Something magical happened last night. A relentless, goal-driven team did something no one this spring would have thought possible. The Milwaukee Brewers annihilated the two-time MLB champions on their own turf, and in spectacular fashion.
I won’t deny that when Ohtani crushed that 3-run home run, I was a tad worried, but I poured myself a drink and let the game go. Boy was I glad that I did! After a few innings, the Brewers whittled their way to a tie. The Dodgers loaded the bases with walks and Jake Bauers – our now NLCS MVP – strides up there as confident as he has been in the last three games. Somehow the dude draws a walk and we’re ahead, 5-4! But the buck doesn’t stop there.
The Dodgers get their chances. Three innings in a row did they have a runner on third base with only one out, and all three of those innings they were unable to produce even a single run. Credit to Aaron Ashby, who we affectionately call “Every Day Aaron” for stumping the Dodgers’ offense with a slew of nasty 99+ mph sinkers and knee-buckling curveballs. The dude is a machine and he’s humble as fuck.
Somehow, David Hamilton launches one into orbit to put the nail in the coffin, giving us a cushy 2-run lead, and the real work begins in the bottom of the 9th. The Dodgers go out, 1-2-3, with the last out being off the bat of Kike Hernandez. Chourio, the man who always wants to be the hero, makes a running catch and the Brewers, for the first time in over 40 years, have won the pennant!
I may or may not have stood, took the dogs outside, and shouted “Fuck the Dodgers!” at the top of my lungs instead of crying in disbelief. But I am crying inside. It’s something we Brewers fans have only dreamed of for the last 40 years. We endured the dark ages of Brewers baseball and eventually signed a player who would become our team captain, Christian Yelich. This signing would be the catalyst that created a dynasty of winning baseball for near a decade, and while we never won it all, the Brewers are arguably in the best position to do so this season.
I’m so incredibly proud of this team and all they’ve accomplished. They know there’s still more work to do and we, the fans, are eagerly awaiting their coming games.
From a lifelong fan of the franchise: BREWERS IN FOUR!
Leave a Reply