Counsell calls record-tying win a 'we' milestone

WASHINGTON -- For nine long days, Craig Counsell and the Brewers sat on the cusp of history, waiting for something to go right. And for nine long days, little did. A spate of injuries to key contributors. A lineup-wide slump. Ill-timed mistakes, blowup starts and eight straight losses, the most by a Counsell-led team since his first season at the helm.

Catharsis finally came Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park, when Counsell earned a share of the Brewers’ franchise wins record by virtue of his club’s 4-1 victory over the Nationals. Counsell’s 563rd career win snapped Milwaukee’s eight-game skid and tied him with Phil Garner as the winningest manager in team history.

Counsell reached 563 wins in 110 fewer games than Garner, who shepherded the team from 1992-’99. His first chance to surpass Garner is Tuesday, when the Brewers open a three-game series against the Mets in Queens.

“This is a we milestone, for sure,” Counsell said. “It's about players more than anything, and we've had some really, really good players that have done the heavy lifting and all that work. But I’m certainly thankful to the people that have given me the opportunity … and all the people that have allowed me to get better at the job, hopefully, the coaching staff and front office that have helped me become better at this. But most of all, it's a hat tip to the players. They're the ones that do the heavy lifting every day.”

Sunday’s victory was a clean, team effort, the kind Counsell’s clubs have become known for but that eluded the Crew for much of this month. Willy Adames (HR, 3 RBI) and Andrew McCutchen (solo homer, first since May 21) supplied the offense while Milwaukee benefited from 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief behind rookie starter Jason Alexander. Hoby Milner, Devin Williams and Josh Hader all recorded key outs to support Alexander, whose 2.16 ERA is the third lowest for a Brewer through his first three big league appearances (all starts).

Milwaukee’s last win came all the way back on June 2, and Counsell had been reticent to discuss his impending milestone as the losses piled up.

“He comes every day with the right attitude, a positive vibe,” Adames said. “That’s what you need from the manager, to bring that positive energy and to stay focused. It’s a challenge, and how we respond is going to determine how good we are going to be. Are we going to bounce back and be a good team? Or are we going to lay down? He’s one of the best, for sure.”

Said Alexander: “We've had some tough losses in this stretch and he's done a great job of making sure we don't roll over, that we keep coming out and fighting.

Counsell has kept the club pointed forward through injuries and a grueling schedule because, as he pointed out, “the game happens and you’re not going to stop the game.” In the opener of the Brewers’ last homestand, a four-run rally in the ninth inning gave Milwaukee a 5-4 win over the Padres that left Counsell one victory shy of tying Garner at the expense of one of his mentors, Padres manager Bob Melvin.

Melvin wasn’t only Garner’s bench coach with the Brewers in ‘99, but went on to be bench coach and manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks when Counsell played there. It was Melvin, Counsell has said, who “pulled back the curtain” on what it takes to run a team.

“You knew [Counsell would] be a manager at some point in time if that's what he wanted,” Melvin said.

What did he see in Counsell back then?

“It's a little bit of what maybe Phil saw in me,” Melvin said. “He wasn't the first guy, but [Garner] told me, 'You are going to manage, it's just a matter of time,' and I could see that with Craig with the way he went about his business, how he approached the game and the questions he would ask me.

“I always thought he would do this. I'm glad he did and I'm glad that I was maybe a small part of it.”

Melvin’s Padres won the final three games of the series before the Brewers were swept by the Phillies, pushing Counsell’s bid to tie Garner onto the road. The Crew then lost the first two games of their weekend set in Washington to extend their longest losing streak since 2015, when Counsell replaced Ron Roenicke mid-season.

Almost eight years later, Counsell is baseball’s third-longest-tenured skipper and ranks fourth among managers in wins during their current tenure. His 1,070 games are second-most in Brewers history, his .526 winning percentage third-best (minimum 20 games managed), and he is the only manager in franchise history to steer Milwaukee to the postseason in four consecutive years (2018-’21).

“It’s a huge accomplishment for him,” Adames said. “The way that he carries the team, he comes every day with a great attitude to help the players every day, however he can. I’m happy to be a part of his team and happy to be a part of his history.”