Christian Yelich hits for cycle again as the Brewers blank the Reds, 8-0.
MVP contender hits for second cycle of the year
Christian Yelich has been hearing “MVP! MVP!” chants quite often at Miller Park in recent weeks but they grew to a crescendo Monday night, and deservedly so.
Yelich hit for the cycle for the second time in 20 days as the Milwaukee Brewers’ bats erupted after two quiet days against Pittsburgh with a resounding 8-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Yelich also hit for the cycle against the Reds on Aug. 29 at Great American Ball Park, going 6-for-6 in a wild 13-12, 10-inning victory. There had been seven cycles in Brewers history prior to that night, with no player ever accomplishing it more than once.
Yelich became the fifth player in major-league history to hit for cycles twice in one season, and only the third since 1900. The last to accomplish the feat was Arizona’s Aaron Hill in 2012, doing it within a span of 11 days in August, the second one coming against the Brewers.
The victory pulled the Brewers within two games of first-place Chicago, pending the Cubs' game later at Arizona. It also assured they would retain at least a three-game lead in the top spot in the NL wild-card standings.
The offensive outburst was welcomed after two tough days against Pittsburgh, resulting in losses of 3-1 and 3-2. The Brewers were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Domingo Santana slugged a pinch-hit home run for the second consecutive day and Yelich
ripped a two-run blast two batters later.
The Brewers broke the game open with four more runs in the sixth, a rally capped by Yelich's two-run triple, completing his cycle. It was at that point that the "MVP!" chants grew loudest.
Left-hander Wade Miley picked up the victory for the Brewers, turning in five shutout innings. Miley boosted his record to 5-2 and lowered his earned run average to 2.08.
Reliever Josh Hader continued his strikeout binge by whiffing all three batters he faced in the sixth inning. Hader has struck out 20 of the 25 hitters he has faced in his last five appearances, including 17 of the last 18.
Brandon Woodruff covered the last three innings as the Brewers matched their victory total from last year.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
GETTING THE JOB DONE: Reliever Xavier Cedeño, acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 31, has been nearly perfect in the role of left-handed specialist. He is unscored on in eight appearances with the Brewers, covering 5 1/3 innings. “He has been exactly what we hoped for,” manager Craig Counsell said. “When you trade for a guy late and you give him a tough job, and an important job, and he has been successful, you really couldn’t ask for anything more. The left-handed reliever, at this time of year, they’re going to draw the guys you know they’re not going to hit for. Those are the better hitters. Those are the matchups he has gotten and done well with.”
ANOTHER START FOR GRANDERSON: Curtis Granderson, acquired on the same day as Cedeño, got his fifth start in right field. When the Brewers acquired Granderson, some wondered if he’d be more than a lefty bat off the bench but he has swung the bat well enough to play more. “I didn’t have any expectations, one way or the other,” said Granderson, who got on three times and scored three runs. “I was ready to do whatever they needed me to do. There’s a lot of talent on this team. I think, depending on the situation, a lot of guys are going to get a chance to play.”
RACE FOR THE BATTING TITLE: The series opener featured three of the top four hitters in the NL in terms of batting average: Cincy’s Scooter Gennett was the leader at .318, Yelich was second at .313 and Lorenzo Cain fourth at .311. Chicago’s Ben Zobrist was third at .312. Winning a batting title might not have the same cache in the analytics-driven era of expanded statistics but those in the hunt want to win it. “I think all of those things have some meaning,” Counsell said. “It might not be valued as much as in the past but it’s still an accomplishment and a sign of a great offensive season. There’s no bad players on the top of that list.” Yelich and Gennett were both at .318 at the end of the game.
POPPING IN A PINCH: Santana’s ninth-inning home run Sunday was the Brewers’ ninth pinch-hit blast of the season, a franchise record. The previous mark of eight pinch homers was set in 2002 and matched last year. Santana then added No. 10 in the fifth against the Reds.
HISPANIC HERITAGE HONORED: The Brewers held their annual Hispanic Heritage Night with pre-game festivities and with players wearing “Cerveceros” jerseys.
During BP, players and coaches wore shirts with the phrase “PonleAcento” on the back, which translates to “put an accent on it,” a nod to the mark that Hispanic and Latino players and fans leave on the game.
RECORD
This year: 86-65 Last year: 81-70
ATTENDANCE
Monday: 32,145
This year: 2,654,928 (34,933 avg.) Last year: 2,377,204 (31,279 avg.)
COMING UP
Tuesday: Reds at Brewers, 6:40 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Chase Anderson (9-7, 3.85) vs. Cincinnati RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-1, 3.21). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.