The Los Angeles Dodgers, seeking a third consecutive Major League Baseball World Series title, will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS, best-of-seven) for the second year in a row.

The Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-1 in Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS, best-of-five) at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, today (October 8).

Winning the NLDS 3 games to 1, the Dodgers advanced to the NLCS for the third consecutive year.

With Atlanta's elimination, Kim Ha-seong's turbulent 2026 season has also come to an end.

Kim struggled to put up notable numbers after undergoing surgery on his right middle finger, which he injured after slipping on ice while staying in South Korea early this year.

Although he was dramatically included on the postseason roster, he remained on the bench today and finished this autumn's baseball with 5 at-bats, no hits, and 1 run.

The Dodgers' Kim Hye-sung made his first appearance of this postseason as a late-inning defensive replacement at second baseman in the bottom of the ninth.

Milwaukee also advanced to the NLCS by defeating the San Diego Padres 3-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS, taking the series 3 games to 1.

Much like the previous three games, which were all nail-biting, one-run affairs, scoring was scarce once again. Milwaukee, boasting the league's strongest pitching staff this year, held the San Diego offense to just 3 hits to secure the victory.

Key Milwaukee relief pitcher Abner Uribe pitched in four consecutive ALDS games, showcasing stable, scoreless pitching.

In last year's NLCS, the Dodgers swept Milwaukee 4 games to 0 to claim the league championship.

In their head-to-head matchup this season, Milwaukee held a narrow edge with 4 wins to 3 against the Dodgers.

Game 1 of the NLCS between the two teams will kick off on October 12 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays have advanced to the Championship Series (ALCS) ahead of the others.

Tampa Bay defeated the New York Yankees 4-3 at Yankee Stadium, taking the series 3 games to 0 to return to the ALCS stage for the first time in 6 years since winning the league title in 2020.

The Yankees have now gone 17 years without winning a championship ring since hoisting their 27th World Series trophy in 2009.

Trailing 4-2 with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Yankees' Anthony Volpe appeared to hit a game-tying, two-run home run to left field. However, video review revealed that a fan standing behind the fence reached out and grabbed the ball before it cleared the wall. The umpires overturned the play to a fan-interference double, allowing only the run from first base to score.

The Yankees failed to overcome the one-run deficit due to the overzealous fan's interference and lost.

The Cleveland Guardians, pushed to the brink of elimination, routed the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois, claiming their first victory after two losses.

The White Sox offense struck out 19 times against a parade of 7 Cleveland pitchers.

(Photo: Getty Images)