and Packers and Badgers

The white lab coats remembered to wear goggles for the discount sparkling wine celebration but forgot to put up the plastic sheeting to protect the historic treasures of Stately Blaska Manor. As a result, our keyboard is a little sticky this morning.

The Brewers have clinched a wild card spot in the playoffs, which is a one- and done deal played in Washington D.C. unless the Nats start losing. Better if Milwaukee wins the NL Central division, where they would be assured of at least three  games in a best of five series.

Bob Uecker gets down!

Number #1 Son Max predicted that the Brewers would do this September what they did last September — pretty much run the table. Which they have. To think that the Brewskis were 7½ games behind the Cardinals on September 5 and 6 games out of the wild card. Now they’re 1 ½ behind the Cardinals, who play the Cubs in the final three games of the regular season over the weekend.

Going 17-2 is one for the books.  Sure, it helped that the Brewers are finishing with the dysfunctional Pirates and the disappointing Reds. But the Crew played 9-10 against the Cardinals, 10-9 v. the Cubs, and played AL Central champs Twins even up.  

What a story! Tread water most of the season, lose the team’s all-everything on offense, Christian Yelich, the reigning MVP. Which is the great thing about baseball. Losing your best player doesn’t kill the season, as it would if the Bucks lost Antetokounmpo or the Packers Aaron Rodgers — as Brian Anderson pointed out during the game Wednesday night. Couch Coach Blaska nominates for …

Manager of the year: Craig Counsell!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

MLB.com ranks the Brewer bullpen third best of 11 post-season teams behind only the Rays and the Yankees — both in the American league. All hail late-season acquisition Drew Pomeranz. The usually soused bleacher bums at the Work Farm thought Brent Suter’s career was kaputt. The Squire was hoping the team would pick up an A-list starter in mid-season. Instead, the team picked up a guy named Jordan Lyles. Who? He’s only 6-1 with the Brewers and the team is 10-1 in his starts.

Keston Hiura can hit a flyspeck if a pitcher could throw it up there. Ryan Braun came up money. We do hope (and expect) Eric Thames will make the post-season roster this time around. Must have been a bummer to be left off the squad last year. 

One more repeat of last year: the Cubs fading down the stretch. We remember their fade under Leo Durocher in 1969, the year of the Miracle Mets. Which is the Debbie Downer — with nothing to play for, we’re guessing the Cubs play their prospects under a dispirited and gonna-be-gone manager, Joe Maddon.

What do YOU think?