Confident Milwaukee Brewers fans soak in sunny weather, 'immaculate' vibes at playoff game

Milwaukee Brewers fans tailgated Tuesday with the relaxed attitude of people confident the team would win its first playoff series since 2018.

As brats sizzled on grills in the parking lots outside American Family Field, fans soaked in the unseasonably warm weather, sipped from beers and said they had faith in the team as it faced the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of a three-game series in Milwaukee.

"I think they've got a chance to make the World Series," said Mike Ritchie of Shiocton, who was snacking on chips with salsa he and his wife, Lori, made with ingredients from their garden.

The Ritchies decided at 10 a.m. to buy tickets and drive two hours to Milwaukee for the game. High school sweethearts, the two saw the Brewers in the 1982 World Series as 19-year-olds.

"So 40 years later, here we are," Mike Ritchie said.

Amanda Uher of Mequon and her aunt, Lisa Kutil of New Berlin, swapped the usual beer at their tailgate for glasses of champagne to celebrate the start of playoffs. Uher was feeling optimistic, she said, and guessed the Brewers would win the series in two games.

The two have gone to games together for years. But there's nothing like the atmosphere of a playoff game, Kutil said.

"It's like the bottom of the ninth the entire game," she said.

Fans accustomed to crisp fall temperatures in October couldn't believe Mother Nature had offered up a sunny, 80-degree day to mark the occasion.

Evan Oelrich recalls at a tailgate last September, he was chilly, drinking pumpkin beer. Now, with friends Tony and Haley Berg of Belgium and Andy Severson of Manitowoc, he'd mixed a decidedly summery mai tai.

Still, two friends — both retired postal workers — said they'd be there even if it was raining.

Sharon Straw of Big Bend and Linda of West Allis, who declined to give her last name, sat on a bench outside the stadium in matching T-shirts. The shirts are lucky, they said, and they didn't want to risk not wearing them.

The women are each others' "Brewers buddies" and have been going to about 20 games a season together since 2007. They forgo the tailgating and like to bring in food and get in their seats early. A little cooler Tuesday contained Cousins sub sandwiches.

Amid the uncertainty over manager Craig Counsell's future with the team, Straw said: "I hope to God he stays."

"He's a gift to this city and we need to keep him," she said.

Frank Mistrioty, tailgating with six other friends, joked about Counsell's future: "It'll be hard to leave after the World Series."

When Mistrioty's friend, Quinn Hyndiuk, secured tickets for the game, the group needed to find a folding table to bring to the tailgate. The one they borrowed, painted with designs and clearly a staple of college parties, hailed from someone's basement on the east side.

The friends' tailgate had everything: brats, burgers, drinks, games — "and the vibes," Mistrioty said.

Those vibes, the group agreed as music blasted from a speaker and Hyduik added slices of cheese to burgers on the grill, were "immaculate" and "unbeatable."

Fans expressed some concern about the Brewers' pitching situation, with Brandon Woodruff out for the series with a shoulder injury. But the uninhibited hope that comes with the start of a playoff series tended to win out.

Mark and Vanessa Matenaer of Wauwatosa wanted to share that special moment with their three children, ages 8, 5 and 11 months. They've gone to every playoff Game 1 since 8-year-old William was born.

"These are memories that we'll have for the rest of our life," Mark Matenaer said.

With drinks in hand and brats on the grill, Doug Kolasinski of New Berlin was grateful to experience it all with his three sons, Zach, Jake and Ryan, whom he coached in baseball.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world to be with my sons watching baseball," he said.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Brewers fans confident before Diamondbacks playoff game