October baseball turns fierce rivalries into personal stories. Every pennant race leaves behind winners who feel unstoppable and losers who feel stunned. The latest chapter between Los Angeles and Milwaukee delivered both feelings at once.
One small gesture right after the final out became a huge talking point across the entire sport. The history and the key numbers behind the moment help explain exactly why it landed with such force. Rivalries like this one grow from big moments and small details.
The song that stung Dodgers fans
After the sweep, the Brewers celebrated in the visiting clubhouse. Then Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good” came blasting through the speakers. It is Shohei Ohtani’s walk-up song, and Milwaukee’s players responded with an especially enthusiastic celebration.
The song choice was widely interpreted as a playful jab at the Dodgers star after his difficult postseason. Milwaukee had turned Ohtani’s familiar walk-up music into the soundtrack for its pennant celebration.
The choice stood out because walk-up songs become closely associated with individual hitters. Using Ohtani’s song during the Brewers’ celebration made the moment feel like a pointed message toward one of Los Angeles’ biggest stars.
How Milwaukee finished the sweep
Los Angeles jumped ahead early in Game 4. Ohtani crushed a three-run homer in the second inning, giving the Dodgers a 4-0 lead and sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Milwaukee did not flinch. The Brewers scored 2 runs in the fourth and 2 more in the fifth to tie the game. Garrett Mitchell then homered in the sixth inning to put Milwaukee ahead for good.
Aaron Ashby struck out Ohtani swinging in the seventh with the tying run on third. Milwaukee’s bullpen kept Los Angeles scoreless the rest of the way, and David Hamilton added a ninth-inning home run for insurance in the 6-4 victory.
Ohtani struggled through a tough October
Ohtani finished the 2026 postseason batting .192, with 5 hits in 26 at-bats. He recorded 1 hit in NLCS Game 1, went hitless in Game 2 and collected another hit and a walk in Game 3.
Ohtani was playing through left knee soreness and right biceps discomfort, injuries that also affected his ability to pitch. He had not appeared on the mound since July 3 and did not pitch again during the postseason. After the elimination, he expressed disappointment and said he was looking forward to having a better season in 2027.
Then came Game 4 and the swing he had been waiting for. His 3-run homer ended a career-high 115-plate-appearance home run drought dating to August 18. After the ball cleared the fence, Ohtani turned toward the Dodgers dugout and yelled in an unusually emotional celebration.
Why the Brewers wanted revenge
Milwaukee had unfinished business with Los Angeles. In Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS, Ohtani hit 3 home runs and dominated on the mound in a historic performance. The Dodgers swept the Brewers that same night.
Even then, the Brewers still showed respect. Starter Jose Quintana called Ohtani’s performance amazing while lamenting the end of his team’s season. A year later, Milwaukee was finally the one doing the celebrating.
Revenge arrived in the cleanest way possible. The Dodgers held a lead in all 4 games of the series but could not win any of them, a stunning reversal for the back-to-back World Series champions.
Three-peat dreams ended in Los Angeles
The Dodgers entered October as back-to-back champions with a loaded roster. Another title would have made them history makers across the sport. That dream died against a hungry and determined Milwaukee club.
No team has completed a World Series three-peat since the Yankees won from 1998 through 2000. No National League club has ever accomplished the feat. Los Angeles will have to wait at least another year.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts credited the team that outplayed his club. The offense went quiet, injuries took a toll, and Los Angeles entered the postseason with the oldest group of position players in the majors. Ohtani was far from the only star who struggled during the series.
Little-known fact:Ohtani hit .462 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in 13 at-bats during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, even though Japan was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani chose not to pitch in the tournament.
Milwaukee built a complete ball club
The Brewers finished with MLB’s best regular-season record at 103-59. That secured home-field advantage for the World Series. Milwaukee then defeated the Padres 3-1 in the NL Division Series before sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS.
Starter Jacob Misiorowski led the majors with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts and a .157 opponents’ batting average. Milwaukee’s pitching staff also finished second in MLB with a 3.51 team ERA.
Manager Pat Murphy and NLCS MVP Jake Bauers met with reporters after the clinching victory. An MLB official ended the news conference by telling them, “We’ll see you in Milwaukee at the World Series.” It will be the Brewers’ first World Series appearance since 1982.
How fans reacted to the jab
Fans filled social media with reactions after the news spread. One supporter wrote that Ohtani would never do the same thing if the roles were reversed. Another fan called the move “pretty disrespectful.”
Not everyone viewed the celebration the same way. Milwaukee had just won the National League pennant after a long postseason run, and its clubhouse celebration was loud and emotional.
Whatever fans thought of the song choice, the Brewers had earned the right to celebrate the result. Milwaukee swept Los Angeles in 4 games, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts acknowledged afterward that his team had been outplayed in every facet of the series.
What comes next for the Brewers
Game 1 of the World Series is set for October 23 at American Family Field in Milwaukee. The Brewers will host the American League champion. They are chasing the very first title in franchise history.
The World Series will air on FOX and stream on FOX ONE. Milwaukee hosts the first two games that weekend. Games 6 and 7 would also return to Milwaukee if the series goes the distance.
The Dodgers now face a long offseason and questions about an aging roster. Ohtani gets time to rest his knee and biceps. Milwaukee keeps celebrating while still chasing the biggest prize in all of baseball.
TL;DR
- The Brewers swept the Dodgers and played Ohtani’s walk-up song in their clubhouse celebration.
- Ohtani batted .192 in the 2026 postseason and ended a home run drought dating to August 18 in Game 4.
- Milwaukee won Game 4 by a 6-4 score and reached its first World Series since 1982.
- The Dodgers missed their chance to become the first National League team to win 3 consecutive World Series.
- Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for October 23 in Milwaukee.
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- Dave Roberts faces backlash for Dodgers’ surprising Game 4 plan with Skubal and Yamamoto
- Shohei Ohtani’s injuries and postseason slump leave Dodgers with offseason questions
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.