Drake Baldwin has made a habit of causing problems for the Cubs, and Tuesday night was no exception.
The Wisconsin native delivered the blow that effectively sealed the Brewers’ fourth straight NL Central title, turning a close night into a clincher with one swing. Milwaukee had already been on the doorstep - its magic number was down to one - but Baldwin’s homer made the division race official with 11 games still left to play.
That matters for the Brewers, who can now turn their attention to the bigger goals in front of them: chasing the first 100-win season in franchise history and trying to secure another first-round playoff bye.
Baldwin, from Madison, has been especially rough on Chicago in his early big-league career. Since debuting, he has posted a .752 OPS against the Cubs. And if that wasn’t enough to make his night sting for Chicago, he also played the spoiler in a race the Cubs entered with plenty of optimism.
Before the season, Chicago was the team many experts expected to rise to the top of the NL Central. FanGraphs went even further, projecting the Brewers as a .500 club with less than a 40% shot at reaching the playoffs. Instead, Milwaukee has spent the season doing what it so often does: proving the projections wrong and reminding the rest of the division who’s in charge.
Tuesday’s damage came against Edward Cabrera, who gave up the Baldwin homer in his first outing since moving to the bullpen. Cabrera missed nearly the entire summer because of a string of injuries, including a recent blister issue, and the Cubs have been forced to make do without several key arms. In that appearance, he allowed two runs, two hits and two walks over 2.1 innings.
The list of unavailable starters keeps growing. Justin Steele, Ben Brown and Cade Horton are all out of the mix for the playoff rotation, leaving Chicago in a tough spot. Save for maybe Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, the source of the issue is clear: those four are among the Cubs’ best starters, and not having them available for length in October could be a major problem.
So while Milwaukee gets to celebrate another division crown, Chicago is left chasing a Wild Card path that could send it straight toward Christopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler.
In Other News...
Joey Ortiz Opened Up About What Kept Him Going Through It
Joey Ortiz helped the Brewers keep the party rolling with a 3-for-4 night, a double and two RBIs in Milwaukees 5-1 win over the Pirates, the kind of all-around contribution that has become valuable as the club closes in on October. The victory also wrapped up Milwaukees fourth straight National League Central title, giving the moment a little extra weight for a team that has spent the season building toward this stretch.
Ortiz said his faith and the guidance of clubhouse manager Jason Shawger helped him get through a difficult part of the season, a reminder that the grind of a long year is not always about what shows up in the box score. For the Brewers, who have leaned on depth and steady habits to stay on top of the division, Ortizs production came with a more personal backdrop that made the win resonate a little differently. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Sent A Clear Message About Which Prospects Matter Most
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The rest of the group gives the Brewers even more reason to pay attention, with Ryan Birchard, Miqueas Mercedes, Jose Meneses and Josh Quezada also earning assignments. The Fall League has long been a proving ground for players on the brink of bigger roles, so the names Milwaukee chose to send say plenty about where the club sees upside, depth and the prospects worth investing more time in this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Clinched Again But One Bigger Goal Now Defines Everything
The Brewers have turned another division race into a formality, clinching the National League Central for the fourth straight year and becoming the first team in the division to stack up four consecutive titles. Milwaukee sealed it with a win over the Pirates while also getting help from a Cubs loss, and the achievement only adds to a season that has already put the club atop the sport's standings.
Now the conversation around this team has shifted to a much bigger target. With the best record in baseball, the Brewers are chasing a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed in the National League, the kind of positioning that can shape an October run just as much as any celebratory champagne does. Their division dominance is in the books, but the path they want most is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]