The Los Angeles Dodgers entered this postseason having won two straight World Series and with a squad that included MVPs and Cy Young winners like Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell.
A $412 million roster that ran into the $142 million buzzsaw as the Milwaukee Brewers ousted the Dodgers in four games in the NLCS and booked their first trip to the World Series since 1982.
How did they do that? Brewers manager Pat Murphy laid it out simply:
«Getting the chance to watch these guys start to believe in themselves and know they can. They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers. And the gamers won this week.»
After topping the majors with 103 wins during the regular season, Milwaukee became the first major league club to finish a postseason sweep after getting swept by that same opponent in the previous postseason.
The Brewers also are the first team to sweep a best-of-seven postseason series in which it trailed in every game.
«There was never a doubt in that dugout what was going to happen tonight. We knew we were going to win that game,» said first baseman Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP.
Aaron Ashby pitched three scoreless innings for a save as the Brewers erased a four-run deficit to win their first NL pennant and second overall. Milwaukee was in the American League when the franchise made its only previous World Series appearance 44 years ago, a seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
«We got down early tonight and we were like, it’s going to be a great story,» Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. «We’re going to come back and win this. Like, stay together, start chipping away. And that’s exactly what they did.»
Ohtani’s first home run this postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by Los Angeles in the NLCS.
The Dodgers’ goal of a three-peat — not done since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000 and never by a National League team — died with their anemic offense and injuries to Ohtani and others on their aging roster.
Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Andy Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and yelling and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.
But the Brewers wouldn’t be denied. And when it was over, owner Mark Attanasio thought of Milwaukee’s longtime owner and beloved late broadcaster.
«It’s so important for the community, the entire state of Wisconsin,» Attanasio said. «We’re standing on shoulders of Bud Selig and Bob Uecker.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
