After all, they're six games under. 500 and, despite taking two out of three from the lowly Pirates in Pittsburgh, remain a poor road team. Yet in a mediocre National League, there is still the flicker of a possible miracle.
A look at the rest of the Brewers' schedule brings a mixture of hope and realism, depending on your perspective. The Brewers have 42 games remaining -- 23 at Miller Park and 19 on the road. There are currently five teams ahead of the Brewers in the wild card race. The Brewers are tied with Houston with identical 57-63 records. The problem is that the Brewers play only one of the five teams ahead of them the rest of the season, and none of the top four. The easiest way to make up ground is to sweep a head-to-head series. But the Brewers don't have that opportunity against current wild-card leader Cincinnati, Arizona, San Diego or Philadelphia. The Brewers do have a three-game series against Colorado next week.
The Brewers and Astros certainly will have a chance to see who's the better team. They play a whopping 10 times the rest of the season, beginning with a four-game series this weekend at Miller Park. Almost a quarter of the Brewers remaining schedule is against Houston.
One chip that the Brewers do hold in their pocket is the fact that they have seven games remaining with current National League Central Division leader St. Louis. The shaky Cardinals are anything but a lock for the division title and may end being a part of the murky wild card race. The Brewers also have three home games against the West division-leading Dodgers. The Brewers don't have any games remaining against New York. The Mets lead the East and boast the best record in the National League.
Of course, the Brewers also have to worry about teams that are nipping at their heels. They have four games at Miller Park against San Francisco and seven games against Florida, four on the road and three at home.
You may scoff and say this is all moot anyway, because you've buried the Brewers a long time ago. You may be right. But the massive impact of closer Francisco Cordero and the tepid competition certainly give the Brewers mathematical hope -- at least for the moment.
Dennis Krause joined OnMilwaukee.com as a contributor on June 16, 2006. He is a two-time Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year and a regional Emmy-award winner. Dennis has been the color analyst on home games for the Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network for the last 10 years. He has also been involved with the Green Bay Packers Radio Network for 16 years and is currently the host of the "Packers Game Day" pre-game show.
Dennis started his broadcasting career as a radio air personality in the Fox Valley and Milwaukee.
He spent three years as a sportscaster at WMBD radio and television in Peoria, Illinois before joining WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee in 1987 as a weekend sports anchor. Dennis spent 16 years at Channel 4, serving as its Sports Director and 5 and 6 pm sports anchor from 1994-2003.
Dennis grew up in Hartford, Wisconsin and attended UW-Oshkosh. He lives in Thiensville with his wife and two children. He serves as the Community Resource Director for the Mequon-Thiensville School District.
