Turning point
The fifth-inning tie
Hamilton’s RBI single and Bauers’ bases-loaded walk completed the comeback from a 4–0 deficit. Milwaukee tied the game without needing a home run, extending the inning and converting a scoring opportunity.
2026 National League Championship Series•Final · Brewers win series 4–0•Game 4 · October 15, 2026•Posted by Pfeff
Brewers
Sweep Dodgers
Milwaukee erased a four-run deficit to beat Los Angeles 6–4 in Game 4 and complete a four-game sweep of the defending champions. The Brewers advance to the World Series for the first time since 1982, one year after the Dodgers ended their season in the NLCS.
Milwaukee Brewers
6
Game 4 · Won series 4–0
Los Angeles Dodgers
4
Game 4 · Series loss 0–4
Dodger Stadium · Los Angeles, California · October 15, 2026
MIL
The Milwaukee formulaSmall ball · young core · prospect pipeline
How Milwaukee manufactures runs—and keeps its window open
Milwaukee doesn’t wait around for one big swing. It makes the pitcher and defense work for every out, every base, every breath. A walk or a single gets the inning moving; one smart advance keeps it alive; then the pressure starts to build. That’s when the Brewers are at their best: making little openings turn into a whole lot of trouble.
That’s small ball in plain English: get runners on, move them into scoring position, and use contact and smart baserunning to bring them home. A ground ball behind the runner or an extra base taken at the right time can matter as much as a hit. Bunting and hit-and-runs are tools for the right moment, not the whole playbook. The point is to keep the inning alive without counting on a home run.
Game 4 gave a tidy example. William Contreras and Jake Bauers doubled back-to-back in the fourth, and Milwaukee scored twice. David Hamilton’s RBI single helped pull them closer in the fifth; then Bauers took a bases-loaded walk to tie it. Nobody had to play hero. The Brewers kept making the next useful play until the game swung their way.
And when the pitcher finally made a mistake, Milwaukee had the power to make him pay. Garrett Mitchell’s sixth-inning homer put the Brewers ahead; Hamilton’s ninth-inning blast added insurance. Milwaukee hit seven home runs to Los Angeles’ one in the NLCS. That’s a nasty combination for an opponent: the Brewers can scratch out a rally, then end it with one swing.
There’s a reason this feels like more than a one-October story. Jackson Chourio was 22 in 2026, and Milwaukee has a young core with room to grow together. ESPN ranked the Brewers’ farm system No. 1 overall in August 2026. MLB Pipeline also ranked their infield prospects No. 1, led by 19-year-old shortstop Jesús Made, who was playing in Double-A.
The farm system gives the Brewers a way to keep adding help: players move through the lower leagues, get tested at each level, and earn the call to the show when they’re ready and there’s a role for them. Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara graduated to Milwaukee’s big-league roster in 2026. Keep developing that next wave while the young core stays healthy, and the Brewers have a real shot at staying in the hunt for years—and maybe building a dynasty. That’s a possibility, not a guarantee. For now, they’ve already made history: after the Dodgers swept Milwaukee in 2025, the Brewers swept Los Angeles in 2026, the first team to return that exact postseason favor the following year.
Coach Pfeff · Video
Watch on YouTubeThe Brewers breakdown
Pfeff’s take on Milwaukee’s NLCS run.
Game 4 · Comeback clincherMilwaukee 6 · Los Angeles 4
Milwaukee’s four-run comeback changed the game
Los Angeles established an early lead: The Dodgers took a 4–0 lead in the second inning. Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run home run, putting Milwaukee in an immediate four-run deficit.
Milwaukee narrowed the gap in successive innings: The Brewers scored twice in the fourth and twice in the fifth. William Contreras and Jake Bauers hit consecutive doubles in the fourth. David Hamilton drove in a run with a single in the fifth, and Bauers drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the score.
Milwaukee took the lead and protected it: Garrett Mitchell hit a solo home run in the sixth to give Milwaukee a 5–4 lead. David Hamilton added a solo home run in the ninth. Aaron Ashby recorded the final nine outs, and Jackson Chourio caught the final fly ball.
Go-ahead swing
Garrett Mitchell · sixth inning
Mitchell’s solo homer gave Milwaukee a 5–4 lead. The home run put Milwaukee ahead 5–4 and shifted the pressure to the Dodgers’ offense.
Closer
Aaron Ashby · final nine outs
Ashby pitched the final three innings. He stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in the seventh and eighth before Hamilton’s ninth-inning home run extended the lead.
Four games. One sweep.
Milwaukee outscored Los Angeles 21–11 across the NLCS. The four results show the progression of the series.
Game 1 · Brewers 2, Dodgers 1
Milwaukee opened the series with a one-run win.
Game 2 · Brewers 7, Dodgers 4
The Brewers took a 2–0 series lead before the matchup shifted to Los Angeles.
Game 3 · Brewers 6, Dodgers 2
Milwaukee took a 3–0 series lead.
Game 4 · Brewers 6, Dodgers 4
Milwaukee rallied from a 4–0 deficit to clinch the series.
The series in numbers
Series totals and individual performance from the 2026 NLCS.
| Category | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers |
|---|---|---|
| Series result | Won 4–0 | Lost 0–4 |
| Runs in series | 21 | 11 |
| Home runs in series | 7 | 1 |
| Game 4 score | 6 | 4 |
| Jake Bauers · NLCS MVP | 4-for-14 · .286 · 1 HR · 6 RBI · 3 walks | |
| 2026 regular-season record | 103–59 | 100–62 |
The details behind the sweep
Milwaukee’s comeback pattern, lineup production, and bullpen execution all show up in the series numbers.
A comeback in every game
Milwaukee trailed in all four games and still swept the series. MLB records this as the first team to trail in every game of a best-of-seven postseason series it swept. Six of the Brewers’ first eight postseason wins were comeback victories.
Seven homers from six players
The Brewers hit seven home runs to the Dodgers’ one. Garrett Mitchell hit two; Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Brice Turang, and David Hamilton hit one apiece.
Two 100-win clubs
Milwaukee finished the regular season 103–59; Los Angeles finished 100–62. It was the first best-of-seven postseason series between two 100-win teams to end in a sweep.
Game 4: from 4–0 down to the pennant
2nd inning
Los Angeles scored four runs. Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run homer.
4th–5th innings
Milwaukee scored twice in each inning. Bauers’ bases-loaded walk in the fifth tied the game at 4.
6th inning
Garrett Mitchell hit the go-ahead solo home run, making it 5–4.
9th inning
David Hamilton homered for a 6–4 lead. Aaron Ashby recorded the final nine outs.
Jake Bauers · series MVP
Bauers went 4-for-14 (.286), hit one home run, drove in six runs, and drew three walks. He recorded a hit in each of the four games. His six RBIs tied Milwaukee’s franchise record for RBIs in a postseason series. In the regular season, he hit 26 home runs and drove in 86 runs.
Milwaukee’s series line
The Brewers totaled 32 hits in 128 at-bats (.250), reached base at a .347 clip, and posted a .792 OPS in the NLCS. Those 32 hits included seven home runs. Their 21 runs were 10 more than Los Angeles scored.
Bullpen results
A Milwaukee reliever earned the win in each of the four games, the first time a team swept a best-of-seven postseason series with all four wins credited to relievers. In Game 4, Aaron Ashby pitched three scoreless innings, struck out three, and recorded the final nine outs.
Game 4 finish
The Dodgers scored all four of their runs in the second inning and did not score again. Ashby stranded the potential tying run in scoring position in both the seventh and eighth before Hamilton’s ninth-inning home run extended Milwaukee’s lead.
Postseason history
The four-run rally was the largest comeback to clinch a best-of-seven postseason sweep and tied the largest comeback to clinch a League Championship Series. Milwaukee also became the first team in MLB history to be swept by an opponent in one postseason and sweep that same opponent the following postseason.
Milwaukee Brewers
2026 National League champions · World Series bound
Jake Bauers · NLCS MVP
Bauers finished 4-for-14 with a home run, six RBIs, and three walks. In Game 4, his fourth-inning double and fifth-inning walk contributed to the comeback.
Garrett Mitchell and David Hamilton
Mitchell’s sixth-inning home run put Milwaukee ahead. Hamilton drove in a run in the fifth and added a ninth-inning home run.
Historic note: This is Milwaukee’s first World Series appearance since 1982 and its first National League pennant.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Eliminated in four games · defending champions
Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the second inning of Game 4, helping the Dodgers build a 4–0 lead. Milwaukee then scored six unanswered runs.
Milwaukee’s counterpunch
Milwaukee hit seven home runs in the series to Los Angeles’ one. The Brewers also converted key opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings of Game 4 before taking the lead with Mitchell’s sixth-inning home run.
Series context: The Dodgers had won the previous two World Series titles. Their bid for a third straight championship ended with the sweep.
The takeaway
Milwaukee built the comeback through multiple innings
Milwaukee cut into the deficit with two runs in the fourth and two in the fifth, then took the lead on Mitchell’s home run. Hamilton added insurance in the ninth. The Brewers won the series 4–0 and outscored Los Angeles 21–11.
Series assessment
What the series established
Milwaukee swept the defending champions and earned its first World Series appearance since 1982. The series was decided by a 4–0 sweep, a 21–11 run advantage, and a 7–1 home-run edge.
Film-room takeawaysCoach Pfeff’s Notes
Coach Pfeff’s Notes
A few things jumped off the tape in this series. Here’s what I’d underline the next time a game gets tight.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS01 · Reset after the deficit
Milwaukee trailed in all four games and still swept the series. A bad inning is not a reason to abandon the plan.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS02 · Take the free base
Bauers’ bases-loaded walk tied Game 4. He did not need to swing at a pitch he could not drive.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS03 · Know who owns the late innings
Ashby gave Milwaukee three scoreless innings and three strikeouts in the clincher. The bullpen plan held.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS04 · Let the rally build
Contreras and Bauers doubled back-to-back in the fourth inning of Game 4. Milwaukee scored twice without needing a home run.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS05 · Use the RBI single
Hamilton’s fifth-inning single brought Milwaukee closer before Bauers drew the tying walk.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS06 · Don’t chase the first pitch—unless it’s your pitch
Chourio jumped on Blake Snell’s first offering in Game 3 and homered. A good plan can mean swinging early, not just taking.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS07 · Keep the bases moving
Hamilton stole three bases in the series. Speed gave Milwaukee another way to put pressure on the defense.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS08 · Walks count as offense
Bauers drew three walks in the NLCS; Turang drew five. Free passes kept innings alive and gave the middle of the order more chances.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS09 · Make the pitcher pay for a mistake
In Game 3, Bauers and Mitchell hit back-to-back home runs off Snell in the seventh.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS10 · Spread the power around
Six Brewers homered in the series, and the club finished with seven home runs. The Dodgers hit one.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS11 · Don’t make one hitter carry the whole lineup
Bauers drove in six runs in the four games. Milwaukee also got production from Contreras, Mitchell, Chourio, Turang, and Hamilton.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS12 · Hamilton made his chances count
He went 4-for-7 with a homer, two RBIs, five runs, and three steals in the series.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS13 · Turang kept finding a way on
Turang scored six runs, drew five walks, and hit a home run in the NLCS.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS14 · Contreras did more than catch
He went 5-for-14 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, and three walks.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS15 · Mitchell delivered the biggest swings
Mitchell hit two home runs in the series, including the go-ahead shot in Game 4.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS16 · Pratt contributed at the plate and on the bases
Cooper Pratt collected five hits and stole a base during the series.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS17 · Score one run at a time
Milwaukee won Game 4 after falling behind 4–0. The comeback came through several turns at bat, not one magic moment.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS18 · After taking the lead, get the outs
The Brewers’ bullpen kept Los Angeles scoreless for the final seven innings of Game 4.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS19 · Use the home run when it’s there
Small ball is not a ban on power. Mitchell’s sixth-inning homer put Milwaukee ahead; Hamilton’s ninth-inning shot added insurance.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS20 · Make the other team defend the whole game
Milwaukee had seven homers, but also used doubles, singles, walks, and stolen bases to create pressure.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS21 · Remember the run differential
The Brewers scored 21 runs to Los Angeles’ 11 across the four games—a 10-run edge.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS22 · Stay ready for the next inning
Milwaukee’s comeback in the clincher only happened because it kept giving itself another chance to score.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS23 · Use the whole roster
Six different Brewers hit a home run in the series. The threat did not come from one spot in the batting order.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS24 · Build a team that can reload
Chourio was 22 in 2026, and the Brewers’ prospect system ranked No. 1 overall that August. A young core plus a strong pipeline gives them a chance to stay good.
NLCS · BOTH CLUBS25 · Enjoy the history—but keep earning it
Milwaukee became the first team to sweep the same postseason opponent the year after that opponent swept them. It is a remarkable marker; the next season still starts at 0–0.