Jake Bauers and the Milwaukee Brewers might not have the Los Angeles Dodgers’ payroll, but they own something far more valuable. Bauers, the veteran first baseman enjoying a resurgence, had four hits in Sunday’s 6-2 victory over the Dodgers. Not only did the Brewers take three of four from the two-time defending champions, but they won the season series, guaranteeing home-field advantage in a potential playoff matchup.Â
“Whatever happens in October is whatever happens, but I think the anticipation is we’re going to have to get through these guys,” Bauers told reporters. “We can play with them, and if we execute, we can beat them.”
Sunday’s win moved the Brewers to 77-48, five games ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central. Milwaukee also owns baseball’s best record and the National League’s No. 1 seed, ahead of the Braves (74-50) and Dodgers (74-51).
Milwaukee Brewers could prove to be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ worst nightmare come October
Despite rattling off seven playoff appearances in eight seasons, the Brewers still haven’t reached the World Series since 1982. We won’t go so far as to say they “wasted” the Ryan Braun era, but they’ve certainly had some stellar teams fail to maximize their often immensely talented rosters.
The Dodgers have proven to be a frequent thorn in the Brewers’ side, knocking them out of the playoffs three times since 2018. Two of those series losses came in the NLCS, including last year’s four-game sweep. Facing Shohei Ohtani in the postseason tends not to work out well for the opposition.Â
Things feel different this year, though, even after the Brewers’ recent mini-slump. Bauers has a team-high 21 home runs and an .884 OPS, and second baseman Brice Turang remains one of baseball’s best young players. Enough has been said about NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski, but don’t sleep on Logan Henderson, who lowered his ERA to 2.70 on Sunday afternoon. The Brewers reportedly wouldn't include Henderson in trade talks for Tarik Skubal, who he helped defeat on Sunday. Perhaps they were right to do so, after all.
What home field means for the Milwaukee Brewers
And while home-field doesn’t guarantee a series victory, the Brewers should want every possible advantage in their favor when it comes to the Dodgers. With respect to the NL’s Wild Card contenders, it feels inevitable that at least one of the Brewers, Dodgers, or Braves will reach the NLCS; Milwaukee is on track to earn the top seed, just as Los Angeles did last October.
Team | Home Record | Away Record |
|---|---|---|
Brewers | 41-22 | 36-26 |
Dodgers | 37-26 | 37-25 |
As for the Dodgers, their prolonged summer swoon resulted in All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker receiving a parade of boos this past weekend. Tucker, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts went a combined 5-for-50, and veteran closer Edwin Diaz blew another save, raising his ERA to 10.65 in 12 â…” innings.
If there was ever a time for the Brewers to capitalize on the Dodgers’ struggles, the last few days proved they’re well aware of the opportunity — and unfortunately for Ohtani and friends, Milwaukee is more than ready.
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