The Milwaukee Brewers have returned to the World Series for the first time since 1982, ending one of the longest championship waits in franchise history. Their remarkable run concluded Thursday at Dodger Stadium, where they erased a four-run deficit and defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
The victory completed a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions and secured Milwaukee’s first National League pennant in 44 years. World Series Game 1 is scheduled for October 23 on FOX.
A Four-Run Deficit Turns Into a Pennant
Los Angeles appeared to have control early, but Milwaukee steadily chipped away before taking the lead for good. Garrett Mitchell’s solo home run in the sixth inning broke the tie, while David Hamilton provided valuable breathing room with a ninth-inning blast.
Milwaukee’s bullpen protected the advantage, setting up a final moment that will be remembered across Wisconsin. Jackson Chourio raced toward the left-field warning track and made the decisive catch to end the game.
- Milwaukee rallied from four runs behind.
- The Brewers won the deciding game 6-4.
- Mitchell delivered the go-ahead home run.
- Hamilton added late insurance with another homer.
- Chourio’s catch sealed the National League title.
Brewers radio broadcaster Jeff Levering, who previously shared the booth with the late Bob Uecker, made the celebration even more memorable. His call declared that Milwaukee had won the pennant and that the World Series would now run through Wisconsin.
Milwaukee Won the Power Battle
The Dodgers entered the series with the type of lineup normally associated with postseason power. Instead, Milwaukee produced seven home runs across the four NLCS games, while Los Angeles hit only one.
| NLCS comparison | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers |
|---|---|---|
| Series result | Won 4-0 | Lost 0-4 |
| Home runs | 7 | 1 |
| Game 4 score | 6 runs | 4 runs |
| Comeback result | Overcame a four-run deficit | Could not hold the early lead |
That unexpected display of strength was especially striking because Milwaukee was tied for second-last in regular-season home runs. The club still scored the second-most runs in baseball by forcing extended at-bats, moving runners and exhausting opposing pitchers.
Outfielder Sal Frelick has described the approach as dragging pitchers into difficult, exhausting battles. Against Los Angeles, that grinding identity was joined by timely power, giving the Brewers a complete offensive formula at the most important point of the season.
Yelich Finally Breaks Through Against Los Angeles
Christian Yelich has experienced several painful postseason exits at the hands of the Dodgers. Los Angeles defeated Milwaukee in the 2018 NLCS, ended another Brewers run in 2020 and swept the club in the 2025 NLCS.
The 2018 defeat included a crucial defensive play by Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor in Game 7. Last year’s four-game sweep was particularly difficult because it came shortly before Milwaukee’s return to the same stage.
Yelich arrived in Milwaukee in 2018 and became the longest-tenured hitter on a roster that has established one of baseball’s most consistent winning cultures. This season, the organization named him captain, a recognition of his leadership and connection to the club.
Throughout the year, Yelich maintained that the current team should not be defined by the previous season’s disappointment. After the sweep, he pointed to the clubhouse’s belief, trust and refusal to let the past dictate the outcome.
Numbers Behind a Historic Brewers Season
The pennant came during Milwaukee’s 170th meaningful game of 2026. The Brewers have won 110 of those contests, a total that reflects the depth of their achievement.
- The club won 103 regular-season games, setting a franchise record and finishing with the best record in the majors.
- Milwaukee defeated San Diego three times in the NLDS after the Padres posted baseball’s strongest record following the All-Star break.
- The Brewers swept Los Angeles with four NLCS victories.
- Milwaukee became the first team in 103 years to lose a postseason series by sweep and then sweep that same opponent the following October.
- The team became the first in baseball history to win six comeback games during the opening eight games of a post-season run.
Four additional victories would give the Brewers the first championship in franchise history. The 1982 team reached the World Series but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, leaving this year’s club with an opportunity to complete unfinished business.
From Doubt and Rebuilding to a Pennant
The organization’s rise has been gradual rather than accidental. After playoff appearances in 2008 and 2011, Milwaukee endured a difficult stretch that included a second-half collapse in 2014, a managerial change early in 2015 and significant turnover in both the roster and front office.
At one point, a frustrated fan left a cake with blue icing at the former Miller Park after a pair of early-May victories. The message congratulated the Brewers for no longer having baseball’s worst record. Team officials did not regard the gesture as a compliment, although some staff members were willing to eat the cake.
Assistant general manager Karl Mueller has been part of the organization since 2004, when he joined Ned Yost’s analytically inclined scouting group. At that time, the club’s so-called “whiz kids” evaluated players through VHS tapes. Now, Mueller is watching a franchise transformed into one of baseball’s most reliable winners.
Over the past 10 regular seasons, only the Dodgers, Astros and Yankees have posted better winning percentages than Milwaukee. Since Pat Murphy became manager three seasons ago, no team has won more often than the Brewers. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold described the pennant as a meaningful moment but immediately emphasized the need to remain focused on the World Series.
The Legacy of 1982 Still Shapes the Celebration
The 44-year wait carries special meaning because Hank Aaron wore No. 44, including during his two seasons in Milwaukee. Aaron hit the final home run of his 755-homer career 50 years ago.
Aaron and Uecker later helped advocate for Miller Park, a project that kept Major League Baseball in Wisconsin’s smallest media market. Their influence remains woven into the franchise’s identity, making this pennant feel connected to several generations of Brewers supporters.
Owner Mark Attanasio called franchise founder Bud Selig after Milwaukee won Game 3. The 92-year-old Selig was too excited to sleep and repeatedly described the team as remarkable.
Attanasio’s ownership group purchased the Brewers before the 2005 season, following the club’s 12th consecutive losing year. A .500 record in that first season felt like a breakthrough, while the 2008 Wild Card berth ended a 26-year playoff drought and seemed almost as significant as a championship.
Small Moments That Changed the Postseason
Several unusual plays and personal decisions have helped define Milwaukee’s run. Attanasio highlighted a collection of moments that appeared minor at the time but became pivotal in the club’s championship pursuit.
- Ty France’s fly ball struck the roof and dropped into Chourio’s glove during NLDS Game 1.
- Garrett Mitchell made a deep catch on Manny Machado’s drive to finish the NLDS.
- Jake Bauers chose not to retire in 2024 after learning that his wife was pregnant, then produced a breakout season at age 30.
- Bauers continued to deliver important at-bats throughout the NLCS.
- Milwaukee repeatedly recovered from early deficits instead of allowing difficult innings to determine its fate.
Those moments helped create a team that could win in several ways: through contact, patience, defence, speed, power and resilience.
Brewers Supporters Turned Dodger Stadium Blue
Milwaukee fans travelled across the continent to witness the clincher. Brewers supporters filled sections of Dodger Stadium and remained in place to watch the club receive the Warren C. Giles Trophy.
Joe Stolarczyk watched Game 3 at Hog Creek Bar & Grill in Mosinee. Around 1 a.m., he decided to fly to Los Angeles for the finale. When friends did not respond, his brother David Stolarczyk and sister Mary Pilz joined the adventure. They bought tickets while travelling to a Minneapolis flight and reached seats behind home plate before batting practice ended.
Joe had been living in Alaska during Milwaukee’s 1982 run, making the trip an especially meaningful chance to see the franchise return to the sport’s biggest stage.
Friends Dave Wuest of Atlanta and Murray Williams of Orange County also made the journey. They have known each other since kindergarten and still remember the heartbreak of the 1982 World Series loss to the Cardinals.
Yelich described the travelling crowd as electric. That support will be needed again as Milwaukee begins its attempt to win the franchise’s first World Series championship.