SAN DIEGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers are the poster boys for baseball’s filthy rich.
They are Exhibit 1-A why Major League Baseball wants a salary cap.
They are the biggest, baddest dudes in baseball, with the deepest pockets, back-to-back World Series championships, three in the last six years, and a team littered with Cy Young winners, All-Stars and future Hall of Famers.
And, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in San Diego, the Milwaukee Brewers let the world know they want ‘em.
They’re ready to slay the mighty dragon.
The Brewers knew all year that the World Series runs through Los Angeles, and after knocking off the San Diego Padres 3 games to 1 in the best-of-five series, giving them three days off and home-field advantage throughout the World Series, they are ready for them.
"Bring ‘em on," Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Megill said. "This is what we want."
Well, now they got ‘em, with the Dodgers disposing of Atlanta in four games, and the best-of-seven National League Championship Series beginning Sunday, Oct. 11 at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
"They’re obviously a great team, the back-to-back champions," said Brewers captain Christian Yelich, who hit .357 with a .900 OPS in the series. "We have a lot of respect for those guys But if you want to get where you need to go, you want to play the best.
"We know when we play our game, and execute our brand of baseball, we feel like we can play with anybody. We’re a really hard team to beat."
Really, the Brewers would want it no other way.
Beat the Dodgers, and they’re in the World Series.
Beat the Dodgers, and they’ll be remembered forever in Brewers’ folklore.
Beat the Dodgers, and they’ve got a chance to go where no Brewers team has gone before with their first World Series title.
"It’s sweet," said Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell, who robbed Manny Machado of a potential 2-run, game-tying home run in the eighth inning of their 3-1 victory. "Why wouldn’t you want another chance to go at them again the way it happened last year?’"
A year ago, the Brewers played the Dodgers in the NLCS, too, and were thoroughly embarrassed in a four-game sweep.
The Dodgers outscored the Brewers, 15-4. They led every single inning of every game. The Brewers hit .118 in the series, the lowest batting average of a series lasting three or more games in baseball history.
It was ugly, and humiliating.
And the Brewers vowed this night that it won’t happen again.
"I think we have a different type of confidence and belief in ourselves together as a team," Mitchell said. "It’s like a quiet, subtle confidence. It’s not showboating. It’s just that everyone in this clubhouse believes."
It wasn’t a fluke that the Brewers won 103 games, running away with the National League Central for the fourth consecutive year.
They were in a division in which every team improved during the winter. While the Chicago Cubs landed prized free agent Alex Bregman with a five-year, $175 million contract, the Brewers were trading away their ace, Freddy Peralta, to save money, while also dealing away rookie third baseman Caleb Durbin.
They were predicted to win 84.5 games and finish fourth in the division.
And once again they exceeded everyone’s expectations but their own.
Now, they believe this is the year they finally get to the World Series for the first time since 1982, and win their first title in franchise history.
"We have a monumental task ahead of us," Brewers manager Pat Murphy said, "based on what I know about the Dodgers. There’s like an All-Star at every position. But you know what? Teams win.
"And we’ve got to play as a team."
The Brewers insist this year’s NLCS will be dramatically different than a year ago.
A year ago, the Brewers had their mini-World Series when they knocked off the Cubs in an emotional five-game division series. And with just one day off and their pitching in disarray, they paid the price. They simply never recovered.
"That took a lot out of us to beat the Cubs," Brewers pitching coach Chris Hook said. "I think we were kind of nearing the end."
They also had a kid who just burst onto the scene last year trying to feel his way in Major League Baseball named Jacob Misiorowski. This time around, that kid is the presumed 2026 Cy Young award winner, and the most dominant pitcher on the planet. He’s throwing harder than any pitcher since Statcast began recording velocities in 2008. He threw 1,115 pitches 100-mph or harder, striking out 252 batters in 174⅔ innings, enroute to a 16-5 record and 1.80 ERA.
And he will be pitching Game 1 on seven days’ rest, with No. 2 starter Logan Henderson on a week’s rest as well. The Brewers were tempted to use Misiorowski to close out Wednesday’s game. They had him warming up in the bullpen in the ninth inning, but after throwing just six warmup pitches, he sat back down and a few minutes later, was throwing down beers while smoking a celebratory cigar.
"I’m ready to go," Misiorowski said. "We knew we were going to get them. And I know we’ll be ready. It’s going to be cool."
The Dodgers may have four Cy Young awards in their rotation with Tarik Skubal and Blake Snell, a World Series MVP in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and a former ace in Tyler Glasnow. But the Brewers not only have a solid rotation led by Misiorowski, but also the best bullpen in the game.
"If we come in with a lead," Brewers reliever Abner Uribe said, "I’m confident we’ll win the game. We’ve done that all year."
The Brewers certainly will not be scared of the bright lights and the big stage like a year ago. They’ve been there. They’ve done that. They know what it takes to get over that massive hurdle called the Dodgers.
"They’ve been through this a few times," Hook said. "I think that the more you do something, the more you’re under this kind of stress, I think you get a little more comfortable in the environment."
Certainly, they’ve had their share of big moments in the most glorious run in franchise history. They’ve reached the postseason eight times in the past nine years. Yet, what has eluded them is that World Series trophy, and a parade in downtown Milwaukee that will be remembered forever.
This is why their celebration was tempered, showing no more emotion on the field than winning a Thursday night game in June. They are proud of what they’ve already accomplished, and yet, anything less than a World Series berth will leave a bitter, empty feeling.
"I don’t want to say it’s just another win," Yelich said, "but there’s an emphasis that we’ve got bigger goals as a team. And if you have those kind of goals, you kind of expect to be in this position. Everybody knows what’s in front of us, and what we’re going to have to do.
"We know what this means to people in Milwaukee. We know how special it would be to the city, and to the state. And we’re ready.
"One step down, two more to go."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers wanted Dodgers. They believe this NLCS will be different than 2025
