Brewers Sweep Dodgers in NLCS, Reach First World Series Since 1982

The Milwaukee Brewers are going to the World Series for the first time in 44 years. After falling behind 4-0 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, the Brewers rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, completing a four-game sweep of the two-time defending champions.

Milwaukee becomes the first team in 103 years to be swept in a postseason series by an opponent and then sweep that same opponent in the following postseason. The Dodgers ended the Brewers’ season in the 2025 NLCS, also in a sweep.

Por que importa

How the Brewers won Game 4
The Dodgers jumped out to an early lead against Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, scoring four runs in the first two innings. Los Angeles left fielder Teoscar Hernández drove in two runs with a double in the first, and shortstop Miguel Rojas added a two-run single in the second.

Milwaukee chipped away starting in the third inning. Catcher William Contreras singled home a run, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins added a sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 4-2. The Brewers tied the game in the fifth on a two-run double by second baseman Brice Turang.

Contexto

The decisive blow came in the sixth inning. Center fielder Garrett Mitchell, who had been held hitless in the series entering the game, launched a solo home run to left field off Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips to give Milwaukee a 5-4 lead. Pinch-hitter David Hamilton added an insurance run with a solo homer in the ninth.

Brewers relievers Joel Payamps, Elvis Peguero, Bryan Hudson and closer Devin Williams combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings. Williams struck out the side in the ninth for his third save of the series.

Key facts
| Metric | Brewers | Dodgers |
|——–|———|———|
| Home runs in NLCS | 7 | 1 |
| Regular-season wins | 103 (MLB best) | 97 |
| Postseason record vs. each other since 2018 | 1 series win | 3 series wins |
| Years since last World Series appearance | 44 (1982) | 2 (2024) |

Christian Yelich’s long wait ends
Brewers captain Christian Yelich, who joined the organization in 2018, had seen his team’s season end at the hands of the Dodgers three times before this year. The Dodgers eliminated Milwaukee in Game 7 of the 2018 NLCS, in the 2020 Wild Card Series and in last year’s NLCS sweep.

“You have to have that faith, and you have to have the belief that you know this group can get it done,” Yelich said after the game. “It’s hard. But this team’s different than last year’s team.”

Yelich, who was named team captain earlier this season, went 2-for-4 in Game 4 with a double and scored a run.

A franchise transformed
The Brewers’ 103 regular-season wins led Major League Baseball. They scored the second-most runs in the majors despite ranking near the bottom in home runs during the season, relying instead on speed, contact and a deep bullpen.

That formula flipped in the NLCS. Milwaukee out-homered Los Angeles 7-1, with five different players going deep. The pitching staff held the Dodgers, who led the National League in runs during the regular season, to 11 runs over the four games.

President of baseball operations Matt Arnold and manager Pat Murphy have guided the team to the best regular-season record in baseball over the past three seasons. The postseason breakthrough now gives the franchise a chance to win its first championship since 1982, when the Harvey’s Wallbangers team lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

What comes next
The Brewers will face the winner of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for next week at the home of the AL champion.

Milwaukee’s roster has remained largely intact through the postseason. The team has not announced its starting pitcher for Game 1 of the World Series.

Source: MLB Official News RSS – https://www.mlb.com/news/brewers-sweep-dodgers-in-nlcs-to-reach-2026-world-series

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