The Milwaukee Brewers weren’t planning for this series to go five games, but they were still prepared for it.

With a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS, the Brewers snuffed out a comeback attempt from their division rivals on Saturday to set up an NLCS clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday in Milwaukee (8:08 p.m. ET, TBS).

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The series will be the Brewers’ first NLCS since 2018, when they lost to the Dodgers in seven games.

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In Game 5, it was a clash of bullpen games, with Milwaukee holding the advantage. Rookies Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick combined for 6 2/3 innings, six strikeouts, three hits and one run allowed, while Trevor Megill opened the game and Abner Uribe closed it with a two-inning save.

Every Brewers pitcher was amped on the mound, matching a raucous American Family Field crowd.

The Brewers got all their runs via solo home run, courtesy of William Contreras, Andrew Vaughn and Brice Turang. Those are also three players who embody how the Brewers got here. Turang is a homegrown draft pick who slowly developed into a two-way standout. Contreras was acquired in a trade in which he was considered the second-best catcher, but he turned into a Silver Slugger.

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And Vaughn was optioned by the Chicago White Sox — the soon-to-be 60-102 White Sox — in May, then got traded to Milwaukee, where he immediately found the power so many expected when he was drafted third overall in 2019.

The Brewers had a bottom-10 payroll this year after years of watching talents such as Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames walk out the door. They succeeded by continuing to develop young players and finding diamonds in the rough wherever they could.

And now, the owners of MLB’s best record in the regular season can breathe a sigh of relief. They did not blow a 2-0 lead against a team they beat for the division title. Instead, they will face the Dodgers, against whom they went 6-0 in the regular season, for a chance at their first World Series appearance since 1982.

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Cubs-Brewers Game 5 live blog

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for updates, highlights and more from Game 5 of the NLDS: