MILWAUKEE, WI — The rest of baseball will be chasing the Milwaukee Brewers this October.
After clinching a playoff berth for the eighth time in nine seasons, the Brewers wrapped up the NL Central, set a franchise record for wins and reached 100 victories for the first time in team history.
That run also earned Milwaukee the No. 1 overall seed in MLB, which guarantees home-field advantage all the way through the World Series, according to a postseason FAQ from MLB.com.
The Brewers open the National League Division Series at American Family Field on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Their opponent will be the winner of the best-of-three Wild Card Series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, which wraps up by Thursday.
Milwaukee went 9-4 against the Cubs during the regular season, outscoring them by nine runs. The Padres were a different story: the Brewers went just 2-4 against San Diego and were outscored by five.
Here's what else Brewers fans should know before Saturday.
What The Oddsmakers Think
The Brewers enter the postseason with the second-best World Series odds in baseball at +600, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers at +200, according to DraftKings odds published by ESPN on Sept. 28.
That's a huge leap from the 35-1 odds Milwaukee carried at the start of the season.
Milwaukee is +300 to win the NL pennant and -125 to reach the NLCS. Both of the Brewers' possible first-round opponents are longer shots: the Cubs are 17-1 to win it all, while the Padres sit at 22-1, the second-longest odds among playoff teams.
Game Times Still To Be Determined
MLB usually doesn't lock in postseason start times until every matchup is set, so fans planning a trip to the ballpark should stay flexible. Times will be posted at MLB.com/postseason as soon as they're announced.
Tickets On Sale Now
Wisconsin residents got the first shot at single-game tickets for first-round games on Tuesday, and sales opened to the general public on Wednesday. Tickets are available at brewers.com/postseason.
A Week Off, But Not A Vacation
While the Wild Card round plays out, the Brewers are holding workouts and scrimmages at American Family Field from Tuesday through Friday. Those sessions are closed to the public.
Christian Yelich said last year's bye gave a tired, struggling team a much-needed break.
The Rotation Question
Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson are set to pitch the first two games, a pairing the Brewers have kept together for a while. After that, things get murky.
Dustin May has been in a recent slump, and manager Pat Murphy didn't commit to him after his final start. Kyle Harrison has dealt with a drop in velocity and some rough outings, though he finished strong with two sharp innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 26.
The Brewers could also turn to openers again. Milwaukee leaned on that approach often in last year's playoffs, with Aaron Ashby starting three of nine games across the NLDS and NLCS.
One lefty already has his spot secured. Shane Drohan will be on the NLDS roster "come hell or high water," Murphy said.
Postseason rosters drop to 26 players, with no more than 13 pitchers per round. The Brewers carried 12 pitchers into Game 1 of last year's NLDS and are leaning toward the same setup this time. Rosters are due the morning of Game 1.
Injury Watch
Infielder Joey Ortiz's health is the top worry. He battled oblique, groin and right knee problems over the last weekend of the regular season, but an MRI came back encouraging and the Brewers expect him to be available for the series opener.
An illness also made its way through the clubhouse. Shortstop Cooper Pratt was sick enough to miss the celebration after the Brewers clinched the division, and first baseman Andrew Vaughn went on the 10-day injured list after falling ill on the team's last road trip, in Philadelphia. The Brewers expect both to be fully healthy for Game 1.
Brandon Woodruff, sidelined again by a shoulder setback, is still holding out hope of pitching this October, though Murphy said the chances are slim.
"We'll be ready," president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said after the division clinch.
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