Shohei Ohtani hit three home runs Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers to advance to the World Series for the second time in two years.
The Dodgers won the National League Championship at home on Friday with a 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. The victory secures the team’s berth to the World Series, but its opponent has not been decided.
The Dodgers took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, with Ohtani hitting a leadoff home run, and never relinquished it. Ohtani hit a second home run in the fourth inning, sending the ball 469 feet over the roof of the park.
Ohtani, also a pitcher, struck out 10 and allowed just two hits until being relieved in the top of the seventh.
The home crowd chanted “MVP” during his next at-bat, and Ohtani then hit his third home run of the night.
“Today was a lot of fun on both sides of the ball,” Ohtani, who is from Japan, said through an interpreter after the team was crowned league champions. “As a representative, I take this trophy and let’s get four more victories.”
In the American League, the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays are fighting for the championship and their place in the World Series. The Mariners lead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, with a 6-2 win on Friday.
The Dodgers will seek their third World Series title since 2020.
The Dodgers finished first in the NL West this season, beating the San Diego Padres by three games to win the division.
Although they finished slightly behind last year’s pace in the regular season, the Dodgers have been dominant in the playoffs. They swept the Cincinnati Reds 2-0 in the wild card round before beating the Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in the divisional round.
While the Dodgers’ expensive lineup has been hitting well (they entered Friday second among postseason teams with a .254 average), the pitching staff has especially shined in October.
Entering Friday’s Game 4, Los Angeles had the best 2.60 ERA of all remaining playoff teams, as well as the best WHIP (1.02) and best opponents’ batting average (.174).
Starting pitcher Blake Snell has been the team’s most effective starter so far. He is 3-0 in three postseason starts with 28 strikeouts in just 21 innings pitched and a minuscule 0.86 ERA.
The Dodgers’ World Series berth continues a streak of National League dominance that dates back to the previous decade.
After appearing in zero World Series from 1989 to 2016, the Dodgers have reached the Fall Classic five times since 2017. After losing back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018, the Dodgers took home championships in 2020 and 2024.
The Dodgers have been willing to spend on their recent success. The Dodgers’ payroll this season is approximately $350.3 million, the most expensive roster in MLB.
Ohtani’s teammates, who are no slouch either, said they were impressed with Ohtani’s performance on Friday.
“Oh man, that was special,” Dodgers first baseman and nine-time All-Star Freddie Freeman said after the win. “We’ve been playing really good baseball for a while and today the inevitable happened with Shohei: Oh my God, I’m still speechless.”
Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell was asked Friday night after the win which impressed him more, Ohtani’s 10 strikeouts or his three home runs, and he didn’t hesitate.
“The three home runs,” Snell said. “That was crazy.”
Despite the fireworks on Friday night, Ohtani said the Dodgers as a team won the championship and are headed to the World Series.
“We won it as a team and it was really a team effort,” he said. “So I hope everyone in Los Angeles, Japan and around the world can enjoy really good sake.”
