Fielder's choice: Are Brewers out?

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers finally closed the roof for NLCS Game 6 Sunday night at Miller Park. Trailing 3-2 in the series and needing a victory to keep the season alive, they could have been looking at the window of opportunity sliding shut as well.

The biggest reason, both literally and figuratively, is Prince Fielder. The hefty free agent-to-be almost certainly is headed elsewhere in the offseason, and without Fielder pairing with Ryan Braun, the Brewers will have a tough time repeating as NL Central champions.

Braun, along with the Dodgers' Matt Kemp, figures to be a front-runner for the MVP award. But Fielder is sure to place in the top 10 in the balloting, and his presence expects to bleed votes from Braun.

That wasn't an immediate concern heading into the elimination game, but the Brewers needed big games from both to offset the worry over starting pitcher Shaun Marcum -- who allowed a three-run homer by David Freese in the first inning and gave way to Chris Narveson, who allowed a solo shot by Rafael Furcal in the second as the Cardinals took a 5-1 lead.

Rickie Weeks' solo homer and Jonathan Lucroy's two-run shot off Edwin Jackson in the bottom of the second moved the Brewers within 5-4 (Corey Hart had homered in the first). But Albert Pujols homered to begin a four-run third that put the Cardinals ahead 9-4.

Fielder went 0-for-4 in Friday's Game 5 loss, striking out twice with runners in scoring position. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa found an answer to Fielder in lefthanded specialist Marc Rzepczynski, who whiffed him with runners at first and third in the eighth that night.

On the flip side, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke hoped a return to Miller Park would revitalize his lineup -- especially Fielder, who hit .326 at home this year compared with .272 on the road. He had 24 of his 36 homers here.

Before Game 6, Roenicke was asked if he noticed anything different about Fielder with his Brewers career possibly winding down. "No, he's really focused," Roenicke said. "He's focused on what we need to do. The last game of the season, I think there was some emotion there. I think he felt some things. He's so focused right now, I don't think it allows him to really reflect on what's going on. But he's been the same."

The Brewers made it to Game 6 by playing loose, from the "Beast Mode" gestures on the base paths to the flamboyant antics of Nyjer Morgan, aka Tony Plush. But a good portion of that personality came from jumbo-sized slugger Fielder, something that will be missed along with his huge numbers if he leaves.

"There's nothing I like more when I come to the field and I'm sitting in my office and I hear him laugh," Roenicke said. "It's contagious. I know the clubhouse is going well when he's laughing. And I know we're ready to play."

Another key piece in this playoff run, Francisco Rodriguez, is a lock to sign elsewhere. The Brewers acquired him from the Mets to set up John Axford, even if they weren't completely up front about their intentions at the time, and K-Rod -- despite his grumbling over the role -- has served as the perfect bridge to Axford. Before Game 6, he had not allowed a run in four playoff appearances spanning four innings, striking out seven.

"He's been huge for us," Roenicke said. "When Frankie came over, that made our bullpen great. We went from a good bullpen to a great bullpen when we got Frankie."

The reality of what the Brewers could look like without Fielder and K-Rod is something they won't have to worry about for months. And Sunday night, they battled to keep them a bit longer.