Milwaukee opens the NLCS with Aaron Ashby on the mound, signaling a bullpen-heavy approach after a five-game NLDS win over Chicago and a quick turn for Game 1 against Los Angeles. The Brewers will lean on depth—Misiorowski, Priester, Chad Patrick, Tobias Myers and José Quintana—to bridge innings, with Freddy Peralta unlikely to work in relief. Blake Snell starts for the Dodgers, carrying a sparkling 1.38 postseason ERA through 13 innings. Milwaukee seeks an early edge at home in a tense, momentum-driven series.

Rest and versatility shape this series as Milwaukee emphasizes bullpen flexibility and multi-inning options to blunt L.A.’s ace and seize control of the tempo. For fantasy managers, Ashby’s role and the Brewers’ bullpen usage will drive win odds, save chances, and inning counts in a playoff matchup that hinges on depth as much as talent.

Brad Keller and Andrew Kittredge form a Cubs late-inning committee after Palencia hits the IL, creating a two-headed path to saves with fireman duties sprinkled in. Dennis Santana remains the Pirates’ closer, and JoJo Romero with Riley O’Brien share Cardinals late-inning leverage, offering mixed saves and holds as playoff rosters tighten. Ranger arms Shawn Armstrong and Phil Maton are splitting saves, with Trevor Megill’s looming return for Milwaukee reshaping the back end. In deeper leagues, Arizona’s bullpen shows leverage ladder activity behind Woodford, Saalfrank, and Thompson.

Brewers fans credit their team’s surge to Uecker magic as Milwaukee sits atop MLB and cars toward October with a franchise-best pace. A tribute to the late Hall of Fame voice anchors a season that has defied expectations, with a seven-game NL Central lead and the best record in baseball.

Milwaukee’s offense has thrived without an All-Star on the roster, riding a tenacious approach that manager Pat Murphy compares to woodpeckers and letting veterans and rookies alike contribute. Caleb Durbin’s rookie spark and Christian Yelich’s power, paired with late-game heroics from Andruw Monasterio and clutch bullpen work from Devin Williams and the staff, have fueled a 14-game win streak and a historic run that could redefine the franchise’s postseason narrative.

The road to October comes with questions: can the regular-season magic translate to the playoffs after years of short series heartbreak? Milwaukee has remade its identity from a streaky team into a relentless, pressure-filled lineup that thrives in close moments, even as memories of 2018 linger. Uecker’s memory—and the crowd’s belief—keep fueling the Brew Crew as they chase the sport’s ultimate prize.

Blue Jays sit atop the AL standings and lead MLB in hits, team batting average and on-base percentage, with a 71-51 record and a 40-20 home mark. Reinforcements are en route: George Springer is nearing a return from a concussion during the Texas Rangers series, Shane Bieber could join later this month, and Alek Manoah plus top pitching prospect Trey Yesavage are in various stages of rehab or call-up readiness. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. provided the big moment, a go-ahead two-run homer off Matthew Boyd in the seventh, as Max Scherzer worked seven-plus innings to hand Toronto a 2-1 win over the Cubs. With Springer back and a deeper pitching pipeline, Toronto continues to push a potent offense—already league leaders in hits (1,116), batting average (.268) and OBP (.337)—toward a late-season surge.

Springer’s return should restore dynamic baserunning and balance to a lineup that has thrived with him DH-ing. The Jays’ offense, anchored by Guerrero’s 18 homers and 57 RBIs in 101 games, remains the engine, while manager John Schneider notes Springer’s leadership and base-running value. The club’s hoped-for depth, including Bieber in the rotation and Manoah’s return later in the year, could fortify Toronto’s push for a postseason run as it prepares for pivotal series with Texas and beyond.

As Toronto looks to maintain its edge in a tight AL, these reinforcements address both frontline acceleration and innings flexibility, keeping the Jays a formidable challenger in October.