The Brewers were a surprise team in baseball this year. Milwaukee was not expected to contend in the tough NL Central division, and even as they led the division well into the summer, a drop off in performance was expected at some point.
When the team lost 11-of-14 games (including a six game losing streak) shortly after the All-Star break in July, it seemed like the magical season they had been putting together might have been coming back to reality. The Cubs and Cardinals began to heat up, and many people gave up on the Brewers.
But the Brewers didn’t give up on themselves. Despite their youth and inexperience, they have played together. Despite a second six game losing streak in early August, they have made sure to have fun. Despite all the doubters, Milwaukee has continued to fight.
Milwaukee is currently 2.5 games behind Chicago for the lead in the NL Central. With seven remaining games against the Cubs and plenty of matchups with fellow division opponents, September will be a make or break month for the Brewers.
If Chicago’s championship DNA activates and they run rampant in September, Milwaukee still has plenty to play for. The NL Wildcard spots have been controlled by Arizona and Colorado pretty much all year long as they sit back and grind their way to the playoffs while the Dodgers sit well atop the division winning games at a record setting pace.
Luckily for Milwaukee, those two teams play each other another seven times this year, giving the Brewers a great chance to make up ground. Furthermore, Colorado plays the Dodgers seven more times and Arizona faces them in six more games.
The pennant race is obviously the goal for Craig Counsell’s Brewers, but a Wildcard spot and a chance to play underdog in the playoffs isn’t half bad as a consolation prize either. One thing is for sure, Milwaukee will have to play their best baseball this September.