If any other top-10 team held the best record in the majors over the second-place Cubs, their position would be seen as an unmarred success through the first 102 games of the season, a strong platform for a squad with lofty playoff aspirations.<\/p>\n
But it was the Brewers (61-41) who held a one-game lead entering Thursday.<\/p>\n
Yes, the Brewers needed an 11-game winning streak to close the gap. And they won\u2019t maintain the breakneck pace they\u2019ve been on in the last 2\u00bd weeks. But they\u2019ve proved to be worrisome competition for the National League Central title.<\/p>\n
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ, who has been battling the Brewers as a division rival longer than anyone on the roster, had a different take on the situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs somebody who\u2019s played in the NL Central a long time, I think it\u2019s generally overlooked before the season starts,\u201d he said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. \u201cAnd you have right now, the two best records in baseball sitting at the top of the division. So it\u2019s cool. That\u2019s great for the division.\u201d<\/p>\n
Happ also acknowledged the Reds and Cardinals for their above-.500 records and the Pirates for their pitching staff.<\/p>\n
The Brewers, however, are the most glaring example of outperforming expectations. It was a hallmark of the club when now-Cubs manager Craig Counsell was at the helm. And it certainly has continued under Pat Murphy.<\/p>\n
Over the last two years, the Brewers have lost hitting and pitching stars to trades and free agency. But in 2024, they won the division by a 10-game margin. And this season, they\u2019ve kept up with the Cubs, who made significant improvements to their roster.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe the league or the media is not doing a very good job of evaluating them before the season starts,\u201d Happ said. \u201cThey\u2019re always good. They find a way to pitch great. That\u2019s the one thing \u2014 they\u2019ve always pitched it great.\u201d<\/p>\n
That reputation has held up. Freddy Peralta has continued his reign as a top-of-the-rotation staple for the Brewers. And Brandon Woodruff, who missed last season because of shoulder surgery, has a 1.65 ERA since his return.<\/p>\n
Supplementing that veteran presence, the Brewers have young talent such as rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski, who was named an All-Star only five starts into his major-league career, and Quinn Priester, a Cary-Grove product who took a big step forward in his third major-league season.<\/p>\n
The Brewers\u2019 bullpen, anchored by closer Trevor Megill, who made his major-league debut with the Cubs in 2021, ranks among the top 10 in the majors by WAR.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd they find a way to steal bases, they play good defense, and so they\u2019re always in games, and they find a way to win,\u201d Happ said. \u201cThat\u2019s impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
There also have been some surprises among the position players. Rookie Caleb Durbin has hit .311 in the last two months, the third-best mark among major-league third basemen in that span. Andrew Vaughn has caught fire since being traded from the White Sox, to the tune of a .943 OPS.<\/p>\n
Still, with the Brewers\u2019 track record, why were they overlooked again?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of a smaller market \u2014 and the way they do it,\u201d Happ said. \u201cPeople get excited about power and home runs and big lineups before the season starts. .\u2009.\u2009. Going into the year, people don\u2019t get excited about teams that are going to pitch it really well out of the bullpen and always be in close games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always had a lot of respect for them, the way they play and the discipline and the way that they play defense and run the bases. Seen it for a long time, not surprised by it.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s far too early for scoreboard-watching. That\u2019s a common sentiment around the Cubs\u2019 clubhouse. The NL Central heavyweights also still have eight games against each other.<\/p>\n
Playing the Sox (37-66) this weekend, the Cubs have an opportunity to potentially hop the Brewers again before they face off in Milwaukee next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be a great atmosphere,\u201d Happ said. \u201cWe\u2019re going up there just trying to play our game and good baseball. And I think there\u2019ll be a lot of noise around it. But we\u2019re just gonna play another series in July.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wrigley Field last hosted the All-Star Game in 1990.<\/p>\n
With Kansas City\u2019s direction unclear, Lugo has been the subject of trade rumors.<\/p>\n
Happ has been out of his usual leadoff spot in the batting order since the Yankees series before the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
A date with the White Sox this weekend gives the Cubs an opportunity to retake the lead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":71074,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n