MILWAUKEE — Going into Game 5 of the NLDS on Saturday, the feeling at American Family Field was eerily similar to another October night a little more than a year ago. On that night, the Brewers†2024 wild-card series ended in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Mets. And in some ways, thatâ€s where the story of Milwaukeeâ€s 2025 season began.
Last fall, the Brewers saw the Mets defeat them in crushing fashion, as Pete Alonsoâ€s ninth-inning, game-winning home run ended Milwaukeeâ€s season in front of its home crowd. Many Brewers players stayed and watched as New York celebrated advancing to the next round on their home field.
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Brewers manager Pat Murphy had to give his team a difficult speech that night. The takeaway of his message was that the difficult moment could benefit them going forward.
“Don’t know how,†Murphy remembered saying, “but somehow, that experience will help us.â€
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Fast-forward a year later, and on Saturday, the Brewers were once again on their home field playing a must-win game with a chance to advance on the line. But this time around, as Joey Ortiz fielded the final out off the bat of Carson Kelly and fired to first, sending 42,000 fans into a frenzy, it was clear something had changed.
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“You can’t really lose [a game] tougher than we did last year,†designated hitter Christian Yelich said afterward. “So going into tonight, you just play with a bunch of freedom. You know you’ve got belief and trust in your teammates that we’re going to be able to get the job done.â€
That belief ultimately turned into a 3-1 victory over the Cubs and a ticket to the NLCS vs. the Dodgers. As blue and gold steamers fell from the rafters after the final out, covering the field, the Brewers players mobbed one another in the middle of the diamond.
Emerging victorious from the winner-take-all NLDS Game 5 was going to require two things from the Brewers. First, their offense needed to give their pitchers a lead to work with. And second, considering how the previous four games of the series had gone — with 21 total runs scored in the first inning — getting the lead early was probably going to be key.
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In this one, it was catcher William Contreras who took the big first-inning swing, sending a 94.1-mph four-seamer from Cubs opener Drew Pomeranz into the Brewers†bullpen and putting Milwaukee ahead 1-0. But one run never felt like it would be enough to win this elimination game, and sure enough, Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki followed with a solo blast that tied the game in the top of the second inning.
The second big swing for Milwaukee came from first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who has played a key role for Milwaukee this year after being optioned and traded by the White Sox in June. The 27-year-old authored a stunning revival with the Brewers, becoming a force in Milwaukeeâ€s lineup. And just as he did across the second half of the season, the first baseman produced in a big moment, launching a 3-2 cutter to left field just beyond the reach of outfielder Ian Happ. Vaughnâ€s solo homer gave Milwaukee a 2-1 lead and swung the momentum back to the Brewers.
“The journey has been kind of crazy,†Vaughn said after the game. “The opportunity to be with this group, itâ€s changed my life, honestly.â€
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Late in the one-run game, Milwaukee seemed to have Chicago on the ropes and was looking for a knockout blow. Second baseman Brice Turang hadnâ€t done much during this NLDS, with just two hits going into Game 5. But in the bottom of the seventh, Turang ambushed Cubs†reliever Andrew Kittredgeâ€s first-pitch slider and hit a no-doubt blast off the batterâ€s eye in center field, giving the Brewers some breathing room with a 3-1 lead.
Slugging isnâ€t a huge part of the Brewers†game, yet across five games, they outslugged the Cubs eight home runs to six. And when those home runs happened might have been even more impactful, as six of Milwaukeeâ€s homers, including all three in Game 5, came with two outs.
The other side of Milwaukeeâ€s recipe for success Saturday was their bullpen arms, whom the team entrusted to get all 27 outs. Kicking things off was All-Star closer Trevor Megill. After all the first-inning runs in this series, the Brewers showed some urgency by sending their high-leverage arm out to set the tone.
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When Megill walked off the mound after blowing a 99-mph fastball past Kyle Tucker and pumped his arms up and down to hype the crowd, it was exactly what Milwaukee needed.
Next came fireballer Jacob Misiorowski. The rookie right-handerâ€s night started off rocky, with the Suzuki homer to lead off the second, but the 23-year-old settled in after that. He tossed four huge innings while allowing just that one run, which turned out to be the Cubs†only score of the game.
“I don’t think I knew exactly how much I had,†Misiorowski said afterward. “I think I was giving everything I’ve got. And I think I left everything out there.â€
For the Cubs, the biggest moment of the game — and one theyâ€ll likely think about all winter — came in the sixth inning. The first two batters reached base, with Michael Busch hitting a single and Nico Hoerner getting hit by a pitch. With Chicagoâ€s 3-4-5 hitters due up, it felt like Milwaukee was on the precipice of letting the game slip away.
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But after falling behind in the count 3-1, southpaw Aaron Ashby came back to get Kyle Tucker swinging for the first out. Then right-hander Chad Patrick came into the game. He induced a lineout from Suzuki and then struck Ian Happ out looking, ending Chicagoâ€s biggest and best opportunity to score with a perfectly placed 90.5 mph cutter.
In total, the Brewers†bullpen was terrific in the series-clinching victory. Megill, Misiorowski, Ashby, Patrick and Abner Uribe combined to toss nine innings while allowing just one run and one walk and striking out eight batters.
“They pitched very well. I mean, they pitched super well,†Cubs manager Craig Counsell said postgame. “The only inning that we disrupted, maybe, the plan was the sixth. But the rest of the game, they did a heck of a job.â€
In addition to advancing the Brewers to the next round, the Game 5 victory over the Cubs allowed Milwaukee to exorcise some recent postseason demons. It was the Brewers†first playoff series win since the 2018 NLDS against the Colorado Rockies. And prior to Saturday, the Brewers had lost five straight postseason clinchers, including Games 3 and 4 of this NLDS.
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“I don’t worry about how many years it’s been,†Murphy said. “I know this: We’ve been in contention every year [I’ve] been here, and I’m just thankful for that. And starting in 2017, I guess, we’ve either been in the playoffs or a game away. That says something about the org. Says something about the front office and the ownership and the coaching staff.
“But most importantly, understanding the type of player that has to play here. And we got a bunch of them in there that’s pretty special.â€
Milwaukee will now face the L.A. Dodgers, starting with Game 1 on Monday at home, in a rematch of the 2018 NLCS. While Los Angeles is heavily favored in this championship series, the Brewers won all six regular-season meetings between the clubs in 2025. And with their five-round fight against the Cubs behind them, the Brewers can feel confident about their resilience and resolve going forward.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere tonight,†Yelich said. “The two fan bases going back and forth, and Game 5 in the series. We had a feeling before it started — we play each other so close all season long, this series is probably going to go five, and it was going to be a lot of ups and downs.
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“And credit to our guys for sticking with it, being mentally tough and being able to finish the job here. Just a huge win for us.â€
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