Brewers are suddenly threatening to topple Reds' incredible 1976 postseason feat

The Milwaukee Brewers are on the verge of becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds to win both the League Championship Series and the World Series by way of a series sweep.

Furthermore, this year's Brewers squad would actually have bragging rights over the Big Red Machine. Why? Because when the Reds swept the Philadelphia Phillies (NLCS) and the New York Yankees (WS), the League Championship Series was only a best-of-five. It was changed to a best-of-seven in 1985.

The Brewers have lost just one game during their march through the postseason — Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres. Most of Milwaukee's wins have been nail-biters. While they've gone 10-1 throughout the playoffs, they had only outscored their opponents by 14 runs before Monday's 10-1 blowout victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Brewers will have a chance to win their first-ever World Series championship on Tuesday night with Game 4 set to begin at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy will have a fresh bullpen at his disposal, and the Rays are sending right-hander Griffin Jax to the hill with their season on the line. If the Brewers' bats continue their onslaught against Rays' pitching, this one could be in the books by the fifth inning.

Brewers are threatening a record that's stood since the Reds won the World Series in 1976

The Brewers' (103) actually bested the Big Red Machine (102) by one win during the regular this year, so it would seem only fitting that Milwaukee would cap off one of the greatest World Series performances with a sweep of Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

The Reds, however, put forth a much more dominant run through the postseason. Cincinnati dispatched of Philadelphia in three games, outscoring them 19-11 during the 1976 NLCS.

The Reds then turned their attention to the Yankees in the World Series. Cincinnati set the tone with a domineering 5-1 win over the Bronx Bombers in Game 1. Reds' pitching (Don Gullett and Pedro Borbón) allowed just five hits, while Tony Pérez went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Pete Rose all chipped in with an RBI as well.

Yankees starter Catfish Hunter went the distance in Game 2, but Jack Billingham came on in relief of Fred Norman to get the win after Pérez's game-winning walk-off single plated Ken Griffey in the bottom of the ninth.

The Reds dismantled the Yankees in Game 3 thanks in part to Dan Driessen's solo shot off Dock Ellis in the fourth inning that gave Cincinnati a 4-0 lead. The Reds went on to record 13 base hits and win by a final score of 6-2.

Cincinnati completed the sweep with a dominating 7-2 win in the Bronx. Bench notched two home runs and five RBI to earn World Series MVP honors to help give the Reds their second consecutive World Series title. The Brewers will be looking to secure their first in franchise history (58 seasons) on Tuesday night.

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