Shohei Ohtani brought the Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
Ohtani hit three homers and struck out 10 while leading off the seventh inning, and the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers of the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 on Friday night.
“This was probably the greatest postseason performance ever,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There were a lot of postseason games. There’s a reason he’s the greatest player on the planet.”
The Dodgers will have a chance to become baseball’s first repeat World Series champion in a quarter-century after this stunning night for three-time MVP outfielder Ohtani emphatically ended a postseason that was quiet by his lofty standards. Ohtani was named NLCS Most Valuable Player on the strength of this memorable game.
“This time it’s my turn to be able to perform,” Ohtani said through his translator.
After hitting a triple in the top of the first inning of Game 4, Ohtani hit the first leadoff homer by a pitcher in major league history off Brewers starter Jose Quintana.
Ohtani was followed by a 469-foot blast in the fourth blast, clearing the roof of the right-center wing.
Ohtani added a third solo shot in the seventh inning, becoming the 12th player in major league history to hit three homers in a postseason game. Combined, his three owners traveled 1,342 feet.
Ohtani (2-0) also completely dominated the Brewers in his second career postseason start, allowing two hits in his first double-digit strikeout game in a Dodgers uniform.
“Sometimes you have to check yourself and touch it to make sure it’s not just made of steel,” said Freddie Freeman, last season’s World Series MVP. “It’s absolutely unbelievable. The biggest stage, to come out and do something like this. Maybe it will be remembered as a Shohei Ohtani match.”
After the Brewers’ first two batters reached the seventh, he left the mound to a standing ovation from the outfield — and after Alex Vescia escaped a jam, Ohtani celebrated by hitting his third homer in the bottom half.
The powerhouse Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles is back in the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, and will try to become baseball’s first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998-2000.
“That was special,” Freeman said. “We’ve been playing a really good game of baseball for a while, and the inevitable happened today – Shuhei. Oh my God. I’m still speechless.”
After a 9-1 rampage during the NFL playoffs, the Dodgers are headed to their 23rd World Series in franchise history, including 14 pennants since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Only the Yankees, last year’s opponent, have played more games in the Fall Classic (41).
Los Angeles will have a week off before the World Series begins next Friday, either in Toronto or at Dodger Stadium against Seattle. The Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at Rogers Center.
The Dodgers had never swept the NLCS in their previous 16 games, but they became only the fifth team to sweep the series while completely dominating a Milwaukee club that led the major leagues with 97 wins during the season. Los Angeles is the first team to sweep a best-of-seven postseason series since 2022, and the first team to sweep the NLCS since Washington in 2019.
“I’ll tell you, before this season started, they said the Dodgers were ruining baseball,” Roberts shouted to the crowd during the on-field celebration. “Let’s get four more wins and really destroy baseball!”
The NL Central champion Brewers were eliminated by the Dodgers for the third time during their current seven-game playoff stretch in eight years. Even after setting a record for wins this season, Milwaukee is still awaiting its first World Series appearance since 1982.
“We were a part of tonight, probably the best individual performance ever in a postseason game,” Milwaukee coach Pat Murphy said. “I don’t think anyone can dispute that. A man punches 10 people and beats up three colleagues.”
The Brewers have never been swept in a playoff series longer than a best-of-three, but their bats went silent in the NLCS against the Dodgers’ impressive starting rotation. Four Los Angeles starters combined to pitch 28 and two-thirds innings while allowing two earned runs and 35 hits.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the first after Ohtani’s homer set the tone, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith both singled and scored.
Jackson Corio doubled his lead off in the fourth for Milwaukee’s first hit, but Ohtani stranded him with a groundout and two strikeouts.
Struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen allowed two more baserunners in the eighth, and Caleb Durbin scored when Bryce Turang beat his would-be fielder into a double play before Anthony Banda ended the inning.
Rocky Sasaki homered in the ninth in the latest successful relief outing for the Dodgers’ unexpected closer.