The stakes couldn’t be higher tonight at Dodger Stadium as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers square off in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Championship Series. With the Dodgers holding a commanding 3-0 lead, they’re just one win away from clinching a second consecutive World Series appearance—a feat no National League team has managed since the Yankees’ legendary run from 1998 to 2000. The Brewers, meanwhile, are staring down the barrel of elimination, needing to pull off a historic four-game rally to keep their postseason dreams alive. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:38 p.m. ET, setting the stage for what could be a decisive night in Los Angeles.
For Milwaukee, the math is simple but daunting. The Brewers must win four straight games to advance, something only accomplished once before in Major League Baseball history—by the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who famously erased a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in the ALCS. As Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich put it after the team’s 3-1 loss in Game 3, “Look, we’re in a big hole. We have to break it down into little goals. Our goal right now should be to get the series back to Milwaukee and worry about the rest of the stuff [later].”
The Dodgers, on the other hand, are eager to close things out in front of their home crowd. Second baseman Tommy Edman captured the team’s mood: “We’re really excited. You know, it’s been a bit of a trying year. We didn’t play the best during the regular season. But we’re getting hot at the right time, just one win away, and, hopefully, we can finish it off.”
Tonight’s pitching matchup adds another layer of intrigue. The Brewers will send left-hander Jose Quintana (11-7, 3.96 ERA in the regular season) to the mound for his first start since September 14, when a left calf strain landed him on the injured list. Quintana’s only appearance since then was a brief three-inning relief outing in the NLDS against the Cubs, so it remains to be seen how deep he’ll be able to go. On the Dodgers’ side, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 2.87 ERA) gets the nod. Ohtani hasn’t pitched in nearly two weeks, but he was electric in his last start, striking out nine over six innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against Philadelphia. This will be Ohtani’s first career pitching start against Milwaukee, and the Dodgers are counting on him to deliver another quality outing.
The Dodgers’ bullpen has been lights out so far in this series, a key factor in their 3-0 advantage. In Game 3, relievers Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, and Roki Sasaki combined to allow just one hit and no runs after Tyler Glasnow’s 5.2-inning start. None of those relievers threw more than 13 pitches, meaning the entire bullpen should be fresh and available for Game 4. Sasaki, in particular, has emerged as the go-to option in save situations, with Treinen, Vesia, and Emmet Sheehan also playing vital roles in high-leverage spots this postseason.
The Brewers, meanwhile, have leaned heavily on their bullpen throughout the series, but with mixed results. Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe have pitched in all three games so far, and fatigue could become a factor if the series continues. Jared Koenig and Trevor Megill have also seen action, but the Brewers’ starters have struggled to provide length, recording just 21 outs combined in the first three games compared to 68 by Dodgers starters Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow.
Offensively, Milwaukee’s bats have gone ice cold at the worst possible time. After ranking third in the majors in runs scored during the regular season, the Brewers have managed just three runs on nine hits through the first three games of the NLCS. Their team slash line is a paltry .101/.165/.180—a far cry from their regular season production. Only Owen Miller and Jake Bauers have posted an OPS above .450 in the series, while key contributors like Brice Turang, William Contreras, Sal Frelick, and Yelich himself have struggled mightily. Vaughn Grissom and Jackson Chourio are both hitless in double-digit at-bats, underscoring the team-wide slump.
The Dodgers’ offense hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders, but they’ve come through when it matters most. In Game 3, a two-run sixth inning proved decisive, and Tommy Edman—who’s batting .290 this postseason—delivered a key go-ahead hit. Ohtani, despite his pitching prowess, has found the going tough at the plate, managing just two hits and five strikeouts in the series. Still, his triple and run scored in Game 3 were pivotal in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win.
Injuries are always a storyline in October baseball, and both teams are feeling the effects. For Milwaukee, rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio gave fans a scare when he hopped off the field on one leg during a seventh-inning at-bat in Game 3. Fortunately for the Brewers, Chourio was able to start Game 4 in left field. The Dodgers have been dealing with their own issues, as catcher Will Smith continues to play through a hairline fracture in his right hand, and Edman is managing a nagging right ankle injury that sidelined him twice during the regular season. Notably, reliever Tanner Scott is ineligible for the NLCS after being removed from the NLDS roster due to injury, but he could return if the Dodgers advance.
The Brewers’ postseason woes on the road have reached historic proportions. With 10 consecutive postseason road losses dating back to Games 4 and 5 of the 2018 NLCS—both at Dodger Stadium—Milwaukee now owns the second-longest such streak in MLB postseason history. Only the Senators/Twins franchise, who lost 12 straight road playoff games between 1925 and 1987, have fared worse.
From a historical perspective, the deck is stacked against the Brewers. According to Elias Sports Bureau, this is just the eighth time a team has gone up 3-0 in a best-of-seven series against the club with MLB’s best regular-season record. In all seven previous instances, the series ended in a 4-0 sweep. The Dodgers are also the sixth team in history to win four straight postseason games while allowing no more than one run in any of them—a testament to their dominant pitching and timely defense.
For fans eager to catch the action, tonight’s game will be broadcast on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max, with streaming options available via DirecTV’s free trial, MLB.TV, Sling TV, and more. International viewers can tune in through MLB.TV, while Canadian fans have access via Sportsnet (English) and TVA Sports (French).
As the Dodgers look to punch their ticket to the World Series and the Brewers fight to keep their season alive, all eyes will be on Dodger Stadium. Will history repeat itself with another sweep, or can Milwaukee pull off the start of a miracle comeback? One thing’s for sure: October baseball never fails to deliver drama.
