Big League Stew - MLB

If you're in Milwaukee, strike up a polka and start grilling those brats: After a 3-1 win over the Cubs on Sunday, your Brewers are in the playoffs for the first time since 1982.

If you're in New York, break out the Kleenex and start locating a Shea Stadium wrecking ball: After a 4-2 loss to the Marlins, your Mets have missed out on the playoffs on the season's final day — and for the second season in a row, no less. 

With the two teams tied coming into the day and a National League wild card berth at stake, baseball again showed why its pennant races can provide the best kind of drama. Within mere moments, the hopes of the crowd at Shea Stadium, which will now be closed and demolished, fell in the gutter when its bullpen allowed back-to-back homers to Wes Helms and Dan Uggla in the top of the eighth inning, two shots that proved to be decisive.

Then, literally moments later, Ryan Braun sent Milwaukee's Miller Park into a frenzy, launching a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth that broke a 1-1 tie and put the Brewers ahead for good. Braun joined CC Sabathia (9 IP, 4H, 0 ER, 7K) as the heroes of the day in Wisconsin.

For its first playoff games since the 1982 American League championship game, Milwaukee will head to Philadelphia on Wednesday to face the NL East-champion Phillies. 

The Mets, meanwhile, can only head home — again.

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  1. manoj4eva
    1. Posted by manoj4eva Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:05 pm EDT

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    1st, although this was a brutally tough loss as a mets fans, i will give it to the brewers and c.c for nearly tearing his arm off. tough way to lose for mets nation though
  2. wilson l
    2. Posted by wilson l Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:47 pm EDT

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    weeee
  3. Ian B
    3. Posted by Ian B Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Milwaukee -- give CC whatever he wants to stay. Let Ben Sheets walk too.
  4. gasol188
    4. Posted by gasol188 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    Wild Card for the Brew Crew. Brought in CC for a reason....take it to the World Series Brewers!
  5. The unforgiven
    5. Posted by The unforgiven Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    GO Brewers!
  6. d_cassale
    6. Posted by d_cassale Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    The Phils have been flat out better than the Mets for 2 years now. Face it NY.
  7. lalo
    7. Posted by lalo Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    Nice win for you Sucker Brewer fans. Too bad CC's arm is going to fall off here before his next start. Sad to see a great pitcher be taken advantage of by a mediocre team! Where would they be without this workhorse? Oh and by the way Sveum...it wasn't you.
    Sad day in baseball!
  8. udahman
    8. Posted by udahman Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    Seems like the normal Brewers nay-sayers are still celebrating in the streets. Go Brew-Crew!!!
  9. jack d.c.
    9. Posted by jack d.c. Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:20 pm EDT

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    See, it wasn't Willie's fault. Over-paid, over-rated bunch of choking sweethearts. Thanks for the memories! Hope to see fewer of you at Citi Field!
  10. cwesquire
    10. Posted by cwesquire Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:33 pm EDT

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    Did you know that the last time neither NY-based baseball team qualified for baseball's postseason was in 1993?
  11. udahman
    11. Posted by udahman Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    Gerado, the only thing SAD is YOU! It's been a few years since this town had anything to celebrate...why douse the celebration with your sadly misplaced comments. Is your life that miserable that you're alsways such a loser?
  12. thecompetentvotedemocrat
    12. Posted by thecompetentvotedemocrat Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:03 pm EDT

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    As a Cubs fan I must say I was hoping the WC race would finish in a tie, with neither team winning it, and both franchises immediately ceasing operation.
    Seriously.
    I hated the Mets celebrating wins over Cubs spring training teams a few days ago, and I hated seeing the Brewers celebrating their victory over- let's see- Angel Guzman, Kevin Hart, Sean Marshall, Chad Gaudin, Neals Cotts and Bob Howry today. I hope these loser teams got in all their celebrating while they could, cause the playoffs aren't going to allow them any. The Mets obviously are already out, so sayonara, jerks. The Brewers have Sabathia who would only get 1 start in the NLDS, a lineup who could not hit the aforementioned Cubs scrubs, and the rotting corpses of Yovani Gallardo and Ben Sheets. Good luck with that, chumps. Phillies will have your lunch.
    For the Cubs, time to play our regulars again. Time to stop seeing pathetic teams with pathetic fanbases celebrate strikeouts of Casey McGehee, good slides around Koyie Hill, and clutch homeruns off Bob Howry. Newsflash, national league- those guys aren't going to be in those spots anymore. Howry will make the team but if he sees the field with either a lead or a deficit of fewer than five runs, I'd be shocked. It's all regulars from here on out. And the whole team is all-stars. And they're tired of seeing chumps celebrate chumpish accomplishments against them. Philly, see you in the NLCS.
  13. Amy B
    13. Posted by Amy B Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Yesssss!!!!!
  14. William Powell
    14. Posted by William Powell Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    sweet
  15. Mike
    15. Posted by Mike Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:53 pm EDT

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    It should not have been so hard, but way to go Brew Crew! Can't wait to use those playoff tickets.
  16. koolkat
    16. Posted by koolkat Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    The Brewers should of won, The Cubs used all their Bullpen, No Starter and played almost all subs or tripleAAA Players. Are thew cubs that good? or are the Brewers that bad?
  17. j m
    17. Posted by j m Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:01 pm EDT

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    Sad story Met fan! Maybe next year. Oh yeah your team will probably joke again. LOL!
  18. qwertyy
    18. Posted by qwertyy Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:50 pm EDT

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    Packers let us down once again...BUT AT LEAST...The BREW CREW brought us a win & a chance at the Playoffs!
  19. jakemah
    19. Posted by jakemah Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    Thankyou cubs for letting us into the playoffs, you think ur 100 year curse will end this year, but really, the Crew is going to beat u in the NLCS.
  20. cuban kiDd
    20. Posted by cuban kiDd Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:49 pm EDT

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    jajjajjajjajjaa .....agree with amy b lol...world series cubs vs red soxx...cubs sweep
  21. ROGER M
    21. Posted by ROGER M Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Another New York team bites the dust!!! No Yanks, No Mets, No playoffs! Go Red Sox!
  22. lalo
    22. Posted by lalo Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:56 pm EDT

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    udahman. Very nice. Attacking personally. I see what kind of fan you are! Good for you Brewers. Sorry you have such an ignorant fan. Nice come back!
    Relish this...
  23. Hamfast G
    23. Posted by Hamfast G Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:10 pm EDT

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    As a Cardinals fan, I say, Cub's fans, show some class! The Brewers won it fair and square and the rest will be decided in the playoffs. Remember a team that won the world series a few years ago after BARELY making it into the playoffs? That was the Cardinals. And remember a team that had the best record the year before and lost in the playoffs? That was the Cardinals too. It just goes to show, that's the reason they play the games.
  24. wisccubsfan4life
    24. Posted by wisccubsfan4life Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:47 pm EDT

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    little too much celebrating for a WILD CARD win Brewers. But oh well, live it up now because that is the only celebrating Brewers fans are going to see the remainder of the year.
    I agree with democrat, time to play our regulars now. Look out National League. Go Cubbies!!!!!
  25. Silver D
    25. Posted by Silver D Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:23 pm EDT

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    Pitching wins Games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thats something that the mets bullpen didnt have and the phillies did......the brewers had......dodgers have.....cubs have......hahhahaahahahahaha

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