The Brewers walked into Wrigley Field on Tuesday night staring at a 3-0 hole, and they still left with a statement win. Milwaukee answered with a run in the fifth, then stacked four more in the sixth before tacking on two in the seventh and two in the eighth to beat the Cubs 9-4.
That comeback pushed the Brewers to 86-53 and stretched their lead in the National League Central to eight games. It also kept Milwaukee atop the overall MLB standings, with a 3 1/2-game cushion over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the National League.
That’s the kind of night Pat Murphy had in mind when he talked about what this group might be capable of.
"They're committed," Murphy said asked about Milwaukee's championship potential. "They're very committed.
We might not be the most talented. We might not be the deepest.
We might not be the most experienced. We have three players 22 and under. ...
They're committed. When you're committed and do things like this and respond in a hostile environment ...
I think that shows that this team can be special."
Murphy’s message landed because the Brewers keep backing it up. They may not carry the star power of a Dodgers roster, but the production is hard to ignore.
Milwaukee’s rotation owns a 3.56 ERA, fifth-best in baseball, even after trading Freddy Peralta away before the season and losing Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester to the Injured List. Jacob Misiorowski, as the source put it, is on track to be the National League Cy Young Award winner unless something shocking happens.
The bullpen has been just as sharp. Milwaukee’s 3.35 ERA out of the pen ranks third in the majors, giving the Brewers a staff that can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
And the offense? It’s built in a way that doesn’t look flashy on paper, but the results are undeniable.
The Brewers have hit the fewest home runs in the league, yet they’ve scored the third-most runs in baseball at 695. That’s a rare combination, and it’s a big reason this season has turned into another runaway regular-season run.
Milwaukee is on track for what looks like a fourth straight National League Central title, and the way this team is pitching and scoring makes it look like more than just a division winner. With Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Logan Henderson lined up, the Brewers have a real edge in a race that still includes the Dodgers at the top.
In Other News...
Brewers Bullpen Turnover Takes Another Interesting Late-Season Turn
The Brewers bullpen shuffle picked up another wrinkle this week when right-hander Joel Kuhnel was claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had worked for both the Athletics and Milwaukee this season, logging 35 appearances overall and giving the Brewers a veteran arm who could be deployed in a variety of relief spots as the season wore on.
San Francisco is bringing him in with a clear immediate role in low-leverage situations, but the move also gives Kuhnel a chance to stick beyond the final stretch if he handles it well. For Milwaukee, it is another reminder of how quickly late-season relief depth can turn over, especially when clubs are constantly trying to find usable innings without losing flexibility elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Have Real Reason To Worry About Jacob Misiorowski
Jacob Misiorowskis last few outings have given Brewers fans something to monitor closely, and not just because hitters have started to make more contact. The hard-throwing right-hander has seen his fastball velocity dip while leaning more on his secondary pitches, a notable shift for a pitcher whose power arm has long been the calling card. Even after the rough outing at Wrigley Field, where he was hit hard, Misiorowski pointed to the weather and the difficulty of getting a good grip and footing on the mound as part of the problem.
The broader concern is that this might be less about one bad day and more about the grind of his first full major league season beginning to show. Pitchers often need time to adjust to the workload, and for a young arm like Misiorowskis, that adjustment can come with some visible wear. Milwaukee does not need to panic, but it does need to keep an eye on whether the velocity trend and heavier reliance on off-speed stuff are signs of fatigue or just a temporary dip in form. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Took A Quiet Bullpen Hit After The Cubs Series
The Brewers bullpen depth took a small hit after their series with the Cubs, with right-hander Joel Kuhnel being claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had been working his way back through a minor league rehab assignment before Milwaukee designated him for assignment, and the move opens another spot in a relief group that has already had to stay flexible as the season wears on.
San Francisco is bringing Kuhnel in for the rest of the year as an extra arm, and the Brewers now have to sort through the ripple effect of losing a pitcher who was at least in the mix. He had a 4.84 ERA with 22 strikeouts this season, but for Milwaukee the bigger issue is less the numbers than the fact that another depth option is gone at a time when every bullpen inning matters. [Read more 🡒]