The World Series landscape just changed in a big way, and the Dodgers are done. For the first time in three years, there will be a new champion, after Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep last night with a 6-4 comeback win in Los Angeles.
Down 4-0, the Brewers flipped the game and the series, punching their ticket to the World Series for the first time since 1982. That makes them one of just two teams now sitting ahead of the Orioles on the longest World Series drought list. The Pirates last got there in 1979, while the Mariners still have never appeared in a World Series since the franchise began in 1977.
Milwaukee has earned the ride. The Brewers finished with the best record in baseball during the regular season and have carried that form into October.
They hit, and they hit when it matters. They defend.
They play clean, fundamental baseball. Their bullpen has been outstanding.
And with the presumed NL Cy Young winner, Jacob Misiorowski, leading the rotation, this feels like the cleanest shot they’ve ever had at winning their first championship.
As for the Dodgers, there doesn’t seem to be much sympathy to go around. When you’ve won two straight World Series, a failed bid for No. 3 isn’t exactly a tragedy. That said, the thought experiment is obvious: if the Orioles were in that spot, it might feel a whole lot different.
The ALCS is giving fans a different kind of drama. Cleveland has grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the favored Rays, and it’s done it with another sharp pitching performance.
That’s a surprise, at least on paper. Tampa Bay had a 13-game edge in the regular season, while Cleveland spent the final weeks of the year scraping past a messy pack of middling teams.
But the Guardians found a late surge at the right time, going 9-2 in their final 11 games before erasing a 2-0 deficit against the White Sox in the Wild Card Series.
Now the question is whether they can finish the upset. Game 4 is set for tonight at 8 PM ET, though Cleveland’s weather forecast could complicate that schedule.
For Orioles fans, there’s also a bit of local flavor floating around the baseball internet. If you were wondering about Cade Povich’s offseason, there’s apparently an update there.
And if you wanted a blunt read on the Orioles’ recent handling of prospects, that discussion was summed up pretty plainly in one place: “The Orioles screwed this guy up” and “This guy needs a change of scenery.”
There was also a straightforward answer to a bigger Orioles question: “What’s the biggest mistake the Orioles have made since 2024?”
On this day in Orioles history, the calendar brings a pair of memorable moments. Forty-three years ago, on this date in 1983, Baltimore wrapped up its most recent World Series title with a 5-0 win over the Phillies in Game 5.
The Orioles managed only five hits, but Eddie Murray had three of them and hit two homers, while Rick Dempsey added one of his own on his way to World Series MVP honors. Scott McGregor handled the rest with a five-hit shutout, and the celebration began when Cal Ripken Jr. squeezed Garry Maddox’s line drive to shortstop.
Also on this date in 1971, the Orioles stayed alive in the World Series with a tense Game 6 win in Baltimore. Trailing 2-0 late, they got a solo homer from Don Buford in the sixth and an RBI single from Davey Johnson in the seventh to tie it. Dave McNally, working in relief, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 10th, and Baltimore finished it in the bottom half when Frank Robinson walked, took third on a single, and scored aggressively on Brooks Robinson’s sacrifice fly, tearing his hamstring in the process.
Three former Orioles were born today: Jonathan Schoop, who turns 35, Mike Dimmel, who turns 72, and Don Hood, who was born in 1949 and died in 2023.
In Other News...
Orioles Saw This Power Gamble Unravel Faster Than Anyone Expected
When Mike Elias moved Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in the 2025 offseason for Taylor Ward, the idea was easy to understand from Baltimores side: add a proven bat with power upside and hope the change of scenery helps unlock more pop. Ward did give the Orioles some extra offense early, piling up doubles and giving the lineup a different look, but the fit never quite matched the ambition of the deal.
The bigger issue was that the production the Orioles were counting on did not show up often enough, and the defense did not steady things either. By the trade deadline, Baltimore had already pivoted, sending Ward to the Mariners in a deal that brought back three relief pitchers, a quick reminder of how fast an aggressive roster bet can turn into a reset. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Wont Love When Rubenstein Chose To Say This
David Rubenstein is not trying to hide the business side of owning the Orioles, and his latest interview made that clear. The teams new owner said MLB owners are making significant profits, while also explaining that part of his motivation for buying Baltimore was tied to philanthropy and what he can do for the city. He also acknowledged what Orioles fans already know all too well, that the clubs on-field results have dipped since he took over in 2024.
All of that lands at a delicate time for baseball, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on December 1 and a lockout looking increasingly possible. For Orioles fans, the timing only sharpens the concern, because any conversation about ownership priorities, league economics and the future of the sport tends to make its way back to whether the club is positioned to keep competing at the level expected in Baltimore. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have A Tough Call On A Pitching Prospect
Matt Braggs return to game action in the Arizona Fall League has given the Orioles something useful to think about as the offseason begins to take shape. The 2023 eighth-round pick is back after recovering from a torn UCL and Tommy John surgery, and in six scoreless innings he has shown the kind of command and velocity that can quickly change how a club views a young pitchers timeline.
Now Baltimore has to weigh whether Braggs progress is enough to justify a spot on the 40-man roster with his Rule 5 Draft eligibility looming. It is the kind of decision teams hate to make too early and hate even more to get wrong, especially with a pitcher whose arm talent is starting to re-emerge at just the right time. [Read more 🡒]