Brewers Sweep Dodgers to Reach First World Series Since 1982
The Milwaukee Brewers are going to the World Series. They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to finish a four-game sweep and lock up the franchise's first Fall Classic trip since 1982, The Guardian.
The NLCS is a best-of-seven series for the National League pennant. Milwaukee needed only four. The Brewers entered Game 4 up three games to none with a World Series berth on the line.
That is a fast reversal. Los Angeles arrived as two-time defending World Series champions. Milwaukee was swept by the Dodgers in last year's NLCS, then swept them right back.
The clincher started badly for Milwaukee. The Brewers dodged trouble in the first when shortstop Cooper Pratt started a 6-4-3 double play — shortstop to second to first — off Will Smith's grounder to strand two runners and bail out pitcher Shane Drohan, MLB.com.
Then the Dodgers struck in the second. Andy Pages lined an RBI single. Shohei Ohtani followed with a three-run homer, his first of this postseason. Just like that, it was 4-0.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow looked in control early. He retired his first 10 Brewers hitters, six by strikeout.
Milwaukee chipped back and then went ahead in the sixth. Garrett Mitchell led off the inning with a 409-foot drive to center off reliever Tanner Scott for the go-ahead homer. Mitchell had also homered in Milwaukee's 6-2 win on Wednesday in Game 3.
The Brewers got breathing room in the ninth. David Hamilton hit a two-out solo homer off Edwin Díaz for a two-run cushion. Hamilton hit only four home runs in the regular season.
Aaron Ashby closed it. He worked the final three innings for the save, which is credited to a reliever who protects a late lead to finish a win.
What makes this stand out is how complete the flip has been. Milwaukee led the majors with 103 wins this season, a franchise record, MLB.com. That team set up this rematch by beating San Diego in Game 4 of the previous round on Jackson Chourio's tiebreaking single, after Mitchell robbed a potential game-tying homer in the eighth.
Now the wait ends. Milwaukee's only other World Series trip came in 1982, when the Brewers were still in the American League and lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3.
For fans, this means October baseball in Milwaukee with history on the table. A team that won more games than anyone else has now beaten the champs four straight to win the pennant.
