Brewers win!

So I had graduate classes this weekend.

One of them went until 9 p.m. last night.

Which meant I had to miss the Brewers-Diamondbacks NLDS Game 5.

I set the DVR. And then avoided the internet and refused to check my phone the rest of the night. When I arrived at my grad class, I walked into a couple of my cohorts talking about the night's games, and promptly told them about my plan. ... There are a few Cardinals fans in my class, and one of the girls came dressed in her Cardinals jersey. There's also a recent transplant from Wisconsin, who understands the Brewers love, too. 

Later, one of my cohorts told me he had checked online and knew the outcome. "Don't tell me!" I said, throwing my hands in the air.

By 9:30, I was finally home. I greeted Kates, who had waited patiently for me, and we fired up the game. I noticed my phone had several text messages, which I decided could be either a good thing or bad thing. But I still refused to check them out of fear of spoiling the outcome.

Kates eventually headed to bed, while I held on into the wee hours of the morning.

It was a shame John Axford -- who has been lights out all season -- couldn't secure the win in the ninth. ... But as I replayed the ending for Kates this afternoon and as I explained the final innings to her, I couldn't keep from thinking the Brewers had to pull out that game! There was no way they could lose. They were playing at home! They had the players to do it! It was their game!

When Nyjer Morgan slapped that ball back up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning, I flew off the couch and started jumping in front of the TV, shouting Go! Go! Go! as loud as I could without waking up Phoebe and Kates, practically waving Carlos Gomez home as if I'd stepped into Ed Sedar's body.
By the time Gomez crossed home plate, I'd sunk to my knees on the floor in front of the TV ... And it nearly caused a repeat of the tears I shed the night KU won it all in 2008. I wanted a Brewers series win that bad.

Then the replays and post-game. When a sideline reporter tried to interview Prince Fielder he was literally speechless and backed away from the mic mumbling, "I can't. ... Wow. ... I can't." ... And then Nyjer Morgan stepped up to the mic and dropped a couple F-bombs on live TV. Nice.

Arguably my favorite shot of the finale was the aerial from the third base side showing the Brewers players jumping on to the field and already waitng at home plate by the time Gomez was halfway down the third base line.

Next up, it's those darn Cardinals. I was up until almost 2 a.m. this morning watching my DVR recording of them knocking off the Phillies -- although I must confess I think I slept through at least the seventh and eighth innings -- and can hardly believe how St. Louis managed to win it by scoring one run in the first inning and holding the Phillies scoreless.

I was sad to see the Rays bow out to the Rangers. I'm thrilled the Tigers are in. ... But the Cardinals are hot, and that has me really nervous for the Brewers.

Good reads ...
a Owner Goes All In on the Brewers
a NLCS rivalry: Greinke calls Carpenter 'a phony'
a NLDS Game 1: Brewers have everything going their way!
a View from Philly: Cards series tougher than expected
a What the Washington Nationals can learn from the Philadelphia Phillies’ mistakes