The Brewers keep winning and the lead keeps growing.
After the first-ever sweep of the Mets in New York, the Brewers are sitting high atop the National League Central, 8 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis and appear to be well on their way to their first division title in 29 years.
The biggest knock against the team this season had been their woeful performance away from Miller Park but it seems that those struggles are all but a memory.
Since losing 33 of their first 49 road games, the Brewers have turned things around and have won 13 of their last 20.
An increased sense of confidence has helped the Brewers get to this point and inside the clubhouse, the players look towards the 11-game trip through Colorado, San Francisco and Arizona to open the second half as the turning point.
After dropping the first two games to the Rockies, the Brewers went 5-4 the rest of the way and have been on a tear ever since.
"I think it really started us off on the right foot," says closer John Axford. "We went in playing some pretty tough teams and a couple of those games were close, we were a few hits away from winning some more of those ball games.
"Once the second half hit, we all kind of felt like it was a fresh start for us, especially on the road. We started off strong and the way it's going now, I think that this is the team we all expected we'd be."
Overall, Milwaukee has won 22 of the last 25 and, with a pair of victories today in Pittsburgh, could move to 26 games over .500 for the first time since 1982.
Power of pitching: The Brewers' recent success can largely be attributed to the pitching staff which has been nothing short of dominant during the last month.
The starting rotation has produced 31 quality starts over the last 41 games and are 22-8 with a 2.73 ERA in those outings. Over the last 33 games, the entire pitching staff has a 2.45 ERA and has allowed three runs or fewer.
"We found our identity," outfielder Mark Kotsay said last week. "Our pitching staff is leading us.
"This is a good offensive team, though. We've got a lot of good bats. We can score runs. We can definitely slug with teams but at this point the success that we've had over the last month says it in the numbers. The numbers are pitching."
Zack Greinke's ERA finally dipped below the four-run mark last week, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings against the Dodgers – his sixth victory of the year at Miller Park. His ERA was a staggering 5.63 after a 12-2 loss to the Yankees June 28 (Greinke lasted just two innings that day) but since then, he's posted three straight no-decisions, recorded a loss and won his last five starts and carries a 12-4 record and 3.92 ERA into the second game tonight against Pittsburgh.
"That was my goal for awhile," said Greinke. "I'm finally catching up to these guys.
"They've been making great starts, too, and making it even harder. So, I've still got a ways to go to catch some of them."
Lopez is out: Chris Narveson returns to the team tonight after suffering an injury to his thumb while relacing his glove.
To make room for him on the 25-man roster, the Brewers designated IF Felipe Lopez for assignment. Acquired from Tampa July 28 to fill the void created by Rickie Weeks' injury, Lopez failed to produce at the plate, hitting just .182 (8-for-44) without an extra-base hit.
The team now has 10 days to trade or release Lopez.
27: Heading into action Monday, the Brewers' magic number is 27, meaning any combination of 27 Brewers victories and St. Louis losses would clinch the division
Injury report: LHP Narveson was reinstated from the disabled list Monday prior to the first game against the Pirates ... Both center fielder Carlos Gomez and second baseman Weeks remain on the disabled list while recovering from a broken collarbone and sprained ankle, respectively.
On the farm: RHP Mark Rogers has been suspended 25 games under baseball's substance abuse policy. The Brewers did not disclose the substance, but did say it was a stimulant and not a PED ... The Dominican Summer League Brewers clinched a playoff spot and open the postseason with a three-game series against the DSL Orioles later today .
Quick hits: The current 8 1/2-game lead is tied for the biggest in franchise history, set in 2007 ... Axford has a 0.56 ERA in his last 16 outings while Kameron Loe has a 0.79 in his last 10 ... Takashi Saito is 4-0 since returning from the disabled list ... Jonathan Lucroy is hitting .306 with 2 home runs and 14 RBI in his last 31 games ... A doubleheader sweep today would give the Brewers more victories this season than all of 2010 ... The Brewers have the best record in the Majors (31-10) since July 6 ... Monday marked Randy Wolf's 35th birthday.
This week: The current road trip continues in Pittsburgh, where the Brewers will play four games in three days before taking Thursday off and returning home to host the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park.
