Wednesday 9/26/18
26 September 2018 Sports
Sports From Wayne Mausser
One more Busch Stadium win, and the Brewers are in.
Milwaukee is that close to claiming at least a National League Wild Card berth after Christian Yelich pushed past 100 RBIs and then some on a career-best six RBI night and Ryan Braun homered twice in a 12-4 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday.
If the Brewers can complete a three-game sweep of the Cardinals behind Jhoulys Chacin on Wednesday, it will ensure Milwaukee a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2011. A clubhouse celebration would ensue, even as the chase continues for the NL Central crown.
That is very much in play after the first-place Cubs absorbed a second straight loss at home to the Pirates on Tuesday. With four games to go for Milwaukee and five for Chicago, the 91-67 Brewers are within a half-game of their Interstate 94 rival.
In the NL Wild Card standings, the Brewers are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Rockies, who leapfrogged the Cardinals into the second spot Tuesday after beating the fading Phillies. The Cardinals are a half-game behind the Rockies and no longer control their own destiny.
The Brewers 2-0 lead grew to 6-0 with a four-run fourth inning capped by a three-run triple for Yelich, and to 12-4 in the ninth when Yelich smashed a two-out, three-run home run to straightaway center field after St. Louis intentionally walked Lorenzo Cain to get to him with two outs. With four regular-season games to go, Yelich leads the NL with a .321 average, to go with 33 homers and 104 RBIs.
The Cardinals got as close as 6-3 on Yadier Molina’s three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth off gio Gonzalez and 7-4 in the fifth. But Milwaukee improved to 4-0 in Gonzalez’s starts after six relievers held St. Louis to one run after the fourth inning.
Chacin, who is lined up to start a potential NL Wild Card Game for Milwaukee, will make his final regular-season start Wednesday when the Brewers and Cardinals conclude their series at 6:10 p.m. CT. St. Louis will send right-hander John Gant.
The Packers are back on the practice field today. The injury plagued Packers will host the Buffalo Bills Sunday. Green Bay suffered a loss at Washington its’ last time out while Buffalo upset the Vikings in Minneapolis.
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