CHICAGO -- It was, finally, playoff weather at Wrigley Field.
The temperature was 61 degrees at first pitch and in the mid-50s by the time Brad Keller entered the game in the top of the eighth inning.
At Wrigley, weather always plays a big factor, with the wind changing games depending on which way it's blowing. And as they say, it's always colder by the lake.
On Wednesday, fans bundled up for the late-afternoon start with the playoffs on the line. At Sports World, the Chicago Cubs merchandise emporium across the street from the Wrigley marquee, they put the winter hats up front to replace the bucket hats, hoping for some impulse buys. Inside the park, some fans likely bought some $13 hot chocolates instead of $16 beers.
It felt like October, and that adds a little something to a postseason game, doesn't it?
"I feel like it does, but I'm pouring sweat," Keller said after securing a four-out save in the Cubs' 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in a must-win Game 3 of the National League Division Series. "I thought it would be nice, but I was just as sweaty as I was even when it was hot out."
You'd be sweating, too, if you were him. In fact, I'm sure Cubs fans were absolutely schvitzing.
Manager Craig Counsell called upon Keller with a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth with runners on the corners, two outs and the Cubs’ season on the line. Chicago scored four runs in the first and none since. A three-run lead had been whittled down to one. It doesn’t get any higher leverage than that.
And then, Keller walked his first hitter, Caleb Durbin, to load the bases.
The last time Keller was on the mound in the playoffs was also at Wrigley Field, at the end of an elimination game last week. It didn’t go so well.
In Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, Keller worked a scoreless eighth, but in the ninth, with a 3-0 lead, he gave up a leadoff home run to San Diego Padres hitter Jackson Merrill. After getting a strikeout, Keller hit Ryan O’Hearn and Bryce Johnson. The ghosts of playoff games past stirred in the old ballpark.
Andrew Kittredge replaced Keller and got the last two outs to advance the Cubs to this series. In the booze-soaked postgame clubhouse, Keller’s relief resonated when he talked to reporters.
He didn’t get a chance to redeem himself in the first two games of this series, both blowout losses in Milwaukee. And now he was back in the pressure cooker. After walking Durbin, Keller collected himself and struck out Jake Bauers to end the threat.
And in the ninth, there was no drama. He worked a 1-2-3 inning, culminating in a hard-hit Christian Yelich groundball to Nico Hoerner, who ranged to his left to get the out.
Against the Padres, Keller had to watch Kittredge get him out of a jam. This time, he did it himself.
"I was excited, for sure, trying to flush that outing, learn from that outing especially," Keller said. "So today I really tried to slow it down especially when I got two strikes and I felt like I did a lot better job of that."
And how did he feel when Hoerner fielded that ball for the final out?
"Massive relief," Keller said. "Especially knowing the top of the order (was up). That ball was hit hard. Nico obviously an incredible defender over there just tackling it."
Keller is a big guy, Bill Brasky-sized at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds. And he always seems to be smiling. Between his persona and his fastball, you can see why he's popular with his teammates.
"He's been incredible for us late in games," Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon said. "But yeah, I was happy. After that outing, I was like man I want him to get another opportunity. I want to see him get an opportunity. And he got in there and was really good. His fastball with cut is one of the more special pitches I've ever seen up close. So yeah just fired up for him but also not super surprised."
"He's just had such an amazing year of both availability and consistency," Hoerner said."So you know no surprise from our end to see him just being able to move on to the next pitch and get outs regardless of if he's feeling good not feeling good."
The 30-year-0ld Keller is one of the better stories on the 92-win Cubs. Released by the 121-loss White Sox during the 2024 season, he caught on with Boston and was DFA'd there, too; though he stuck around with their Triple-A team in Worcester to finish the season. If you're a pitcher with a live arm, you're never really out of work for long in baseball.
At the end of January, the Cubs signed Keller to a minor-league deal with an invite to big-league camp; and now he's saving games in playoffs.
Keller has two playoff saves after getting three in regular season. He didn't get his first until mid-August and didn't start serving as team's primary closer—or in Counsell's parlance late-game out-getter—until mid-September after Daniel Palencia went on injured list. For season,Keller worked 69 2/3 innings 68 games finished 2.07 ERA.
This was his first chance to play for a team with a winning record, let alone a playoff team.
A former starter who debuted in Kansas City,Keller has pitched for some godawful teams,inclusive three Royals teams that lost 100-plus games,plus his five-game stint record-setting White Sox.
He's been so good,might be too expensive budget-conscious Cubs offseason.
But no matter where he pitches next season,he'll never forget pitching Wrigley Field October.
"That's an electric environment," Keller said."It's hard to put in words,but it gives you chills every time you think about it,every time you're out there."
This is what you dream about,right?He grinned at the question.
"I feel like that's something that I'll probably reflect on this offseason," he said."For right now,I'm just trying to go out there and do my job."
On Wednesday,Keller did just that,and the Cubs' playoff dreams live for another day.