Brewers punch ticket to NLCS after eliminating Cubs (0:33)The Brewers defeat the Cubs 3-1 in Game 5 of the NLDS to advance to their fourth National League Championship Series in team history. (0:33)
Now, they get another NLCS matchup with the Dodgers, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the other NL Division Series. Game 1 is Monday at Milwaukee, which went 6-0 vs. L.A. this season. The Dodgers opened as minus-210 favorites to win the series at ESPN BET Sportsbook.
“A lot of people didn’t believe in them early on, and they just continued to stay relentless,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of his team after Game 5.
After losing slugging shortstop Willy Adames in free agency and trading away All-Star closer Devin Williams last winter, the scrappy Brewers finished the regular season with the best record in the majors at 97-65.
So perhaps it was no surprise that NL Central champion Milwaukee won with an all-hands-on-deck pitching approach in the final game against wild card Chicago. Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick and Abner Uribe combined on a four-hitter, with Uribe getting six outs for the first multi-inning save of his career.
The victory was particularly sweet for Milwaukee fans because it came against the club’s biggest rival and knocked Cubs manager Craig Counsell out of the postseason.
Counsell grew up in the Milwaukee area, played for the Brewers and became the winningest manager in team history prior to leaving for Chicago.
“Just really happy for them,” longtime Brewers star Christian Yelich said of the Milwaukee fans. “They’ve stuck with us over the years through some really tough losses. And I know there was a lot riding on this series for them just because of the rivalry, and really happy that we could deliver for them because they really deserve it.”
The Cubs had forced a Game 5 by winning two straight at Wrigley Field. They were attempting to become the 11th team to erase a 2-0 deficit and win a best-of-five playoff series, something last accomplished by the New York Yankees against Cleveland in their 2017 ALDS.
“I’m disappointed. I’m sad,” Counsell said. “I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. In the big picture, that’s how I feel.”
Contreras hit a 389-foot shot to left-center off Drew Pomeranz in the first inning. Vaughn sent a 3-2 pitch from Colin Rea over the left-field wall to break a 1-all tie, and Turang provided some insurance with a 416-foot blast to center off Andrew Kittredge in the seventh.
“We fight back. That’s our mentality. We fight back,” Vaughn said. “We’re going to punch someone else. We’re going to throw it right back.”
Chicago’s Seiya Suzuki greeted Misiorowski by sending a 101.4 mph fastball into the Cubs’ bullpen to lead off the second inning, but that was the only run the rookie right-hander allowed in four innings. Misiorowski struck out three while giving up three hits and walking none to earn his second win of the series.
The Brewers had Misiorowski enter the game in the second inning after Megill worked as the opener and retired the side in order in the first. The Cubs had totaled 11 first-inning runs in the first four games of this series without going scoreless in the opening frame.
Chicago’s best threat came when it put two on with nobody out in the sixth against Ashby, who had thrown 32 pitches two nights earlier in Milwaukee’s 6-0 Game 4 loss. Michael Busch hit a leadoff single before Ashby hit Nico Hoerner with a pitch.
Ashby got Kyle Tucker to strike out swinging at a 3-2 pitch for the first out. Patrick then came out of the bullpen and retired Suzuki on a fly to left before Ian Happ struck out looking.
“We didn’t get it done today, and that hurts,” Counsell said. “Man, it doesn’t feel good, but I think when you zoom back a little bit, we did some good things as well.”
Brewers punch ticket to NLCS after eliminating Cubs (0:33)The Brewers defeat the Cubs 3-1 in Game 5 of the NLDS to advance to their fourth National League Championship Series in team history. (0:33)
The Brewers defeat the Cubs 3-1 in Game 5 of the NLDS to advance to their fourth National League Championship Series in team history. (0:33)
“You can call them the average Joes, but I say they’re the above-average Joes,” Murphy said.
He pitched three innings of shutout relief in Milwaukee’s 7-3 triumph in Game 2.
“It’s been crazy,” the 23-year-old Misiorowski said. “It’s been a whirlwind and it’s been fun.”