Milwaukee Brewers: How to scoreboard watch for the playoff race

The Milwaukee Brewers are leading the race for the National League Wild Card, and they’re still in the mix for the NL Central. Which teams should Brewers fans look out for as the schedule is getting shorter?

It’s the middle of August and the Milwaukee Brewers are clearly in the mix for a playoff spot. It’s time to start keeping an eye on the scoreboard to see what the other teams are doing. While it’s important to focus on what the Brewers are doing, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what’s happening elsewhere. Especially after another Jesus Aguilar homer when you’re probably looking at the scoreboard anyway.

There are only six teams that Brewers fans need to watch out for right now.

Which teams are still in the mix for the NL Wild Card?

The Milwaukee Brewers are one game up on the Atlanta Braves for the top Wild Card slot in the National League. They’re also two games up on the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, and 3 1/2 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. The Pittsburgh Pirates are five games in back of the Brewers.

The Pirates clearly think that they’re in the mix after acquiring Chris Archer, but the truth is they’re one bad week away from being out of contention. The Dodgers are the team that Brewers fans need to worry about, but they have a rough schedule in September and just lost closer Kenley Jansen for at least a week. Their path to a Wild Card spot won’t be easy.

After this weekend’s series with the Braves, the Milwaukee Brewers only have to worry about the Pirates and Cardinals as their direct competition. The Brewers have three series remaining against both the Cardinals and Brewers.

What about the NL Central?

The Milwaukee Brewers are two games in back of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central. The Cubs haven’t surged after the All-Star break like they did last year, and only have a 12-11 record since the midsummer classic. The division is far from settled, and Brewers fans should keep a close eye on Cubs scores to see if the Brewers can gain ground.

The Milwaukee Brewers still have eight games on the schedule against the Chicago Cubs. They’ll actually head to Wrigley Field next week for a quick two-game set on August 14 and 15th. Then, they’ll face the Cubs twice in September. The first series in September runs from the 3rd through the fifth in Miller Park, and then from the 10th through the 12th in Chicago. The division race is still up for grabs, but the eight games the Brewers have against the Cubs will go a long way towards deciding their fate.