Halfway through / what's left ahead

[splitterpfj]

Sunday's game will mark the halfway point of the Brewers' season, let's discuss where the team stands, and look at what's in front of them.

 

At 47-33, 7.5 games up, anyone would agree the Brewers are in good shape, but do you realize just how well they are positioned at this point? Did you know...

 

Counting the Sunday game with the Cubs, the Brewers have 82 games remaining, 61 vs teams currently under .500, and just 21 games left vs teams currently over .500.

 

Within the division, the Brewers have 4 games left with the Cubs, all on the road (could that actually be an advantage in the series this year?) - they have 9 games left with Houston, 10 with Pittsburgh, 10 with St Louis, and 13 left with the Reds...four teams who are currently a combined 135-184.

 

The next time the Brewers play a road game vs a team currently over .500 is August 20.

 

The Brewers have just 7 road games left with teams currently over .500, three in AZ, and four in Atlanta.

 

Following the All-Star break, 16 of the Brewers' first 24 games are home games (they are currently 30-13 at home).

 

The tough spots in the remaining schedule...

 

Eight straight road games left leading up to the break.

 

Eighteen games in seventeen days coming out of the break (eleven of these are home games).

 

Consecutive home series' with the Mets and Phillies to start August.

 

Three in AZ, August 20-22.

 

Three in Wrigley, August 28-30.

 

Four in Atlanta, September 20-23.

 

Four at home with SD, to close the season.

 

In my opinion, the only thing that will keep the Brewers out of the playoffs, would be the Brewers themselves. It's going to take a catasrophic run of injuries, or a complete collapse to keep them out. Given the depth and talent of the roster, I cannot predict a collapse, so I'm hoping for good health, and enjoying the ride.

 

A reason to watch the All-Star game, and honestly care about who wins? Awesome.

[dadofandrew]

Despite having a group that has many waiving about half the team, or trading them for nothing, they are on a 94/96 win pace.

 

Astounding.

[PeaveyFury]

Despite having a group that has many waiving about half the team, or trading them for nothing, they are on a 94/96 win pace.

 

How do you figure that, Al? They're 14 games above .500, hence a pace for 88-74 at the moment.

[rluzinski]

"On pace" refers to the extrapolated record (assuming the Brewers will play 14 games over the second half as well).

[dadofandrew]

47 or 48 x 2 = 94/96.

[hawing]

Yeah, today is just about the easiest time to extrapolate, because you need only double the W and L numbers. JSOnline today lists the Brewers as being on pace to finish 95-67.

 

(don't mean to pile on)

[PeaveyFury]

No, not piling on at all Hawing. But it's nice to know that if they play .500 ball the rest of the way, they'll finish with 88 wins.

[hawing]

But it's nice to know that if they play .500 ball the rest of the way, they'll finish with 88 wins.

 

Weren't we struggling to come up with that kind of stat in a chat early in the season? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[PeaveyFury]

Yeah, right around early may when they were 24-10. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[splitterpfj]

If the Brewers play .500 ball the rest of the way, they win 88 games, and the remaining schedule suggests they may do much better than that.

 

Not only is this team a heavy favorite to win the division at this point, they may finish with the best record in the NL.

 

Arizona comes out of the break with SD at home, Brewers and Cubs on the road, Marlins and Braves at home, SD and LA on the road - that's their first 23 games, taking them to August 5.

 

Atlanta has 18 games left combined vs the Mets and Phillies, to go with 2 series with AZ, 4 games with the Brewers and 4 games in Dodger Stadium.

 

In addition to several games remaining with both the Padres and Diamondbacks, the Dodgers still have two series each with the Mets and the Phillies.

 

The long list of games Milwaukee will have vs the Astros, Cards, Pirates and Reds makes the possibilities obvious.

 

Hey out there....the time is NOW, the ride has started! Stop chewing your nails and start dancing on tables! It's "next year!"

[brewcrewkid14]

Very well thought out and very encouraging indeed. I'm still not going to be completely comfortable until that magic number is eliminated though.

[igor67]

Those 13 games against the Reds look pretty good if they go all out on the white flag like they should and trade Griffey and Dunn that could be an epically bad team.