Brewers' Magic Number Shrinking: How Milwaukee Can Clinch Home-Field Advantage

It hasn't been a great week for the Milwaukee Brewers on the scoreboard, but they've still been drawing closer to clinching home-field advantage by the day.

The Brewers (95-63) have lost four of their last five, but so have the Philadelphia Philies (92-65), the only team that can theoretically catch Milwaukee in the standings before the regular season ends on Sunday.

That puts the Brewers in prime position to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and in fact, the deal could be sealed by the end of play on Wednesday night.

Brewers' magic number falls to two

Sep 23, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Tobias Myers (36) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Milwaukee took a 7-0 loss against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, but the Phillies fell 6-5 in 11 innings to the Miami Marlins, who have somehow won seven games in a row. That means the magic number is down to two -- a combination of Brewers wins and Phillies losses adding up to two will clinch home-field advantage for Milwaukee.

The Brewers have been dominant all season, but unfortunately, they will fall short of the 100-win mark, which they've still never done in franchise history. Two wins in their last four would clinch the best regular-season record they've ever had, as they went 96-66 in 2011.

That means if Milwaukee can clinch home field with a win and a Phillies loss on Wednesday. If both teams lose, a Phillies loss on Thursday would do the trick. If the Brewers lose and the Phillies win on Wednesday, the clinch cannot happen until Friday at the earliest.

Given that the Brewers have been staggered by pitching injuries in September (namely, Brandon Woodruff, José Quintana, and Trevor Megill), the first-round bye is critical to getting the healthiest version of this team in order by Game 1 of the Division Series.

The Brewers will send rookie Chad Patrick to the mound on Wednesday before traveling home to face the Cincinnati Reds, who are desperately fighting for a wild-card spot, on Friday. San Diego will counter with Dylan Cease, who will make his final regular season start before free agency.

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