“I thought we’d awakened the giant...” Dodgers pack up despite Ohtani’s roar after a three-run homer, suffering a humiliating four-game sweep in the NLCS

[Financial News] The fall season came to a deeply anticlimactic end for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had reigned as the new “Evil Empire” and were seeking a third straight Major League Baseball (MLB) title. The lineup they had counted on fell completely silent, and they packed their bags without winning a single game.
The Dodgers lost 4-6 to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) on the 16th (Korea time). With a 0-4 series record, the Dodgers ended their season and ceded the World Series (WS) berth to Milwaukee.
The highlight of the game was Shohei Ohtani’s at-bat in the top of the second. After struggling badly in the wake of knee and arm injuries, Ohtani hit a three-run homer in the second and let his pent-up emotions erupt in an unusual roar.
Ohtani’s presence was so overpowering that even Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy, the opposing skipper, said, “He’s unquestionably the best player in the world. The moment we gave up that home run, I thought to myself, ‘This is bad—we’ve finally awakened the giant.’” But the Dodgers failed to add to their lead after Ohtani’s homer and were completely shut down by Milwaukee’s bullpen, ultimately losing 4-6 after giving up the lead. Throughout the series, the Dodgers’ lineup managed just five hits in 43 at-bats with runners in scoring position.


Despite the loss, the Dodgers’ dugout praised Ohtani’s fighting spirit. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed his unwavering confidence, saying, “Ohtani’s roar was an expression of the anger and frustration he had been feeling. I deeply respect him for not running away and playing to the very end despite not being fully healthy.”
The Dodgers, who had stood atop Major League Baseball for the past two years, openly acknowledged their defeat. Max Muncy spoke of their profound fatigue, saying, “We’ve given everything on the field for three straight years. It feels like the train has finally run out of steam.” Miguel Rojas, who is retiring at the end of this season, also accepted the outcome calmly, saying, “Having a lot of talented players doesn’t guarantee a win.”
Ohtani, who is widely seen as having failed to achieve either of his goals this year amid the limits of two-way play and a string of injuries, calmly accepted the loss. “Milwaukee was a good team, and I admit my own ability fell short,” Ohtani said. “I’ll continue playing both ways next year. I’ll discuss with the team during the offseason whether to have surgery,” he said, setting his sights on the coming season.


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