The Brewers already know the team they’ll be watching closely this week, and it comes with a familiar twist.
Milwaukee is set to face the winner of the Padres-Cubs Wild Card Series in the NLDS for the second straight year. The only thing still unsettled in the National League bracket is the final Wild Card spot, where the Arizona Diamondbacks could still pass the Philadelphia Phillies. But the rest of the playoff picture is locked in, and that means Pat Murphy’s club can focus on one matchup: San Diego against Chicago.
The best-of-three series opens Tuesday, with Game 2 on Wednesday and, if needed, Game 3 on Thursday, October 1. All teams get Friday off before the NLDS begins at American Family Field on Saturday, October 3.
Last year’s path produced a very different setup. The Padres and Cubs met in the Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field, with Chicago taking the decisive Game 3 before falling to Milwaukee in a five-game NLDS.
This time, though, the series shifts to Petco Park in San Diego. The Padres surged past the Cubs in the NL Wild Card standings with a strong September finish, earning home-field advantage for the series.
That matters for Chicago, which has had a rough travel stretch to close the regular season. The Cubs hosted the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field during the week, then went to Boston to face the Red Sox.
A nor’easter on the East Coast forced a doubleheader at Fenway Park on Friday, and the team then moved on to Tropicana Field for its finale against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon. By the time the Wild Card Series starts Tuesday, the Cubs will have gone from Chicago to Boston to Tampa to San Diego in five days.
They’ll also be doing it without Wrigley behind them. Chicago finished 42-38 on the road and 46-35 at home, not a massive split, but enough to make home-field advantage something the Cubs would have preferred in this series. Instead, that edge belongs to San Diego after the Padres’ late push.
From Milwaukee’s perspective, there are reasons to like and dislike both possible opponents. The Cubs bring one of the best offenses and defenses in MLB, but their starting rotation is not dominant and the bullpen has its issues. The Padres have the best bullpen in baseball, though the rest of the roster does not measure up the same way.
Either way, the Brewers’ eventual NLDS opponent will be making the trip from the West Coast to American Family Field for Games 1 and 2 - a much different setup than last year, when the Cubs came north from Chicago after knocking out San Diego.
In Other News...
Brewers Just Got A Joey Ortiz Update They Had To Hear
Joey Ortiz gave the Brewers a much-needed scare check on the injury front, but the early read appears encouraging. An MRI came back clean enough for manager Pat Murphy to describe the results as good, easing concern around the abdominal swelling and bruised knee that had put Ortiz in the spotlight as Milwaukee turns its attention to October.
Ortiz has become an important piece for the Brewers since his game took a real step forward in mid-June, and the team is counting on that version of him in the postseason. For now, the expectation is that hell be ready when the National League Division Series begins on October 3, which is the kind of update Milwaukee needed after a tense few days. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Yelich Had One Condition Before Accepting Brewers Captaincy
Christian Yelich has long been one of the steady voices inside the Brewers clubhouse, so it did not come as a shock when the club officially elevated him to captain. The move, Milwaukees first formal captaincy, came with Robin Younts blessing and was later confirmed by manager Pat Murphy, a reminder that this was as much about respect and presence as it was about production on the field.
Yelich will now wear a C on his jersey, placing him in a small group of active major leaguers with that distinction. The timing also suggests the Brewers were deliberate about making sure the role fit the person, not just the rsum, and there was one requirement Yelich wanted met before he said yes to the honor. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Woodruff Just Reached A Rehab Stage Brewers Fans Needed
Brandon Woodruff has reached a meaningful checkpoint in his rehab, getting medical approval to begin throwing off a mound as he works his way back. For a Brewers team that has been waiting on any encouraging signs from one of its most important arms, it is the kind of development that at least keeps the door cracked on a late-season return.
Pat Murphy still made it clear the odds remain long, and the club has not framed this as a sure thing. Woodruff was originally expected to need surgery, so the fact that he has continued recovering without it has already changed the conversation, even if the next steps now matter more than ever. [Read more 🡒]