Two Keys for Brewers to Win Game 4, Wrap Up NLCS

The Milwaukee Brewers have not been to the World Series since 1982, and back then, they were in the American League. 44 years later, they are one win shy of knocking out the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers and have a chance to finish the series with a sweep.

This comes after Milwaukee was swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS last October. This team is different this year, and there are a lot of things falling into place.

Here are a few keys for the Brewers to win Game 4 and advance to the World Series for the first time since moving to the National League.

Keep the pressure on

It may seem obvious, but scoring early and often is going to be key for the Brewers. They've found a way to hit for some more power this postseason after being at the bottom of the league in home runs, so continuing to hit for power and not letting up is important.

It's also important to note that when you've got a team like the Dodgers on the ropes, you have to put them away as quickly as possible. Giving the Dodgers any kind of momentum would be dangerous, especially because they would have Tarik Skubal in Game 5. And should the series go back to Milwaukee, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell would be lined up for Games 6 and 7.

Keeping the pressure on will ensure that they can close the series out quickly without giving the Dodgers any second chances. More home runs like the one hit by Jake Bauers in Game 3 is a good place to start.

Sticking with their identity

The Brewers must also make sure that they don't abandon what has gotten them to this point. While it's important to keep the power surge going, they also need to continue with their other methods of scoring runs.

They do the little things right, moving runners over, stealing bases, situational hitting, putting the ball in play, and much more. The Brewers scored most of their runs without the home run ball, so combining that with their newfound power will continue to make them a dangerous team.

Sticking with their approach to scoring runs will allow them to keep stepping on the Dodgers' throats and exploiting their weaknesses. The Brewers have found ways to win games and are in a good position to do it again in Game 4.