Padres' series with Brewers a big one, even with Dodgers looming

This weekend has the Padres in Milwaukee — land of brats, brews and a ballclub that’s often the National League’s best at stretching dollar.

Beware: the Brewers — 22nd in spending, 13th in win-loss record — are once again better than their collective salaries.

Though the thriftiness seldom shakes up the postseason, the Brewers have held fans’ attention across most regular seasons since 2018, when they won 86 games on MLB’s lowest payroll.

The National League Central title Milwaukee won last year marked their sixth playoff berth in seven years. In that span, the payroll ranged from 11th to 22nd.

Why should Padres fans care about the Brewers this year?

Because they’re a threat.

They might push for a wild-card spot, the playoff ticket used by all three Padres teams to reach the World Se