The Dodgers have a 4-3 lead over the Brewers in the top of the fifth inning of NLCS Game 4, with Los Angeles one loss from elimination. MLB.com's live thread was headlined "Pages opens scoring, and then ... Ohtani." Our box score shows what that means. Andy Pages drove in the first run, and Shohei Ohtani hit a home run and drove in three. The Dodgers scored all four of their runs in the second inning, on four hits. Ohtani was leading off, per Yahoo Sports' lineup piece.
The Dodgers' bats had been quiet before this. They lost 2-1 and 7-4 in Milwaukee and then 6-2 at home on Wednesday, so Ohtani's homer was the first real swing back. He went into the night with a .275 average, 30 home runs, 81 RBI and an .889 OPS over 139 regular-season games. Our box score has him 1 for 2 with a strikeout so far, and his home run is the only one in the game.
The starters have been uneven. Yahoo Sports and Viva El Birdos both listed Tyler Glasnow for Los Angeles and left-hander Shane Drohan for Milwaukee. Glasnow has thrown 4.1 innings and 79 pitches, allowing three runs, all earned, with six strikeouts and two walks. Drohan was gone after one inning and 25 pitches, having allowed a run and walked two. Dustin May took over and has gone three innings, giving up three runs, including the home run.
Milwaukee has closed the gap. The Brewers scored twice in the fourth. Jake Bauers drove in both runs, and William Contreras doubled. David Hamilton's single to center, fielded by Pages, brought home Sal Frelick in the fifth to make it 4-3. Los Angeles has stranded eight runners to Milwaukee's two, so the lead could have been larger.
The Brewers went 103-59 and won the NL Central. They entered the night on a five-game winning streak, and a win would complete the sweep. The Dodgers finished 100-62 and won the NL West. Their season is on the line, and a loss ends it. Yahoo Sports said first pitch was moved up an hour from the original schedule, and one outlet's feed gave an 8:00 PM start. The sources don't say why the time changed, and they don't agree on the time.
If Los Angeles holds on, the series goes on. Our schedule lists Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Oct. 16, and a Game 6 back in Milwaukee on Sunday, Oct. 18. Both are listed as not yet started.
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