Let's Road Trip Brewers 2025: Trip #7 - Wrigley and Target Time

Chicago Cubs - June 17-19
Wrigley Field - Capacity 41,649
2024 Attendance: 2,909,755 (Averaged 35,922, ranked 5th in NL parks and 6th overall)

The Brewers' two trips to Wrigley Field in 2024 ended in a stalemate. After dropping three straight, they won the opening affair and captured the final two outings. Milwaukee has been traveling to Wrigley Field since its 1997 American League days. Of course, 1998 immediately increased the number of road trips to Wrigleyville to 222 games. The Brewers have taken 108 of those contests, holding their own in enemy territory.

Wrigley Field opened in 1914. That’s right, 110 years ago! The ivy has scaled the outfield wall since 1937, and modern expansions and lights brought the ballpark closer to the 21st Century in 1988. The jewel-box charm remains, and the neighborhood continues to offer one of the most “baseball” experiences in all of baseball. You can smell remnants of Old Style spills from decades past and experience elbow-to-elbow seating that adds to the ambiance. How can you find fault with having a stadium where home runs can leave the ballpark, brick walls can be run into, and people on rooftops can pay more for their tickets than people behind home plate?

The Cubs have grown from their lovable losers vibe, finally reversing the curse and winning a World Series 2016. The most recent iterations have flirted with success but couldn’t escape the rebuild cycle following such a formidable championship run.  Hopefully, the Brewers can keep the Cubs rebuilding for at least one more season with a strong showing in Chicago before they head across the border to face the Twins.

Minnesota Twins - June 20-22
Target Field - Capacity 38,544
2024 Attendance: 1,951,616 (Averaged 24,094, ranked 10th in AL parks, and 23rd overall)

In the two-game set at Target Field in 2024, the Brewers and Twins locked into a 1-1 pitchers' duel in the first game before the battle of the bullpens when completely Milwaukee's way for an 8-4 victory in extras. Another eight runs in game two kept the Brewers in front for an 8-7 victory and a two-game road sweep.  In the 37 meetings between the Brewers and the Twins at Target Field, the Brewers have only come away victorious 16 times. 2024 was great, but before then, the Brewers hadn't won a series in Minneapolis since 2018. It's tough to gain ground with a two-game series, but that's the interleague plan for these cross-border rivals for the foreseeable future.

Since opening in 2010, Target Field has brought many exciting events to the downtown Minneapolis neighborhood. From concerts to playoff action, from the 2014 All-Star Game to the NHL Winter Classic to local college football games, Target Field offers the frozen citizens of the Twin Cities an outdoor space to enjoy their favorite sports. This stadium features elements of its home state, from the stonework to the new fishing pier-themed seating section called "The Dock." 

At the ballpark, fans are treated to beautiful scenes of the downtown skyline, a living batter's eye in the center, and plenty of concourse space to feast and mingle on a summer evening. The Timberwolves play just a skyway down the street; entertainment is everywhere in the neighborhood. The Mall of America is just a light rail away, with plenty of activities and an amusement park. Local museums and the Mississippi River offer intrepid travelers plenty of options to spend an afternoon before an evening game.

The Brewers travel well to Chicago and Minneapolis, and word has it that beer consumption at Target Field almost doubles for Brewers games. Will this be in celebration or mourning after this crucial mid-summer road trip? What say you, Brewer Fanatics?