Once again, Brewers’ Woodruff shines when the lights are brightest

Brandon Woodruff, Brewers starting pitcher (⬆️ UP)

The Brewers needed a win Saturday night. Like he always does in the biggest moments, Woodruff delivered. The Big Woo pitched eight scoreless innings against the Cardinals, allowing just two hits and one walk while fanning 10 hitters. Milwaukee won the game 3-0 to keep its playoff hopes alive. In five postseason outings (two starts), Woodruff has allowed just three earned runs and has fanned 23 batters in 16 1/3 innings – that’s a 1.65 ERA and 12.7 K/9. Woodruff will get yet another chance to prove he’s one of the best big-game pitchers in Brewers history when he toes the rubber Thursday in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Allen Lazard, Packers receiver (⬆️ UP)

With Davante Adams out, Lazard put on a show Sunday night. He filled in naturally as Aaron Rodgers’ top target in the passing game, having a career day with six receptions for 146 yards and a score in the Packers’ 37-30 victory over the Saints. It was Lazard’s second career 100-yard performance.

Ryan Braun, Brewers outfielder (⬇️ DOWN)

Braun’s month of September got out to a hot start, as he batted .400/.432/.875 with two doubles, one triple and five homers in the first 13 contests. But since then, Braun has limped to the finish line. In his last seven games, Braun went 2-for-23 (.087 average) with one homer and eight strikeouts.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers quarterback (⬆️ UP)

There’s still time to delete your terrible Rodgers takes from the offseason. This guy isn’t washed up or going anywhere anytime soon. Through three games, Rodgers has thrown for 887 yards, nine touchdowns – the third-most in the NFL – and no interceptions. He ranks third in the NFL with a 121.1 passer rating, trailing Russell Wilson (139.0) and Josh Allen (124.8). Welcome back to the MVP conversation, Rodgers.

San Diego Padres jersey sales in Wisconsin (⬆️ UP)

Milwaukee couldn’t clinch a playoff berth on its own Sunday, suffering a 5-2 loss to St. Louis. But the Brewers’ playoff hopes weren’t vanquished. Philadelphia lost 5-0 to Tampa Bay earlier in the day. And 15 minutes after the Brewers were defeated, the San Diego Padres closed out a 5-4 win over San Francisco to dash the Giants’ hopes of sneaking into the postseason. There are many more Padres fans in Wisconsin than there were one week ago. And, hey, those new uniforms are nice.

Keston Hiura, Brewers infielder (⬇️ DOWN)

If you don’t believe in the sophomore slump, look no further than Hiura. The 24-year-old batted .303/.368/.570 as a rookie, but those numbers slumped to .212/.297/.410 in 2020. He led the National League with 85 strikeouts and had the fifth-worst K% in the big leagues at 34.6%. To make matters worse, Hiura finished the regular season going 0-for-11. Oof.