Have The Brewers Tried Burning Sage?
The Milwaukee Brewers may be cursed.
When Milwaukee started the 2024 season, they only had a rookie they paid $82 million to (who hadn’t touched an MLB field yet), a shortstop they knew was leaving after the season, a new manager who had only been a head coach of a college baseball team, and a chip on their shoulder. Their best closer, Devin Williams, would be out for months. They traded star pitcher Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles. Pitcher Brian Woodruff, another Brewers star, wouldn’t throw a single pitch this season due to an injury. They were projected to win about 77 games and finish third in the National League Central Division.
New skipper Pat Murphy managed to get this put-together, injury-addled team (they also lost All-Star Christian Yelich during this season to a reoccurring back injury) to unexpected heights. The Brewers finished first in their division, third in the NL, and fourth overall amongst all teams.
Murphy and the Brew Crew credit their success to a bullpen that performed better than expected. Seventeen different pitchers started for the Crew. Twelve collected a save. Rookie Tobias Myers was 9-6 during the regular season with a 3.00 earned run average in 27 games, and 138 innings pitched. The pitching staff ended the regular season fourth in the league with 93 pitching wins and fifth with their 3.65 ERA. They were also third in saves.
Success can also be credited to the offense, as well. The Brewers finished eighth in batting average, ninth in hits, fourth in on-base percentage, and second in stolen bases. They couldn’t have done it without Willy Adames’ thirteen 3-run home runs, which he tied with Ken Griffey Jr. or his 32 overall home runs. Brice Turang contributed 50 stolen bases. William Contreras led the team with a .281 batting average and 99 runs. Joey Ortiz gave them six triples.
Unfortunately, their regular season success was lost in translation when it came to the postseason.
The Brewers are cursed. In their 56 seasons, they have made the playoffs ten times with no World Series Championship. In the past ten years, they’ve only made the playoffs six times. They’ve only won the first round of the playoffs three times: 1982 (when they made it to the World Series and lost), 2011, and 2018.
Game One, 8 - 4 Loss
The Brewers had a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning over the New York Mets. Then Joel Payamps and Aaron Ashby combined to allow five runs in the fifth inning. However, the offense was severely missing except for Turang, who went 3-5 with two doubles and two runs. Chourio gave the Brewers two hits, and Frelick gave them one. The rest of the team had zero hits and two walks between them. The
Game two, 5 -3 Win
The Mets started the game with a 3 - 1 lead over the Brewers, scoring their points in the first two innings. They were then shut out for the rest of the game. The Brewers scored one in the fifth and three in the eighth. Once again, Chourio and Turang lead the team in hits with two a piece. Blake Perks added a hit. Sanchez, Adames, Contreras, and Frelick added a hit. Adames came through clutch in the eighth with a two-out double that extended in the inning, allowing Garett Mitchell to get a home run on the first hit as a pinch hitter.
Game three, 4 -2 Loss
For eight innings, Brewers’ fans had hope. Tobias Myers pitched a shutout, and his bullpen backed him up. In the seventh inning, the Brewers scored their only two points thanks to back-to-back home runs from Jake Bauers and Frelick. American Family Field was electric. Then, it all fell apart in the ninth inning.
NL Relief Pitcher of the Year (2023) Williams walked shortstop Francisco Lindor. Brandon Nimo singled to right field, advancing Lindor to third. Pete Alonso homered center field to put the Mets up by three. However, the Mets decided they weren’t done. Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch with two outs. Sterling Marte singled to right field, and Winker scored. Tyrone Taylor ended the inning with a flyout to Chourio.
Unfortunately, the Brewers could not come back from that. Once again, offense from their seasoned vets was missing, leaving it all up to the younger players to score. Frelick singled. Ortiz struck out swinging. Turang hit to Lindor for a double play. Game, season, and first round over.
One thing about the Brewers, no matter how much of a dream season they’re having, they’re going to Brewer.
What’s Next
That being said, skipper Pat Murphy still has a case for NL Manager of the Year. What he did with this team in his first year should not be overlooked due to their finish.
The 2025 season will see some roster changes, as well. Adames is a free agent, and owner Mark Attanasio isn’t known for shelling out big money to keep players. Hoskins could also opt out of his contract and become a free agent, considering there’s a need for first basemen in the league. Relief pitcher Joe Ross will be an unrestricted free agent and may not return. Sanchez only signed a one-year contract, which is a better option than Eric Hasse, but the Brewers could use the roster space for another hitter.
The 2024 regular season was fun, but what does that matter when it ends the same as their struggle, barely made-it-to-the-playoff years? Hopefully, staff can figure out what causes the postseason collapse in the next season.
If not, they can burn some sage in the locker room to eliminate those postseason demons.
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