9 things to look forward to in the second half of the Brewers season

The Milwaukee Brewers didn't exactly run away with the National League Central like may have been expected, and the offense hasn't been able to find another gear, but as the Brewers get ready for the second half of the season, there are some things to look forward to.

And that extends beyond the chase for a fifth straight playoff berth. While the Brewers are nursing just a half-game lead in the National League Central (and sit just a half-game ahead of the team that holds the final wild-card spot right now, to boot), Fangraphs still believes the Brewers have a 74% chance to make the playoffs and 64% chance to win the division.

More: These former Brewers made their first all-star squads with a different team

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There's a lot going on in the second half.

Home games galore

The Brewers endured three road trips of three cities in the first half, and they will spend far more time in the second half at American Family Field. The Brewers haven't played particularly well at home (21-19) but have just 40 home games under their belt, with 53 played on the road (29-24).

Part of that disparity is the relocation of two series scheduled for the beginning of the year because of the late end to the MLB lockout. Six home games were rescheduled, and five still need to be played. Not only that, but the Brewers already were scheduled to have a lot of home baseball in September.

The Brewers will now close the season with nine straight home games and a staggering 15 of 19, with the other four in Cincinnati against the struggling Reds. Not only that, but it's also the final 20 of 26 at home. The last seven games will be against two teams (Miami and Arizona) that are not in the playoff chase.

The Brewers open the second half against Colorado for four games (a rare wraparound series that runs Friday to Monday), and the Rockies are just 15-27 on the road. With a rotation lined up to be at maximum strength, the Brewers certainly will have an opportunity to shake off the funk of the past two weeks of baseball.

A doubleheader at home

As part of the early-season reschedule creating all these home games in the first place, a series between the Brewers and San Francisco Giants got divided into two parts; the first was a solo game in late April, and the second is a true doubleheader on Thursday, Sept. 8.

The first game starts at 3:10 p.m., and those who buy tickets can stick around for the second contest, as well; it's not one of those standard day/night situations with a cleared out stadium in between. There have been doubleheaders in the venue before, though it's up to you if you want to count the pandemic-necessitated seven-inning twinbills of 2020. It's the first at AmFam in which both games stretch nine innings apiece (and the first with fans in the stands).

Once the Giants finish their one-day stay at the ballpark, the Reds come to Milwaukee for a more traditional three-game set.

The Yankees

Later that month, the best team in baseball will visit, the storied New York Yankees. They'll be in town Sept. 16-18, with Cerveceros Night in the middle of the three games.

We know how sick you are of seeing them on national TV, but in person might be fun, no?

The teams haven't squared off since 2017 in New York (the Brewers won two of three and lost the third on a walk-off). The last time the Bronx Bombers came to Milwaukee was 2014, when the Brewers won two of three (both one-run victories, no less). And before that, you have to go back to 2005, when Milwaukee also won two of three with two one-run games, retiring Derek Jeter as the last batter both times with a tying run in scoring position.

The trade deadline

Brewers fans eager to see Milwaukee make some moves to shore up the roster may have to wait a little bit longer this year; the annual July 31 extravaganza has been bumped slightly to Tuesday, Aug. 2, with a 5 p.m. deadline.

The Brewers open a three-game road series with the Pittsburgh Pirates an hour later, and then return home for more fun, starting with...

The 1982 reunion

It's been 40 years since the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers surged to the World Series with a dramatic series win over the California Angels only to suffer a heartbreaking seven-game loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. On Aug. 5 against the Reds, members of that team will be in attendance as the Brewers honor that group.

Among those expected to attend are Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper, Mike Caldwell, Jim Gantner, Rollie Fingers, Don Money, Gorman Thomas, Ted Simmons, Charlie Moore, Moose Haas and many more.

Prince Fielder into the Walk of Fame

One night later on Aug. 6, it's another blast from the past, though this one a far more recent standout.

Prince Fielder will earn induction into the Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame. He's the first new inductee into the Walk of Fame since 2018 (Geoff Jenkins) and only the third Brewers player since 2005 (though six members of the Milwaukee Braves organization have been inducted in the years since).

Not only that, but Ryan Braun, Jonathan Lucroy and Francisco Rodriguez also will be on hand to celebrate their addition to the Brewers Wall of Honor, a distinction for those who meet a pre-set criteria of career accomplishments. K-Rod was inducted last year but couldn't make the trip, so he'll join this year's inductees Braun and Lucroy.

Giannis bobblehead

One of the subtle losses of the lockout-adjusted schedule was the relocation of Greek Night, which simply got moved from April 2 to April 30. But the original date came on a Milwaukee Bucks off-day between home games, and the new one came the night before a playoff game in Boston; it stands to reason Brewers co-owner Giannis Antetokounmpo could have attended the former but not the latter.

Giannis fans can still pick up the Brewers bobblehead given away to the first 35,000 fans Sunday, Sept. 11, when the Brewers host the Reds, and perhaps the man himself will pay a visit?

Cy Young repeat from Corbin Burnes?

That Sept. 11 date also marks the one-year anniversary of the no-hitter thrown in Cleveland, featuring eight innings from Corbin Burnes and one from Josh Hader. Burnes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, has put himself right in the race for a second straight honor.

At the break, Burnes leads the league in strikeouts per nine innings, sits second in WHIP and third in ERA, but he'll be in a tough fight with Miami's Sandy Alcántara and Dodgers hurler Tony Gonsolin. Alcántara in particular has better numbers and more innings of work; the latter was a big issue in the 2021 Cy Young vote, and if it arises again, Burnes probably will have to settle for a close-but-no-cigar. But he's absolutely in the mix. No pitcher to put on a Brewers uniform has ever won two Cy Young awards.

A gold glove in the outfield?

The Brewers defense has been, at best, up-and-down this year, but is it possible Milwaukee winds up with a Gold Glove outfielder for the second time in the past four years?

Right-fielder Hunter Renfroe was the runner-up for an American League Gold Glove last year and should be in the mix for one this year, too. He has a cannon right arm and has racked up a league-best eight outfield assists.

Fangraphs has Renfroe with 10 defensive runs saved, tied with Houston's Kyle Tucker for most from a right-fielder and three ahead of the next closest in the NL. He's second to Mookie Betts of the Dodgers in "zone rating," and he's tied with Aristides Aquino of the Reds among right-fielders in defensive WAR at Baseball Reference.

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis bobblehead, Corbin Burnes NL Cy Young chase big for Brewers