The Milwaukee Brewers are heading back to the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2018 — and they did it the way they’ve done all season: pitching, power, and perseverance. With a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night at American Family Field, the Brewers won the NL Division Series 3-2 and ended one of the most emotionally charged matchups in recent franchise history.
General manager Matt Arnold admitted afterward that he “looked to the heavens” for a little help from Brewers icon Bob Uecker, who passed away last offseason. His wish seemed answered. Milwaukee hit three solo home runs and executed a flawless bullpen game plan while Chicago managed just a single long ball.
Midseason acquisition Andrew Vaughn, who was traded from the White Sox after a rough start to 2024, continued his redemption arc by launching another home run — his second of the series — and finishing the NLDS with a 1.126 OPS. “It’s hard to put into words,” Vaughn said. “Baseball gives you second chances. I just wanted to make the most of mine.”
Perhaps no player embodied Milwaukee’s resilience more than rookie Jacob Misiorowski, the flame-throwing midseason call-up who pitched the bulk of the game. Misiorowski went four innings, allowing just one run on three hits without issuing a walk — the first time in 17 appearances that he hadn’t handed out a free pass. He struck out three and handed the ball to a parade of relievers who sealed the deal.
The Brewers’ biggest scare came in the sixth inning. With Milwaukee leading 2-1, Aaron Ashby allowed a single and hit a batter, putting two on with no outs. Then, in perhaps the moment of the game, Ashby unleashed a 98.6 mph fastball on the outer edge to strike out Kyle Tucker on a full count. Reliever Patrick took over and retired Seiya Suzuki on a flyout before freezing Ian Happ with a called third strike to end the threat. The Cubs never rallied again.
That defensive stand preserved the lead and maintained a perfect pattern — every home team won in the series. After the Brewers jumped out to a 2-0 lead at home, Chicago stormed back with two wins at Wrigley Field, forcing the decisive Game 5. But this time, Milwaukee didn’t blink.
It was a far cry from last year’s heartbreak, when the Brewers were eliminated in the Wild Card round by the Mets on a late Pete Alonso home run. “We learned from that,” said Christian Yelich, who contributed one of Milwaukee’s three solo shots. “You’ve got to finish. And this time, we did.”
The series carried extra emotional weight, too. It marked the first postseason showdown between Milwaukee and its former manager Craig Counsell, who departed for the Cubs after the 2023 season. Counsell was booed relentlessly every time he emerged from the dugout, a reaction that only intensified as the Brewers closed in on victory.
Milwaukee owner Mark Attanasio, asked if he ever doubted his team after Counsell’s exit, smiled. “Not for a second,” he said. “We built a culture that’s bigger than one person. Tonight proved that.”
Now the Brewers face an even steeper challenge: the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s highest-payroll juggernaut. Despite Milwaukee’s 6-0 regular-season record against L.A. and home-field advantage, the Brewers enter the NLCS as decided underdogs.
Arnold knows it will take more than numbers to pull off another upset. “We’ve been planning for this,” he said. “You can’t just roll out of bed and play the Dodgers. We’ll need to play our best baseball — and maybe get a little help from above again.”
With Bob Uecker’s spirit hovering over the franchise and a city rallying behind a team built on grit and faith, the Brewers are four wins away from their first World Series appearance in 44 years.
