For the first time in 44 years, the Brewers are heading to the World Series! Seriously, this just happened. They didn’t just win, they absolutely steamrolled the defending back-to-back champion Dodgers, sweeping them right out of the NLCS. And get this: it’s the first time in MLB history a team has swept a postseason opponent that swept them the year before. Talk about a comeback for the ages, especially after getting bounced by those same Dodgers last season. This crew is officially on their way to the Fall Classic, where they’ll face either the Guardians or the Rays.
No Panic, Just Pure Clutch in Game 4
Game 4 was a masterclass in staying cool under pressure. The Brewers were staring down a 4-0 deficit early, but did they panic? Nah. Did they tense up? Nope. They just put their heads down and got to work, like they’ve done so many times this season. It was none other than first baseman Jake Bauers who kicked off the comeback in the fourth inning, ripping a two-run, ground-rule double off Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow. That was huge! Before Bauers’ big swing, Brice Turang got things going with a walk, and William Contreras moved him to third with a ground-rule double to left. Just like that, Bauers got both of them home, and the score was 4-2 by the end of the fourth. Much more manageable, right?
But they weren’t done. Milwaukee kept the pressure cranked up in the fifth, and this time the bottom of the order got in on the action. Sal Frelick drew a one-out walk, swiped second base like it was nothing, and then the No. 9 hitter, David Hamilton, hammered an RBI single right up the middle to score Frelick. Suddenly, the Dodgers’ lead was just one run, 4-3. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had seen enough of Glasnow, who walked off the mound with all the tension mounting at Chavez Ravine.
Bauers Closes It Out With Ice in His Veins
In came right-handed reliever Evan Phillips for the Dodgers, but he just could not find the strike zone against the heart of Milwaukee’s lineup. After falling behind Brice Turang 3-0, Phillips intentionally walked him. I mean, c’mon, you just know that sets up something big. William Contreras then drew a walk, loading the bases for guess who? Yeah, Jake Bauers. At that point, if Bauers didn’t come through, it would’ve been more shocking than anything else. This is the same guy who drew a 12-pitch walk against Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, and then crushed a go-ahead, two-run home run on the 11th pitch of his at-bat against Blake Snell in Game 3!
So, of course, Bauers did it again. He drew a four-pitch walk against Phillips, tying the game at 4-4 and completing the Brewers’ comeback with that slow, steady ease we’ve seen from them all season. They scored six unanswered runs to clinch the National League pennant! What a performance.
On the Dodgers’ side, things were looking rough, especially for Shohei Ohtani. After the Dodgers fell into that 2-0 hole in the NLCS, third baseman Max Muncy even tried to call a shot for his struggling teammate. Ohtani had been hitting a paltry .150 in the postseason with zero extra-base hits. He hadn’t homered since August 18 and hadn’t knocked in a run in a staggering 24 games. An injured list stint and the wild-card bye clearly didn’t give him the October turnaround everyone hoped for.
Now, the Brewers are locked in for the Fall Classic. What a wild ride to get there, coming back from a 4-0 deficit to sweep the reigning champs. They’re playing for it all next, and you just know they’re bringing that same never-say-die energy to the World Series. Get ready!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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