MILWAUKEE (AP) — This was expected to be the season the Milwaukee Brewers finally took a step back after making five playoff appearances over the last six years in Major League Baseball’s smallest market. It hasn’t happened. After losing manager to the rival and trading winner to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brewers have withstood numerous injuries to build the largest division lead of any team.
Milwaukee has and leads the NL Central by 11 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, who host the Brewers in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Manager says the Brewers are still “in the middle of a fight.
” “If you go back to your corner and look over and look at the scorecard, that doesn’t help you, you know what I mean?” Murphy said. “Go to the corner and put your head down. You know what’s going on.
You know if you’re taking on water, pressure or whatever. You know the situation. You don’t need to look over your shoulder and wonder, ‘How many games?’ “You just need to stay the course.
You need to stay in the ring, get some water, wait for the bell, go out there and try to win a decision every round you can.” Murphy has a chance to be named manager of the year, an award no Brewers skipper has won. Murphy was an interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, but this is his first full season managing.
Murphy had been the on Counsell’s Milwaukee staff since 2016, so he knows these players well. He has them believing they can overcome any setback. “.