Shohei Ohtani powers Dodgers back to World Series with two-way masterpiece | MLB

Shohei Ohtani propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to the World Series with a two-way performance for the ages.

Ohtani hit three mammoth homers and pitched two hits in the seventh inning, and the Dodgers swept the Milwaukee Brewers from the NL Championship Series with a 5-1 victory in Game 4 Friday night.

The Dodgers will have the chance to be the first baseball champions to repeat the World Series in a quarter-century after this stunning night for three-time MVP Ohtani, who emphatically ended a quiet postseason by his high standards.

After striking out three in the top of the first, Ohtani hit the first home run by a pitcher in major league history off Brewers starter José Quintana.

Ohtani followed with a 469-foot blast in the fourth inning, clearing the left field pavilion above the left field bleachers.

Ohtani added a third solo shot in the seventh, becoming the 12th player in major league history to hit three home runs in a playoff game. His three homers traveled a total of 1,342 feet.

Ohtani (2-0) also largely dominated the Brewers in his second career postseason start, fanning 10 for his first double-digit strikeout game in a Dodgers uniform.

After the Brewers’ first two batters reached the seventh, he left the mound to a stadium-shaking ovation — and after Alex Vesia escaped the jam, Ohtani celebrated by hitting his third home run in the bottom half.

The mighty Dodgers are the first team to win back-to-back pennants since Philadelphia in 2009. Los Angeles is back in the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, and will attempt to become baseball’s first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three consecutive World Series from 1998 to 2000.

After capping a 9-1 NL playoff run with this singular performance from Ohtani, the Dodgers are headed to the World Series for the 23rd time in franchise history, including 14 pennants since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Only the New York Yankees, last year’s opponents, have made more appearances in the Fall Classic (41).

Los Angeles will have a bye week before the World Series begins next Friday, either in Toronto or at Dodger Stadium against Seattle. The Mariners beat the Blue Jays 6-2 earlier Friday to take a 3-2 lead in the ALCS, which continues Sunday at Rogers Center.

The Dodgers had never swept an NLCS in 16 previous appearances, but they became only the fifth team to sweep this series while largely dominating a Milwaukee club with 97 victories. Los Angeles is the first team to sweep a best-of-seven playoff series since 2022, and the first to sweep an NLCS since Washington in 2019.

The NL Central champion Brewers were eliminated by the Dodgers for the third time during their current streak of seven playoff appearances in eight years. Even after setting a franchise record with 97 wins this season, Milwaukee is still waiting for its first World Series appearance since 1982.

The Brewers had never been swept in a playoff series longer than a best-of-three, but their bats remained quiet in the NLCS against the Dodgers’ brilliant starting rotation. Los Angeles’ four starters combined to pitch 28 2-third innings with two earned runs allowed and 35 strikeouts.

The Dodgers added two more runs in the first after Ohtani’s tone-setting home run, with Mookie Betts and Will Smith both singled and scoring.

Jackson Chourio doubled in the top of the fourth for Milwaukee’s first hit, but Ohtani blocked it with a groundout and two strikeouts.

Struggling Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen allowed two more baserunners in the eighth, and Caleb Durbin scored when Brice Turang beat out his potential grounding double play before Anthony Banda ended the inning.

Roki Sasaki pitched the ninth.