Shohei Ohtani pushed Los Angeles Dodgers Back to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.
Ohtani hit three mammoth home runs and pitched a two-run ball in the seventh inning to give the Dodgers the run. Milwaukee Brewers eliminated the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 on Friday night.
The Dodgers will have a chance to become baseball's first repeat. World Series Champions a quarter century after what was a mind-blowing night for three-time MVP Ohtani, who decisively ended a quiet postseason to his own high standards.
After three hits in the top of the first, Ohtani struck out the first pitcher in major league history off Brewers starter Jose Quintana.
Ohtani followed with a 469-foot blast in the fourth inning, clearing the left-field pavilion over the left-field bleachers.
Ohtani added a third solo shot in the seventh, becoming the 12th player in major league history to hit three homers in a playoff game. His three homers traveled a total of 1,342 feet.
Ohtani (2-0) also completely dominated the Brewers in his second postseason start, scoring 10 runs in his first double-digit scoring game in a Dodgers uniform.
After the Brewers' first two batters reached the seventh, he left the mound to a stadium-shattering ovation, and after Alex Vesia broke out of a jam, Ohtani celebrated by hitting his third homer in the bottom half.
The powerhouse Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles returns to the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons and will try to become baseball's first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won the World Series three straight times from 1998 to 2000.
After winning 9-1 in the National League playoffs thanks to Ohtani's unique performance, the Dodgers are heading to the World Series for the 23rd time in franchise history, including 14 pennants since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Only the New York Yankees, last year's opponent, have made more appearances in the Fall Classic (41).
Los Angeles will have a week off before starting the World Series next Friday in either Toronto or Dodger Stadium against Seattle. Earlier Friday, the Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at Rogers Center.
The Dodgers had never won the NLCS in their previous 16 games, but they became only the fifth team to win the series, completely dominating a 97-win Milwaukee team. Los Angeles is the first team to win a best-of-seven postseason series since 2022 and the first team to win the NLCS since Washington in 2019.
The National League Central champion Brewers have been eliminated by the Dodgers for the third time during their current stretch of seven playoff appearances in eight years. Even after setting a franchise record with 97 wins this season, Milwaukee is still waiting for its first World Series appearance since 1982.
The Brewers had never won a playoff series longer than the best of three, but their bats went silent in the NLCS against the Dodgers' stellar starting rotation. Los Angeles' four starters combined to pitch 28 and two-thirds innings with two earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts.
The Dodgers added two more runs in the first on Ohtani's tone-setting homer, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith single and scoring.
Jackson Churio doubled into the fourth with Milwaukee's first hit, but Ohtani grounded him with a hit and two outs.
Struggling Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen allowed two more baserunners in the eighth, and Caleb Durbin scored when Bryce Turang struck out his would-be grounder with a double play before Anthony Banda ended the inning.
Rocky Sasaki finished in ninth place.
