Dodgers vs. Brewers: Ohtani leads L.A. back to World Series with all-time performance

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers captured the National League pennant and finished a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, winning NLCS Game 4, 5-1. It’s the Dodgers’ fifth NL pennant since 2017, and it came as Ohtani delivered the best individual performance in MLB playoff history.

The two-way superstar who served as both the starting pitcher and designated hitter had an unforgettable night, finishing with three home runs at the plate and 10 strikeouts across six scoreless innings on the mound. Ohtani led off the game with a home run and later added another blast in the fourth, and then yet another in the seventh. His home run in the fourth inning was 116.9 mph off the bat and carried 469 feet.

Ohtani, in the process, became the first pitcher in postseason history to launch multiple home runs in a single contest.

On the mound, Ohtani struck out 10 batters across six shutout innings of work. He surrendered two hits and three walks overall, departing after putting on two runners to begin the seventh. Neither of those runners scored.

Ohtani entered Friday’s Game 4 in the midst of a relatively down postseason. In nine games across three series, he had hit .158/.273/.368 with two home runs and 17 strikeouts in 44 plate appearances. Friday’s game drastically improved those marks.

Ohtani, 31, is primed to win his second NL Most Valuable Player Award in a row. During the regular season, he batted .282/.392/.622 (179 OPS+) with 55 home runs, 102 runs batted in, and 20 stolen bases. His contributions were estimated to be worth 6.6 Wins Above Replacement solely as a hitter.

Ohtani also made his return to the mound in June after missing the previous year and a half following elbow surgery. Across 14 starts, he compiled a 2.87 ERA (145 ERA+) and a 6.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 47 innings. He was deemed to be worth 1.1 WAR as a pitcher.

The Dodgers are the first reigning champ to return to the World Series since the 2009 Phillies. They are looking to become Major League Baseball’s first repeat World Series champion in 25 years. The New York Yankees were the last team to win consecutive World Series, back when they won three in a row from 1998-2000. 

As noted above, this will mark the Dodgers’ fifth trip to the World Series since 2017. Here’s how they fared in those other appearances:

In addition to those pennants, the Dodgers have won 13 of the last 14 NL West division titles. They’ve won at least 90 regular season contests in every full season since 2012.

The Dodgers will play the winner of the American League pennant. In the ALCS, the Seattle Mariners currently leading the Toronto Blue Jays by a 3-2 margin ahead of Sunday’s Game 6.