MILWAUKEE — With the Rockies starting a best-of-five National League division series against the Brewers on Thursday, here are ten things to know about the team that stands between Colorado and the NL championship series.
— The Brewers took five of seven games from the Rockies this season, winning the series at Coors Field in May and at Miller Park in August.
— Christian Yelich, likely to win the NL MVP this season, came two homers and an RBI short in his quest for the NL’s first triple crown since 1937.
— Manager Bud Black on the threat Yelich poses: “What a player, right?… I’ve seen enough of him to see a talented player emerge.”
— Center fielder Lorenzo Cain has also been dangerous hitting leadoff in front of Yelich for most of the season, slashing .308/.395/.417.
— Southpaw Josh Hader’s been in the conversation as the best reliever in baseball in 2018 with a 2.43 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 55 appearances.
— Fourth-year Brewers manager Craig Counsell is a Rockies’ original, having been drafted by the club in the 11th round of the 1992 MLB amateur draft.
— Shortstop Trevor Story has ripped the Brewers this season, blasting seven of his 37 home runs against them while racking up 18 RBIs.
— Talent-rich Milwaukee sent a franchise-high five players to the all-star game: Jesús Aguilar, Lorenzo Cain, Hader, Jeremy Jeffress and Yelich.
— Speaking of Jeffress, he’s also been a lynchpin for the stout Brewers bullpen with a 1.29 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 76-plus innings.
— The red-hot Brewers won eight straight to close the regular season, including their 3-1 victory over the Cubs in the NL Central tiebreaker.
