A year ago, the Brewers were sent home after a 97-win season at the hands of the Dodgers in a clean sweep. Flash forward to Thursday night in Los Angeles, and Milwaukee has gotten its redemption.
The Brewers got back at the Dodgers by sweeping the two-time defending World Series champions from the NLCS, reaching the World Series stage for the first time since 1982. Much was made about the big-name star comparison between the Brewers and Dodgers — but the team without a collection of MVPs and All-Stars advanced.
After winning on the road in Game 4, Brewers manager Pat Murphy threw a subtle dig at those who doubted his team's star talent.
Here's what Murphy said on stage during the Brewers' NL pennant presentation.
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy calls out critics with 'gamers' line after sweep vs. Dodgers
Murphy took over as manager for the Brewers in 2024, and since then, they haven't done much more than win. Milwaukee has improved its win total in three consecutive seasons (93, 97, 103), and has now reached the World Series after a Wild-Card exit in 2024 and an NLCS exit in 2025.
The Dodgers' star talent, from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts to Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, have made them the title favorites all year. But after Murphy led his squad to a sweep in Los Angeles, he went out of his way to point out that Milwaukee is a great baseball team — not just a collection of stars.
"They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers," Murphy said. "And the gamers won this week.”
“They may have a bunch of Hall of Famers, but we have a bunch of gamers. And the gamers won this week.” @Brewers manager Pat Murphy after his team swept the Dodgers https://t.co/u5sFdm0Is6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 16, 2026It was quite an NLCS for Milwaukee — according to MLB, the Brewers became the first team to trail in all four games of a best-of-seven postseason series they swept. Despite the Dodgers putting up a fight in all four games, Milwaukee's combination of strong pitching and timely hits quickly made it clear it was the better team in the series.
The two-time defending champions looked completely outmatched, ending their quest for a three-peat eight wins shy.
BREWERS ARE HEADED TO THE FALL CLASSIC AS THEY SWEEP THE DODGERS! https://t.co/PGSlipTtEq
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) October 16, 2026MORE: How Shohei Ohtani's Game 4 home run snapped massive cold stretch
