The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their second straight National League pennant with a 5–1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, a win powered by one of the most commanding two-way performances in postseason history. Entering Game 4, oddsmakers had positioned Los Angeles as a strong favorite, with a moneyline price generally around –160, while Milwaukee was listed near +140. Those projections proved accurate as Shohei Ohtani delivered a game that will likely be remembered as one of the greatest ever recorded in an elimination setting.
Ohtani, the Dodgers’ three-time MVP, hit three home runs and struck out ten batters while delivering six-plus innings of shutout pitching. His efforts lifted Los Angeles to a four-game sweep of the Brewers, securing the franchise’s twenty-third World Series appearance and its fifth in the past nine seasons. With the Dodgers now chasing baseball’s first back-to-back championships since the New York Yankees accomplished the feat from 1998 through 2000, Ohtani’s performance provided the clearest example yet of why he remains one of the sport’s most transformational talents.
The historic outing began immediately. After striking out the side in the first inning, Ohtani stepped to the plate against Milwaukee starter José Quintana and hit the first leadoff home run by a pitcher in postseason history. He followed with a towering 469-foot blast in the fourth inning that cleared the right-center pavilion roof at Dodger Stadium, one of the longest home runs tracked in a postseason game. His third homer came in the seventh, shortly after he exited the mound to a prolonged standing ovation. The three shots traveled a combined 1,342 feet, making Ohtani only the twelfth major league player to hit three homers in a postseason game and the first ever to do so while also recording double-digit strikeouts.
On the mound, Ohtani overpowered Milwaukee hitters with a mix of fastballs, splitters and sliders. He did not allow a hit until the fourth and struck out at least two batters in three consecutive innings. He departed after giving up back-to-back singles to begin the seventh, but reliever Alex Vesia preserved the shutout by escaping the jam. Ohtani later returned to the dugout just in time to celebrate his third home run in the bottom half of the inning.
Freddie Freeman, last year’s World Series MVP, described the performance as extraordinary, saying it felt as if Ohtani was operating beyond the limits of typical postseason play. Teammates echoed the sentiment, noting his ability to dominate in every phase of the game during a moment of maximum pressure.
The Dodgers’ offense supported Ohtani early. After his first-inning homer, Mookie Betts and Will Smith delivered singles and came around to score, giving Los Angeles a quick 3–0 advantage. That early separation proved decisive, as Milwaukee struggled to generate scoring opportunities throughout the series. The Brewers did not record a hit until Jackson Chourio’s double in the fourth, and they managed only a single run, scored in the eighth when Caleb Durbin crossed the plate on an infield grounder.
Milwaukee entered the series following a 97-win regular season but struggled to solve the Dodgers’ pitching staff. Across the four-game sweep, Los Angeles starters combined to allow only two earned runs in nearly twenty-nine innings, striking out thirty-five. Brewers manager Pat Murphy acknowledged the magnitude of Ohtani’s performance, calling it one of the most outstanding individual displays he had ever witnessed in the postseason.
For the Brewers, the loss extended a postseason drought that has now spanned more than four decades. Milwaukee last reached the World Series in 1982 and has been eliminated by the Dodgers three times during its current stretch of playoff appearances.
Los Angeles now advances to the World Series after completing a dominant 9–1 run through the National League bracket. With home-field advantage still to be determined, the Dodgers await the winner of the American League Championship Series between Toronto and Seattle. Regardless of opponent, the spotlight will remain fixed on Ohtani, who delivered a performance that not only sealed a pennant but further reinforced his place at the center of the Dodgers’ championship pursuit.
As the club prepares for its next opportunity to claim a title, manager Dave Roberts emphasized the team’s focus on finishing the job. Behind Ohtani, whose latest outing redefined expectations for two-way excellence, Los Angeles moves into the Fall Classic with momentum, depth and a chance to repeat as champions for the first time in a quarter-century.
