The Milwaukee Brewers were a first-place club for 150 days, and sizable NL Central lead at the beginning of July seemed as if it would be plenty for them to at least get into the playoffs after a two-year absence.
Now, they'll need what amounts to a September miracle.
Visiting Milwaukee sends Kyle Lohse to the mound Wednesday night to face the Cincinnati Reds needing a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The Brewers (80-77) were in first from April 4-Aug. 31 and had a season-high 6 1/2-game lead July 1, but their 9-22 mark since Aug. 20 has led to a dramatic change in the standings.
Milwaukee's 3-1 loss to Cincinnati on Tuesday pushed it to the brink of elimination after Pittsburgh beat Atlanta to clinch at least a wild-card spot.
San Francisco fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, leaving the Brewers five games back of the Giants for the other wild card with five to play. Milwaukee has lost five of six, scoring two runs or fewer in each contest.
"We've been trying to get this thing done and win some games," manager Ron Roenicke said. "And every night, it just seems to be the same game."
The Brewers appeared well on their way to their first playoff appearance since losing in six games to St. Louis in the 2011 NLCS. Now they'll need to win out and get plenty of help just to force a one-game playoff for the league's final wild card.
"We kind of gave it away," losing pitcher Mike Fiers said after Tuesday's loss. "We had a lot of opportunities. It was in our hands."
Milwaukee will try to focus on itself rather than worry about San Francisco as Lohse looks to continue his solid run against the Reds.
Lohse (12-9, 3.71 ERA) gave up two runs in 6 2-3 innings before Milwaukee scored in the ninth to beat Cincinnati 3-2 on Sept. 12, then allowed one run in 7 1-3 of the Brewers' 3-2, 13-inning loss at St. Louis on Thursday.
The right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.07 ERA in his last 14 starts against the Reds, including four this season. Daniel Corcino opposed Lohse the last time, and this contest will feature the same matchup.
Corcino (0-1, 4.40) gave up two runs in six innings against the Brewers in his first major league start, then allowed two runs and walked four in 5 2-3 innings of a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs last Wednesday.
The 24-year-old right-hander threw 101 pitches - 22 more than he tossed against Milwaukee. He's attempting to make an impression in order to win a spot in next season's rotation.
"Every time you've got the ball, you've got the opportunity because you've got to do your job," Corcino told MLB's official website. "That's how you can stay here."
Manager Bryan Price has been impressed.
"One thing we really wanted him to do was go out and throw a lot more strikes than what we saw in spring training, and he's done that," Price said. "The small handful of starts here in September at least give us the opportunity to evaluate his stuff. Does it play as a guy that can go out there six-plus innings on a regular basis? Or is he better suited for the bullpen?"
Cincinnati (73-84) has won back-to-back games following a six-game losing streak. Todd Frazier - 3 for 21 in his career off Lohse - and Devin Mesoraco each homered Tuesday for the Reds, who have won six of eight home meetings with the Brewers this season.
