The Milwaukee Brewers were trailing the Chicago Cubs by 5½ games two weeks ago. Now they hold a 1½-game lead in the National League Central heading into an NLCS rematch against the Dodgers.
The Brewers went 29-18 overall and 11-2 in their last 13 games. They swept the Yankees, took two of three from the Padres, two of three from the Twins, and swept the Cubs during this dominant stretch.
Series Performance
The Yankees entered their series at 26-12. The Padres were 24-16. The Cubs had a 29-18 record with an 18-5 home mark before the Brewers swept them.
In the first game, the Brewers roughed up Shota Imanaga—who had been throwing like an ace. With Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Andrew Vaughn hurt for much of the season, they still combined for six hits, three RBI, and three runs. Milwaukee led 8-0 before the Cubs scored.
Jacob Misiorowski dominated Game 2, allowing just three hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in six scoreless innings. He's in the Cy Young conversation.
Starting Rotation Heating Up
Kyle Harrison struck out 11 batters in seven scoreless innings on Wednesday, giving up just two hits. His ERA sits at 1.77.
Harrison was once a consensus top-30 prospect and ranked as high as 18th by MLB.com. He was the centerpiece of the trade that sent multi-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the Giants.
Statistical Dominance
The Brewers had the best record in baseball last season at 97-65 with the best run differential at +172. They're within striking range of matching those marks again while dealing with injuries to key players including Brandon Woodruff.
Offensively, they rank sixth in batting average and fifth in on-base percentage. They are second in stolen bases, compensating for a relative lack of power.
On the mound, they sit third in team ERA and third in pitcher strikeouts. They back it up with quality defense when the ball is put in play.
Their scouting department is exceptional. In the Cubs series, they attacked first-pitch offerings from Imanaga, then focused on breaking pitches from Ben Brown the next game. They outthink opponents while physically beating them.
Model Franchise
The Brewers have won the NL Central three straight seasons and four of the last five. They've made the playoffs seven of the last eight years with no full-season losing record since 2016.
They feature former MVP Yelich, emerging superstar Chourio, underrated star Brice Turang, and two-time All-Star catcher William Contreras. Vaughn, a former third overall draft pick, has figured things out with this ballclub.
The rotation is fronted by a pair of incredibly talented arms throwing like aces this season.
After their win on Monday night at Wrigley, manager Pat Murphy said: "The Cubs don't even know most of our guys' names, so they're never going to be intimidated."