Brewers clinch 4th straight NL Central title with win, Cubs loss
Brewers clinch 4th straight NL Central title with win, Cubs loss. The Brewers won their fourth straight National League Central title after the second-place Cubs lost to Atlanta on Tuesday night.
What happened
Skip to main content Skip to navigation Brewers secure fourth straight NL Central title as Miz delivers againMilwaukee Brewers2hRocchio's heroics in 9th rescue Guardians, doom Taylor, White Sox againChicago White Sox2hJesse RogersPhillies place 14-game winner Luzardo on IL with shoulder inflammationPhiladelphia Phillies8hAssociated PressOhtani takes first swings off tee since going on ILLos Angeles Dodgers6hCorrea (ankle) won't rejoin Astros this seasonHouston Astros7hBaz exits after taking 105. The Brewers (94-57) won their fourth straight NL Central title Tuesday night, when they rode their flame-throwing star and a couple of timely hits from role players Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz for a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
They are the first team to win four straight NL Central titles since the division was created in 1994. 1 mph liner off armBaltimore Orioles4hMLB playoff tracker: Brewers lock up the NL Central — who's next? Execs, insiders weigh inMilwaukee Brewers2dJesse RogersMLB playoff tracker: Brewers lock up the NL Central — who's next? "Prior to this streak, the Brewers only won four division titles in the franchise's first 54 years of existence. Breaking down Yordan Alvarez's 2026 seasonHouston Astros2dDavid SchoenfieldThe 10 players who leveled up this season — and how it changed their teams' fortunesMilwaukee Brewers5dDavid Schoenfield2026 MLB core rankings: Who has the most star talent?
The wider picture
8dJeff Passan'This is all anonymous? ' MLB players unfiltered on salary cap, CBA talks and whether there will be a 2027 season14dESPNFantasy baseball news: Fairbanks may be finished and more for Tuesday15hESPN FantasyplayJacob Misiorowski impresses with a flurry of 102-plus mph strikeouts (0:45)ESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsSep 15, 2026, 10:36 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPITTSBURGH — The best pitcher in baseball on the team with the best record in baseball isn't sure how exactly the Milwaukee Brewers keep doing this.
When Atlanta rallied past the Chicago Cubs about 30 minutes later, there was a roar that seeped through the cinderblock walls outside the visitors' clubhouse at PNC Park. The Brewers gave Pittsburgh a glimpse in the second inning. "The Brewers don't just, as Ortiz put it, "single you to death. POP THOSE BOTTLES 🍾#WinOurWay pic. twitter. com/SaychcYcVI— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 16, 2026 In the chaos, the Brewers caught Pirates designated hitter Ryan O'Hearn in a rundown between second and third for the second out.
The other National League teams that began Tuesday in playoff position — the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego and the Cubs — are all inside the top 10. Given the Brewers' success since their renaissance began in 2018, it's hard to paint them as underdogs. "Other teams are definitely looking at what (the Brewers are) doing. . . because they haven't spent the money that the Dodgers have," Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said.
What has been reported
You have to go out there and play good baseball, and the Brewers have done that consistently over the last few years. "While the Brewers have locked up the division, they're hardly finished. The Brewers are still searching for their first World Series appearance since 1982. Arizona Diamondbacks2hESPNThe biggest success — and biggest disappointment — for all 30 MLB teams this seasonArizona Diamondbacks18hBradford Doolittle'What we're doing now ain't working': On Roberto Clemente Day, MLB has a Puerto Rico problem18hJorge CastilloWho is MLB's team to beat this October — and who could take them down?
Arizona Diamondbacks2hESPNA potential Triple Crown? Arizona Diamondbacks7dKiley McDanielPassan's early MLB free agency intel: How much could Skubal get? Arizona Diamondbacks6dJeff PassanPassan's MLB expansion update: Which cities are the favorites for next teams? Asked how a team that works on the fringe of baseball's middle class has turned champagne celebrations into a September ritual, Jacob Misiorowski shrugged.
What happens next
"You know, I've been trying to figure it out all year. This part of the journey never gets old, not even for Christian Yelich, who has been a fixture during Milwaukee's run of eight playoff appearances in nine years. "We're a good team," the three-time All-Star and 2018 NL MVP said. "This is what we set out to do every season at the beginning of spring training. Milwaukee doesn't overwhelm opponents with power or gaudy stats — outside of Misiorowski's stream of 100 mph-plus fastballs — and instead relies on singles, smart baseball and a selfless approach.
Jake Bauers led off with a single to right field, advanced to second on a groundout and sprinted to third on a wild pitch. Lara followed with a fly ball to center field deep enough to allow Bauers to dash home.