Not only have the Milwaukee Brewers clinched a Wild Card berth at worst, but the Brewers would host that game if they don't win the NL Central. Plus, they are still just a half game out of the division lead.
By virtue of the Brewers winning Wednesday in St. Louis and the Dodgers falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Brewers have guaranteed themselves home field advantage for the Wild Card game.
Among possible wild card participants, only the Colorado Rockies can match Milwaukee's worst-possible 92-70 record. If they are the two Wild Card teams, MLB's postseason tiebreaking system says that two teams with equal records who are both Wild Card squads don't have to play a "Game 163" to decide which team gets home field advantage. Instead, they use the season series as a tiebreaker, and the Brewers won that season series this year.
The only other possible wild card teams would be the Dodgers and Cardinals, and neither of those teams can match the Brewers worst possible regular season record.
As for the National League Central title:
The Chicago Cubs currently own a half-game lead on the Brewers, because they have one fewer loss than Milwaukee. They play Pittsburgh Thursday night.
Each team has one more three-game series to come from Friday through Sunday.
- Brewers host Detroit (Fri. 7:10 p.m., Sat. 6:10 p.m., Sun. 2:10 p.m.)
- Cubs host St. Louis (Fri. 1:20 p.m., Sat. 12:05 p.m., Sun. 2:20 p.m.)
The earliest either team could clinch the NL Central title is Saturday.
If Milwaukee and Chicago finish tied for the NL Central title, the Brewers will travel to Wrigley Field to play the Cubs in a "Game 163" to decide the championship. The Cubs earned the right to host by winning the season series, 11-8.
