{"id":202431,"date":"2025-10-04T23:54:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T23:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/202431\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T23:54:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T23:54:11","slug":"in-nlds-game-1-rout-brewers-show-how-they-became-baseballs-best-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/202431\/","title":{"rendered":"In NLDS Game 1 rout, Brewers show how they became baseball\u2019s best team"},"content":{"rendered":"

MILWAUKEE \u2014 The baseball spun off the bat at 49.5 mph, slower than the speed limit on Interstate 94 just outside American Family Field. Headed toward the sport\u2019s most sure-handed second baseman, the grounder served as an encapsulation for the remarkable success of the best team in baseball in 2025: the Milwaukee Brewers.<\/p>\n

Because in the first inning of a 9-3 Brewers victory, Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner found himself in a familiar position for MLB fielders this season \u2014 betrayed by his glove and confounded by Milwaukee. In failing to field Sal Frelick\u2019s grounder, Hoerner\u2019s error extended a six-run frame that blew up the pitching plans of Cubs manager Craig Counsell and allowed the Brewers to cruise in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just our game,\u201d Brewers cornerstone Christian Yelich said.<\/p>\n

For the national audience who only caught glimpses of the Brewers in 2025, consider that inning a primer. This group is not a collection of Wallbangers. But they make opponents bang their heads against the wall, as the Cubs did in a series-opening inning compromised of five hits, two walks and that crucial error.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

No, the Brewers do not hit many home runs, at least compared to the slugging lineups remaining in the postseason. But no team won more games this season. No team forced more errors. And no team subjected its opponents to more unrelenting pressure, the quality that manager Pat Murphy sometimes refers to as a \u201cwoodpecker mentality\u201d executed by a group of \u201cAverage Joes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always talks about this: He wants the other team to feel us,\u201d general manager Matt Arnold said. \u201cI think how we go about our business, how we play the game, and the pressure we apply \u2014 it just wears the opposition down, in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

The regular season was littered with examples of the Brewers breaking brains. Milwaukee made New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor slam his glove<\/a> after an error. Milwaukee caused Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw to bark at a teammate<\/a> for sluggish play in the outfield. Milwaukee incited Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson\u2019s lone ejection this season<\/a>, all because of a balk.<\/p>\n

In Saturday\u2019s first inning, the Cubs, to their credit, did not lose their cool. But they still lost the game. And the afternoon served as a proof of concept for Milwaukee\u2019s style of play. Even against the Cubs, one of the strongest fielding units in the majors, the Brewers\u2019 offense can find holes and provoke mistakes. On Saturday, the lasting image generated by Milwaukee\u2019s relentlessness was Cubs manager Craig Counsell, the team\u2019s former skipper, scratching his head and looking bewildered in the opposing dugout.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did a great job in the first inning, man,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cBottom line, they had really good at-bats. They hit balls hard. They spoiled pitches.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Milwaukee, the lone worry experienced on an otherwise joyous afternoon at the ballpark was the status of outfielder Jackson Chourio, who left after re-aggravating a right hamstring injury<\/a> while legging out an infield single in the second inning. The initial diagnosis was hamstring tightness, though Chourio was expected to undergo more testing before the series resumes on Monday.<\/p>\n

Chourio, a 21-year-old wunderkind, collected three hits in his three at-bats on Saturday, including a double that led off the first inning and a two-run single the bookended the scoring. He is a crucial cog in the Milwaukee machine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n The Brewers blew up Counsell\u2019s pitching plans early, showcasing the kind of baseball that has opponents confounded. (Michael Reaves \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Then again, when the Brewers reeled off a 14-game winning streak in August and wrenched the National League Central away from the Cubs, Chourio resided on the injured list. Milwaukee\u2019s success stems from the depth of its talent, rather than the stars at its apex. The casual fan may not recognize any Brewers beyond Yelich, a three-time All-Star outfielder and former National League MVP. This month could afford the franchise an opportunity to introduce the nation to the charms of its roster.<\/p>\n

The group came to play on Saturday. There was catcher William Contreras, using his hands to bash a first-inning RBI double and his legs to chug home on Hoerner\u2019s error.<\/p>\n

There was outfielder Blake Perkins, signed out of minor-league obscurity three seasons ago, taking an 11-pitch at-bat that ended with an RBI single in the first. An inning later, there was Caleb Durbin, a 5-foot-7 third baseman who is part of what Arnold calls \u201cone of the smallest infields of all time,\u201d splashing a two-run single into center field to punish Cubs reliever Michael Soroka in a three-run second inning.<\/p>\n

There was starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, recovering from serving up a leadoff homer to Cubs first baseman Michael Busch to strike out nine across 5 2\/3 innings of two-run baseball.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for Freddy, (the homer) was a slap in the face, and then he responded the way you do,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n

The offense provided Peralta, who made his second All-Star team in 2025 as he posted a career-best 2.70 ERA in a career-high 33 starts, with a healthy cushion. The lineup greeted Cubs starter Matthew Boyd, working on three days\u2019 rest, with three consecutive doubles. After a groundout by Yelich, midseason addition Andrew Vaughn took a walk to set the stage for Frelick. He chopped a sinker toward Hoerner and busted down the line.<\/p>\n

And here is where the Brewers demonstrated the skill that powered them into homefield advantage throughout October.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just me running down the line,\u201d Frelick said. \u201cIt\u2019s (Vaughn) running hard to second, getting (Hoerner) in between there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Hoerner won a Gold Glove in 2023 and will likely win another in 2025. Together with shortstop Dansby Swanson, he provides a stability that anchors Chicago\u2019s defense. So there was shock to see what happened next. The ball slipped beneath Hoerner\u2019s glove. The Brewers were ready for the miscue. Although Contreras rates as one of the slowest runners on the team, that did not prevent him from hustling to score from second base.<\/p>\n

The Brewers consider this level of effort to be a critical aspect of their approach. The culture did not emerge whole-cloth from Murphy\u2019s mind. Dating back to the stewardship of David Stearns, who left the front office to run the New York Mets after the 2023 season, the Brewers prioritized identifying players who hustle on the bases, listen to instruction and prioritize attention to detail.<\/p>\n

Every team, of course, searches for these types of athletes. But for Milwaukee, a team which has reached the postseason in seven of the past eight seasons despite regularly financing a bottom-third payroll, the quality is indispensable.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the most part, the guys they go out and get, the guys they draft \u2014 everyone runs hard,\u201d Frelick said. \u201cEveryone I\u2019ve ever been around in the minors here, that\u2019s always been the standard. That\u2019s been built into our culture for a while now.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Murphy replaced Counsell, also after the 2023 season, he became the enforcer of the club\u2019s standard. He relies upon Yelich, who at 33 is the eldest hitter on the roster, to provide an example for the young players sharing the clubhouse. The combination of encouragement from the coaching staff and accountability from the players has turned the team into a force.<\/p>\n

That is how the Brewers won 97 games in 2025. That is how they put together Saturday\u2019s first inning, an emphatic statement about the viability of their approach. The error certainly helped the rally. But the error did not occur by accident.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to have that sometimes to get a big lead or extend an inning,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThat\u2019s how we\u2019ve had to do it. Did we homer today?\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew the answer. And as this month proceeds, folks across the country may get to know his team, too.<\/p>\n

(Photo: John Fisher \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MILWAUKEE \u2014 The baseball spun off the bat at 49.5 mph, slower than the speed limit on Interstate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202432,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[479,2325,363,99],"class_list":["post-202431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-chicago-cubs","tag-milwaukee-brewers","tag-mlb","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}