Milwaukee swept the Dodgers with a 6-4 win Thursday. The Brewers reach their first World Series since 1982.
LOS ANGELES – Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s bullpen shut the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday to sweep the National League Championship Series and reach their first World Series since 1982. The two-time defending champion Dodgers had led 4-0 in the second inning in Game 4 and were trying to avoid elimination.
Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of this postseason helped Los Angeles build the early lead before Milwaukee came back. William Contreras and Jake Bauers hit back-to-back doubles in the fourth to cut the deficit to 4-2. In the fifth, the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks, Milwaukee stole two bases and David Hamilton’s single chased starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Sal Frelick to make it 4-3, and the Brewers tied it later in the inning. With the score tied 4-4, Mitchell hit a 409-foot leadoff homer to center off Tanner Scott, the first of his career on an 0-2 count. Hamilton added a solo homer off Edwin Díaz in the ninth for a two-run cushion, and Aaron Ashby got the final out.
The sweep reverses last year’s result, when the Dodgers swept the Brewers in the NLCS. MLB.com said Milwaukee became the first team to sweep the same club that had eliminated it by a sweep the previous postseason. The Dodgers’ bid for a third straight championship ended. Mitchell also homered in Milwaukee’s 6-2 win in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Milwaukee’s only other World Series appearance came in 1982, when the Brewers played in the American League and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The Brewers will host the opening games of the Fall Classic at American Family Field next week against the American League champion.
This report draws on information from The Associated Press, MLB.com, NPR, The Washington Post, NBC Sports and The Sporting Tribune.