Dodgers heading to World Series after sweeping Brewers in NLCS
The Los Angeles Dodgers are going back to the World Series after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series on Friday night.
They are the first defending champion to reach the Fall Classic since the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.
Los Angeles sealed their trip to the World Series in a dominating performance against the Brewers, partially thanks to NLCS MVP Shohei Ohtani's stellar performance on the mound and at the plate. The dual-threat superstar kept the Brewers at bay by pitching six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts.
He put the Dodgers ahead during his first at-bat with a 446-foot solo home run to right field. Ohtani extended the Dodgers' lead in the fourth and seventh with two more homers.
The Dodgers hold the record for the most NLCS appearances (17) and series wins (10) since the inception of the League Championship Series format in 1969. Overall, the Dodgers have the most NL Pennants, with 26. In all of baseball, they trail only the New York Yankees, who have 41 AL Pennants.
This is the 23rd time the Dodgers have reached the World Series. They have eight World Series wins, the fifth-most in MLB history. If they successfully defend their title, the Dodgers will be the first team to win consecutive titles since the 1998-2000 Yankees, who won three in a row.
Los Angeles will look to add to its trophy collection by defeating the ALCS winner, either the Seattle Mariners or the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Mariners currently lead 3-2 and will look to close out the series on Sunday.
