How the Brewers' Elite Bullpen Fueled a World Series Run

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Brewers’ Resilience and Dominant Bullpen Fueled Their Championship Run

The Brewers showed remarkable resilience throughout the year. They endured a six-game losing streak in April and another four-game skid later. A loss on May 4 dropped them to 18-16, just two games above .500.

From May 4 onward, they went 85-43 before posting an 11-2 record in the playoffs. Finishing 96-45 over that stretch was not luck. It reflected the right decisions, the right players and the right group of guys.

The run was even more impressive because the National League was considered far stronger than the American League. The Brewers had to contend with teams such as the Dodgers and Braves, and they were not close to being the favorite entering the playoffs. They likely had the third- or fourth-best championship odds.

Even late in the season, there was still doubt that Milwaukee could win the World Series. However, the bullpen combination of Ashby, Uribe and Megill made it difficult to see how opponents would beat them in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. That group looked like the best combination in baseball and proved even more dominant by the end of the season.

Contreras, Pratt and Misarrowski all had MVP cases, while the bottom of the lineup also delivered, including David Hamilton. Still, the Brewers became World Series champions because Uribe, Ashby and Megill were untouchable throughout the postseason.

In an earlier era, one reliever such as Goose Gossage or Dennis Eckersley might have handled two or three innings each night. Modern bullpen roles divide those innings among multiple pitchers, making individual MVP recognition more difficult. If the award could go to a group, Ashby, Uribe and Megill would be the easy choice for their playoff performance.

The Brewers also dealt with injuries. Yelich and Curio both missed time, while Quinn Priester struggled in spring training and was shelled.