Brewers clinch NL Central Division title with Cubs loss to A’s

This story has been updated with new information.

It’s not exactly how the Milwaukee Brewers would have framed it, but they’ll take it either way.

Thanks to the Oakland A’s 5-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Brewers clinched their second consecutive National League Central Division title. They finished third in the last four seasons and fourth in the last seven (also in 2018 and 2021).

“Here we are – we have a game tonight,” said Rhys Hoskins, referring to the final game of the series between the Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field, a game that will play a role in both teams’ playoff positions.

“Obviously we’ve got 10 more after this one. We’ve got some things we want to work on so we’re ready when October comes. But we get to see this awesome banner (NL Central Division champions), and we’ve got guys bunting right now.

“We have guys who want to win, and here we are.”

It was a strange process to watch.

The Cubs held a 3-1 lead until the seventh inning when the A’s came back to tie the game, then scored twice more to take the lead in the eighth. Oakland closer Mason Miller then faced the minimum score in the ninth inning, with Pete Crow-Armstrong hitting a double play to end it.

Naturally, the game was broadcast on every television in the Brewers clubhouse, and much of the team and support staff watched intently until the ninth inning, when all the players rose as a group and retreated to an area off-limits to the media.

As soon as the final out fell, there was a roar and not long after the players headed back to the locker room as the first team to secure a spot in the playoffs, but now had to prepare for their sixth and final game of the regular season against the top-seeded Phillies (91-60).

“I think it’s just being together, right?” Hoskins said minutes later. “Obviously, we’ve been working on it since mid-February; some guys a little earlier. So, just cherishing that moment with the guys — and just the guys — is something we’ve talked about before.

“Special moments, right? Those are the things you won’t remember, not even this year, not even next year.”

Murphy watched the final minutes of the game in his office.

“I was with Ueck,” Murphy said, referring to Mr. Baseball Bob Uecker. “We were doing our show and I got to watch it with him.

“What’s better than that? Awesome.”

In his first year as Brewers captain, Murphy has set the tone as a friendly but take-no-prisoners sort who supports his players as hard as he pushes them. Barring an unexpected twist, it seems like a no-brainer that Murphy is a contender for NL Manager of the Year.

“It feels different,” Murphy said when asked how it feels to win a title as a manager rather than a substitute coach, the role he held for the previous eight seasons under Craig Counsell.

“I’ll tell you what, I feel for our staff, the baseball staff. I’m incredibly grateful because I haven’t been great to them and I make no secret of it. But they’ve been great to me and they make me look good.”

The Brewers have followed the 65-year-old Murphy’s lead and won despite trading star forward Corbin Burnes two weeks before the start of spring training and dealing with a myriad of injuries, including those to veteran starter Wade Miley (who underwent Tommy John surgery), closer Devin Williams (stress fractures) that sidelined him through the All-Star Break and left fielder Christian Yelich (who underwent season-ending back surgery) in the midst of a rebound season.

And then, of course, there was the revamped rotation that, aside from Freddy Peralta, contained no household names and yet performed well above expectations (17 different pitchers started a game), a bullpen that excelled despite Williams’ absence (12 different pitchers made at least one save) and a larger group of young, inexperienced players than usual who, once thrust into prominent roles, performed reliably.

Veterans Willy Adames and William Contreras have had dominant seasons with a surprisingly strong offense that has outperformed previous seasons with largely the same big names night and day. This is largely due to Murphy’s aggressive style of play, which includes bunting and stealing bases. And then there’s the tremendous development of rising superstar Jackson Chourio.

“I think this is something to celebrate,” Murphy said. “I think this is great for this 2024 team. They can never forget what they did. They didn’t get anything. They earned it all themselves and I couldn’t be happier.

“But I’m serious when I say, ‘Well, this was to be expected. We’ve been on a roll for a while.’ This was a brand-new team. What they did, the guys in that room, they have to be commended for their competitive spirit.

“This team just kept coming. Relentless, fearless. Maybe not me. But they were.”

It’s the second season in a row that Milwaukee has been told it’s the division champion in an unconventional way. Last year, the Brewers had narrowly lost to the St. Louis Cardinals, but a last-inning loss to the Cubs against the Braves in Atlanta sealed the deal and allowed the team to celebrate after all.

The champagne bottles won’t be popped until later on Wednesday night, and the beer cans won’t be opened until later in the evening. There’s been plastic sheeting over all the lockers and electronics in the clubhouse for a few days, and other party items like lighting systems are ready to be rolled in.

More: Is this the earliest time in franchise history that the Brewers have clinched a playoff spot?

But if they did it with a win over the Phillies, it would be even better.

Peralta (11-8, 3.75) starts for Milwaukee on Wednesday night, while Aaron Nola (12-8, 3.62) counters for Philadelphia. Nola has been a pain in the ass for the Brewers for years, posting a 7-2 record, 2.76 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 13 career starts against them.

Milwaukee is currently the third seed, with the goal of winning enough in the final stretch to at least clinch the second seed – a spot currently held by the Los Angeles Dodgers (89-62). The top two seeds each receive a bye in the NL Division Series, with the third seed receiving the third and final wild card in a three-game series.

The Brewers have a lot of work to do to get there; they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a four-game series, followed by three games in Pittsburgh and then three home games against the surging New York Mets, who could very well remain in Milwaukee for the wild-card series.

“This is exactly what you want to be a part of as a competitor,” Hoskins said. “It didn’t necessarily look exactly like some of us might have thought, but what’s cool is we still found ways to get the job done.

“I was on a team (the Phillies) in ’22 that had much higher expectations, failed and got taken at the last minute (as the No. 6 pick and went to the World Series). I think it’s always a little more satisfying to be on a team with much lower expectations (and have success).

“But if we are doubted a little more than we really should be, then a little extra flavor doesn’t hurt either.”

The Phillies can celebrate too, as a win over the Brewers combined with a Braves loss to the Cincinnati Reds would give them the NL East.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, has earned its 10th postseason appearance in franchise history and its sixth in the last seven years. It is the earliest the team has won, going 151 games.

“I think we’ve created a winning culture here. That’s pretty clear,” Yelich said. “But what goes into that is identifying the right players that you want to bring in, and I think (general manager Matt Arnold) and (team principal owner Mark Attanasio) and everybody involved does a good job of that.

“You can make up for a lot if you have the right guys in the locker room who care about winning.”