Dodgers Let Another Late Lead Slip In Brutal October Collapse

The Milwaukee Brewers staged a dramatic comeback against the Los Angeles Dodgers, securing their first World Series berth in over four decades despite an early deficit.

The Dodgers’ bid for a three-peat is done, and the Brewers are the reason the Commissioner’s Trophy will have a new home.

Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep of the defending two-time champions, booking its first World Series trip since 1982. The Brewers, the best team in the 2026 regular season, now get a shot at the first championship in franchise history.

Game 4 looked like it might tilt the other way early. Andy Pages delivered his third hit with runners in scoring position in the postseason to get the Dodgers on the board against former teammate Dustin May in the bottom of the second. Then Shohei Ohtani landed the biggest blow of the night, launching a three-run home run and giving Los Angeles its largest lead of the series.

That cushion didn’t hold.

Tyler Glasnow had been cruising through his first 10 batters, punching out six while working with that four-run edge. Then Brice Turang drew a walk, and Milwaukee started to chip.

William Contreras and eventual NLCS MVP Jake Bauers followed with ground-rule doubles that sliced the Dodgers’ lead in half. Glasnow got through four innings, but the Brewers kept coming, and David Hamilton’s base hit up the middle in the top of the fifth brought Milwaukee within one.

Evan Phillips entered in relief trying to steady things, but two straight two-out walks to Turang and Contreras forced Dave Roberts to turn to Alex Vesia with the bases loaded. Vesia couldn’t find the strike zone, and Milwaukee tied the game on four pitches without Bauers even swinging.

Then Garrett Mitchell delivered the swing that flipped everything. He had only one home run against a left-handed pitcher in the regular season, but he picked up his second in as many days off a southpaw, taking Tanner Scott deep for the go-ahead shot in the top of the sixth. Just like that, the comeback was complete.

The pattern held throughout the series: the Dodgers kept getting out front, and the Brewers kept ripping the game back in their direction. Milwaukee had scored just four total runs in last year’s NLCS.

In this four-game sweep, the Brewers piled up 21. The Dodgers scored four runs in Games 2 and 4, their best output against Milwaukee, and averaged fewer than three runs per game.

When the last out came, it was Kiké Hernández again in the spotlight. The last time the Dodgers were knocked out before Thursday, Hernández lined out to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the 2023 NLDS against Arizona. This time, he lined out to Jackson Chourio in left field, and Milwaukee erupted.

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