Buster Olney didn’t dance around it when he broke down the Dodgers’ NLCS exit on ESPN Podcasts. His verdict on Los Angeles’ four-game loss to Milwaukee was blunt.
“The bottom line was, they (Dodgers) just got their a** kicked,” Olney remarked.
He doubled down on that idea by pointing to how thoroughly the Brewers controlled the series. “We walk away and you’re like, ‘Yeah, the Brewers killed them.
They out-scored them 21-9. The Dodgers hit one home run.
The Brewers were the team running around the field, making all kinds of plays.”
Milwaukee’s sweep was a jolt, especially with the Dodgers entering the postseason chasing a third straight World Series title. Instead, the Brewers never let them settle in, and the matchup quickly turned into one-sided domination.
The numbers told part of the story, but so did the way Milwaukee carried itself over the four games. The Brewers outplayed Los Angeles from start to finish, and Olney’s point was that there wasn’t much mystery to it: the better team on the field in this series was Milwaukee.
Now the Brewers move on to the World Series with a chance to win the first championship in franchise history. They haven’t been back to baseball’s biggest stage since 1982, even with several deep postseason runs in recent years. October has kept shutting the door on them before, but this time they finally broke through.
For the Dodgers, the offseason starts now. They still have plenty of talent, but this kind of finish can force a hard look at what comes next before the next season begins.
In Other News...
Brewers Just Got A World Series Break They Desperately Needed
After sweeping the Dodgers to clinch a spot in the World Series for the first time in 44 years, Milwaukee can finally exhale for a moment. This has been a season built on pitching depth and relentless run prevention, with Jacob Misiorowski giving the staff an edge even if he has not been asked to go deep in October games.
The bigger benefit now may come from the calendar. A few extra days before the World Series should help a bullpen that has carried a heavy workload through the playoffs, with Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill all taking on a lot of responsibility along the way. For a team that has leaned so hard on its arms, the pause could be just as valuable as any on-field adjustment. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fans Have A Familiar Reason To Watch Milwaukee Now
Andrew Vaughns move from the White Sox to the Brewers has turned into the kind of second act both sides can file away for different reasons. Milwaukee gave him a fresh start last season, and he has settled in with better on-base production and more consistent overall value since the trade, the sort of steady improvement that makes a lineup look deeper and a front office feel better about the deal.
For White Sox fans, the familiarity only goes so far from here. Chicago now has Munetaka Murakami at first base, and the club is not expected to chase Vaughn once he reaches free agency, so the path back never really looks like its opening. In the meantime, his progress in Milwaukee stands as another reminder that a change of scenery can matter just as much as raw talent. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Ashby Is Giving The Brewers An October Weapon Few Teams Ever Find
Aaron Ashby has turned into one of those October arms managers dream about but almost never find. The Brewers left-hander has delivered multiple scoreless, multi-inning relief outings in their postseason run, helping steady games in both the NLDS and the NLCS while pushing his name into a conversation usually reserved for elite playoff relievers. The company is notable too, with Ashby drawing comparisons to the kind of postseason weaponry associated with Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Andrew Miller and Yusmeiro Petit.
For Milwaukee, the bigger point is what Ashby has meant in the moment: every time he has taken the ball this postseason, the Brewers have won. In an October shaped by thin margins and short benches, having a pitcher who can cover more than an inning and still miss bats has given the club a valuable edge, and it has raised the question of just how deep this run can go if he keeps being available in the biggest spots. [Read more 🡒]