Brewers’ selfless style of ball pays off again

• AP, PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania

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The best pitcher in baseball on the team with the best record in baseball is not sure how exactly the Milwaukee Brewers keep doing this.

Asked how a team that works on the fringe of baseball’s middle class has turned Champagne celebrations into a September ritual, Jacob Misiorowski shrugged.

“I couldn’t tell you,” the 24-year-old ace said. “You know, I’ve been trying to figure it out all year.”

The Milwaukee Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning of their MLB game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.

Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The search would continue into next month. The Brewers (94-57) on Tuesday night won their fourth straight National League (NL) Central title, when they rode their flame-throwing star and a couple of timely hits from Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz to a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

When the Atlanta Braves rallied past the Chicago Cubs about 30 minutes later, there was a roar that seeped through the cinderblock walls outside the visitors’ clubhouse at PNC Park. Bottles were popped. Cigars were lit. Beers — Miller Lites, of course — were chugged.

This part of the journey never gets old, not even for Christian Yelich, who has been a fixture during Milwaukee’s run of eight playoff appearances in nine years.

“We’re a good team,” the three-time All-Star and 2018 NL Most Valuable Player said. “This is what we set out to do every season at the beginning of spring training. We just keep playing our game.”

Milwaukee does not overwhelm opponents with power or gaudy stats — outside of Misiorowski’s stream of 161kph-plus fastballs — and instead relies on singles, smart baseball and a selfless approach.

The Brewers gave Pittsburgh a glimpse in the second inning. Jake Bauers led off with a single to right field, advanced to second on a groundout and sprinted to third on a wild pitch. Luis Lara followed with a fly ball to center field deep enough to allow Bauers to dash home.

Just like that, Milwaukee was up 1-0 with the NL Cy Young favorite on the mound. While Misiorowski did not think he had his best stuff on a night he tossed five scoreless innings to drop his ERA to an MLB-best 1.89, it hardly mattered.

“It’s just the boys grinding, them doing their jobs and putting a run across the board,” Misiorowski said. “So that’s all I can ask for.”

A lot of times, it is all he needs. The Brewers do not just, as Ortiz put it, “single you to death.” They largely avoid the mental mistakes that can make all the difference during the 162-game regular season.

The proof came in the fourth when the Pirates put together their only significant rally. Pittsburgh had runners on first and second with one out when Rafael Flores hit a sharp grounder that glanced off Milwaukee third baseman David Hamilton’s glove and rolled into the outfield. Pittsburgh’s Nick Gonzales stayed at third rather than race home after a mix-up with third base coach Tony Beasley.

In the chaos, the Brewers caught Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn in a rundown between second and third for the second out. Misiorowski got Spencer Horwitz to fly out and end the threat.

It has been like that all year. It has been like that most of the past decade.

“I think we do a really good job of knowing how to win, creating a winning culture and everybody knows, like, every night it’s time to win,” Yelich said.

He believes that culture starts with the ownership group headed by Mark Attanasio and trickles down to general manager Matt Arnold to manager Pat Murphy to a roster whose payroll of about US$140 million is 19th highest in the majors.

The other NL teams that began Tuesday in playoff position — the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta, the Philadelphia Phillies, the San Diego Padres and the Cubs — are all inside the top 10.

Given the Brewers’ success since their renaissance began in 2018, it is hard to paint them as underdogs.

“I wouldn’t say they underestimate us anymore,” Misiorowski said. “I think we’ve gotten to a spot where they kind of see it.”

The Pirates, who are on the cusp of having their playoff drought hit 11 years, certainly have.

“Other teams are definitely looking at what [the Brewers are] doing ... because they haven’t spent the money that the Dodgers have,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Money doesn’t always buy wins or championships. It’s a game that we’re playing. You have to go out there and play good baseball, and the Brewers have done that consistently over the last few years.”