Friday, October 16, 2026 — swept by the Dodgers a year ago, the Brewers returned the favor and won a pennant.
The Brewers beat the Dodgers 6-4 at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night to complete a four-game sweep of the National League Championship Series. Milwaukee is going to the World Series for the first time since 1982 — and has won its first National League pennant.
“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we’ve got a bunch of gamers — and the gamers won this week,” manager Pat Murphy said.
The Clincher
The Dodgers didn’t go quietly. Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the second inning, his first home run of the postseason, to give Los Angeles an early lead.
Milwaukee chipped away, chasing Tyler Glasnow during a fourth-inning rally. In the sixth, Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer — the first home run of his career on an 0-2 count. David Hamilton added a two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz in the ninth. JoJo Romero earned the win, and Aaron Ashby finished it with three scoreless innings for the save.
How Milwaukee Won the Series
The sweep was built on resilience. The Brewers trailed in every game of the series and won all four — the first team ever to sweep a best-of-seven postseason series that way. They are also the first club to sweep a postseason series against the same team that swept them the previous October.
Game 3 on Wednesday followed the pattern. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, Jake Bauers and Mitchell hit back-to-back homers off Blake Snell, who had retired 14 straight, and Milwaukee won 6-2. Bauers was named NLCS MVP.
The bullpen was the foundation. Across the series, Milwaukee’s relievers repeatedly shut down a Dodgers lineup filled with stars.
The End of a Dynasty Run
For the Dodgers, the loss ends their bid to become the first team since the 1998-2000 Yankees to win three straight titles. A weak offense and injuries, including Ohtani’s late-season issues, caught up with them. Their winter will be full of questions for one of baseball’s most expensive rosters.
Milwaukee’s Moment
Owner Mark Attanasio called the pennant important for the whole state of Wisconsin, invoking Bud Selig and the late Bob Uecker. The 1982 team lost the World Series in seven games to St. Louis — as an American League club. Now, after an MLB-best 103 wins, this team gets its chance to bring Milwaukee its first title.
The Read
A small-market team with a payroll a fraction of the Dodgers’ just swept the two-time champions, coming from behind in all four games. This is what Matt Arnold and the Brewers’ front office have been building toward. Four more wins, and it becomes history.
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