The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate after Game 4 of the National Baseball League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Ashley Landis/AP
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Ashley Landis/AP
LOS ANGELES — After 44 years, the Milwaukee Brewers are finally returning to the World Series.
Powered by a locked-down bullpen and repeated comebacks, the young and fearless Brewers swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers out of the playoffs Thursday with a 6-4 victory in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
“We weren’t coming to play patty-cake,” manager Pat Murphy said. “We were hungry, and as long as the playing field is level, we’re going to do our best to win. That’s exactly what we did.”
Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning and Milwaukee’s brilliant relievers slammed the door late, giving a vocal contingent of Brewers fans a chance to celebrate in the stands at Dodger Stadium.
Now, the Brewers have the opportunity to win their first title after dominating the majors with 103 wins during the regular season. Milwaukee has a bye week before hosting Cleveland or Tampa Bay in the World Series opener on October 23.
“I’m excited that we still have a few games to play and we can go home with the fans and celebrate there too,” Mitchell said.
Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the postseason gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep.
No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s solo shot against Edwin Díaz gave Milwaukee a two-run advantage in the ninth. Hamilton only hit four home runs in the regular season.
“We got up early tonight and thought it was going to be a great story,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re going to come back and win. Stay together, start pulling away. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Aaron Ashby pitched three scoreless innings for one save as the Brewers won their first NL pennant and second overall. Milwaukee was in the American League when the franchise made its only World Series appearance in 1982, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers’ goal of a three-peat — not achieved since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 and never by a National League team — died with their anemic offense and injuries to Ohtani and others on their aging roster.
“I’m not used to these consolation speeches,” manager Dave Roberts said. “These guys played flawlessly. Sometimes you have to come out on top.”
Milwaukee became the first major league club to complete a playoff sweep after being swept by that same opponent in the previous postseason. Los Angeles won all four NLCS games against Milwaukee last season.
“They may have a group of Hall of Famers, but we have a group of players — and the players won this week,” Murphy said.
“I think the Dodgers understood that we came in here with a little different attitude this year.”
The Brewers are also the first team to sweep a best-of-seven playoff series in which they trailed every game.
“There was no doubt in that dugout what was going to happen tonight. We knew we were going to win this game,” said first baseman Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby celebrates the final out of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Ashley Landis/AP
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Ashley Landis/AP
With the score tied at 4, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before reliever Tanner Scott threw three straight pitches for a full count. Mitchell’s 409-foot leadoff home run to center field – the first home run of his career on an 0-2 count – gave the Brewers the lead for the first time. Mitchell also homered in their 6-2 win on Wednesday.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” Mitchell said. “You’re talking about the battle-tested Brewers. We went down early and the belief in this dugout just got stronger and stronger.”
The Brewers bullpen coolly fended off several threats when the Dodgers had the potential to tie on the bases.
Winning pitcher JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker on third to end the sixth.
With one out in the seventh and a runner on at third, Ashby struck out Ohtani before Mookie Betts grounded out to end the inning. Will Smith doubled to right with one out in the eighth and was safe at third when the ball got away from Sal Frelick for an error before Ashby brought out Tucker and Teoscar Hernández to strike out.
“I’m playing with that chip on our shoulder,” Ashby said. “You never know what to expect in a series like that last year (against the Dodgers). You don’t know how bad it can be, and then it was that bad. And we came out and we survived, and we came back this year, and those guys played hard.”
The Brewers tied it in the fifth, when the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases. Hamilton’s single chased away starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Frelick, who walked and stole second, to make Milwaukee 4-3.
Alex Vesia came in and quickly accompanied Brice Turang and William Contreras to load the bases. Vesia then walked Bauers with two outs to force Hamilton with the tying run.
Glasnow retired his first 10 batters – six on strikeouts – before the Brewers reached him in the fourth. Turang walked, Contreras hit a double and Bauers followed with another double that closed Milwaukee to 4-2.
Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Andy Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and shouting and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.
But the Brewers wouldn’t let it be denied. And when it was over, owner Mark Attanasio thought of the longtime Milwaukee owner and beloved late broadcaster.
“It’s very important for the community, for the entire state of Wisconsin,” Attanasio said. “We stand on the shoulders of Bud Selig and Bob Uecker.”
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