After winning the title of NL Central Champions against the previous winner, Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers (96-67) are coming off a 12 game winning streak, unfortunately losing to the LA Dodgers with a score of 4-3 on Saturday, October 13th. With those wins came free burgers, free beer, and pure celebration for the state of Wisconsin as it's been seven years since the Brewers even made the playoffs. With the way they're playing, I'm sure they'll make it to the World Series.
In the national league, Brewers are ranked number one over the Cubs and even the LA Dodgers. Not only are they number one in the league, but they are the team with the best home field advantage, and with the best player on the field, Christian Yelich. Yelich is sure to be the NL MVP this season, and if he isn't? The MLB has some serious rethinking to do. That boy is only 26 and is a start player when he's up to bat at the diamond. Dubbed as a 'Pete Davidson' doppelganger, he's drive in nearly 30% of all the Brewers runs since September. If that isn't MVP status? I don't know what is.
Although the Dodgers have had a strong presence in the postseason for about a decade or so, I'm sure the Milwaukee Brewers are going to take that away and prove everyone wrong.
With Game 1, the Brewers decided to switch things up and not even bring in a traditional pitcher to the mound to start the game off. Brandon Woodruff opened the game and made the first three innings a promising outlook for the rest of the game when Corbin Burnes, Corey Knebel, and Josh Hader would later take the mound. Their strategy at fooling the Dodgers? Switching up the pitchers every two innings so the Dodgers had no idea who they were going to be against.
Game two came on the thirteenth of October and the Brewers started off strong. By the sixth inning, they were leading 2-0, feeling confident until Corbin Burnes and Jeremy Jeffress claimed some runs for the Dodgers. Brewers had ended their streak, suffering their first loss in three weeks.
Brewers lose NLCS Game 2, 4-3www.youtube.com
Game three took place in Los Angeles at Dodgers stadium where the Brewers came off with a 4-0 win, bringing the series up to 2-1 with the Brewers leading, things were looking good for the Brew Crew, then we got into game four.
Game four happened the 16th of October and from the start, I was already irritated with the way the Brewers were playing and was ready to go to bed by the start of the third inning. Playing deep into a thirteenth inning, it was a tough game when Dodgers player Cody Bellinger had a walk-off single that gave Manny Machado the plate and the Dodgers won, tying the series back up at 2-2. The tenth inning was starting to get a little tense as Manny Machado was seen kicking Jesus Aguilar, and was seen as an intentional injury, yet, Machado wasn't ejected from the game. Not only that, but Gio Gonzalez came hard on his ankle after trying to make a catch, ultimately making him ineligible for the World Series, should the Brewers continue on.
Manny Machado called a 'dirty player' by Brewers after bench-clearing kick on Jesus Aguilarwww.youtube.com
With the series being tied at 2-2, instead of it being a best-of-seven series, it might be the best-of-three. Either way, one of the teams is going back to Milwaukee for Game 6 only needing one win to advance to the World Series. The chances of the Brewers advancing and winning the series are at about 58.2 percent.
UPDATE FROM 10/19:
Brewers lost game 5 4-1 against the LA Dodgers, giving the Dodgers a lead of 3-2 in the series, meaning they need an additional win and they have secured their spot for the World Series. The Brewers and Dodgers are back in Milwaukee today for Game 6 to battle it out. Let's pray for a Brewers win.