Heroes and zeros: Dodgers October nightmare ends with a whimper

Heroes, zeros and other observations from the Dodgers’ 6-4, season-ending loss to the Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, which completed a pennant-clinching sweep for Milwaukee:Zero: The Dodgers’ offense –– after the second inningIn 2004, one clutch stolen base changed everything for the Boston Red Sox.In 2026, it briefly felt like one cathartic swing could potentially spark something similar for the Dodgers.In the bottom of the second inning Thursday, the team finally had its breakthrough moment, taking a 4-0 lead after a long-awaited home run swing from Shohei Ohtani.It was the four-time MVP’s first long ball since Aug.18, snapping his career-long 25-game homer drought.

It was also the Dodgers’ first big fly of this series, representing the first true sign of life all week from their slumping offense.However, it wouldn’t last.As the Brewers came storming back, the Dodgers’ bats once again went mysteriously cold.Ex-Dodger Dustin May gave up the home run to Ohtani, but then responded with a couple of shut-down innings.Left-hander JoJo Romero came out of the Milwaukee bullpen next, and also threw up a couple scoreless frames, stranding the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth by striking out Max Muncy and sending him spiking his bat into the dirt.From there, the Brewers only needed one more arm.Hard-throwing southpaw Aaron Ashby entered for the seventh and gave up a leadoff double to Andy Pages, but stranded him by striking out Ohtani on three pitches and getting Mookie Betts to bounce one to short.In the eighth, the Dodgers had life again after Will Smith lined a ball into the right-field corner that kicked away from Sal Frelick, allowing him to reach third with one out.

But Ashby buckled down once more, getting Kyle Tucker to hit a shallow fly ball and Teoscar Hernández to strike out swinging.In the ninth, Ashby returned for a third inning of work, and retired the side in order.Game, set, match.National...