This marks their fourth consecutive postseason appearance. In their deepest run, they took the Dodgers to a Game 7 in the NLCS before losing. We refer to the Braves, yes, but we also refer to the Brewers. They’ve likewise been good for a while, and here we acknowledge the obvious: The Brewers came into being because Milwaukee needed a team, Bill Bartholomay having brought the Braves here in 1966.
Of the five teams filling the National League’s playoff grid, three made it for a fourth straight year, Milwaukee included. The Brewers have won one series over that span. The Braves have won two, both last year. In the Brewers’ first 50 years of existence, they won a total of three postseason series. The Braves won that many in 1995.
Which isn’t to suggest Atlanta Braves have met only postseason bliss. We’re Atlantans. We know better. In this year’s tournament, they have unhappy history against every NL qualifier except the one that became a replacement team for them.
The Brewers were born in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, who are recalled only for supplying two-thirds of the grist for Jim Bouton’s scandalous-at-the-time “Ball Four.” The Pilots moved to Milwaukee the next year. From 1970 through 1997, they were stationed in the American League.
Fun fact: Hank Aaron spent 1976, his final season, as a Brewer. The Braves granted his wish to finish where he started. More fun: As a Brewer, he played only one game in the field. At 42, the longtime National Leaguer closed his career as a designated hitter.
From 1970 through 2017, the Brewers made the playoffs four times. Only in 1982 did they reach the World Series. They lost in seven games to the Cardinals, who’d swept Joe Torre’s Braves in the NLCS. Don Sutton, of whom you’ve heard, started Games 2 and 6 of what was dubbed the Suds Series; his Brewers lost both. Those Brewers — with Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper and Gorman Thomas — were known as Harvey’s Wallbangers, Harvey Kuenn being their manager.
Their current manager is Craig Counsell, among the best in the business. Milwaukee’s most noted position player is Christian Yelich, who won MVP in 2018 and finished second in 2019. He never got going in COVID-shortened 2020; he managed but nine homers over 117 games this year. Among non-pitchers, the Brewers’ best has been shortstop Willy Adames, acquired in May from Tampa Bay, which needed to make room for No. 1 prospect Wander Franco. The Brewers finished 20th among MLB clubs in OPS, 18th in homers. They’re nobody’s wallbangers.
Credit: Atlanta Braves
They can pitch, though. They ranked third — behind the Giants and Dodgers — in team ERA. Corbin Burnes (2.43) led the league; Brandon Woodruff (2.56) was fourth. They figure to start Games 1 and 2. Game 3 should fall to Freddy Peralta (2.81) or Eric Lauer (3.19). Josh Hader remains the sport’s most fearsome closer. He had 102 strikeouts in 58-2/3 innings. (Milwaukee will be without setup man Devin Williams, who broke his hand punching a wall. He and Huascar Ynoa should have a chat.)
Heat check: Not counting the completion of the suspended game with San Diego, the Braves finished their regular season by winning 12 of 14 games. The Brewers, who had a fat lead in the National League Central, lost 10 of their final 14. This might mean something. It also might not. The sabermetric set has long sought to determine if a fast finish presages a deep playoff run. There remains no consensus on that weighty issue.
Apologies for jumbling sports, but these Braves bear resemblance to the Hawks, the No. 5 seed that fell two games short of the NBA finals. During that memorable postseason run, Kevin Huerter said his team was “playing with house money.” The Braves will be, too. They enter the playoffs having won 88 games; each of the other nine qualifiers won 90 or more. Against teams that finished above .500, they were 31-37.
The Braves have Charlie Morton, who has started 12 postseason games, to work Game 1, and Max Fried, who led the majors in ERA after the All-Star break, to handle Game 2. FiveThirtyEight gives the Braves a 54 percent chance to win the series; FanGraphs gives the Brewers a 51.8 percent chance to advance. One thing in the Braves’ favor: They’re guaranteed to be playing after either the Dodgers or Cardinals, who ended each of their past five playoff runs, have been eliminated.
I’m not sure the Braves are a World Series team. I can, however, see them beating Milwaukee. In five, let’s say.
