The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the World Series. One year after getting embarrassed in the National League Championship Series, the Brewers returned the favor to the Dodgers. Milwaukee will celebrate its first World Series berth since 1982.
By beating the Dodgers, the Brewers have ended the Dodgers bid for a third consecutive title. Just one year after getting swept out of the NLCS, Milwaukee has flipped the script on Los Angeles.
It's not a huge shock that a 103-win team beat a 100-win team on paper. But the series was framed as the biggest spender vs. one of the most efficient spenders in MLB. The Brewers paid $154.7 million for their club, compared to $432.8 million for the Dodgers.
The Brewers winning will carry ripple effects throughout the offseason. The American League Championship Series also features the two lowest payrolls in the AL. Between the Brewers, Guardians, and Rays, there's a possible path for teams spending $150 million or less to still be able to compete for a championship.
Here's the takeaways from Brewers win in Game 4 of the NLCS.
Jake Bauers Should Be NLCS MVP
Jake Bauers being named the NLCS MVP should be a no-brainer. The biggest at-bats in Games 2, 3, and 4 came with him at the plate.
Bauers had a 12-pitch at-bat that essentially ended Yoshinobu Yamamoto's night. He also had the game-winning home run in Game 3 off Snell, who had been dealing before an 11-pitch battle ended with a tape measure blast. He also doubled home two and walked to push the tying run home in Game 4.
The 31-year-old first baseman grew up in Southern California as an Angels fan. So it's got to be extra satisfying for the journeyman first baseman to not only get to the World Series, but get one against the Dodgers.
Brewers Bullpen Stands on Its Head
The Brewers bullpen was instrumental in their takedown of the Dodgers. While Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby, and Trevor Megill get the bulk of the credit, there's some strong relief performances across the board. DL Hall and JoJo Romero were also great in the series.
Hall's best outing came in Game 3, where he rescued the Brewers from a tough situation. JoJo Romero didn't have a bail out, but he delivered two critical innings, as the Brewers completed their comeback in Game 4.
The Brewers showed that they can find elite relievers without having to pay a premium to get them. That speaks well for their ability to find talent regarding their bullpen. Uribe and Ashby are homegrown talents. Megill, Romero, and Hall came via trade.
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