Photo: Megan Ellis / Unsplash
By Charles Collier
The Brewers celebrate clinching NL Central with a walk-off win against the Phillies. On 9/19/24, the Brewers beat the Phillies 2-1. Jake Bauer hit the game-ending single in a close game. The win led to a huge Central title celebration. 20-year-old Rookie of the Year candidate Jackson Chourio was surprised by the organization. He received a baby stroller filled with non-alcoholic beverages since he was under the drinking age.
The Brewers have won the division for the second straight season; the third time in the past four seasons and the fourth time in the past six seasons.
Brewers’ first-year skipper, Pat Murphy said, “I think this should be celebrated.” “I think this is greatness for this 2024 team. They should never forget what they did. They weren’t given anything.”
The baseball experts didn’t pick the Brewers to win the NL Central. The Cubs were picked to win the division by most experts. After the Brewers won the NL Central, Former Brewers manager and current Cubs manager, Craig Counsell was honest in assessing his team. “We’ve got to get better, man,” Counsell said before Thursday’s 7-6 victory over Washington. “The team we’re chasing is 10 games ahead of us; is 10 games better. We’ve got to get better.”
In other news around Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani went 6-6 with three home runs, two doubles, two stolen bases, and the first 10 RBI game of his career in a victory over the Marlins. The two-way player became the first player in MLB history to join the 50/50 club. A 50-50 season consists of 50 plus home runs and 50 plus stolen bases in a single season.
Clinching the NL Central is only the first step to a long playoff run for the Brewers. The 2024 Brewers have exceeded the expectations of many. They must continue to play winning baseball if they are to win their first World Series.