MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers and Brewers gathered at American Family Field on Sunday afternoon for their respective team workouts on the eve of the 2025 National League Championship Series.
It also just so happened to be the seven-year anniversary of the Game 1 showdown between those same two clubs in the 2018 NLCS. These two teams — as well as their fans — likely look back on that 2018 matchup with very different perspectives.
For the Dodgers, that series marked just another steppingstone en route to what has become a modern day dynasty. For the Brewers, it marked the beginning of a lot of close calls and coming up just short.
With Game 1 of their latest postseason showdown set for Monday night, let’s take a look back at that 2018 NLCS clash and the impact it had on each franchise:
These two teams were in very different spots when they last met in the 2018 NLCS.
The Dodgers were in the midst of their sixth straight postseason appearance, and they were coming off a Game 7 loss to the Astros in the 2017 World Series. The Brewers, meanwhile, were making their first postseason appearance since the 2011 NLCS, when they bowed out against the Cardinals.
Milwaukee, though, had every reason to believe it could win its first NL pennant since 1982. The Brewers had won an NL-best 96 games during the regular season and had a star-studded lineup led by Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun, as well as a shutdown bullpen anchored by Corey Knebel, Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, countered with a balanced offensive attack of Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Kiké Hernández, among others. Their starting rotation featured Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Rich Hill and Hyun Jin Ryu. Not to mention, the Dodgers had lockdown closer Kenley Jensen at the time.
It had all the makings of a classic postseason series …
The series lived up to the hype.
The Brewers, much like they may do in this year’s NLCS, did whatever they could to navigate their way to 27 outs. In Game 1, the Brewers got two innings from starter Gio González before getting two perfect frames from Brandon Woodruff and three scoreless innings from Josh Hader. The Dodgers made a late push, but the Brewers held on for a one-run win.
Los Angeles bounced back with a come-from-behind, one-run victory in Game 2 to even the series as it shifted to the West Coast. Brewers starter Jhoulys Chacín then combined with four relievers to toss a Game 3 shutout, though the Dodgers responded with two straight wins to take a 3-2 series lead back to Milwaukee.
The Brewers came out swinging in Game 6, scoring four runs in the first inning en route to a 7-2 win that forced a winner-take-all Game 7. Yelich sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning, but Bellinger answered back with a go-ahead two-run shot in the top of the second.
Then, with Los Angeles clinging to a 2-1 lead with one on and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Yelich ripped a ball toward the left-center-field gap. Chris Taylor, who began the game at second base before shifting to left field, made a sprawling catch on the track to preserve the lead.
The Dodgers never looked back on their way to a 5-1 victory that clinched the NL pennant.
Though the Dodgers went on to lose to the Red Sox in the 2018 Fall Classic, they have since won two World Series titles. As for the Brewers, their NLDS triumph over the Cubs on Saturday night marked their first postseason series victory since their 2018 NLDS sweep of the Rockies before that showdown with the Dodgers.
“I don’t worry about how many years it’s been,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said recently. “I know this: We’ve been in contention every year we’ve been here, and I’m just thankful for that. And starting in 2017, we’ve either been in the playoffs or a game away since ’17.
“That says something about the [organization]. Says something about the front office and the ownership and the coaching staff. But most importantly, understanding the type of player that has to play here — and we’ve got a bunch of them in there. That’s pretty special.”
The Brewers enter this year’s NLCS looking for their first World Series title and their first NL pennant since that 1982 season, when they lost the Fall Classic to St. Louis in seven games.
“We’ve got our work cut out,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday. “As far as organization-wise, they’ve done a fantastic job.”
Though the Brewers are the No. 1 seed in the National League, many consider the superstar-laden Dodgers to be the favorite in this NLCS clash.
“The Dodgers are a powerhouse,” said Murphy. “What can you say?”
Los Angeles is in the midst of its 13th straight postseason appearance. It has won four NL pennants and two World Series championships during that time.
Asked if he feels fans are ready to see another team win, Roberts said: “I think they’re happy to see us. … I think they like seeing the Dodgers, whether they like rooting against us or for us. So I think they like seeing us — even here in Milwaukee.”
