Brewers Clinch 4th Straight NL Central Title — SkimNews
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- Milwaukee Brewers clinched their 4th straight NL Central title with a 5-1 win over the Pirates on Tuesday, sealed when the second-place Cubs lost to the Braves; Brewers players watched the Cubs-Braves game on TV and cheered at the final out.
- Jacob Misiorowski struck out 7 in 5 shutout innings, dropping his ERA to a major-league-best 1.89 and boosting his season strikeout total to 243; he threw 43 of his 82 pitches at 100 mph or faster, with 9 of his first 10 pitches topping 100 mph.
- Joey Ortiz and Luis Lara drove in 2 runs each as Milwaukee qualified for the postseason for the 8th time in 9 years but remained in pursuit of the franchise's first World Series appearance since 1982.
- The Brewers were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in last season's NL Championship Series, extending their championship drought.
- Brandon Lowe hit his 30th homer for Pittsburgh, helping the Pirates tie their 1999 franchise record of 171 home runs in a season.
- The Pirates dropped to 75-76 on Roberto Clemente Day, honoring the Hall of Fame outfielder by wearing his No. 21.
Why it matters: Four consecutive division titles give Milwaukee home-field advantage through the NLDS, but the stat that stings is the other one: 8 postseasons in 9 years, no pennant since 1982. On the individual side, Misiorowski's 1.89 ERA with 243 strikeouts in a season of just five shutout innings is the kind of late-September number that locks up a Cy Young vote.
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