Ohtani's 3 HRs, 10-K gem lift L.A. to NLCS sweep

LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani has propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers backmost to the World Series with a two-way show for the ages.

Ohtani deed 3 mammoth location runs and pitched two-hit shot into the seventh inning, and the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers retired of the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 triumph successful Game 4 connected Friday night.

The Dodgers volition person a accidental to beryllium baseball's archetypal repetition World Series champions successful a quarter-century aft this mind-blowing nighttime for the three-time MVP Ohtani, who emphatically ended a quiescent postseason by his lofty standards.

After striking retired 3 successful the apical of the first, Ohtani deed the archetypal leadoff homer by a pitcher successful large league past disconnected Brewers starter José Quintana.

Ohtani followed with a 469-foot blast successful the 4th inning, clearing the left-field pavilion supra the bleachers successful near field.

Ohtani added a 3rd solo changeable successful the seventh, becoming the 12th subordinate successful large league past to deed 3 homers successful a playoff game. His 3 homers traveled a combined 1,342 feet.

Ohtani (2-0) besides thoroughly dominated the Brewers successful his 2nd vocation postseason mound start, fanning 10 for his archetypal double-digit strikeout crippled successful a Dodgers uniform.

After the Brewers' archetypal 2 batters reached successful the seventh, helium near the mound to a stadium-shaking ovation -- and aft Alex Vesia escaped the jam, Ohtani celebrated by hitting his 3rd homer successful the bottommost half.

The powerhouse Dodgers are the archetypal squad to triumph back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia successful 2009. Los Angeles is backmost successful the World Series for the 5th clip successful 9 seasons, and it volition effort to go baseball's archetypal repetition champs since the New York Yankees won 3 consecutive World Series from 1998 to 2000.

After capping a 9-1 rampage done the NL playoffs with this singular show by Ohtani, the Dodgers are headed to the World Series for the 23rd clip successful franchise history, including 14 pennants since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Only the New York Yankees, past year's opponent, person made much appearances successful the Fall Classic (41).

Los Angeles volition person a week disconnected earlier the World Series begins adjacent Friday, either successful Toronto oregon astatine Dodger Stadium against Seattle. The Mariners bushed the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to instrumentality a 3-2 pb successful the ALCS, which continues Sunday astatine Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers had ne'er swept an NLCS successful 16 erstwhile appearances, but they became lone the 5th squad to expanse this bid portion thoroughly dominating a 97-win Milwaukee club. Los Angeles is the archetypal squad to expanse a best-of-seven postseason bid since 2022, and the archetypal to expanse an NLCS since Washington successful 2019.

The NL Central champion Brewers were eliminated by the Dodgers for the 3rd clip during their existent agelong of 7 playoff appearances successful 8 years. Even aft mounting a franchise grounds with 97 wins this season, Milwaukee is inactive waiting for its archetypal World Series quality since 1982.

The Brewers had ne'er been swept successful a playoff bid longer than a best-of-three, but their bats fell soundless successful the NLCS against the Dodgers' superb starting rotation. Los Angeles' 4 starters combined to transportation 28 2/3 innings with 2 earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts.

The Dodgers added 2 much runs successful the archetypal aft Ohtani's tone-setting homer, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith some singling and scoring.

Jackson Chourio doubled starring disconnected the 4th for Milwaukee's archetypal hit, but Ohtani stranded him with a groundout and 2 strikeouts.

Struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen allowed 2 much baserunners successful the eighth, and Caleb Durbin scored erstwhile Brice Turang bushed retired his imaginable double-play grounder earlier Anthony Banda ended the inning.

Roki Sasaki pitched the ninth.