The Milwaukee Brewers were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in last year's National League Championship Series, but got their revenge this year by sweeping the Dodgers.
It was the first time in any major North American sports league that a team pulled off a "revenge sweep," sweeping a team 4-0 one year after being swept 4-0. However, Brewers star catcher William Contreras had something to say about the Dodgers sweeping his team last year.
"The playoff series against the Dodgers, we got swept…… It was terrible. I understand why there was not so much belief in us after a loss like that," Contreras wrote for The Players' Tribune. "But if you want the truth, I’ll tell you, because I was there. I’m the one who saw it from both sides, right? I’m behind the plate for their side … and I’m at the plate for our side. Here’s the truth: The Dodgers were the lucky team last season."
Contreras clarified that he was not saying the Dodgers got lucky and were completely undeserving of going to the World Series. He simply thought that the result of the series was not indicative of how closely matched the teams were.
"No, I’m not saying they were lucky to be champions," Contreras continued. "Of course not. It’s a tremendous team, with tremendous players. I’ll take nothing away from them. But were they lucky to SWEEP us? That’s a different story. Between their team and our team, 4–0, that wasn’t the gap. But they made the plays, got the breaks, and by the end of the series we were in our own heads. We’re thinking, Those guys…….. they found the magic. How else do you explain it???"
This year, the Brewers pulled off a sweep, and Contreras' mindset has not changed simply because it was his team on the better side. He went on to say that perhaps the Brewers were the lucky team this year.
"And just like last year when they swept us, and I said they were lucky to do that, I know this year we were probably lucky to sweep them," said Contreras. "I won’t sit here and tell you the Brewers are unstoppable. I’ve been around. I know how quickly things can change in this game. Being hot in your last series, it doesn’t mean you stay hot in your next one."
There's a reason baseball's postseason is such a roller coaster. Every pitch can seemingly change the course of a series, and the best team is never a lock to win. A bad bounce here, unlucky break there or a ground rule at a specific park can completely alter a team's fate. Contreras knows that, but now he and his Brewers are four games away from winning the first championship in franchise history.