Brewers Bid Adieu To NL Central Race

This photo is from Tuesday, but it speaks volumes for today, as the Brewers lost to the Cubs, 7-6 in 12 innings, to finally, slowly slip underneath the surface of the cold waters of the National League Central and sink to their demise. I feel your pain, Milwaukee; I, too, thought this might be your year. But with the loss, the Brewers fall to 9 games behind the Cubs, and that's like losing your hat overboard off the Lincoln Ferry. Man, that hat is gone. Ray of hope, however: Milwaukee is only 1 1/2 games behind the Mets in the wild-card race. They have nine remaining in the regular season, and things look favorable with three at Cincinnati, three at home against the Pirates, and then three at Wrigley to end the season, when the Cubs should already have home field advantage in the playoffs well clinched. On Tuesday, Prince Fielder seems to have taken exception to Cubs fans who were calling him Cecil during the game, referring to his estranged father. Fielder responded by hitting two homers, but struck out to end the game, when this photo was taken (Journal Sentinel photo by Benni Sieu, who also gets props for getting FSN reporter Trenni Kusnierek in the frame. Via Sports Bubbler). Milwaukee lost 5-4. On Thursday, Geovany Soto hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth to tie it, and Derrek Lee singled home the winning run in the 12th for the Cubs, whose magic number is now 2. Man, you hate to lose like that. Cubs 7, Brewers 6 (12) [NBCSports]