So the Brewers swept the NLDS in convincing fashion against the Colorado Rockies, so we sat and waited to see who our opponent would be in the CS. The other Series was the Braves vs. the Dodgers and I wanted so badly to play against the Braves, but they ended up losing the series 3 games to 1. The NLCS was set and the Brewers had homefield advantage vs the Dodgers. I knew it was going to be a well-fought series, and I predicted it would go 6 or 7 games. The so-called fans who said the Brewers were going to get swept clearly hadn't watched a Brewers game all season. We had a dog in the fight, and we were ready to play! The Brewers won the first game, 6-5 behind Woodruff as starting pitcher, and I should note that he beat freaking Kershaw! The next day, the Dodgers squeaked by with the win, a score of 4-3. When the series moved to L.A, the Brewers won in commanding style, shutting out the Dodgers 4-0. This game was big, as it was our first away game of the series, going into the enemy's house. We completely shut down their big boppers and made them look like fools, and their fans were even leaving early in typical L.A. style! Also after this game, my hopes were much higher that we really could win this thing! The very next day, the Brewers and Dodgers battled 13 innings but the Dodgers were the one's that came out on top. The next day, Kershaw ended up getting revenge on Woodruff by a score of 5-2. The Dodgers were now leading the series 3 games to 2, in a best of 7. But, the series was heading back to Milwaukee where it was going to be loud! Game 6 started at 8pm EST. Wade Miley started this game, and went into the 5th, giving up just 5 hits and 2 earned runs. Well done. The Brewers also started hot, scoring 4 runs in the 1st inning! Wahooo! I loved it and the crowd was loving it (as far as I could see on TV)! The Brewers were well on their way! The Brewers tacked on 3 more as the game went on, and it was no match for the Dodgers. The Brewers won, 7-2! We were getting a game 7 in Miller Park! The game got done around 12:45 am on Saturday morning, October 20th. Robbie looked at me after our own celebrations died down and said "what if we go to Game 7." His thinking was that if the Brewers DID win, we would be kicking ourselves that we didn't go. In all honesty, the thought hadn't even crossed my mind! We had just gotten new puppies a week prior to this, and we would have had to leave by noon at the latest, that same day; there was no way we could get everything together in not even 12 hours, let alone sleep for a good chunk of it! We decided to sleep on it and see how we felt the following morning (or a few hours from then)! I woke up just before 8am to Robbie, telling me how he had found a website with people who boarded dogs, how he had found a few people already and messaged them in the middle of the night asking if they could board our dogs on such short notice, and how tickets weren't that expensive (cheaper than when we went to the NLDS actually). So, I got ready as if we were going to the game. In the mean time, one of the boarding people responded saying she could take our dogs overnight. This lady was a vet, so we trusted that she would take real good care of our precious puppies. Ok, we were all in! Robbie pulled the trigger on the tickets, and just like that, we were out the door heading up to Milwaukee!
The trip seemed really familiar, as we had just made the same trip 2 weeks ago! But this time, we didn't have the torrential rain through Indiana, nor the traffic through Chicago, being it was a Saturday. Plus, we avoided downtown Chicago this time too. One cool thing to note, as we were going around downtown, we drove by the Chicago O'Hare airport, and as we driving along, the New England Patriots plane was landing. The Patriots were playing the Bears in Chicago that weekend, and their plane was landing right in front of us! I wish I had a picture! It was cool, nonetheless!
The game started at 7pm CST, and we got there with plenty of time to spare. The scene in the parking lots and around Miller Park was abuzz with excitement and anticipation for a Game 7. We quickly made our way to the stadium, and as we were waiting in line to get inside, started chanting "Let's Go Brewers" with all the other die-hards within ear-shot. It was fun! Our seats were practically in the same place as where we sat for the NLDS, and I loved it! I just couldn't wait for the game to start!
Miller Park is a sight to behold!
On our drive up, we had the idea for me to try and capture the energy of Miller Park in a photograph and have it made into a canvas. About 10 years ago, Robbie and I attended the Packers/Bears game on Opening night and I got a really great picture of the energy just before kick-off, and that canvas hangs proudly on our wall in our basement. I think I got the job done again at this Brewers game. It helped that each fan had a rally towel to add to the excitement!
The pitching match-ups were Brewers' Chacin vs. Dodgers' Buehler. I had faith in Chacin that he would go at least 5 strong! In the bottom of the 1st, Christian Yelich helped out Chacin's cause by going deep for a quick score of 1-0! The crowd went NUTS! But unfortunately that was short-lived because in the top of the 2nd, the Dodgers' Bellinger hit a 2-run dinger. Damn. It turned out Chacin only went 2 innings, however, Josh Hader came in to relieve him and pitched 3 scoreless innings. Impressive! The 6th inning proved to be the dagger in all Brewers fans' hearts. Puig was the one who launched the baseball out of the park, this time to put up a 3-spot. I had a feeling that there was no coming back from this. The Brewers bats were quiet in the 7th, 8th, and unfortunately the 9th too. To put it in the record books, Orlando Arcia had the last base hit of the season, and Mike Moustakas recorded the last out. It was a big bummer that our season had to end this way. During all the post-season dramatics, the Brewers never got to celebrate in their own clubhouse.
As sad as I was, watching the Dodgers celebrate on our field while we watched "Dodgers Win" tickers dot Miller Park, I was also incredibly happy that the Brewers took the Dodgers to Game 7 in the CS, just 1 game away from the "whole kitten kaboodle" (as John Candy recited in Rookie of the Year). It was quite a ride the Brewers took us on all season. And that is why I had tears streaming down my face, thinking back to all the ways the Brewers managed to win this season. The group of guys that Craig Counsell put on the field each day was remarkable, and they gave it all they got! Yelich was eventually named the NL MVP, and rightfully so! Also, Craig Counsell finished just behind the Braves skipper for Manager of the Year, too. As the season wore on, fans were so negative against Counsell, but I thought he did an outstanding job all year! Way to go! This season was nothing short of amazing, and I was incredibly proud to have gone on this ride with them! We were at the very first game of the season in San Diego, and the very last game of the season in Milwaukee. We book-ended the baseball season in 2018, something we have never done before, and that's pretty cool! This also marked the 3rd different sport I've cried at while in attendance, and they were all after the last games of their season. I cried after the Packers lost in the NFC Championship game vs. the Arizona Cardinals a few years back, and I also cried after the Badgers lost in the Final Four Championship game in 2015. I'm such a sap!
Proud Brewers fans!
The jumbotron said "Thank You Brewers Fans"
We stayed in the park for as long as we could after the game. Even though it wasn't the Brewers celebrating this year, the celebration itself was pretty cool to see. If what our owner and GM says is true, we will be the one's celebrating in the coming few years!
Robbie and I got a hotel room for that Saturday night, as we didn't leave Miller Park until nearly 11pm. The next morning we got up and hit the road, not before seeing the new Bucks basketball arena, Fiserv Forum. It looked huge, and I can't wait to visit that venue soon!
This has nothing to do with anything, but it was a cool church under construction in MKE
Speaking of the Bucks, a cool thing happened during the ballgame. At the beginning of the game, there were 3 or 4 seats just 2 rows in front of us that were vacant, and I thought I had won the lottery because I didn't have anyone's tall head to look around. Well, the 5th inning rolls around and I swear, a 7-foot guy sits right in front of me. Great. Way to ruin my experience. Well, Robbie did some digging after he got a good look at tall man's face, and it turned out to be John Henson, a former member of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team! So cool! I say 'former' because he just got traded last weekend. He came to the game with 2 other people, I'm guessing his significant other and a friend. As they were all leaving in the 8th or 9th inning, Robbie and I fist-bumped him, wishing him luck this season. Of all the seats in the whole stadium, he sat right in front of us! It kind of had me thinking what other celebrities were in attendance...
John Hensen, the one in the hat and flannel jacket!
He was checking basketball scores! Awesome!
We left Milwaukee earlier than anticipated, so as we were heading south, we decided to take Hwy 41, which turns into Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. It was a few miles out of our way, but the views heading into and through Chicago were stunning, and we were definitely glad we made that choice. Plus, we avoided tolls! Win!
Even though we had no idea we were even going to the game 12 hours before it started, I'm certainly glad we did. We have memories of that game, and the whole season that we will get to look back on fondly. Until next year, Brewers; go get 'em in the 2019 campaign!
One last look at Miller Park for the season!
"They took us on an amazing journey that we should all be grateful for being able to see, because it was a magical run." -Craig Counsell, Manager Extraordinaire
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