Brewers roar back from 4 runs down to sweep Dodgers, reach first World Series since 1982

There will be no three-peat for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead, it will be the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series appearance since 1982.The Brewers completed an NLCS sweep of the defending champions with a 6-4 comeback win in Game 4 on Thursday, delivering the exact opposite of their own sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in the 2025 NLCS. The Brewers will face either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays as they go for the first World Series title in franchise history.“For the first time in 44 years, the @Brewers are going to the World Series!"@MLBONFOX pic.twitter.com/XnL14R3bGF— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) October 16, 2026 Game 1 of the Fall Classic is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, giving Milwaukee a full week of rest, while the Guardians lead the Rays 2-1 in the ALCS.Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers, who delivered huge moments in Games 2, 3 and 4, was named NLCS MVP. That's pretty good for a guy who might have retired two years ago had his pregnant wife not needed health insurance.The Dodgers entered Thursday in need of a nearly unprecedented comeback, with only one team in history having successfully come back from down 3-0 in a seven-game series. That team, the 2004 Boston Red Sox, famously included Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, but that was more of a fun quirk of history than a meaningful reason for confidence in Los Angeles.As it turned out, the only comeback was in favor of the Brewers, who found themselves down 4-0 in the second inning after Shohei Ohtani hit the Dodgers' first — and only — home run of the series. If the Dodgers were going to do the nearly impossible, it was a good start, especially for a player who hadn't homered since Aug. 18.But as cathartic as that moment seemed, with Ohtani flipping his bat and nearly losing his mind as he walked past the plate, the Brewers barely blinked.Milwaukee instead did what it has done all series and all season. It got guys on base and made them move. The fourth inning saw Bauers hit a two-run double to cut the deficit in half.Jake Bauers cannot be stopped!He cuts the Brewers deficit in half 💪 pic.twitter.com/AklAZgtDqV— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2026 The fifth inning saw a series of walks that culminated in Bauers drawing a four-pitch free pass with the bases loaded to tie the game.Jake Bauers draws a bases-loaded walk!TIE GAME! pic.twitter.com/zeZgMPkMVG— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2026 And the sixth inning saw Garrett Mitchell crush a solo homer to center field to give the Brewers the lead for good.GARRETT MITCHELL!THE BREWERS HAVE COME ALL THE WAY BACK TO TAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/dOx9zZUHT7— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2026 In 286 career regular-season games, Mitchell has two total home runs against left-handed pitchers. He posted homers against southpaws, Blake Snell and Alex Vesia, in Games 3 and 4.David Hamilton, the NL leader in sacrifice bunts this season, added another solo homer in the ninth inning. The point of the Brewers might as well be that anyone can do anything. Anyone can get on base. Anyone can break through for sudden power. On the mound, anyone can deliver multiple quality innings. Throughout the series, they were the more complete team.The Dodgers, meanwhile, picked a very bad time for their offense to misfire like a rocket operated by Wile E. Coyote.Ohtani's homer was one of two hits with runners in scoring position in that inning, but that was the only time the Dodgers delivered multiple such hits in a game the entire postseason. Overall, they went 5-for-43 in that regard between the NLDS and NLCS.Combine that with an overall power outage — the Brewers out-homered them 7-1 in this series — and there were no paths for L.A. to make this a series. A lineup of well-paid veteran hitters with considerable past postseason success simply wilted.AARON ASHBY ESCAPES AGAIN!3 OUTS AWAY! pic.twitter.com/63nuErorT2— MLB (@MLB) October 16, 2026 The Brewers' pitching staff deserves credit for much of that. Dustin May began his appearance with a stumble, but recovered to finish three innings without further issue. JoJo Romero recorded two more scoreless innings, followed by Aaron Ashby once again delivering three scoreless innings in the clutch.The Brewers were the best team of the 2026 regular season, and they have been the best team of the postseason through three rounds. If they can win one more round, they will accomplish the one thing their fans have been waiting for decades to see.