MILWAUKEE — Looking for Brewers Fever in downtown Milwaukee on a beautiful October Sunday was a pointless exercise, but it beat watching the NFL games on the first of three potential off days in the National League Division Series.

Other than a “Magic Brew” banner on a few buildings, there was no evidence the city is obsessed with the team that finished with the best record in baseball. And few people downtown were seen wearing Brewers caps or T-shirts.

Maybe Milwaukee is just waiting for a World Series after so many recent postseason misfires?

At least the ballpark was mostly filled with Brewers fans on Saturday, ending the Wrigley North narrative before it got started.

“Yeah, so the part about Wrigley North, I’ve never had anybody say that to me,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Sunday. “I guess I probably have heard it before. (Saturday) wasn’t Wrigley North. There just didn’t seem to be as many Cubs fans here.”

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said the Wrigley North nickname is past its expiration date, two years after he and former manager David Ross engaged in the “Roofgate” episode.

“Honestly, I think it’s changed a little bit,” Counsell said. “I think maybe when many moons ago when I was a player, frankly, the Brewers weren’t very good for a while, and so I think it was maybe more so true. Look, just logistically, for a lot of Cubs fans this is easier to get to than Wrigley Field. I hate to be logical about it, but that’s just the facts.”

All teams need a few breaks to win in the postseason. The Cubs got a fortunate break in their wild-card clinching win over the San Diego Padres when umpire D.J. Reyburn called Xander Bogaerts out on strikes in the ninth inning on a pitch that should’ve been ball four.

The call came during Brad Keller’s implosion, where he served up a leadoff home run and hit two batters before Counsell replaced him with Andrew Kittredge, who got the final two outs in a 3-1 win to send the Cubs into the National League Division Series.

Sunday’s off-day in Milwaukee provided the second big postseason break for the Cubs, who desperately needed a reset after Saturday’s 9-3 pounding by the Brewers.

Why was it so soon? Thank MLB’s aversion to competing all day against the NFL. Baseball scheduled off days for the two NL Division Series when none was needed.

“I’m not sure the break today was necessary,” Murphy said. “But I mean, it’s the schedule, so there’s no complaining and explaining. We’ll take it. It was an emotional day I think for a lot of people getting back and playing, but being in a rhythm is important.”

Whether it was the Cubs or Padres who advanced, the schedule was unfair to the Brewers and somewhat negated the bye they earned by having the best record during the 162-game season. The Cubs were able to rest Sunday instead of playing their fifth game in six days, which would’ve affected their bullpen.

Maybe MLB will figure it out in the next labor agreement following the owners’ lockout after the 2026 season. A best-of-five series needs one off day at the most.

The three out-getters Counsell trusts the most — right-handers Keller, Kittredge and Daniel Palencia — will all have three days of rest before Game 2 on Monday night. None were needed in Game 1 when Matthew Boyd and Michael Soroka let the game get out of hand in the first inning.

If the Cubs win Monday, they’ll be in the driver’s seat with a chance to win the series at home in Game 4. But if they lose, can the Cubs come back from an 0-2 deficit and win the final three games?

Sure, if they start playing much better. As we’ve seen in the first four postseason games, this team has little margin for error.

The offense remains broken — nine runs with 47 strikeouts and a .282 OBP. The Cubs knew they would face strong pitching, but the overall lack of contact and not taking walks is not conducive to winning, no matter what time of the year it is.

Counsell’s riskier moves have not panned out — from Shota Imanaga pitching to Manny Machado in Game 2 of the wild-card series to starting Boyd on three days’ rest in Game 1 of the NLDS.

One win could change everything, of course, and Imanaga should be rested and motivated for his Game 2 start after Counsell used an opener for him against the Padres. Still, it’s going to take a better effort all around, and better managing, to get it done.

The Cubs’ failure to get a reliable starter at the trade deadline has hurt them in the postseason, and it has been exacerbated by the loss of rookie Cade Horton. The history of starters going on three days’ rest in the postseason should’ve sent off alarm bells, but with only Colin Rea as a viable option, Counsell rolled the dice on Boyd and lost in Game 1.

According to ESPN.com, starting pitchers on three days’ rest have a 4.50 ERA over the last 30 postseasons. It also should be noted that the Cubs were so concerned about Boyd’s workload coming off an injury-shortened 2024 season they got him to beg out of pitching in the All-Star Game, despite it being the first selection for the 34-year-old.

Celebrating the clinching of a postseason spot is always worth it, and the Cubs celebrated wildly after assuring themselves of a wild-card spot with a win in Pittsburgh. But then they lost five straight games for the first time all season. Hopefully the wild celebration of the wild-card series win doesn’t produce a similar hangover.

Milwaukee’s Murphy might be the NL Manager of the Year again, but the Brewers’ decision to air an MLB Network special on Murphy on their giant video board was overkill. The interview with Bob Costas took up almost the entire pregame of Game 1.

The Brewers players deserve more credit for this special season, as even Murphy would admit. You have to wonder if owner Mark Attanasio just wanted to showcase Murphy as a shot at Counsell for leaving. The Brewers played “yacht rock” music for the Cubs’ workout Friday to mess with Counsell, who hates that type of music. Maybe Attanasio will never get over Counsell leaving.

The Brewers’ video board told fans when to wave their rally towels, as if anyone needed direction. There were also numerous “Get Loud” messages throughout the game. Brewers fans are smart enough to know when to make noise. At least the Cubs’ brass has declined to tell their fans how and when they need to be loud.

Owner Tom Ricketts banned those old stadium tropes when the Cubs installed their video board in 2015. Creating noise at Wrigley is done organically, the way it should always be.

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