Milwaukee Brewers

After sharing the spotlight with the American League on Friday, the two National League Division Series will have the stage all to themselves Saturday.

Game 2 of the San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves-Milwaukee Brewers series are set to be played.

Looking ahead to these matchups, let's go over the odds and some notable fantasy bets that can help add to your enjoyment of the NLDS.

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2021 NLDS Game 2 Odds

Atlanta Braves +114 (wager $100 to win $114) at Milwaukee Brewers -134 (wager $134 to win $100)

Los Angeles Dodgers +158 at San Francisco Giants -192

Odds via FanDuel.

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DFS Predictions

With a lighter playoff schedule than there was Friday, the DFS pickings are slimmer. But each of the four teams boasts one player who looks poised to have a standout performance. 

Atlanta starter Max Fried is arguably the best bet among all four starting pitchers Saturday. The southpaw had a terrific regular season with a 3.04 ERA and career-low 1.09 WHIP in 28 starts.

Even though the playoffs are an entirely different animal, Milwaukee's lineup plays into Fried's hand.

Per Zach Kram of The Ringer, the Brewers are the only team in the divisional round who posted a below-average wRC+ (97) in the regular season. Their 738 runs scored ranked a respectable 12th in MLB, but depth is an issue for the NL Central champs.

Only four of Milwaukee's eight regular position players had an average or better OPS+ (100). Fried is also a rare left-handed starter who gets opposite-handed hitters out at a better rate than same-handed hitters.

Righties had a .611 OPS against Fried in 2021, compared to a .707 mark against lefties.

It projects to be a very low-scoring game at American Family Field, so Brandon Woodruff is the must-start player from the Brewers you need to add.

Woodruff was overshadowed in his own rotation this season by Corbin Burnes, but the 28-year-old has been brilliant in his own right. Opposing hitters had a .573 OPS against him in 2021, and he has a deep repertoire of pitches to get outs.

Only 7 pitchers recorded a run value of at least -5 on three different pitches this season (min. 100 PAs against each pitch):

Brandon Woodruff
Lance Lynn
Lance McCullers
Max Fried
Walker Buehler
Zack Wheeler
Marcus Stroman (-6 slider; -5 cutter; -5 sinker)@STR0 #Mets #LGM

— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) October 8, 2021

The Braves aren't a high-contact offense. They had 1,453 strikeouts during the regular season, 11th-most in MLB. Woodruff should have no problem putting up zeroes and notching a lot of strikeouts in this game.

In the Dodgers-Giants game, you could go in any number of directions and feel confident about where things will end up.

Los Angeles catcher Will Smith is an under-the-radar option, at least on his own team. The 26-year-old would be the best hitter in most other lineups across MLB.

Smith's .270/.383/.529 slash line with 19 homers against right-handed pitching this season bodes well for a matchup against Giants star Kevin Gausman. He's also gotten stronger as the year has gone on with a .936 OPS after the All-Star break, compared to an .800 mark in the first half.

In 16 games against the Giants during the regular season, Smith had a .275/.393/.490 slash line.

From the Giants side, Evan Longoria is a potential sleeper to go off in a game being started against Julio Urias. The three-time All-Star had a 1.088 OPS against lefties during the regular season.

That stat line does come with a bit of a caveat since Longoria only played 81 games and had a total of 66 at-bats against southpaws. He also didn't play in any of the 19 matchups between the Giants and Dodgers in the regular season.

This does make Longoria more risky than the other players who have been mentioned. But one reason to feel more optimistic is because he has historically hit well against left-handed pitching. Longoria's career OPS against southpaws is 89 points higher (.872) than it is against righties (.783).

A big playoff game from Longoria would also be in keeping with this Giants season. He doesn't jump out at you on initial glance, but 107 wins later, it's hard to deny that this is a great team that has the potential to go far in October.

The Milwaukee Brewers have struck first.

Milwaukee defeated the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in Friday's Game 1 of their National League Division Series at American Family Field. Rowdy Tellez provided the offense with a clutch two-run homer, and Corbin Burnes led the pitching effort for the Brewers as they maintained home-field advantage in the series with the victory.

It's Rowdy in Milwaukee!! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/zGPhMS5ECx

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

An excellent start from Charlie Morton wasn't enough for the Braves, who now must win three of the next four to advance.

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Notable Player Stats

• Corbin Burnes, P, MIL: 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 6 K, 3 BB
• Rowdy Tellez, 1B, MIL: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R
• Charlie Morton, P, ATL: 6 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 9 K, 1 BB
• Joc Pederson, PH, ATL: 1-for-1, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

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Rowdy Tellez Spoils Morton's Gem

The Braves looked like anything but a playoff contender when they fell to three games under .500 with a loss to the Brewers on Aug. 1. Not only were they struggling on the field, but star Ronald Acuna Jr. was out for the season with a torn ACL.

All they did from there was catch fire and finish the regular season 15 games over .500 as the National League East champions with plenty of momentum on their side heading into the playoffs.

Morton made sure to continue that momentum in the early going by striking out the side in the first inning in a preview of what was to come. Milwaukee had no chance to rally as the right-hander brought movement on his fastball and buckled hitters with his patented curveball.

Brewers hang on and take Game 1 pic.twitter.com/djvZuFRAvp

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 8, 2021

Charlie Morton is locked in. pic.twitter.com/8XA5pxIGqC

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

Charlie is DEALING.#BattleATL pic.twitter.com/PLwjTkxRPJ

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 8, 2021

This pitching matchup between Corbin Burnes and Charlie Morton is marvelous. In a postseason that so far has been relatively devoid of solid starting pitching, this is the good stuff so far. Still scoreless through five innings between Milwaukee and Atlanta.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 8, 2021

Rowdy!!! pic.twitter.com/ZgTjv8HiBz

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

The Brewers appeared to be off balance and unsure of their approach with Morton in full control.

That is, until the seventh inning.

Morton showed his first signs of trouble in the sixth when he walked Daniel Vogelbach on four straight pitches. Though he escaped that jam, he lost control of a fastball and hit Avisail Garcia to lead off the seventh. Morton then allowed the monster home run to Tellez for the first runs of the game.

Atlanta's bullpen combination of Luke Jackson and Tyler Matzek did its job and kept the visitors within striking distance, but a two-run homer was all it took in a classic pitcher's duel.

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Burnes Silence Braves' Bats, Hader Escapes

Milwaukee may have flown somewhat under the radar compared to teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants in the National League. However, it has the pitching to make a run to the World Series.

Burnes and Brandon Woodruff are both Cy Young contenders, and Josh Hader leads the bullpen. Burnes had the opportunity to set the tone right away in this series, but he ran into immediate trouble with two walks and a passed ball in the first two batters.

Tellez bailed him out with a double play that retired Jorge Soler at home, and that's all it took to settle the right-hander down. Burnes had hitters chasing his cutter and was largely able to avoid hard contact outside of a long flyout by Soler.

Defense on display! 😯 pic.twitter.com/K5W6DSZKsX

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

Burnes baby Burnes. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/gQjmEVJzLa

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

.@Burnes16 is the 2nd pitcher in @Brewers #postseason history to go 6+ scoreless innings (Mike Caldwell 1982 World Series, Game 1). pic.twitter.com/BwAdcJunNA

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 8, 2021

🎨 pic.twitter.com/QU7T2ZjX10

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

Joctober is back!

The Braves cut the deficit to 1. pic.twitter.com/sFLUVLWT2K

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2021

While the early walks drove up his pitch count, he still took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and looked like the ace who has led the way for the Brewers throughout the season. Burnes was lifted after six stellar frames.

Getting the dominant starter out would be a welcome development against most teams, but Milwaukee's bullpen was also dialed in for Friday's contest.

Adrian Houser kept the Braves off the scoreboard in the seventh and—with Devin Williams sidelined with a fractured hand—took the mound in the eighth as well. He did his job by ending the inning with a 2-1 lead, although only after Joc Pederson launched a pinch-hit home run.

Things were somewhat dicey when Hader walked Freddie Freeman to start the ninth and allowed a single to Austin Riley, but he induced a game-ending groundout from Orlando Arcia to emerge with the win.

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What's Next?

Game 2 of the series is Saturday in Milwaukee.

After snapping their 17-game win streak on Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals bounced back with 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday afternoon. Dylan Carlson led the way by hitting two home runs, including the go-ahead two-run blast in the sixth inning to secure the win.

Homer from the left side ✅
Homer from the right side ✅ pic.twitter.com/NhPoH3jvGn

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 30, 2021

The Cardinals got a solid outing out of starter J.A. Happ, who struck out seven batters in six and one-third innings.

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Notable Performers

Cardinals CF Dylan Carlson: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI

Cardinals SP J.A. Happ: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Brewers 2B Luis Urias: 1-for-4, solo HR

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Cardinals Bullpen Comes Up Big

Happ had one of his best starts as a Cardinal, pitching six or more innings for the first time since August 21. But it was the Cardinals' bullpen that got timely outs in big spots to hold the one-run lead.

Kodi Whitley came on in relief and threw two strikeouts. Whitley has not allowed a run in the entire month of September.

Whitley freezes Urías and Adames, gets back-to-back K's, both of the looking variety, to end the top half of the seventh.

Said it before and will say it again. He's becoming an underrated force in the bullpen. Lots to be encouraged about going forward into next season. https://t.co/KjsN034Ouv

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) September 30, 2021

T.J. McFarland came in with the tying run on base, but with one pitch he induced an inning-ending double play to stave off a rally.

Instead of turning to closer Alex Reyes, Cardinals manager Mike Schildt brought in Luis Garcia in the ninth with a runner on base. Garcia struck out both batters he faced to lock up the win.

The Cardinals will be the visitor in the NL Wild Card game and have named Adam Wainwright the starter to face either the L.A. Dodgers or San Francisco Giants. While Wainwright has had a great season with 17 wins and three complete games, St. Louis will likely have all hands on deck in a win-or-go-home situation.

The Cardinals should be encouraged by its relievers after Thursday's outing.

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Brewers Waste Their Chances

The Brewers had their opportunities to break the game open but they fell short.

Their best chance came in the fourth inning. After back-to-back hits to open the frame, Omar Narvaez and Keston Hiura followed with consecutive RBI singles to take a 3-2 lead with nobody out. But a flyout and two strikeouts subsequently ended the inning, keeping the Cardinals in the game.

The Brewers had another chance in the fifth with two players on base with two outs, but Narvaez grounded out to end the inning. Hiura gave St. Louis a scare in the ninth, but Carlson made a big play at the wall.

Hiura just misses tying the game up in the ninth, with Carlson hauling in his drive at the wall in right-center.

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) September 30, 2021

In all, the Brewers went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

The NL Central champs hope to ignite their offense by the postseason as they are set to face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.     

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What's Next?

The Cardinals will stay home to begin their final regular-season series against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Dakota Hudson will take the mound against Zach Davies. The Brewers will travel to face the Los Angeles Dodgers with Eric Lauer scheduled to start against Clayton Kershaw.

If they're to make a run to the World Series, then the Milwaukee Brewers may have to do it without Devin Williams.

The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year fractured his right hand when punching a wall. He told reporters he had consumed alcohol after the Brewers clinched the NL Central.

Devin Williams and David Stearns address the media: pic.twitter.com/LkfE8RvLoH

— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) September 29, 2021

Devin Williams: “I’m pretty upset with myself. There’s no one to blame but me. I feel like I’ve let my team down, our coaching staff, our fans, everyone. I know how important of a role I play on this team and a lot of people count on me.” pic.twitter.com/kOjzJvEUhh

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) September 29, 2021

President of baseball operations David Stearns said Williams might be healthy in time for the Fall Classic should Milwaukee advance that far.

The 27-year-old setup man has likely earned a spot on the list of MLB players who have been hurt in odd circumstances. He's not even the first player this season to fracture a hand while striking something.

Because of what's at stake, his mishap is likely to live long in the memory of fans, too—something Trevor Bauer knows all too well. During the 2016 playoffs, Bauer required stitches for a cut on his finger he suffered while repairing one of his drones.

Williams has played a big role out of the bullpen for the Brewers. In 58 appearances, he's 8-2 with three saves, 23 holds, a 2.50 ERA, a 2.81 FIP and 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings, according to FanGraphs.

Should Milwaukee fail to win the pennant, Williams' injury will undoubtedly lead to questions about how the team would have fared with him.

Manager Craig Counsell isn't short of relief options, especially since Eric Lauer (1.73 ERA in 13 starts since June 27) could get bumped out of the starting rotation for the playoffs. Closer Josh Hader has a 1.27 ERA and 34 saves, while Brent Suter and Brad Boxberger have combined to allow 48 earned runs over 134.1 innings (3.22 ERA).

Still, a contender can never have enough late-inning arms in October. Williams' absence will be glaring if Counsell in a pivotal moment has to rely on a potentially overworked Hader, Suter or Boxberger.

The Milwaukee Brewers are National League Central champions for the first time since 2018.

NL Central Champs!
#ClawsUpMKE pic.twitter.com/cCcdeNkqzo

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 26, 2021

Cheers to the Brew Crew! 🍻

The @Brewers are NL Central champs! #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/mH4fuDYE6I

— MLB (@MLB) September 26, 2021

Milwaukee won the title after beating the visiting New York Mets 8-4 at American Family Field on Sunday.

That win gave the Brewers a seven-game lead over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals with six regular-season matchups left.

Consistency proved somewhat elusive for the Brewers in the first half.

At one point in May, they lost six games in a row, took three of their next four, and then dropped six of their next seven. Milwaukee caught fire to close out the month and won 10 of 11 games before enduring a five-game losing streak. Yet another hot stretch commenced as the team went 13-1 from mid-June through early July.

Things have leveled off in a good way for the Brewers after the All-Star break, with manager Craig Counsell solidifying their status as a World Series contender.

Pitching has been Milwaukee's catalyst for success.

Assuming Counsell shrinks his rotation a bit, a quartet of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Adrian Houser is going to be formidable. And once the starters are gone, opposing hitters will have to deal with Josh Hader, Devin Williams and Eric Lauer.

So when teams face Milwaukee in the playoffs, they get to deal with Burnes/Woodruff/Peralta, and then various combos of Hader/Williams/Houser/Lauer/Ashby/Suter/Cousins/Boxberger.

Cool cool cool, good luck with that.

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) September 12, 2021

As a team, the Brewers entered Sunday third in FIP (3.63) and second in strikeout rate (10.23 per nine innings), per FanGraphs. According to Baseball Savant, hitters also have an expected slugging percentage of .347, the second-lowest in MLB behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not only are teams struggling to make contact against Milwaukee, but the contact they do have also isn't that impactful on average.

The depth of arms available to Counsell allows him to be creative in the postseason as well. The 51-year-old displayed his tactical acumen in 2018, when the Brew Crew pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to seven games in the National League Championship Series.

The offense hasn't kept pace with the pitching, which is Milwaukee's biggest area of concern.

Christian Yelich's two All-Star seasons in 2018 and 2019 are looking more and more like an outlier in his career. Likewise, Daniel Vogelbach has regressed in 2021 after tearing the cover off the ball in his brief run with the team last year. Neither Lorenzo Cain nor Jackie Bradley Jr. inspires a lot of confidence in center field.

The Brewers might have to ask a lot of Avisail Garcia, Eduardo Escobar, Willy Adames and Kolten Wong.

Ultimately, the team has the third-best World Series odds (+700) at DraftKings Sportsbook for a reason. Milwaukee has a seasoned roster aiming to atone for a sweep in the 2020 Wild Card Round.

With any luck, the NLCS will see the Brewers and Dodgers meet once again to determine the pennant.

The Milwaukee Brewers have clinched a playoff spot for the fourth straight season after beating the Chicago Cubs 6-4 on Saturday evening.

🎆 Postseason bound 🎆

For the 4th-straight season, the Milwaukee Brewers are headed to the playoffs!#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/zYlXcEtZ48

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 19, 2021

The Cincinnati Reds' 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres' 3-2 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier Saturday meant that the Brewers needed to beat the Cubs to get the playoff spot.

That happened after Manny Pina's go-ahead home run and Kolten Wong's RBI single led to two eighth-inning runs to en route to the 6-4 victory.

The San Francisco Giants were the first team to clinch a playoff spot, and the Dodgers were second. Now the Brewers have joined them to sew up three of the five NL postseason berths.

The Brewers didn't have to worry much about losing out on the NL Central title with the team up by five or more games in the division every day past the All-Star break.

The Brewers' phenomenal pitching staff has propelled Milwaukee into its fourth straight playoff appearance. The starting trio of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta each have posted sub-three ERA. Adrian Houser, Brett Anderson and Eric Lauer have done admirable jobs as well.

From the pen, left-hander Josh Hader continues to be one of MLB's best relievers, saving 33 games and posting a 1.34 ERA. Left-hander Brent Suter has supplemented his efforts and leads the team in wins with 12. Brad Boxberger and Devin Williams round out an excellent core four.

On the flip side, the Brewers have largely struggled at the dish. Christian Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, is hitting just .250 (.737 OPS) with eight home runs and 46 RBI. Keston Hiura and Jackie Bradley Jr. have both hit well under .200.

The Brew Crew made some midseason moves to shore up the offense, though, and the biggest one ended up being Willy Adames, who came over from the Tampa Bay Rays. The slick-fielding shortstop, who is on the 10-day injured list with a strained left quad, has dominated for Milwaukee, hitting .294 (.905 OPS) with 17 home runs and 51 RBI.

Other big additions include corner infielder Eduardo Escobar and first baseman Rowdy Tellez.

The Brewers are clearly shooting for the Fall Classic in search of their first pennant since 1982 and first World Series title ever. It will be tough to get out of the National League playoffs with the league-best San Francisco Giants and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers also in the mix, but if the Brewers' bats wake up in October, they will be hard to beat.

The next stop for the Brewers is the NL Central title. They are up 12.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals and currently have a magic number of three, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced that outfielder Lorenzo Cain left Saturday's home game against the Chicago Cubs with right hip discomfort, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Jackie Bradley Jr. replaced the 35-year-old before the top of the fifth inning. Cain was 0-for-1 with a walk before exiting.

Injuries have plagued Cain throughout the 2021 season. He's been on the injured list three times in 2021, all with leg issues. Cain's most recent concern was a strained hamstring in June.

"It's definitely been a tough start to the season for me," he told reporters. "A lot of stop and start for me this season, starting from spring training on to this point. I don’t think they're related, but at this point, who knows?"

The Brewers have managed to stay in the playoff hunt without Cain for most of the season and are on the precipice of clinching the National League Central title.

When he's been in the lineup, Cain has been understandably rusty, slashing .253/.328/.402 with eight home runs and 35 RBI entering Saturday.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is purchasing 10,000 tickets and will give them away for free for the team's upcoming four-game home series against the St. Louis Cardinals, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

"The fans are a big part of what we have accomplished this season," Yelich said. "We want American Family Field to be rocking for that last homestand. And we want to give back in a way that shows how much we all appreciate the enthusiasm and support of the best fans in baseball."

The Brewers play 10 straight home games from Sept. 17-26, including four against the Cardinals on Sept. 20-23, before finishing the year with two road series.

According to the Brewers website, the tickets will be available online on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning Wednesday: "Fans who act quickly can redeem up to four free tickets per game."

Milwaukee enters Wednesday with a 13.5-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central, providing an opportunity to clinch the division against St. Louis or potentially the series prior against the Chicago Cubs this weekend.

Next week's series should be even more important for the Cardinals, who currently hold just a half-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild-card spot.

The Brewers, oddly enough, have been better away from American Family Field this season, going 40-31 at home (.563 win percentage) and 49-25 on the road (.662).

Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP in his first season in Milwaukee, has struggled since signing a nine-year, $215 million extension prior to the 2020 season, mainly because of an inability to stay healthy. He currently has a .252 batting average with eight home runs in 102 games.   

Outfielder Ryan Braun, who played his entire 14-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers, announced his retirement Tuesday.

Today, more than 14 years after I first took the field as a Milwaukee Brewer, I’ve decided to retire. While it’s impossible to summarize my emotions, what I feel most is one, simple thing – gratitude.

I just wanted to take a moment to say ‘thank you’.

– Ryan Braun pic.twitter.com/pQxuW9qk1z

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 14, 2021

The 37-year-old, whose last appearance came in the 2020 NL Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, suggested in March that retirement was a possibility.

"Look, obviously I'm strongly leaning in that direction [retirement], but until I get to a point where I've completely made my mind up, I just don't see any sense in making it official at this point," Braun said. He added that he didn't envision himself playing for any team besides the Brewers.

Braun also strongly hinted at retirement to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times in May.

Milwaukee picked the former University of Miami star with the fifth overall selection in the 2005 MLB draft. He made his debut two years later and retires as one of the best players in franchise history.

Braun finished his career with 352 home runs (including a career-high and league-high 41 in 2012), 1,154 RBI (including 100 or more RBI from 2008 to 2012), a .296 batting average and .891 OPS. He won the 2011 National League MVP Award and made six All-Star teams. He also led the league in OPS in 2011 and OPS and homers in 2012.

His Milwaukee legacy is nearly unmatched in franchise history, which dates back to 1970. However, it is not without controversy.

Braun admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during the 2011 campaign after previously denying his PED use, and he was suspended for 65 games in 2013. Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Braun said he took a cream and lozenge with banned substances during injury rehab.

He was initially suspended in October 2011 for 50 games, but that was overturned when an arbitrator ruled that his urine sample was not handled appropriately.

The latter half of Braun's career featured the team's greatest success during his tenure. Milwaukee went to the playoffs five times in that span, including a National League Championship Series appearance in 2018.

The Brewers took the Dodgers to seven games in that NLCS before falling to the NL champions. Milwaukee made the postseason each year from 2018 to 2020.

Braun is third in Brewers history behind Robin Yount and Paul Molitor with 47.1 WAR (wins above replacement), per Baseball-Reference.

The ninth no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season belongs to Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and star reliever Josh Hader. For the third time this season, it was Cleveland watching its opponent celebrate the feat.

The final out from the @Brewers no-hitter‼️

(via @BallySportWI)pic.twitter.com/mXI5ezjpV6

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 12, 2021

Burnes was lights-out with 14 strikeouts and one walk over eight innings in a 3-0 victory at Progressive Field. Hader came on to finish the job in the ninth inning, needing just nine pitches to earn the save. Even with the Brewers gearing up for the postseason, Burnes still tossed 115 pitches as he mowed down the Cleveland lineup.

It's the second no-hitter in Brewers history, joining Juan Nieves' effort against the Baltimore Orioles in 1987. It's also the 16th combined no-hitter in MLB history and the second one this season.

The 3 Jim Perry games, along with the pitcher who threw the no-hitter:

9/21/70: Vida Blue, OAK vs MIN
4/27/73: Steve Busby, KC at DET
7/15/73: Nolan Ryan, CAL at DET

Again, Plesac will join this if the Indians are no-hit tonight. And Plesac will have had all 3 happen this year.

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 12, 2021

Nine no-hitters in one season stands as an all-time MLB record. Joe Musgrove, Carlos Rodon, John Means, Wade Miley, Spencer Turnbull, Corey Kluber and Tyler Gilbert previously recorded no-hitters this year while Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel of the Chicago Cubs combined to toss a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in late June.

Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combine for the 9th no-hitter in MLB this season, the most in a season in MLB history (pending inclusion of Negro League stats).

Burnes and Hader combined for 16 strikeouts, the most ever in a combined no-hitter. pic.twitter.com/76zJFuLBS3

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 12, 2021

It’s gotta be the hair Cotton! It’s beautiful. Feathered and Lethal you just don’t see it nowadays! Congrats @Burnes16 #CyYoung https://t.co/52rk8Jf4o0

— Christian Yelich (@ChristianYelich) September 12, 2021

Burnes did the majority of his damage with a cutter-curveball combination that had Cleveland completely mystified. Of the 56 cutters thrown, 22 of them went for called strikes of whiffs, according to Baseball Savant. Only four of the cutters were put in play.

The curveball was even more effective, getting 18 combined called strikes and whiffs on 34 pitches with only two balls in play.

Burnes went to his fastball just once in eight innings, deferring to his changeup, slider and sinker when he needed to switch things up.

THIRTEEN STRIKEOUTS FOR CORBIN BURNES.#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/RY6czFUw4W

— FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin (@FanDuelSN_WI) September 12, 2021

Hader, meanwhile, was all gas, using a fastball-slider combo that averaged 93.1 miles per hour.

In their no-no, the Brew Crew got some help from the defense. pic.twitter.com/9WTFPkFjDW

— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2021

Both pitchers benefited from some extraordinary defense late with Lorenzo Cain making a diving grab in the eighth inning before Jace Peterson landed in the seats to snag a pop-up into foul territory.

It's certainly a low point for Cleveland, which had already punted on the season by dealing infielder Cesar Hernandez within the division to the Chicago White Sox and remains two games under .500 on the year.

The franchise that has tossed 14 no-hitters itself has now been the victim of 12 no-nos against.