Milwaukee, WI
MLB playoffs 2024: Milwaukee Brewers assert themselves as one of MLB's best teams by clinching first postseason spot
The Milwaukee Brewers are the most impressive playoff team this season.
No, that’s not hyperbole. It’s just the truth. Granted, the Brewers have never been the “sexy” team or the team that boasts the most elite talent. But despite that, they found a way to run away with their division, leaving the rest of their NL Central rivals in their wake.
On Wednesday, Milwaukee became the first team to clinch a postseason berth this season. With the Cubs’ loss to the Oakland A’s, the Brewers captured their second consecutive NL Central crown and sixth postseason appearance in the past seven seasons.
Despite their propensity for reaching October, there weren’t many who believed the Brewers would be postseason-bound going into this season. During the offseason, their longtime manager, Craig Counsell, decided to head south to become the manager of the Chicago Cubs, leaving the keys to former bench coach Pat Murphy.
When the Brewers also dealt their ace and former NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, it looked like Milwaukee was headed for a rebuild. Even throughout the season, the challenges continued to arise, including the loss of the team’s best player, Christian Yelich, to a season-ending back injury.
None of that stopped Milwaukee from being one of baseball’s best teams, and with each passing month, they seem to have gotten better and better. And that’s not only through the eye test; the numbers back up their dominance as well.
What makes the Brewers such a good team? There simply aren’t many things they don’t do well. Offensively, they rank fourth in runs scored and second in OPS with runners in scoring position. Defensively, they’re fourth in MLB in both defensive runs saved and outs above average. And their pitching has held up its end of the bargain as well, ranking fourth in team ERA.
Milwaukee has gotten consistent production from throughout its lineup all season, with All-Star performances from William Contreras, Willy Adames and Yelich before his injury. But the player who has helped take this team to another level is rookie phenom Jackson Chourio. Chourio has become every bit the star the Brewers thought he would be when they signed him to an eight-year, $82 million extension before his debut. The 20-year-old has a .901 OPS since June 1.
Across the season as a whole, the Brewers not only built the largest divisional lead in baseball (10.5 games as of Wednesday), but they have also held their division lead the longest. Milwaukee has had a share of or sole possession of first place in the Central since April 12, when they began pulling away from the rest of the division en route to the title.
It’s hard to look at the Brewers and not see Murphy’s imprint throughout the roster. After several years as Counsell’s bench coach, Murphy has transitioned seamlessly to the role of manager. You have to imagine that his presence in the Brewers’ dugout for so many years before he got the job built the kind of trust that it would take other first-year managers much longer to develop.
Also, the “us against the world” mentality doesn’t often go very far, but it feels like a pretty apt attitude for this team.
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This season, the Brewers are a combined 11-14 against the Dodgers, Phillies, Padres, Mets and Diamondbacks, with a minus-4 run differential in those games that shows just how close they were. In the postseason, the numbers — and the outcomes — could easily flip in Milwaukee’s direction.
It’s impossible to predict what’s in store for the Brewers in the ever-volatile NL wild-card round, but their ability to play their best game on a consistent basis makes this a team worth keeping an eye on as the calendar turns to October.
Milwaukee, WI
Wisconsin holiday gas prices falling as thousands hit the road
MILWAUKEE – Thousands across Wisconsin are expected to hit the road for the holiday. The travel comes at a good time – because GasBuddy experts predict nationwide gas prices will be at their lowest point on Christmas Day since 2020.
At Good Hope and Green Bay roads, Victor Tran is filling up – and it’s not a bad time to do so.
“The gas right now. Very, very good right now. They’re getting lower. Better than they were before,” Trans said.
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According to AAA, the average for a gallon of regular gas in Wisconsin is around $2.82 per gallon. The average in Milwaukee County on Sunday, Dec. 22 was around $2.79. That is lower than Ozaukee County with an average of around $2.93. All those prices are below the $3 per gallon national average.
Patrick De Haan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
“It’s the seasonality that’s really been the primary reason for gas prices that have fallen compared to where they were this summer,” De Haan said. “In the last couple of days we have seen a big jump in some parts of Wisconsin ahead of the holiday. That has to do with oil prices jumping up.”
But De Haan believes prices will once again fall in Milwaukee. He suggests waiting until closer to Christmas to fill up.
GasBuddy suggests people always check fuel prices before filling up – especially when crossing the state line.
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“I do think a high number of Americans are likely going to be hitting the road in light of the relatively low gas prices,” De Haan said.
De Haan predicts prices will rise after the cold winter months.
“What goes down eventually will go up in the spring,” De Haan said.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee shooting near 14th and North; 25-year-old accused
MILWAUKEE – A 25-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of shooting another man near a gas station near 14th and North. The accused is Dreaten Burch – and he faces a single charge of first-degree reckless injury.
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded on Sunday evening, Dec. 8 to a shooting near 14th and North Avenue. Officers spoke with relatives of the shooting victim who came home with a gunshot wound to his face. They believed he had been at a nearby gas station.
That same night, a detective went to Froedtert Hospital where the shooting victim was being treated for his wound. He indicated he “exchanged words with the driver of a white vehicle, then ran west on North Avenue and got shot in the face as he ran,” the complaint says. The victim said he did not see who shot him.
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Milwaukee police responded to the Citgo gas station near 14th and North and reviewed surveillance video showing the suspect and victim. The complaint says the “video shows that at about 5:31 p.m., a man walks into Citgo, then leaves and walks through the parking lot. At about 5:33 p.m., a white vehicle turns into the parking lot and appears to nearly strike the man in the parking lot, who has to avoid the vehicle. The vehicle parks, then a suspect exits the driver’s door, then heads in the same direction as the first man.”
Investigators found a casing and unspent cartridge northeast of the intersection of 14th and North. Police “later found additional surveillance video showing the man and suspect heading to this location, and showing the man returning to the white vehicle,” the complaint says.
Investigators reviewed photos of the suspect vehicle. They also queried the Flock Safety database and found a matching vehicle within three days of the incident. Officers had previously stopped the vehicle — and identified the driver as Dreaten Burch.
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Burch was arrested on Dec. 9. When police tried to question him about the shooting incident at the gas station, Burch “said he may have been at the gas station and may have been in the car, but he didn’t know about anything else,” the complaint says.
Burch made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Saturday, Dec. 14. Cash bond was set at $10,000.
Milwaukee, WI
34 from Portis leads Milwaukee to 112-101 Victory Over Washington
Matt Yeazel brings you Bucks in 6, a 6-minute recap of Milwaukee’s 112-101 over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night despite Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard being out with injuries.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bobby Portis replaced Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup and scored a season-high 34 points, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 112-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Khris Middleton had 18 points, six rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, while Portis finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists.
Antetokounmpo (back spasms) missed his third game of the season and the Bucks also played again without Damian Lillard (right calf strain) after winning the NBA Cup earlier this week.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said Lillard could play Monday against Chicago.
Rookie Ryan Rollins started at point guard in Lillard’s absence and contributed 14 points in 31 minutes. Center Brook Lopez also had 14 and Gary Trent Jr. had 15 points and seven rebounds.
Middleton played for the second straight night after scoring 14 points in 19 minutes at Cleveland on Friday. He continues to get into shape after missing the first 21 games following offseason surgery on both ankles.
Jordan Poole scored 26 points and Bilal Coulibaly had 20 points and 11 rebounds for Washington.
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