In a twist that no one saw coming, the Milwaukee Brewers managed to beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central in a tiebreaker game on October 1st. This forced the Cubs to play in the NL Wild Card game on October 2nd against the Colorado Rockies. After over five hours and thirteen innings, the Cubs fell to the Brewers in a 2-1 loss. The Cubs were eliminated in the first round of the postseason, and the Brewers went on to sweep the Rockies in the next round. Keep reading to see how the Brewers were able to pull off the division win.
1. Inconsistent offense from the Cubs
Arguably the Cubs’ biggest downfall this season was their inability to consistently score runs. The Cubs had lots of runaway victories this season, but they also had too many games where they scored one run or fewer. Throughout most of the season they followed the pattern of playing a high-scoring game and then failing to score more than one run the next day. Their inability to have multiple high-scoring games in a row came back to haunt them when they scored only two runs between the NL Central tiebreaker and Wild Card game.
2. The Brewer’s Lights-Out BullpenDuring the season the Brewers prided themselves on the skill of their bullpen. The talent of their relievers is shown by the fact that the Brewers went 85-5 in games where they had the lead going into the eighth inning. Leading the bullpen is closer Josh Hader, who got the final six outs for the Brewers during the NL Central tiebreaker game. Their bullpen will continue to be one of the Brewers’ biggest assets as they continue in the postseason.
3. The Cubs’ insane September Schedule
The Cubs entered September with a 5.5 lead on the Brewers, but it was quickly diminished by the Cubs impossible September schedule. The Cubs were slated to play twenty-three days without an off day; this was extended to thirty days when the Cubs had to travel to Washington, D.C. to make up a game against the Nationals on September 13th. While the Cubs tried to make light of the situation (Anthony Rizzo wore his uniform on the plane ride), the grueling stretch without a day off made it extremely difficult for the Cubs to play their best. Meanwhile, the Brewers enjoyed every Thursday off during the month of September.
4. Christian Yelich
Brewers’ Christian Yelich and Cubs’ Javier Bàez were in a close race for National League MVP. Yelich eventually edged out Bàez with more home runs, RBIS, and a higher batting average. Although Yelich did not win the Triple Crown, he did go 3 for 4 against the Cubs in the tiebreaker, reflective of the stellar offense he displayed during September. However, Bàez’s performance was unable to hold up when compared to Yelich.
5. Injuries on the Cubs
The Cubs were also short several key players during their push for the postseason, namely pitcher Pedro Strop. Strop had been filling in as closer for Brandon Morrow, who was out with a shoulder injury. Strop was injured on September 13th while running to first base. Since then, the Cubs’ bullpen has struggled to fill his role. Moreover, slugger Kris Bryant missed several days after being hit by a pitch on the wrist. The combination of injured players and no days off put serious strain on the Chicago team, helping the Brewers clinch the NL Central.
Cubs fans are distraught; Brewers fans are ecstatic. The turn of events over the last week have been surprising for everyone, but they just go to show that nothing in baseball can ever be taken for granted.