Brewers clinch playoffs, become first team in MLB history to record multiple shutout wins of 20-plus runs in a season

What the Brewers accomplished on Friday night somehow rivaled that head-turning performance. At Milwaukee's American Family Field, they once again authored utter domination, this time versus the Cincinnati Reds .

With a 20-0 shellacking of the Reds (69-78), the Brewers (92-56) clinched a playoff berth. Plus, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Milwaukee became the first team in MLB history to record multiple shutout wins of 20-plus runs in a season , and it accounted for the largest victory by any team on the day it clinched a postseason spot .

The Brewers have now made the playoffs eight of the past nine seasons. That batch of postseason appearances includes the 2023 season, during which they punched their ticket to October baseball with a 15-run road win over the Miami Marlins .

So they're used to entering the bracket with some oomph. The question remains, can Milwaukee translate its regular-season success into a World Series run?

After all, the Brewers have made it there only once, and that was in 1982, when they were part of the American League and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. They've since reached the NLCS three times, including twice during this illustrious nine-season span.

Over the course of the season, it's been reasonable to ask if the Brewers have enough power to charge, at the very least, a long-awaited push for the NL pennant. They rank second to last in the majors in home runs this season .

On Friday, though, the Brewers hit four homers, including their first grand slam of the year. That four-run special was clobbered by outfielder Garrett Mitchell . Second baseman Brice Turang went yard, too, and enjoyed a 3-for-3 day, also nabbing four RBI.

Catcher William Contreras led the team with six RBI. His homer was the last of the round-trippers, and it delivered a trio of runs in the eighth inning. By then, the six innings of shutout ball Brewers righty Dustin May hurled looked that much more impressive.

Milwaukee has the best record in baseball and two of the most convincing wins in recent memory. The playoffs await the NL Central-leading Brewers.