Milwaukee, it’s finally happening. The Brewers are going to the World Series for the first time since 1982 after a dominant sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Meanwhile, the American League pennant race is going the distance, with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians tied two games apiece. Here’s where the 2026 postseason stands and what comes next.

A clean sweep of the Dodgers

The Brewers didn’t just beat the Dodgers; they never let them breathe. According to MLB.com’s postseason results, Milwaukee took Game 1 by a 2-1 score on October 11, won Game 2 7-4 the next night, rolled to a 6-2 win in Game 3 and closed out the series with a 6-4 victory in Game 4 on October 15.

As CBS Sports notes, it’s the franchise’s first National League pennant. The Brewers’ only previous World Series trip came in 1982, when the team played in the American League. Now they’ll chase the first championship in franchise history.

The road to the NLCS wasn’t easy, either. Milwaukee beat the San Diego Padres three games to one in the Division Series, winning a trio of one- or two-run games along the way.

The ALCS is a best-of-three now

On the American League side, nobody has been able to take control. Cleveland won Game 1 7-3, Tampa Bay answered with a 3-1 win in Game 2, and the Guardians edged the Rays 3-2 in Game 3 to retake the lead.

Then the Rays’ bats woke up. In Game 4 on Saturday, Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 to even the series. CBS Sports credits Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz with leading the offense, while the bullpen held Cleveland in check after a strong start from Nick Martinez.

Both teams have shown resilience this October. The Rays swept the New York Yankees in the Division Series, while the Guardians dropped the first two games of their ALDS against the Chicago White Sox before rallying to win the series 3-2.

Remaining ALCS schedule

There are no more off days in the series. Here’s what’s left, per MLB.com (all times Eastern):

  • Game 5: Sunday, Oct. 18, Rays at Guardians, 5:08 p.m. (TBS, truTV, HBO Max)
  • Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19, Guardians at Rays, 8:08 p.m.
  • Game 7 (if necessary): Tuesday, Oct. 20, Guardians at Rays, 8:08 p.m.

2026 World Series schedule

The 122nd Fall Classic opens in Milwaukee, with the Brewers hosting the AL champion at American Family Field. All games air on FOX, with Spanish-language coverage on FOX Deportes. First pitch for every game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET:

  • Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23, AL champion at Brewers
  • Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24, AL champion at Brewers
  • Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26, Brewers at AL champion
  • Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27, Brewers at AL champion
  • Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28, Brewers at AL champion
  • Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30, AL champion at Brewers
  • Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31, AL champion at Brewers

That potential Game 7 would land on Halloween night, which would make for quite a party in whichever city wins it.

Rest versus rhythm

One storyline to watch: the Brewers will have more than a week off between the end of the NLCS and the start of the World Series. Extra rest can help a pitching staff and heal nagging injuries, but long layoffs can also disrupt timing at the plate. The AL champion, by contrast, will arrive battle-tested but potentially with a tired bullpen, especially if the ALCS goes seven games. How each team handles that gap could shape the opening games.

How to watch

The ALCS is airing on TBS, truTV and HBO Max, with Spanish-language coverage on UniMas. The World Series will be on FOX and FOX One, with FOX Deportes in Spanish and ESPN Radio carrying national radio coverage. MLB.TV subscribers can also stream FOX games if they’re authenticated through a participating pay TV provider.

The wrap-up

After a 44-year wait, Brewers fans finally have their team back on baseball’s biggest stage, and they got there in style. Now all eyes turn to Cleveland and Tampa Bay to see who will meet them. Whoever comes out of the ALCS, Game 1 is set for Friday night in Milwaukee. Grab your snacks; October baseball is about to get even better.

Image: Wausau Athletic Park baseball field by Wikideas1 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0