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Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) watches his two-run home run off of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez (28) during the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For a decent projection of the 2026 World Series matchup, the natural first place to look is at how the Brewers and Rays matched up in the regular season. And thankfully for Milwaukee, the results point in their favor. The Brew Crew won two of their three regular-season games against the Rays, all in America's Dairyland, by a nine-run margin — Milwaukee scored 16 runs to Tampa Bay's seven.

Granted, this was so long ago that both teams look completely different by now. They haven't faced each other since early April, and the Rays have undergone a major transformation since that fateful World Series preview. Their bullpen has pulled itself together, and offensively, this team has found a rhythm that will be hard to stymie.

Nonetheless, there are still details to pull from that series that'll surely reflect on this year's World Series matchup and hopefully give us a sign of what's to come.

1. Brewers need to ride the hot hands of William Contreras and Jake Bauers to beat the Rays.

The NLCS MVP, Jake Bauers, began his emergence as Milwaukee's breakout offensive hero with an electric series against the Rays, hitting three balls and scoring three runs, including a home run, in 10 at-bats versus Tampa Bay. The same could be said for star catcher William Contreras, who rocked four hits, including a home run for two RBIs in 12 chances in that series.

It's only right for Bauers and Contreras to finish their season the same way they started it — cooking at the plate against the Rays, with all the confidence in the world and the support of Milwaukee behind them. It's almost certainly a recipe for offensive success.

2. Brice Turang can change the narrative of his playoffs facing Tampa Bay in the World Series.

It hasn't been an easy postseason run for one of the best second basemen in baseball, despite showing his chops defensively as an elite fielder in a vital position. But offensively, Turang has struggled in the postseason, batting just .222 for six hits in 27 plate appearances. But if he can channel some of what worked for him in the regular season against Tampa Bay, when he hit three balls in eight at-bats for four RBIs and three walks, he can wipe the slate clean and start anew.

3. If history repeats itself, Milwaukee's pitchers don't need to be perfect to win against the Rays.

These weren't the best games for the Brewers' bullpen, allowing multiple runs in every game and seven in the series. But Milwaukee's steadfast defense and consistent strikeout potential kept them in every game, every inning, limiting Tampa Bay's explosive innings that helped them get to this point in the postseason.

Starters Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson allowed a combined eight hits in 11 innings, but only three earned runs in total. And frankly, they should both be far more confident and prepared for this outing than they were in their first go-around against the Rays. So if they can channel some of that same energy, the Brewers have a serious shot at winning their first World Series in franchise history.

- Dylan Carter

SOURCE SPORTS: BREWERS DETHONE DODGERS WITH NLCS SWEEP, PUNCH FIRST WORLD SERIES IN 44 YEARS

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ dreams of a historic World Series three-peat came crashing down Thursday night at Dodger Stadium, where the Milwaukee Brewers completed one of the most emphatic postseason statements in recent memory. Behind a relentless comeback, timely home runs and another dominant bullpen performance, Milwaukee erased a four-run deficit to defeat Los Angeles 6-4 in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, sweeping the two-time defending champions and securing the franchise’s first World Series appearance since 1982.

For a Dodgers organization that has spent years establishing itself as the National League’s premier powerhouse, the elimination was more than another disappointing October exit. It was a stunning reversal of fortune against the same Milwaukee club Los Angeles swept out of the NLCS just one year earlier.

The Dodgers appeared determined to avoid elimination early, jumping ahead 4-0 in the second inning. Andy Pages delivered an RBI single before Shohei Ohtani finally broke out of his postseason power drought with a towering three-run home run. The blast, Ohtani’s first since August 18, electrified the Dodger Stadium crowd and briefly suggested that Los Angeles might have enough fight left to extend the series.

Milwaukee had other plans.

The Brewers began chipping away in the fourth inning when Jake Bauers delivered a two-run double, cutting the deficit in half. An inning later, Milwaukee loaded the bases and continued applying pressure, with Bauers drawing a bases-loaded walk that tied the contest at four. The comeback demonstrated the same patient, fundamentally sound approach that helped Milwaukee finish the regular season with Major League Baseball’s best record at 103-59.

The decisive blow came in the sixth inning when Garrett Mitchell launched a go-ahead solo home run off Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott, giving Milwaukee its first lead of the night at 5-4. David Hamilton added insurance with a solo shot in the ninth, providing the Brewers with a two-run cushion heading into the final three outs.

While the offense supplied the comeback, Milwaukee’s bullpen made certain there would be no Hollywood ending for the defending champions. JoJo Romero earned the victory, and left-hander Aaron Ashby delivered a remarkable three-inning save, shutting down the Dodgers’ final opportunities to keep their season alive.

When Jackson Chourio secured the final out in left field, Milwaukee’s dugout emptied onto the Dodger Stadium diamond in celebration of a National League pennant that had eluded the franchise for more than four decades.

Bauers, whose contributions throughout the series proved instrumental in Milwaukee’s offensive success, earned NLCS Most Valuable Player honors after driving in six runs during the four-game sweep. His emergence as a postseason difference-maker epitomized a Brewers roster that repeatedly found production from players outside baseball’s traditional superstar conversation.

The sweep was particularly remarkable because Milwaukee trailed at some point in all four games, yet never allowed Los Angeles to finish the job. The Brewers opened the series with a 2-1 victory at American Family Field, followed with a 7-4 win in Game 2 and took complete control with a 6-2 triumph in Game 3 before Thursday’s comeback completed the humiliation.

For Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the series exposed offensive inconsistencies that proved impossible to overcome despite a roster loaded with former MVPs, All-Stars and some of the game’s highest-paid players. Los Angeles finished the NLCS just 5-for-43 with runners in scoring position, a staggering .116 average that illustrated its inability to produce timely hits when games were hanging in the balance.

Even Ohtani’s three-run blast in the elimination game couldn’t rescue a lineup that repeatedly failed to capitalize on scoring opportunities. The Dodgers held leads in all four contests but couldn’t secure a single victory against a Milwaukee team that executed more consistently when the pressure intensified.

The result also raises legitimate questions about the balance of power in the National League. Los Angeles entered the postseason pursuing a third consecutive World Series championship, an accomplishment no Major League franchise has achieved since the New York Yankees won three straight titles from 1998 through 2000. Instead, the Dodgers were sent home by a smaller-market organization that relied on player development, situational hitting, aggressive baserunning and bullpen depth to overcome one of baseball’s most expensive rosters.

Under manager Pat Murphy, Milwaukee has built a team whose identity revolves around collective execution rather than individual star power. That philosophy carried the Brewers through a 103-win regular season and ultimately through the National League’s defending champions without suffering a single NLCS defeat.

The accomplishment carries even greater historical significance for Milwaukee, which last reached the Fall Classic in 1982, when Hall of Famers Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Rollie Fingers helped lead the franchise to its first American League pennant. Those Brewers eventually fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

Forty-four years later, Milwaukee has captured its first National League pennant and will enter the World Series with an opportunity to claim the franchise’s first championship.

The Brewers will now await the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 of the World Series is scheduled for October 23, with Milwaukee holding home-field advantage after finishing with the best regular-season record in baseball.

For Los Angeles, the offseason arrives much earlier than anticipated, along with difficult questions about how a championship-caliber roster failed to win even one game in the NLCS. The Dodgers will undoubtedly remain contenders, but their aura of postseason invincibility has taken a significant hit.

For Milwaukee, the conversation has shifted from whether the Brewers could challenge the Dodgers’ dominance to whether they can finish the job and bring a World Series championship to Wisconsin for the first time in franchise history.

The Dodgers’ three-peat is officially dead. Their National League reign has been interrupted, and the Brewers have taken the pennant with authority.

Now, the Brew Crew is four victories away from baseball immortality.

- Sha Be Allah

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MLB ROUNDUP: TIGERS TOSS COMBINED NO-HITTER VS. BLUE JAYS 0

USA TODAY Sports 

Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange threw a combined no-hitter as the Detroit Tigers blanked the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.

It was the 20th combined no-hitter in major league history, counting the postseason, and the first no-hitter at Detroit's Comerica Park since Justin Verlander threw a complete-game no-hitter on June 12, 2007. It was also the ninth no-hitter in Tigers franchise history.

Manning (3-1), in his third start since coming off the injured list after a foot injury, pitched the first 6 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out five while throwing 91 pitches. Foley got the next four outs and Lange pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save.

Kevin Gausman (7-5) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings as the Blue Jays' winning streak was snapped at four games. Lange struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, Bo Bichette, on three pitches. Brandon Belt flied out to center before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third to complete the no-hitter.

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