Pat Murphy isn’t pretending the road ahead is anything but brutal. The Brewers manager looked at the Dodgers and saw exactly what everyone else sees: a lineup stacked with difference-makers from top to bottom. His answer, though, was simple and very much in keeping with the way Milwaukee has gotten here.
“We have a monumental task ahead of us, based on what I know about the Dodgers. There’s like an All-Star at every position,” Murphy said.
“But you know what? Teams win.
And we’ve got to play as a team.”
That’s the Brewers’ challenge as they head into the NLCS with another shot at the pennant. Last season’s stage is back, and so is the same giant obstacle in front of them: the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Milwaukee knows the size of the assignment. Murphy is banking on the collective, not the individual.
The Brewers arrive after eliminating the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, a series they were on the brink of sweeping before Game 3 extended things one more night. Murphy said the loss didn’t derail them; instead, it shifted the energy in a way that helped Milwaukee reset.
“The momentum switched after [the Brewers’ Game 3 loss], and to come out today and be so diligent in front of this crowd, it was a great win all the way around,” Murphy said.
Garrett Mitchell played a key part in that Game 4 win, opening the scoring with an RBI single in the third inning. Afterward, he said the Brewers’ feel this season is different.
“I feel like this year we just have a different type of confidence, a different type of belief, and we’re just going out there and having fun - not putting too much pressure on ourselves. And we know we’re a force to be reckoned with,” Mitchell said. “We know the Dodgers are a force to be reckoned with, too, and it’s going to be a really, really fun series and hopefully we come out on top.”
Milwaukee gets its first crack at the Dodgers on Sunday in Game 1 of the NLCS.
In Other News...
Brewers Ended San Diegos Season With A Play Fans Will Relive
The Brewers did more than advance by taking Game 4 of the National League Division Series, they closed the book on a Padres season that had stayed tense right up to the final innings. San Diego got the kind of swing that can change a postseason game when Fernando Tatis Jr. delivered a solo home run, and the matchup still felt like it could tilt either way because the margins were so thin throughout the series.
Milwaukee, though, had the kind of response playoff teams need, and Garrett Mitchells critical defensive play stood out as the sort of moment Padres fans will keep replaying. The loss leaves San Diego staring at an uncertain offseason, with aging cornerstone players, several pitchers headed toward free agency and a looming lockout all hanging over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Mitchell Gave Brewers Fans A Play They'll Never Forget
Garrett Mitchell turned one swing into a moment Brewers fans will be replaying for a long time. In Game 4 of the National League Division Series, with Milwaukee protecting a 3-1 lead, Mitchell tracked down Manny Machados drive at the wall and took away what looked like a game-tying two-run homer for San Diego. It was the kind of defensive play that can change the feel of an entire October series, and it came at exactly the right time for a Brewers club trying to keep control of the game.
Milwaukee still had to finish the job, and the Brewers did exactly that by closing out the Padres in the ninth inning to clinch the series. Mitchells catch ended up standing out as one of the defining moments of the matchup, the sort of play that helped push Milwaukee into the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a reminder that in the postseason, one out in the outfield can carry nearly as much weight as a big hit at the plate. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Had One Wall Play That Changed Everything In October
October baseball often turns on one swing or one catch, and Milwaukee got its defining moment in the outfield against San Diego. Garrett Mitchells home run robbery stood out as the kind of wall play that can flip a game in a hurry, giving the Brewers a lift at the exact time they needed it and helping carry them deeper into the postseason.
Around the league, the Rays were finishing off the Yankees with a sweep that sent Tampa Bay on to the American League Championship Series, a run that included a Ryan Vilade home run and the kind of replay drama that can stop a game cold. For the Brewers, the Mitchell grab fit the same October script: one burst of athleticism, one moment of disbelief, and a reminder that playoff margins can be razor thin. [Read more 🡒]