MILWAUKEE, Wis. --- Back for his first "full" season of Major League Baseball, Keston Hiura and the Milwaukee Brewers waited until the final day of the 60-game regular season to lock up their spot in the 2020 MLB Postseason.
The Brewers secured the eighth and final playoff spot in the National League finding a way despite a losing record (29-31) and offensive totals among the bottom-third of the league during a season that has been anything but ordinary.
For Keston Hiura, he was a leader of sorts for the Brewers playing all but one game for the squad this season as he and his teammate and fellow middle infielder were two of 29 Major Leaguers that played in at least 59 games this year. Hiura led the team in at-bats, hits, extra-base hits, home runs, and runs batted in. His 13 home runs were among the leaders in the National League, and he even brought some Anteater baseball to the fold taking one for the team 11 times, third-most in the Majors.
The sophomore has remained a mainstay in the lineup batting in the heart of the order, and put in his time at second base continuing to improve and stay healthy. His mere presence on the roster and opening day lineup was a statement as he joined Brady Anderson as the only two Anteaters to do either at the big-league level. He led all second basemen in putouts in 2020, and played the second-most games at that position. He was even part of a triple play on the season's last game on Sunday.
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Now, he forges his way into the MLB Postseason for the second time in his young career. The 2019 Brewers' Postseason run was short-lived earning one of the Wild Card spots. It lasted just one game as Milwaukee lost the Wild Card matchup with Hiura doubling for his first postseason hit in his first postseason game.
The 2020 Postseason gives more hope as the Wild Card round will consist of the best-of-3 series and a chance to extend their stay. The lowest seed in the National League puts them up against the top seed and team with the best record in all of baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers, of whom Hiura grew up watching from nearby Valencia, Calif.
The month-long odyssey begins Tuesday for some, but Hiura and the Brewers officially start up Wednesday with a 7:00 p.m. PDT start at Dodger Stadium. All three games of this opening series will be shown on ESPN with times to be determined. Hiura and the #BrewCrew have this round, the Division Series, and the Championship Series ahead of them before the season culminates in the 2020 World Series running from October 20-28.
The full slate of Postseason schedules and details can be found here. All of Keston's and the team's action will be followed closely on the @UCIbsb social media channels.
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