Brewers 8-Year Veteran Has Reality Check For Teammates Amid Pennant Race

It was never supposed to be easy

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws during the first inning of their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Monday, August 25, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers made baseball look easier than any of their competitors for a while this summer, but it's never that easy over the course of 162 games.

After winning 14 games in a row, the Brewers promptly lost six of their next nine. They righted the ship on Monday with a 7-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, but even that proved to be far more difficult than it appeared at first.

Nearly blowing a 6-0 lead entering the sixth inning, the Brewers held on despite not having closer Trevor Megill available. It was a five-run inning against starter Brandon Woodruff, who was on cruise control to that point, that made the final outcome so tense.

Brandon Woodruff sends message to Brewers about playoff push

Aug 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff (53) throws a pitch in the first inning against the New York Mets at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Woodruff picked up the win and threw a season-high 97 pitches, so there was a lot of good still to take from his outing. But the right-hander's biggest takeaway was that nothing will come easy for Milwaukee the rest of the way, especially now that they've got a target on their backs.

“When we were on the streak of winning 14 games it seemed the ball would bounce our way,” Woodruff said, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “Now it seems like we’re having to fight harder. That’s baseball. It’s going to be like that the rest of the way.”

Through nine starts since a 1 1/2 year absence, Woodruff owns a 3.10 ERA, 9.9 K/9, and 1.3 bWAR. He'll get the ball to start one of the first three playoff games the Brewers play, but it will be critical to see how he bounces back from some of these longer outings.

And the playoff race means as much to Woodruff as it does anyone on the roster. The eight-year veteran was one of only three current players on the team back in 2018, the last time Milwaukee won a postseason series.

So this young team needs to heed Woodruff's warning. The World Series is there for the taking, but a hot summer doesn't mean the Brewers are going to have any easier a time in October.

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