LOS ANGELES -- All season, opposing teams poked and prodded the Dodgers, searching for signs of weakness. A few briefly succeeded. A few drew blood.

None of it lasted. Instead, like a storm, the Dodgers gathered strength over the second half of the season. They entered October looking stronger than at any point this season. They have since set about proving that they, the defending World Series champions, are impenetrable.

The final component snapped into place during National League Championship Series Game 4 on Friday, when Shohei Ohtani -- in arguably the most dominant individual performance in Major League postseason history -- hit three majestic homers and pitched six shutout innings to lead the Dodgers to a 5-1, pennant-clinching win over the Brewers.

The Dodgers will now awai

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