The Milwaukee Brewers and their brand of selfless baseball are NL Central champions again

PITTSBURGH — The best pitcher in baseball on the team with the best record in baseball isn't 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 search will continue into October. The Brewers (94-57) won their fourth straight NL Central title on Tuesday night, when they rode their flame-throwing star and a couple of timely hits from role players Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz for a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.

When Atlanta 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 MVP said. "This is what we set out to do every season at the beginning of spring training. We just keep playing our game."

Milwaukee doesn't overwhelm opponents with power or gaudy stats — outside of Misiorowski's stream of 100 mph-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 didn't 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's all he needs. The Brewers don't 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's been like that all year. It's been like that most of the last 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.

Yelich 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 around $140 million is 19th highest in the majors.

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

Given the Brewers' success since their renaissance began in 2018, it's 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."

When Ortiz was a rookie in Baltimore in 2023, he remembers sitting around with teammates wondering "how was Milwaukee winning these games?"

Now he knows. And no, there is no secret sauce. Just good baseball.

"It's just competing, focusing on the stuff we can control, worrying about today and nothing else," he said. "I feel like we just have a bunch of competitors on the team who want to do what we can to win. I don't really think we think too much."

While the Brewers have locked up the division, they're hardly finished. The next step is trying to hold off the Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the National League and the home-field advantage that comes with it.

For all of Milwaukee's success, one thing the club hasn't done is translate it into an extended October stay. The Brewers are still searching for their first World Series appearance since 1982. Yet they keep giving themselves a chance. They'll take it.

"I think we stick to our plan and stick to who we are," Ortiz said, "and try and be the best at what we can do."

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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