The Milwaukee Brewers turned their playoff clinching into a historic beatdown Friday night, overwhelming the Cincinnati Reds 20-0 at American Family Field to secure their eighth postseason berth in nine seasons.
The 20-run margin set a new record for the largest victory by any team on the day it clinched a postseason berth, surpassing 17-run wins by the 2001 Braves and 1996 Yankees, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Milwaukee had some recent practice with dominant clinching performances — they won by 15 runs over the Marlins when they secured their 2023 playoff spot.
Jackson Chourio opened the bottom of the first inning with a double, setting the tone for what became an avalanche. The Brewers scored eight runs in the first two innings, then somehow managed eight more in the fifth inning alone. The fifth-inning explosion was punctuated by Garrett Mitchell's grand slam — Milwaukee's first of the season.
"You have to celebrate the moments, no matter how big or how small," Mitchell said. "With how long a season is and all the ups and downs, you've got to be able to celebrate the moments when you have them because you never know when you're going to get them and you never know when the last one's going to be."
Every member of Milwaukee's starting lineup recorded a hit in the rout. The victory improved the Brewers to 92-56, putting them at a franchise-record 36 games over .500 and maintaining their position as the team with the best record in baseball.
The celebration in the clubhouse reflected the team's measured approach to success. There was a toast and appreciation for reaching October, but no champagne-soaked party. The Brewers know they have bigger goals ahead — another NL Central title, favorable postseason positioning, and potentially finishing with the best record in baseball.
"I know we've made it look like it's not that hard, but it's extremely hard to get to this point every year," said Christian Yelich, the Brewers' unofficial captain. "It shouldn't be taken for granted. And there's a lot of hard work ahead of us, still."
Mitchell echoed that sentiment despite the historic nature of Friday's victory. "We still got a lot more to go," he said.
The Brewers become the first National League team to clinch a playoff spot this season. Their consistency has been remarkable — this marks their eighth trip to October in nine years, a run of success that has established Milwaukee as one of baseball's most reliable contenders.
With 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Brewers can now focus on positioning themselves for the best possible playoff matchup while continuing their chase for the franchise's best regular season record.
