Brewers first to clinch NL playoff berth - with division title on deck - USA Today
For the eighth time in nine seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers are going to the playoffs.
One of the game's most consistent powers assured its spot in the postseason by flattening the Cincinnati Reds 20-0 Friday, Sept. 11 at Milwaukee's American Family Field. It's highly likely this won't be the final celebration before the Brewers finish the regular season: They hold a 10-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, with a magic number of three to clinch the division.
Milwaukee blitzed Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott for nine hits and eight runs in the first two innings Friday, scoring six times in the bottom of the second to build an 8-0 lead. Brice Turang hit a three-run homer and Jake Bauers a two-run shot, providing more than enough support for starting pitcher Dustin May.
Then, it got absurd. The Brewers rocked reliever Luis Mey for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, extending the lead to 17-0. Milwaukee registered eight hits in the fifth, two by Garrett Mitchell, including a grand slam.
Per usual, Milwaukee's proven greater than the sum of its parts. The club has a bona fide ace and budding superstar in right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, what with his 104-mph fastball and major league-leading 236 strikeouts. The club has a reliable No. 2 starter in fellow second-year man Logan Henderson, but its rotation faces question marks after that.
Still, the everyday lineup is something to lean on, with All-Star second baseman Turang and leadoff batter Jackson Chourio its cornerstones. Meanwhile, journeyman first baseman Bauers is having the season of a lifetime, hitting 25 home runs and posting an NL-best .395 on-base percentage.
The Brewers beat back the Cubs the past two weeks, winning nine of 13 games on the year, including a sweep at home this week to cap a 5-2 stint against them in a 10-game span. Milwaukee's lead has been at least four games since Aug. 14.
Milwaukee should clinch the division any day now, and holds a five-game lead over Atlanta to ensure a first-round bye in the NL. The Brewers also have a 1½-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL's best record and the playoffs' top seed.
Yet Milwaukee had home-field advantage in the 2025 NLCS and got swept by the Dodgers. Certainly, securing a bye will be the main priority, but the Brewers could stand to alleviate the load on their excellent bullpen down the stretch rather than red-line it all the way into the playoffs.
Once the Brewers secure the NL Central, they'll be assured of hosting an NL Division Series Game 1 on Saturday, Oct. 3.
