Sept. 27 (UPI) — Despite losing to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Brewers secured the National League Central title thanks to a Chicago Cubs fielding error that led to an Atlanta Braves win. This victory cemented the Brewers’ division title.
Tommy Edman, the second baseman for the Cardinals, had a solid performance, going 2 for 4 with a home run in their 4-1 triumph at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Richie Palacios, the left fielder, also contributed to the victory by driving in two runs. Miles Mikolas, the Cardinals’ pitcher, allowed just one run over seven innings.
After the game, many Brewers fans remained in their seats to witness the conclusion of the Braves-Cubs matchup. The Cubs, who are currently in second place in the National League Central, had a comfortable 6-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but ended up losing 7-6. An eighth-inning error by Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki allowed the Braves to score the tying and go-ahead runs.
“It was a quick turn,” said Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. “You go from being bummed that you couldn’t do it on your own with a win, to a lot of excitement and champagne.”
The Braves staged their rally with left fielder Kevin Pillar leading off the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run. Ozzie Albies, the second baseman, then doubled two at-bats later. The Cubs’ pitcher, Justin Steele, walked third baseman Austin Riley in the next exchange, and then first baseman Matt Olson followed with an RBI single to left field.
Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna cut the deficit in half with an RBI double in the following exchange.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Cubs relief pitcher Javier Assad walked catcher Sean Murphy to start off. He then struck out pinch hitter Eddie Rosario, bringing star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to the plate. Acuna smashed the fourth pitch to right field for a two-run homer, cutting the Cubs’ lead to just one run.
Cubs reliever Drew Smyly had control issues in the eighth inning. He walked Olson in his first exchange, and Olson advanced to second on a wild pitch. Smyly’s wild pitching continued as he issued another one to Ozuna. Ozuna went on to strike out, and Smyly walked shortstop Orlando Arcia in the next at-bat, while Olson advanced to third on yet another wild pitch. Smyly then struck out center fielder Michael Harris II, bringing Murphy to the plate.
Smyly missed the strike zone with his first two offerings to the Braves catcher but managed to work the count full. Murphy then hit a 3-2 knuckle curve to right field.
Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki attempted to catch the ball, but it slipped past his glove and hit the ground, allowing Olson and pinch runner Forrest Wall to score, giving the Braves their final lead.
Braves closer Raisel Iglesias then held the Cubs scoreless in the top of the ninth inning, securing the win and earning his 31st save of the season.
The Brewers’ division-clinching loss dropped the Cubs to 82-75 and gave them a narrow half-game lead over the Miami Marlins (81-75) for the final wild card playoff spot in the National League.
Four out of the six division titles in MLB have now been clinched. The Atlanta Braves (101-56) secured the National League East title, while the Los Angeles Dodgers (97-60) won the National League West.
The Minnesota Twins (84-73) became the champions of the American League Central division, and the Baltimore Orioles (98-59) lead the American League East. The Texas Rangers (88-69) are currently leading the American League West.
The Tampa Bay Rays (96-20) are trailing the Orioles in the division lead but have already clinched a playoff spot. The Toronto Blue Jays (87-70) and Houston Astros (86-72) currently hold the other two American League wild card slots. The Seattle Mariners (85-72) are half a game behind the Astros for the final spot in the American League.
In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies (88-69) have secured a wild card slot, while the Arizona Diamondbacks (83-74) currently hold the second National League wild card spot.
The Braves will host the Cubs at 7:20 p.m. EDT on Wednesday in Atlanta. The Marlins could potentially take over the third wild card slot on Wednesday when they face the New York Mets in a doubleheader, which was scheduled due to a field condition-related postponement on Tuesday night.
Game 1 will start at 4:10 p.m. in Queens, while Game 2 is scheduled for 7:40 p.m. at Citi Field.
The MLB playoffs will commence on Tuesday with a wild card game, and Game 1 of the World Series is set for October 27.
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