Brewers seize 2-0 World Series lead | NL Central roundup

The Milwaukee Brewers just keep pushing the ceiling higher. On Saturday night they edged the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in Game 2 of the World Series, taking a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic after already finishing the regular season atop the NL Central at 103-59.

Brewers: clutch bats and a historic bullpen

As reported by La Presse, Sal Frelick tied the game with his first home run in three months, and Cooper Pratt later delivered a go-ahead single in the seventh inning to complete the comeback. The win fits the pattern of the series so far: a Milwaukee club capitalizing on opportunities against a Rays team that, per CBS Sports, is making too many mistakes to keep up with the Brewers’ relentlessness.

CBS Sports notes that left-handed reliever Aaron Ashby is on the verge of MLB history, starring for what the outlet calls the best bullpen ever as Milwaukee moves within two wins of its first World Series title. In a separate piece, the same outlet describes catcher William Contreras as the MVP of this Brewers run, driving in runs, cutting down would-be basestealers and steadying his pitching staff throughout October.

MLB Trade Rumors, meanwhile, highlights manager Pat Murphy’s path to this stage, recalling that he had been a finalist for the New York Mets’ managerial job back in 2019. The site notes that his agent is former Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen.

Reds: Suarez’s future and the loss of Benzinger

For the 75-87 Cincinnati Reds, MLB Trade Rumors suggests slugger Eugenio Suarez could now be a bargain. His return to Cincinnati was supposed to be a feel-good reunion and a veteran stabilizer for a young lineup, but he struck out roughly once every three at-bats and ultimately landed on waivers in August, according to the report.

The same outlet also relays that former big leaguer Todd Benzinger passed away Wednesday at age 63. Three of his nine MLB seasons came with Cincinnati, and he played a memorable role on a Reds team that went on to win the World Series. While the Chicago Cubs (89-73), Pittsburgh Pirates (82-80) and St. Louis Cardinals (77-85) were quiet on the news front over the last day, the division’s spotlight firmly belongs to Milwaukee’s October surge and Cincinnati’s moment of reflection.