Overview
- The Milwaukee Brewers completed a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday to win the National League pennant and reach the World Series for the first time since 1982.
- Garrett Mitchell hit the go-ahead homer in Game 4 and Aaron Ashby threw three scoreless innings as Milwaukee’s relievers closed out the series.
- The sweep exposed the Dodgers’ late-season vulnerabilities, highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s physical problems that curtailed his pitching and contributed to reduced offensive production.
- Veteran changes began immediately as Miguel Rojas announced his playing retirement and the Dodgers confront free agents, aging core players and a likely December labor fight over a new collective bargaining agreement and a proposed salary cap.
- Milwaukee will have a week off before hosting Game 1 on Oct. 23 against either the Tampa Bay Rays or Cleveland Guardians, a contrast that underlines questions about payroll and roster construction after the Brewers’ low-cost run to the Fall Classic.