Brewers open NLCS vs. Dodgers, NL Central roundup

No NL Central clubs took the field yesterday, but today belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers, the division’s lone remaining postseason team as they get set to open the National League Championship Series.

Brewers host Dodgers to begin NLCS

Per MLB Trade Rumors, the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished 103-59 to top the NL Central, will open the NLCS tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the other top seed in the National League. Milwaukee hosts Game 1 at 7 p.m. CT.

MLB Trade Rumors adds that Jacob Misiorowski gets the ball for the Brewers. The right-hander will be matched up with lefty Tarik Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner. CBS Sports notes that Milwaukee is chasing its first World Series appearance since 1983, while the two-time defending champion Dodgers stand in the way.

Cardinals’ first title reaches 100-year mark

For the St. Louis Cardinals, the story of the day is historical rather than on-field. MLB Trade Rumors points out that exactly 100 years ago, the Cardinals captured their first championship by winning Game 7 of the 1926 World Series against the New York Yankees.

As that outlet recalls, the Series ended on a singular play: a caught-stealing to retire Babe Ruth at second base on a throw from catcher Bob O’Farrell. It remains the only time in history that a World Series has ended on a caught-stealing. Ruth, who stole 123 bases in his career, thus finds himself at the center of a defining moment in Cardinals lore.

Division snapshot while Milwaukee rolls on

While the NLCS spotlight falls on Milwaukee, the rest of the NL Central waits and watches with final records already in the books: the Pittsburgh Pirates at 82-80, the Cardinals at 77-85, the Cincinnati Reds at 75-87 and the Chicago Cubs at 89-73. The next question for the division is how far the Brewers can carry the banner into October.