Craig Counsell knows how to get a team into October. Over the past five seasons, the Brewers’ manager has led his team to a September winning percentage of .603. Only the Dodgers (.713), Rays (.629) and Astros (.619) have been better closers in that time. Milwaukee has reached the postseason four straight seasons.
But this time the numbers appear stacked against Milwaukee. The Brewers have 21 games to run down either the Padres (down two games in the loss column) or Phillies (four games) for a wild card spot.