Wisconsin native stings Cubs to help spur Brewers’ NL Central clinch

Drake Baldwin isn't the most popular name around these parts; he bested Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins in the NL Rookie of the Year race a year ago, blitzing a crowded freshman field to keep the award out of the Milwaukee Brewers' hands.

However, he also blocked Chicago Cubs rookie Cade Horton from that award, so perhaps it's best to let bygones be bygones.

Just in case you needed an additional incentive to sing his praises, though, he once again threw down a monster jam on the Cubs' hopes on Tuesday night. Only this time, it proved to be the dagger in their quest to claim the NL Central.

Baldwin, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, has torched the Cubs routinely in his brief career, posting a .752 OPS against the North Siders since debuting in the big leagues. Though the Brewers probably didn't need his help to clinch the NL Central for the fourth consecutive year (their Magic Number was down to one anyway), it's nice to have this thing sewn up with 11 games still to go.

Brewers defy the odds again, putting Cubs in unenviable position ahead of playoffs

Perhaps the best thing about winning the division -- other than locking up a playoff spot, of course -- is that it means the Cubs can't win it.

Let's not forget, prior to the start of the season, it was Chicago who most "experts" figured would emerge as the top team in the NL Central. Heck, FanGraphs suggested the Brewers would be a .500 team and had a sub-40% chance of making the playoffs. Once again, the Crew have had to thoroughly and relentlessly remind everyone that they are the class of the division, whether or not Freddy Peralta is still around.

Another fun takeaway from that Baldwin homer: it was Edward Cabrera who surrendered it. One of countless pitchers that the Cubs have lost to injury this year, the electric right-hander has been pushed into the bullpen after missing nearly the entire summer due to various ailments, including a recent blister injury. That outing was his first since taking on a relief role, and it ended with him allowing two runs, two hits, and two walks in 2.1 innings.

There's absolutely a chance he could be an asset for the Cubs in the postseason, but he now joins Justin Steele, Ben Brown, and Cade Horton as star pitchers who won't be a factor in their playoff rotation. Save for maybe Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, you could argue that those four pitchers are their best starters. Not having any of them available to take on longer outings will probably be a death knell to their championship chances.

That's not the Brewers' problem to figure out, though. With the NL Central locked up, they can now focus on securing the first 100-win season in franchise history and another playoff bye in the first round. The Cubs, meanwhile, are left to fight for their lives and the right to see Christopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler in the Wild Card Round.

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