Brewers Lose; Cubs Take the Central

After another loss on Friday night the Brewers were eliminated from playoff contention as the Cubs clinched the division with their victory over the Cincinnati Reds. It's been a disappointing end to a once very promising season. Back in June it looked as if the Brewers would run away with the division but they began to struggle and the Cubs got hot.

The Brewers record currently stands at 81-79 with two games left to go. Now the goal is to have a winning season. The crew hasn't had a winning season since 1992. If they lose their remaining two games this season will be seen as even more of a failure than it already is.

You have to feel for Geoff Jenkins. He's been with the Brewers for so long and has never been on a winning team or reached the playoffs. This weekend Jenkins is most likely playing his last games with the Brewers since his option most likely won't be picked up. Hopefully the Brewers end the season winning and can send Jenkins off on a good note.

The future is bright in Milwaukee. Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, Carlos Villanueva, and Yovani Gallardo are all 25 years or younger and will be with the Brewers for years to come. While this season was disappointing expect them to be in the playoffs next year. They've gained valuable experience this season and with continued improvement this will be a team to be reckoned with for years to come.

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Prince Slugs Home Run #50

Last night in Milwaukee Prince Fielder hit home runs #49 and #50 in a 9-1 victory over the Cardinals. Prince is now the youngest player ever to hit 50 home runs. The Brewers are now 2 games behind the Cubs in the Central as the Cubs fell to the Florida Marlins 4-2.

If Prince doesn't win the MVP award this year something is wrong. He's batting .291 with 50 home runs and 119 RBI. The only guy that comes close is Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies but Prince has 14 more home runs than Holliday and that power simply cannot be denied. If you don't take Prince away from the Brewers they wouldn't be this close to the division lead. Prince is what an MVP is all about.

After the game Prince had some not so kind words for his dad, Cecil. When asked what he thought about the possibilty of winning the MVP Fielder said, "It would be a cool award to get but that's not something I think about, besides the fact my dad never did it. If I do get it, that shuts him up again." Fielder is aiming for 52 home runs because the best his dad ever did was 51. It wouldn't surprise me if he hits 53 or 54 the way he's going right now though.

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Chasing the Cubs

The Crew are really hitting their stride right now. Unfortunately, the Cubs seem to have hit their stride as well. The Brewers enter tonight's game with Houston a game behind the Cubs. The Crew's record currently stands at 77-72 while the Cubs are 79-72.

It's going to be tough to win the division but I think the crew has a decent shot the way they've been playing. This is the best the crew has played since April and for me it all starts with Prince Fielder. Prince has stepped up his game and is clearly the leader on this team. Congrats go out to Prince for hitting his Brewers record 46th home run of the season. He has been dominant this month.

The Brewers lack of pennant race experience is not effecting them. Guys like Fielder and Braun have never seemed phased by the major leagues and they haven't cracked under the pressure. In fact all the young Brewers have been picking up their game in recent weeks. Yovani Gallardo especially, he hasn't allowed a run in his last 21 innings.

The Crew have been playing very well lately while the Cubs have been just squeaking by in their victories. The Cubbies luck is going to run out and the Brewers are ready to take advantage. The Brewers haven't been in the playoffs since 1982 but that is going to change here in 2007.

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The Stretch Run

We're entering the stretch run and the Brewers are currently tied for first place with the Cubs while the Cardinals are only a game back. Despite being destroyed by the Reds yesterday the Brewers have performed much better since Ben Sheets returned from the DL. He's given the rest of the team a spark and it's great to see Sheets back on the mound.

Yesterday there were coin flips to determine home field for a one game playoff scenario. The Brewers won their coin flip with the Cardinals so if they end up tied for first place the one game playoff would be played at Miller Park. The Brewers did lose their coin flip against the Cubs though so hopefully the crew just wins the division outright.

I'm confident the Brewers can win the central. The bats have been on fire lately. Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun have continued to rake. Five Brewers have at least 20 home runs on the season, they are Fielder, Braun, Corey Hart, Geoff Jenkins, and J.J. Hardy.

The starting pitching has improved with Sheets back and having Carlos Villanueva in the rotation. Yovani Gallardo has continued to impress and looks likes a future ace. The bullpen should continue to improve as well with how many arms are available now which will allow everyone to stay rested. And the recent acquisition of Ray King will give Ned Yost another situational lefty to compliment Brian Shouse.

The Brewers control their own destiny. Now they need to end the final month of the season the same way they started the season, by winning.

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