Brewers-Cubs NLDS Game 5 preview with Ryan Braun
12 Sports’ Dario Melendez is joined by the Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise leader in home runs before first pitch of Game 5.
SCENARIO FOR THE BREW CREW. YOU WIN OR YOU GO HOME. AND I’M JOINED RIGHT NOW BY A GUY WHO KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THESE GAME FIVE OF NLDS, THE SIX TIME ALL STAR, THE 2011 NL MVP, RYAN BRAUN. RYAN, AS I MENTIONED, 2011, YOU GUYS WERE IN THE SAME EXACT POSITION. YOU’RE UP TWO ZERO. THE BACKS CAME BACK TO TIE IT, FORCING THIS PIVOTAL GAME FIVE RIGHT HERE. HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE EMOTIONS OF A GAME LIKE THIS? I THINK YOU HAVE TO EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY RIGHT? I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO REFLECT ON HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION THAT YOU GET TO PLAY A WIN OR GO HOME GAME AT HOME. THIS TEAM HAS EARNED THIS OPPORTUNITY. THIS SERIES SO FAR HAS ACTUALLY LOOKED REALLY SIMILAR TO THAT 2011 SERIES. BREWERS TOOK CARE OF THE FIRST TWO GAMES AT HOME. THE CUBS WON IN WRIGLEY, AND SO THE FACT THAT THEY’VE EARNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY THIS GAME AT HOME IS SOMETHING THEY SHOULD EMBRACE. I KNOW THAT ALL THE BOYS ARE EXCITED, READY TO ROLL, AND, YOU KNOW, I’M EXCITED AND HONORED TO BE HERE AND BE A PART OF IT. YOU MENTIONED PLAYING THE GAME AT HOME. THAT’S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL. YOU GET THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE. YOU GET TO PLAY IN FRONT OF ALL THESE FANS. HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT DO THE FANS HAVE IN A GAME LIKE THIS? I DON’T THINK I COULD POSSIBLY ARTICULATE HOW BIG OF AN IMPACT THE FANS CAN HAVE. THE FANS CAN REALLY IMPACT THE OUTCOME OF THE GAME WHEN THEY CREATE ENERGY, WHEN THEY’RE PROACTIVELY CHEERING THE TEAM ON, THEY CAN CREATE SUCCESS FOR THE BREWERS. SO, YOU KNOW, OUR FANS HAVE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB OF SHOWING UP AND SHOWING OUT. SO TONIGHT I HOPE EVERYBODY LEAVES. HAVING LOST THEIR VOICE, BEEN COMPLETELY HYPED AND YELLING AND SCREAMING AND SUPPORTING THE TEAM ALL GAME BECAUSE THEY REALLY DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT THE OUTCOME OF THIS GAME. YOUR FORMER TEAMMATE CRAIG COUNSELL IS IN THE OTHER DUGOUT NOW TRYING TO HELP THESE CUBBIES DO. THE BREWERS ARE TRYING TO DO WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR THIS BREW CREW TEAM TO ADVANCE TO THE NLCS, LIKE YOUR TEAM DID BACK IN 2011? IT’S ABOUT CONTROLLING THEIR EMOTIONS, RIGHT? I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGER CHALLENGES IN THESE GAMES IS CONTROLLING YOUR EMOTIONS. THE HEARTBEAT’S A LITTLE BIT FASTER, THE BREATHING GETS A LITTLE MORE SHALLOW. EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS AND RECOGNIZES THE MEANING, SIGNIFICANCE AND MAGNITUDE OF A GAME LIKE THIS. AND SO CAN YOU CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS? CAN YOU DO WHAT YOU’VE DONE ALL SEASON LONG? THIS TEAM HAS CONSISTENTLY RESPONDED WITH THEIR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL. I THINK THEY’RE BATTLE TESTED. I THINK THEY’RE READY TO GO, AND I’M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT. RYAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH. HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THIS. JAMES NYJER MORGAN, YOU SAW THOSE EMOTIONS COME OUT IN 2011 WHEN CARLOS GOMEZ CROSSED THE PLATE TO PUNCH THEIR TICKET TO THE NLCS. BREWERS ARE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING PUNCH THEIR TICKET TO THE NLCS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2018. DARIO MELENDEZ LIVE WITH THE GUY WHO’VE BEEN IN THE SAME SHOE
Brewers-Cubs NLDS Game 5 preview with Ryan Braun
12 Sports’ Dario Melendez is joined by the Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise leader in home runs before first pitch of Game 5.
Updated: 6:28 PM CDT Oct 11, 2025
12 Sports’ Dario Melendez is joined by the Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise leader in home runs, Ryan Braun, to preview Game 5 of the NLDS between the Brewers and Cubs.
MILWAUKEE —
12 Sports’ Dario Melendez is joined by the Milwaukee Brewers’ franchise leader in home runs, Ryan Braun, to preview Game 5 of the NLDS between the Brewers and Cubs.