tying run at third base in three straight innings, but couldn't bring it home.

Will Smith doubled in the eighth and reached third after an error. Ashby got Tucker to fly out, then struck out Teoscar Hernández, stranding Smith. Hamilton added an insurance run in the ninth, hitting a two-out solo homer off Edwin Díaz. Ashby pitched three scoreless innings and earned the save.

“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.” That’s how the team describes turning a 4-0 hole into a pennant.

The money, the record, the next series

Milwaukee led MLB with 103 regular-season wins in 162 games. Its bullpen had surrendered two runs in nearly 40 postseason innings, after recording a 3.40 regular-season ERA. Across all four NLCS games, Milwaukee’s bullpen and timely hitting carried the club, including a 7-4 win in Game 2 and a 6-2 win in Game 3.

The franchise claimed its first National League pennant. Its only previous World Series appearance came in 1982, when it lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals while competing in the American League. The club has never won an MLB title.

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said the win mattered to “the community, the entire state of Wisconsin,” and named Bud Selig and Bob Uecker as people whose shoulders the organization stood on. Manager Pat Murphy said, “They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we've got a bunch of gamers — and the gamers won this week.”

Milwaukee will host the World Series opener on Oct. 23 against Cleveland or Tampa Bay. Reports published after Game 4 said the Guardians led the Rays 2-1 in the ALCS. Mitchell said he was excited to play more games and celebrate at home with the fans. The Dodgers’ bid for a three-peat is over; Milwaukee’s work isn't.