Brewers rally past Dodgers to reach first World Series since 1982

Milwaukee ended its 44-year wait for a World Series return on Thursday, recovering from a four-run deficit to beat Los Angeles 6-4 and complete an NLCS sweep. According to Associated Press reporting, the victory eliminated the two-time defending champions and reversed the outcome of last year's meeting between the clubs.

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The Dodgers scored all four of their runs in the second inning. StatMuse's play-by-play records Andy Pages singling home Kyle Tucker before Shohei Ohtani homered to center, bringing in Pages and Teoscar Hernández. Milwaukee was left needing a comeback with Los Angeles already threatening to extend the series.

Jake Bauers supplied the first response in the fourth. Brice Turang reached on a walk and William Contreras doubled before Bauers drove both men home with a double of his own. In the fifth, David Hamilton singled in Sal Frelick, and a bases-loaded walk to Bauers brought Hamilton home to level the score.

Garrett Mitchell then homered off Tanner Scott to start the sixth, giving Milwaukee a 5-4 advantage. StatMuse measured the drive to center at 409 feet. Hamilton added a solo homer in the ninth against Edwin Díaz, turning the narrow advantage into a two-run lead at a crucial stage of the game.

Aaron Ashby finished with three scoreless innings for the save, AP reported. His work preserved the comeback and secured Milwaukee's place in the championship series without requiring a fifth game against Los Angeles.

The return brings the Brewers back to a stage they last reached as an American League club. In 1982, Milwaukee defeated the California Angels in five games to win the AL pennant before facing St. Louis in the World Series. The Brewers subsequently moved to the National League in 1998.

That 1982 championship bid went the distance. Milwaukee led three games to two, but the Cardinals won the final two contests in St. Louis to take the title. This time, Milwaukee has won its pennant on the National League side, with Thursday's comeback ending the long gap between World Series appearances.