The Los Angeles Dodgers’ dream of winning three straight championships came to an abrupt end Thursday night, falling 6-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers in a sweep of the National League Championship Series. The loss hit hard, especially for shortstop Miguel Rojas, who announced his retirement right in the clubhouse, still in full uniform, wanting to savor one last moment. Manager Dave Roberts didn’t sugarcoat it: ‘They beat us in every way you can think of.’ The Dodgers won 100 games and their division again, but the Brewers were just too hot this October. Max Muncy, tears in his eyes, said it simply: ‘The train ran out of gas.’ It was a wild flip from last year, when the Dodgers crushed the Brewers in the NLCS. This time, Milwaukee’s offense ground out hits and their bullpen locked it down. Shohei Ohtani, dealing with injuries, managed a 428-foot homer to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the final game, but the Brewers rallied with doubles, steals, and a Garrett Mitchell shot that put them ahead for good. Teoscar Hernandez noted how relentless Milwaukee was, never letting up. The Dodgers’ bats went cold when it mattered, managing just a .520 OPS in the series. Ohtani, hitting .192 in the postseason, admitted the Brewers exposed his weaknesses. Now, with a possible lockout looming, the future feels uncertain. But Rojas, looking ahead to a front-office role, emphasized that what they built in LA is bigger than one loss—it’s a winning culture. The season’s over, and the three-peat chance is gone, but the heart of that team will be remembered.
