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American Family Field (MILWAUKEE) – The Brewers were trailing the Dodgers 4-0 in Los Angeles, and Shohei Ohtani had just woken up with a three-run home run. For so many teams, facing the two-time defending champions in their own ballpark, that would have ended their night.
But Milwaukee spent the next few innings picking the Dodgers apart. The Brewers tied the game with their usual small-ball approach. That was expected. What came as a complete and total surprise was how clutch they were with the long ball.
Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell led off the sixth inning with a go-ahead home run off Tanner Scott. The No. 9 hitter, third baseman David Hamilton, then added insurance with a solo shot off Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz in the ninth, completing a four-game sweep and sending Milwaukee to its first World Series in 44 years.
David Hamilton’s home run was the exclamation point at the end of the Brewers’ Game 4 win in the NLCS over the Dodgers. (Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
It was a very different way to get there than the last time. In 1982, the Brewers were defined by their power. Unlike this year’s pennant-clinching team that has manager Pat Murphy’s fingerprints all over it, the ‘82 Brewers didn’t sneak up on opposing teams with its pop.
Harvey’s Wallbangers, named after manager Harvey Kuenn, led the majors with 216 home runs, 30 more than Reggie Jackson’s Angels in second. That memorable Milwaukee club was anchored by Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Ted Simmons, as well as multi-time All-Stars Gorman Thomas, Ben Oglivie and Cecil Cooper.
Robin Yount powered the 1982 Brewers to a World Series appearances. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images)
Opposing pitchers faced a lineup that had no easy outs and no place to hide. Almost every hitter in that lineup could end the game with one swing. For that team, home runs were always the plan. And it still wasn’t enough. Milwaukee lost that World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
The 2026 Milwaukee Brewers will never be mistaken for Harvey’s Wallbangers. They’re more like Murphy’s Smallballers.
“We had a few guys that hit 20 home runs this year,” Hamilton told me on Thursday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 World Series (Friday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX). “But people don’t realize that 20 is still a lot. That’s not really our game. Small ball is our game. We can hit the home run when we need to, but we don’t always need to. I feel like that’s a good thing.”
