LOS ANGELES — Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani ended a two-month home run drought with a three-run blast Thursday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to fend off elimination against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
Milwaukee entered Thursday holding a 3-0 series lead, placing the franchise just one victory away from its first World Series appearance in 44 years, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Facing a sweep, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts shook up the batting order, restoring Ohtani to the leadoff spot after earlier dropping him to sixth, according to Yahoo Sports.
The move paid immediate dividends. In the bottom of the second inning, Ohtani delivered a three-run home run, his first blast since Aug. 18, Bleacher Report reported.
Struggles and Health Battles
The blast marked a dramatic turnaround for Ohtani, a four-time Most Valuable Player who has spent recent months contending with physical setbacks, according to Bleacher Report. Inflammation in his left knee forced him off the mound in July, and the Dodgers later placed him on the 15-day injured list with both knee and right biceps complications.
Although Ohtani rejoined the active roster late in the regular season, his production dipped considerably. Bleacher Report noted that he logged a .558 on-base plus slugging percentage across five regular-season contests after returning, followed by a sluggish start to October. Across his first seven games this postseason, Ohtani hit .182 with seven strikeouts in 22 at-bats.
Despite the recent slump, Ohtani remains an anchor for Los Angeles, having hit 139 home runs in his three campaigns with the organization and 11 homers across 33 postseason games during the club's 2024 and 2025 championship runs, according to Bleacher Report.
Mound Matchup and Series Stakes
The Dodgers gave the ball to 33-year-old right-hander Tyler Glasnow on Thursday, Yahoo Sports reported. Glasnow, who went 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA during 13 regular-season starts under a four-year, $115 million contract, made his second start of the postseason following an outing in Atlanta during the division series, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Milwaukee countered with rookie left-hander Shane Drohan, who made his postseason debut as the starter in a planned bullpen contest, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Drohan compiled a 7-5 record and a 4.19 ERA across 19 starts and 14 relief appearances in the regular season, though his earned run average jumped to 5.89 over the final two months after posting a 3.48 mark through July.
The Brewers reached the brink of a pennant following a 6-2 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday, Yahoo Sports reported. In that contest, Milwaukee jumped ahead on a leadoff home run by Jackson Chourio before Dodgers starter Blake Snell struck out nine batters. Snell then surrendered consecutive home runs to Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell during a decisive seventh inning, with relievers Rōki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski each yielding an additional run.
History presents a steep climb for the defending champions. Only one team in Major League Baseball history has successfully overcome a 3-0 deficit to claim a postseason series: the 2004 Boston Red Sox, whose historic ALCS rally was sparked by a stolen base from Roberts during his playing career, SB Nation noted. Should Milwaukee complete the sweep, it would avenge a sweep suffered against Los Angeles one year ago, according to SB Nation.
Whether the Dodgers can mount a historic comeback or Milwaukee clinches the National League pennant remains to be settled as the series continues.
