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The Cubs won the series against the Brewers (11-8), but you would not say they won the war.
The Brewers returned to Milwaukee for a homestand against the Pirates and Reds, a single game out of first place in the Central League. They were delighted to force Joe Maddon to make three pitching changes on Wednesday in the ninth inning, when they won the 5-1 series final, and they can not wait to look further, squirming from a distance.
They put the heat on the Cubs.
"It was the goal of this series," said manager Craig Counsell. "We have put ourselves in a position where division is at hand. You feel now, really, you are dealing with your own affairs. You play well and you feel like you have a chance to be there.
Lorenzo Cain and his teammates would love to have the chance to meet up in Milwaukee on October 2nd, watching the Cubs play wild-game at Wrigley Field against the Cardinals, Dodgers or Diamondbacks.
Something similar happened in the NFL in 1941.
The Packers were eliminated on the last day of the regular season, while the Bears played the Cardinals in a game that the Bears had to win to force the eliminators to qualify. There was an announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor during the match but the match continued, as did the football season.
Reports indicate that a group of Packers players was in the stands of Comiskey Park that day, enjoying a businessman's vacation. Maybe they should have stayed home and rested. The Bears beat the Cardinals 34-24 after a deficit at halftime before beating the Packers 33-14.
READ MORE: Steve Rosenbloom: Can Cubs find a hero to stop the stench? "
Derailing the Cubs early after winning the 2016 World Series and three consecutive trips to the Newfoundland and Labrador Championship Series would be an epic accomplishment for Counsell and the Brewers.
The Brewers have won 11 of their last 14 games and each of their last seven series. They showed all their weapons by winning two of the three games at Wrigley Field, with Cain, newcomer Curtis Granderson and the bullpen led by Josh Hader in lead roles.
Cain had eight singles in fourteen games in all three games and made two great catches in the middle of the field, coaching Jon Lester, a major player in a 3-2 win Monday. Flying Kris Bryant in the Cubs' 3-0 win on Tuesday.
"I saw Lorenzo on the other side when (his Royals) won a World Series (against my Mets in 2015)," said Granderson. "He's special there."
Counsell talked about Cain's importance before the show and again Wednesday night.
"The Lo Cain series was just a series to watch," said Counsell. "Every bat was awesome, (making) a hard touch. He took his game to a level. It was a baseball player there. "
Granderson, acquired from the Blue Jays on August 31, led the way on Wednesday with a 3-on-4 night that included a home track and a memorable triple. He led the party with an explosion that hit the top rail of the left field basket, bounced through the air and hit the rail again before falling on the warning track.
"It may be my skills in basketball, my efforts to integrate them (the basket)," said Granderson, who was briefly a two-sport athlete at UIC. "If I could do it, I could still play basketball."
Hader's fast 97 and 98 mph bales have been the centerpiece of a very effective series for a Brewers boxer that seems to be a definite advantage over a series Maddon is attempting to recreate with the end of the season.
The Cubs have played 11-8 against the Brewers this season, relying more on Jose Quintana, Pedro Strop and their pitchers than their batters. This edge is all that has the two defending Central champions hung on a slight advantage.
"Look, it's a season of 162 games," Counsell said. "They earned all our respects, of course. They were the team that found itself in the lead. We have some work to do. We have not done anything yet. "
Maybe not – but they are in fashion.
Phil Rogers is an independent contributor to the Chicago Tribune.
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