MILWAUKEE — As the Milwaukee Brewers try to close in on a postseason berth Darin Erstad Jersey , offense has suddenly become hard to come by.Brewers blank Dodgers to take 2-1 lead in NLCSDespite struggles, No. 23 Badgers still have hope in Big TenStrong winds could be factor for Brewers, Dodgers in NLCS Game 3Photos of the Week: 10/7/18 – 10/13/18The Brewers have managed four runs in their last three losses, including one Tuesday night in a setback to the Reds that dropped them 3 1/2 games back of the first-place Cubs in the National League Central.“We’re going to have to do better than that,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell conceded. “More pressure has to be put on the other team.”That could be a difficult task Wednesday night when Milwaukee wraps up a three-game series with the Reds at Miller Park. Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw and center fielder Lorenzo Cain left Tuesday’s game and their status for the series finale was unknown Tuesday night.Shaw suffered a right knee contusion when he took a Michael Lorenzen pitch to his knee in the second inning. X-rays came back negative and he’ll be re-evaluated Wednesday.Cain, meanwhile, was pulled from the game with what manager Craig Counsell said was a rib cage injury.“I just thought he took some swings tonight in his second at-bat that didn’t look good, so we took him out of the game,” Counsell said. “We’ll see how we’re looking (Wednesday). He’s pretty adamant about wanting to play, but we have to be careful with this thing, too.”Losing Cain for any extended period of time would be a big blow for the Brewers. He and Christian Yelich have formed a potent 1-2 punch atop Milwaukee’s lineup this season and both rank among the National League’s top 10 in WAR, batting average and on-base percentage, putting them both into the league’s MVP conversation.Cain’s 6.7 WAR is tops among NL position players this season.“He’s played exceptional baseball from the day he signed with us http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey ,” starting right-hander Chase Anderson said. “Obviously replacing that guy, there’s some big shoes to fill. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious and he gets back in the lineup because he’s a dynamic player for us. I know we have some guys that can step in for him for a little while, but obviously having Lorenzo in the lineup is huge for us.”Solid pitching has kept the Brewers close despite those offensive struggles. Milwaukee’s pitchers have allowed a total 13 runs over the last five games and lead the National League with a 2.57 ERA since Sept. 1.Left-hander Gio Gonzalez will try to keep it going Wednesday in his third start for Milwaukee. After a splendid debut against the Giants on Sept. 8, Gonzalez looked much more like the pitcher who went 7-11 with a 4.57 ERA for the Nationals his last time out when he failed to get through five innings after allowing three runs on three hits and four walks while striking out six.The Brewers’ offense got Gonzalez off the hook in that contest, belting three homers to beat Pittsburgh, 7-4.“It’s good to see this team pick you up big time,” Gonzalez said.Gonzalez might not be with the Brewers had they been able to work out a deal with the Reds for their scheduled Wednesday starter, Matt Harvey.Milwaukee was believed to have pursued a trade for the right-hander ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline in July then, reportedly made a claim when Cincinnati placed him on waivers last month before deciding to hold onto Harvey for the rest of the season.He faced the Brewers a few day after that decision and allowed five runs on 11 hits over four innings, dropping him to 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA in three starts against Milwaukee this season.Harvey, though, has pitched well since that outing and has a 2.50 ERA with 19 strikeouts and only four walks in 18 innings over his last three starts including six scoreless innings against the Cubs his last time out.“I’m starting to really feel good,” Harvey said. “It’s kind of coming at a good time, I guess you can say. I’m just trying to go out and compete and do everything I can to help this team win. Things are coming out good.”With their loss Tuesday night Shohei Ohtani Jersey , the wild card again appears to be Milwaukee’s most likely path to the postseason. The Brewers begin Wednesday first in the wild-card race, two games ahead of St. Louis and 3 1/2 in front of the Rockies. MILWAUKEE (AP) — The bullpen day has come to October.The Milwaukee Brewers plan to open their first postseason series in seven years with a reliever. Manager Craig Counsell hadn’t decided who would go first when the Brewers host the Colorado Rockies in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Thursday.Milwaukee led the majors with a 1.98 bullpen ERA in September, so why not go straight to a great strength?“We’re going to share the outs a little bit more, but we really are confident with the days off in the series, the way we’re coming into the series, that we’ll certainly be able to do it,” Counsell said.Those relievers will face a Rockies lineup that finally got a day off Wednesday after three games in three days in three different time zones.Colorado faced the Cubs‘ tough left-handed starter Jon Lester in the NL wild-card game Tuesday night, a 2-1 win in 13 innings. The Rockies managed just one hit in 6 2/3 innings off Dodgers righty Walker Buehler in a 5-2 loss in Los Angeles in the tiebreaking game for the NL West crown.Now for something completely different.“Well, I’ve never experienced that in the postseason, facing a bullpen, facing so many different guys,” Rockies veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said.The Oakland Athletics started reliever Liam Hendriks against the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game Wednesday night. The trend of using a relief “opener” started with the Tampa Bay Rays this year.Facing a traditional starter, hitters hope to get a better read on pitches the second and third times through the lineups. Hitters may not have that luxury in a bullpen day.Colorado manager Bud Black is adhering to a simple approach.“Again, I think the ultimate challenge is just have good at-bats Brandon Phillips Jersey , play baseball, have a good approach against any pitcher that the Brewers throw out there,” he said.Milwaukee’s best starter, Jhoulys Chacin, started the tiebreaking game for the NL Central title Monday, a win over the Cubs at Wrigley. He’s going in Game 2 on Friday on three days’ rest.Otherwise, the Brewers have been going with a rotation the last few weeks that includes left-handers Wade Miley and Gio Gonzalez, along with right-hander Zach Davies. Miley and Davies would have been available on regular rest for Game 1.The Rockies are sticking with a traditional starter for the opener. Right-hander Antonio Senzatela is 6-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 23 games, including 13 starts.Senzatela made his big-league debut at Miller Park last year. He allowed two hits and struck out six over five shutout innings in a 2-1 win.His biggest challenge in a formidable Brewers lineup will be to contain Christian Yelich, the MVP candidate who hit an NL-high .326 this season and nearly won the Triple Crown.“Just got to throw quality pitches and compete,” Senzatela said.Other notes and things to watch ahead of the series:REBUILD COMPLETENot only are the Brewers in the playoffs just three years after being sellers at the trade deadline, they’ve got home-field advantage in the National League.“We earned the right to sit and wait,” Brewers infielder Travis Shaw said Wednesday.Sure did, capping an eight-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field in an NL Central tiebreaker game.It’s Milwaukee’s first postseason appearance since 2011 Barry Larkin Jersey , when they also last won the Central.ROAD WEARYThe road-weary Rockies celebrated at Wrigley in the visiting clubhouse Tuesday, just like the Brewers did Monday.“We’re a little tired, there was a lot of jumping last night,” Gonzalez said.But they’re used to winning away from Coors Field — no small feat considering the adjustment from Denver’s high altitude. The Rockies were 44-38 on the road this season, which marked their most road victories in franchise history. The previous mark was 41 in 2009 and matched in ’17.TERRIFIC YELICHYelich hit .367 with 25 homers and 67 RBIs after the All-Star break to lead the Brewers’ second-half surge. The offseason deal that general manager David Stearns made to acquire Yelich from the Miami Marlins has paid off.“I think that’s the goal every year, is to get better as a player and learn something about yourself every single season and try and make adjustments,” Yelich said. “I think that’s what happened this year.”HOT BATSlick fielding third baseman Nolan Arenado enters the series on a 10-game hitting streak, which is his longest of the season. Over the stretch, he’s hitting .341 with four homers. He drove in the game’s first run against the Cubs in the wild-card game with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Arenado is coming off a regular season in which he led the NL with 38 homers.