The Milwaukee Brewers are one victory away from the World Series, and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers are running out of opportunities to save their season.
Milwaukee defeated Los Angeles 6-2 Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the National League Championship Series. Jake Bauers delivered a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning, Garrett Mitchell followed with another homer, and the Brewers moved within one victory of their first World Series appearance since 1982.
For the Dodgers, who are seeking a third consecutive World Series championship, the defeat leaves no margin for another loss. Los Angeles must win four consecutive games to advance, while Milwaukee needs just one.
The Brewers have now won all three games of the series against a Dodgers team that swept them out of the 2025 NLCS. The reversal has been particularly striking given Los Angeles’ recent postseason dominance and Milwaukee’s relative lack of power during the regular season.
Bauers Turns the Game Around
Milwaukee wasted no time putting pressure on Los Angeles starter Blake Snell. Jackson Chourio launched the first pitch of the game over the wall, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead before the Dodgers had recorded an out.
Snell settled down after the opening inning, retiring 14 consecutive batters at one point and keeping Milwaukee from adding to its advantage through the sixth.
Meanwhile, Brewers rookie Robert Gasser delivered five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. The left-hander kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard despite several early opportunities to generate offense.
Los Angeles finally broke through in the sixth after Milwaukee turned to its bullpen. Abner Uribe struggled with his command, walking three batters to load the bases. Will Smith then delivered a two-run double into left-center field, putting the Dodgers ahead 2-1.
The Dodgers had an opportunity to add to their lead with runners in scoring position, but DL Hall struck out Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman to end the inning.
That missed opportunity proved costly.
Andrew Vaughn opened the seventh with a walk against Snell, and Christian Yelich entered as a pinch-runner. Bauers then worked an 11-pitch at-bat before driving a two-run homer to right field, putting Milwaukee back in front 3-2.
Mitchell followed with a solo home run to right-center, stretching the Brewers’ advantage to 4-2 and sending Snell from the game.
Snell finished with four runs allowed on four hits over six-plus innings, walking two and striking out nine. After recovering from Chourio’s opening-pitch homer, the left-hander had appeared firmly in control until Milwaukee’s seventh-inning rally.
The back-to-back homers completely changed the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles had finally taken its first lead of the night, only to surrender it before recording an out in the next inning.
Brewers Pitching Silences Los Angeles
Milwaukee’s bullpen recovered from its sixth-inning struggles to shut down the Dodgers the rest of the way.
Hall earned the victory after throwing 2⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Trevor Megill recorded the final four outs, including two strikeouts, for his fourth save of the postseason.
Los Angeles managed just five hits and failed to hit a home run, continuing an offensive slump that has left the defending champions struggling to keep pace with Milwaukee.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had already made adjustments to his lineup, moving Shohei Ohtani to sixth in the batting order as the superstar continued searching for consistency at the plate. Ohtani reached base three times Wednesday, but the Dodgers were unable to capitalize on enough of their opportunities.
The Brewers, meanwhile, continued finding ways to produce runs despite finishing the regular season last in the National League with 154 home runs.
Milwaukee added another run in the eighth when Brice Turang scored on a wild pitch by Justin Wrobleski. Joey Ortiz drove in Cooper Pratt with a ninth-inning single to complete the scoring.
Pratt finished with three hits and a stolen base, while Bauers’ two-run homer proved to be the decisive blow.
The Brewers collected nine hits, including three home runs, and scored five unanswered runs after briefly falling behind in the sixth inning.
Dodgers Face Elimination Thursday
The stakes could hardly be higher for Los Angeles. The Dodgers entered the series hoping to become the first team since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees to win three consecutive World Series championships. Instead, they are one loss away from elimination.
Milwaukee is pursuing its first World Series appearance in 44 years. The franchise’s only previous trip came in 1982, when the Brewers, then an American League team, lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
The two teams also met in last year’s NLCS, when Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in four games on its way to another championship. This October, the Brewers have completely reversed that result through the first three games.
The contrast is especially striking considering Milwaukee’s regular-season offensive profile. The Brewers relied heavily on pitching, defense, and timely hitting throughout the year, yet have used three home runs in a single game to put the Dodgers on the brink of elimination.
Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at 7 p.m. CT at Dodger Stadium, with coverage on FS1 and streaming through FOX One. MLB moved the game one hour earlier following a schedule adjustment involving the American League Championship Series.
Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to start for Los Angeles, while Milwaukee is expected to rely on its bullpen.
ALCS Resumes in Cleveland
Meanwhile, the American League Championship Series resumes Thursday afternoon, with the Cleveland Guardians hosting the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3.
The series is tied 1-1 after Tampa Bay’s 3-1 victory Tuesday night, when Freddy Peralta threw six scoreless innings and Liam Hicks delivered a two-run single.
Game 3 begins at noon CT on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max. MLB moved the start time earlier because of expected inclement weather in Cleveland.
Unlike the Dodgers, neither American League team faces immediate elimination. Cleveland and Tampa Bay are still battling for control of their series, with the Guardians hosting the next three games, if necessary.
The Guardians and Rays will meet again Friday, while Milwaukee could secure the National League pennant as early as Thursday night.
