MILWAUKEE, WI (WTAQ) – In 2007 Major League Baseball enlisted comedian Dane Cook to star in promotional ads for its Postseason with the tagline “there’s only one October.”
That line is just as true over ten years later as MLB has created a perfect storm of two tiebreaking games to determine the winners of the NL Central and West divisions, the results of which will also decide the NL Wild Card game participants.
An 11-0 win by the Brewers over the Tigers in Game 162 and a 10-5 Cubs win over the Cardinals has set up a winner-take-all game for the Division title on Monday afternoon.
Jesús Aguilar led the way with 2 hits and 3 RBI in five plate appearances. He also scored two runs and struck out once. Orlando Arcia and Ryan Braun both added 2 RBI. Christian Yelich scored two runs.
Aguilar and Travis Shaw both recorded solo home runs.
Just one day after the Brewers used eight pitchers to get through the second-to-last game of the season, Gio Gonzalez decided he would give the bullpen the afternoon off by tossing five strong innings. The former Nationals pitcher who was acquired at the waiver trade deadline allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out three. Junior Guerra kept the Tigers off the scoreboard for the next two innings while striking out 3 and allowing just two hits. Jordan Lyles then closed the door in the 8th and 9th by striking out five and allowing two hits.
Coverage of the tiebreaker will begin on WTAQ at 11:30 AM with the first pitch set for 12:05 PM. Tickets for the game will go on sale at 7:30 Sunday night at cubs.com.
The winner of the NL Central would be the top seed in the National League and hold home-field advantage through the NLCS. The loser of the tiebreaker game hosts the loser of the NL West tiebreaker in the Wild Card contest.
In the NL West, the Dodgers blasted their north coast rivals in San Francisco 15-0 while the Rockies scored a 12-0 win over Washington to keep pace and set up a tiebreaker. That game will be played at 3:09 CT on Monday in Los Angeles.
Both tiebreaker games will be broadcast by ESPN, who is also carrying the National League Wild Card game on Tuesday evening.
