The Milwaukee Brewers are returning to the World Series after 44 years away. They completed the stunning turnaround Thursday at Dodger Stadium, overcoming an early four-run deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series and sweep the reigning two-time champions.
Milwaukee will open the World Series on October 23, with Game 1 scheduled to air on FOX.
A Four-Run Deficit Could Not Stop Milwaukee
The Dodgers appeared ready to force a longer series after building a 4-0 lead. Instead, the Brewers gradually erased the gap, relied on their bullpen, and finished the night with the defining swings of the game.
- Garrett Mitchell put Milwaukee ahead with a solo homer in the sixth inning.
- David Hamilton supplied valuable insurance with a ninth-inning home run.
- Jackson Chourio caught the final deep fly near the left-field warning track.
Chourio’s catch ended the comeback and sent the Brewers into a celebration that had been delayed since their previous World Series appearance in 1982. Milwaukee also out-homered Los Angeles 7-1 during the four-game NLCS, an unexpected power advantage against a Dodgers lineup known for its depth and star power.
A Broadcast Moment Reclaimed
As the final out settled into Chourio’s glove, Brewers radio announcer Jeff Levering delivered an emotional call. Levering, who previously shared the booth with the late Bob Uecker, told listeners that Milwaukee had won the pennant and that the World Series would be played through Wisconsin.
The moment also revived an old piece of franchise history. Many supporters have attributed the famous 1982 pennant call to Uecker, but the line actually came from his radio partner, Dwayne Mosley. Uecker had left the booth late in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series to help host the clubhouse celebration.
When Minnesota’s Rod Carew hit a ground ball to Robin Yount, the shortstop’s throw reached Cecil Cooper and triggered the celebration at County Stadium. Mosley made the historic announcement as fans spilled onto the field. Four decades later, Levering gave Milwaukee a new version of that unforgettable broadcast moment.
Christian Yelich Finally Breaks Through
Christian Yelich has spent much of his Brewers career running into the Dodgers in October. Los Angeles eliminated Milwaukee in the 2018 NLCS, ended another postseason run in 2020, and swept the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS.
The latest defeat had come in the same visiting clubhouse where Yelich celebrated Thursday night. This season, Milwaukee made him captain, a distinction that reflected both his seniority and his importance to the organization. After the clinching win, Yelich pointed to the clubhouse’s belief that this roster could write a different ending.
Yelich joined Milwaukee in 2018 as the organization entered its modern competitive era. He is now the longest-serving hitter on a team that has turned repeated October disappointment into its biggest opportunity in generations.
The Brewers Won Without Depending on Homers
Milwaukee’s offensive identity made the NLCS result even more surprising. The 1982 club was known as “Harvey’s Wallbangers” after leading the majors in home runs. The current Brewers followed a very different path during the regular season, finishing tied for second last in the majors in homers while ranking second in total runs.
Their approach centred on long at-bats, pressure on opposing pitchers, aggressive baserunning, and constant traffic. Outfielder Sal Frelick described the style as wearing pitchers down until they had nowhere left to turn. Against Los Angeles, however, Milwaukee added timely power to that relentless approach.
Mitchell’s go-ahead homer and Hamilton’s late blast were not typical of the team’s regular-season formula, but they provided the exact separation needed in the clincher.
A Historic Path to the Pennant
Thursday’s victory was Milwaukee’s 110th win in its 170th meaningful game of 2026. The total includes an extraordinary regular season and two decisive playoff rounds:
- The Brewers won 103 regular-season games, setting a franchise record and posting the majors’ best record.
- They defeated San Diego three times in the NLDS after the Padres had owned baseball’s best record following the All-Star break.
- They swept the Dodgers in four NLCS games to claim the National League pennant.
Milwaukee also created a postseason first. After Los Angeles swept the Brewers in the 2025 NLCS, Milwaukee returned the favour one year later. No major league team had previously answered a postseason sweep by sweeping the same opponent in the following October.
The franchise is now four victories from its first World Series championship. Its only earlier appearance came in 1982, when Milwaukee lost a seven-game series to the St. Louis Cardinals while still competing in the American League.
From Rebuilding Doubts to October Belief
The Brewers’ turnaround has roots well beyond this playoff run. After promising trips to the post-season in 2008 and 2011, the organization endured a second-half collapse in 2014, a managerial change in 2015, and substantial turnover throughout its roster and front office.
During that difficult period, a frustrated fan sent a cake to the club’s reception desk after Milwaukee won a couple of games in early May. Blue icing congratulated the Brewers for no longer being the worst team in Major League Baseball. Team officials did not view the gesture as encouragement, although some employees ate it.
Assistant general manager Karl Mueller remembers that era clearly. He joined the organization in 2004 as one of Ned Yost’s analytically inclined young scouts, evaluating players through VHS footage. Now he is watching the franchise reach a level that once seemed unrealistic.
Over the last 10 regular seasons, only the Dodgers, Astros, and Yankees have produced better winning percentages than Milwaukee. Since Pat Murphy became manager three seasons ago, no team has won more often. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold allowed himself to enjoy the pennant briefly before turning the organization’s attention to the World Series.
Why the Number 44 Matters
Owner Mark Attanasio spoke with 92-year-old franchise founder Bud Selig after Milwaukee won Game 3. The call began at 10:50 p.m. Central time, and Selig, too energized to sleep, repeatedly described the team as remarkable.
When Attanasio’s ownership group purchased the Brewers before the 2005 season, Milwaukee was coming off its 12th consecutive losing campaign. A .500 record in the first season felt significant, while the 2008 Wild Card appearance ended a 26-year playoff drought.
The 44-year wait also carries symbolic weight. Hank Aaron wore No. 44, including during his two seasons in Milwaukee, and hit the final home run of his 755-homer career 50 years ago. Aaron and Uecker later helped support efforts to build Miller Park and keep professional baseball in Wisconsin’s smallest major-league media market.
Attanasio saw several moments during this postseason as signs that the season was building toward something unusual:
- Ty France’s fly ball bounced off the roof and landed in Chourio’s glove during NLDS Game 1.
- Mitchell robbed Manny Machado of a deep hit in the NLDS clincher.
- Jake Bauers, who had considered retiring in 2024 after learning his wife was pregnant, produced a breakout season at age 30 and delivered several important NLCS at-bats.
- Milwaukee became the first team to win six comeback games in its opening eight playoff contests.
Brewers Fans Followed the Team to Los Angeles
Milwaukee supporters filled sections of Dodger Stadium and stayed after the final out to watch the club receive the Warren C. Giles Trophy. Some travelled across the country on extremely short notice.
Joe Stolarczyk watched Game 3 at Hog Creek Bar & Grill in Mosinee. Around 1 a.m., he decided to fly to Los Angeles. His brother David Stolarczyk and sister Mary Pilz joined him after friends failed to respond, buying tickets while travelling towards a Minneapolis flight. The group reached seats behind home plate before batting practice ended. Joe had been living in Alaska during Milwaukee’s 1982 run.
Longtime friends Dave Wuest of Atlanta and Murray Williams of Orange County also made the trip. They have known each other since kindergarten and still remember Milwaukee’s painful seven-game loss to St. Louis in 1982.
Yelich called the travelling support electric. The Brewers will need that same energy when their first World Series in 44 years begins October 23.
