On Sept. 5, the Brewers were just three games above .500 and five games behind the Cubs for the National League’s second Wild Card spot. Five days later, in the midst of a five-game winning streak, the reigning National League MVP, Christian Yelich, suffered a fractured kneecap, ending his season.
At 76-68, Milwaukee was still on the outside looking in and now without its best player. Many experts and fans wrote them off, but what the Brewers have done in the 16 days since would shock almost anyone.
With a 9-2 win against the Reds on Wednesday, the Brewers clinched a postseason berth for the second straight season. Milwaukee has gone 17-2 in their last 19 games, as their scorching hot month has also put them in the NL Central race.
As of Thursday morning, the Brewers trailed the Cardinals by 1.5 games, with a chance to cut the deficit to one game before the final three games of the season when they faced Cincinnati on Thursday.
Not Often
It is just the second time in franchise history that the Brewers will be playing postseason baseball in back-to-back seasons. The first instance was in 1981 and 1982, when the then-American League Brewers made it to the World Series for their first and only appearance, losing to the Cardinals in seven games. But the last several years have been the most successful of the franchise; this will be the fourth time in 12 years the Brewers make the playoffs after doing so just twice in their first 39 years.
The Brewers, led by manager Craig Counsell, join the Cardinals, Braves, Nationals, and Dodgers in the National League playoff field. As it stands right now, the Brewers would head to Washington for the Wild Card game.
But they trailed the Nationals by just one game, meaning it’s very possible to see Milwaukee hosting the Wild Card game by season’s end. And as mentioned earlier, the division is still up for grabs. After one last game against the Reds, the Brewers will close out their season with three games against the Rockies in Colorado, while the Cardinals will host the Cubs for the final three games.
Bad Ending
Milwaukee’s surge capped off with its victory Wednesday officially ended Chicago’s playoff hopes. Going into last Thursday, the Cubs and Brewers were tied for the final Wild Card spot. But Chicago was swept in a four-game series at home by the Cardinals, while Milwaukee cruised in a sweep against the Pirates.
By Sunday night, the Brewers were up by four games over Chicago. The Cubs continued their freefall, riding an eight-game losing streak heading into Thursday.
The Mets joined the Cubs in the loser’s circle Wednesday night after being eliminated with the Brewers win. New York went on a Milwaukee-esque run in July and August, winning 15 of 16 and catapulting back into playoff contention.
But despite increasing their win total for three straight years, the 83-75 Mets will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Their 2019 campaign wraps up with four home games; one more against the Marlins and the final three against the NL East champion Braves.
While the National League teams are all settled, two spots are still up for grabs in the American League. The Athletics, Rays, and Indians are all competing for a spot in the Wild Card game. Oakland has a half-game lead on Tampa Bay, which has a 1.5-game lead on Cleveland.
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