Brewers 6, Dodgers 4: Milwaukee erases four-run deficit, sweeps into World Series

Milwaukee is going to the World Series. The Brewers beat the Dodgers 6-4 Thursday night in Los Angeles, completing a four-game National League Championship Series sweep after climbing out of a four-run hole.

Garrett Mitchell hit the go-ahead homer in the sixth inning. David Hamilton added a two-out solo shot in the ninth. Between those swings, JoJo Romero and Aaron Ashby kept turning the Dodgers' best chances into stranded runners. Los Angeles put the tying run at third in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and did not score.

Ashby finished the ninth by getting Enrique Hernández to line out to Jackson Chourio in left. The Brewers had their pennant. Shohei Ohtani's second-inning homer had helped put the Dodgers ahead, but Milwaukee answered with six consecutive runs.

The comeback was built before the winning swing

Jake Bauers started pulling Milwaukee back in the fourth. Brice Turang walked, William Contreras doubled and Bauers followed with a two-run ground-rule double. A four-run deficit was down to two.

The fifth inning showed how much damage Milwaukee could do without another extra-base hit. Sal Frelick walked, stole second and scored on Hamilton's single. Hamilton then stole second. After Chourio lined out, the Dodgers intentionally walked Turang, walked Contreras and changed pitchers. Alex Vesia entered with the bases loaded and walked Bauers, forcing home the tying run.

Two runs, one hit. Milwaukee had used four walks and two stolen bases in the inning to turn a game Los Angeles controlled into a tie. Bauers drove in three runs overall, two with his double and another without putting the ball in play.

Mitchell supplied the next swing. His solo homer off Tanner Scott to open the sixth gave the Brewers a lead they never surrendered. Hamilton's ninth-inning homer off Edwin Díaz made it 6-4. He finished with two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

Three threats, no tying run

This was not a comfortable finish disguised by a sweep. Kyle Tucker doubled in the sixth and reached third before Romero struck out Max Muncy. Andy Pages doubled in the seventh, then moved to third on Hernández's sacrifice bunt. Ashby struck out Ohtani and retired Mookie Betts on a grounder to short.

The eighth brought another test. Will Smith doubled and reached third on Frelick's fielding error. Tucker flew out, and Ashby struck out Teoscar Hernández to end the threat. The Dodgers had brought the tying run within 90 feet in three straight innings. Each time, Milwaukee got the remaining outs.

Romero earned the win with two scoreless innings. Ashby recorded the save with three more. Together they covered the final 15 outs, allowed three hits, struck out six and walked nobody.

Los Angeles had scored all four of its runs in the second. Pages singled Tucker home, and Ohtani followed with a three-run homer off Dustin May. The Dodgers finished with eight hits to Milwaukee's five, but none of their final seven innings produced a run.

The Brewers did not need to win the hit count. They took the available bases, got the timely swings and finished the innings that could have undone them. Four wins later, the National League belongs to Milwaukee.