After knocking out the two-time champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series for the first time in 44 years. Milwaukee completed a four-game sweep in the NLCS, overcoming a four-run deficit created by a three-run homer from Shohei Ohtani to win 6-4 on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
The celebration was emotional for longtime Brewers. Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich, both former National League MVPs, embraced on the field as revelers wandered the diamond. Braun said the franchise had given former Brewers a great deal of pride, while Yelich described the team's belief in one another as the key to its run.
The pennant is also a milestone for the franchise. It is only the second World Series trip in the Brewers' 58-year history, counting their one-year stint as the Seattle Pilots, and the first since 1982, when the team was still in the American League. Milwaukee was also the only current NL franchise that had never won a pennant in that league.
The Brewers have been building toward this moment for a decade. Yelich has played in nearly every game of that stretch, and the Dodgers had twice ended Milwaukee's postseason hopes in the NLCS. Winning in Southern California, where several Brewers players grew up, made the victory even more meaningful. The pennant also came 19 days after Yelich was named the first team captain in Brewers history.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing