Yelich gives Crew a lift
BREWERS 6, TIGERS 5
MILWAUKEE — The Brewers moved into a tie for first place in the National League Central with one game left in the regular season, getting two homers from MVP candidate Christian Yelich to beat the Tigers 6-5 on Saturday night and draw even with the Cubs.
Yelich turned on an 0-1 pitch from left-hander Daniel Stumpf (1-5) and lined it into the second deck in right to break a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning. The left-handed slugger also hit a tworun homer in the third of the Brewers’ sixth consecutive win.
The Brewers (94-67) already were assured of making their first playoff appearance since 2011, the last time they won the Central. They sure would like to get into the postseason again as a division winner, and the Cubs opened the door by losing to the Cardinals 2-1 earlier.
The Brewers just might have the best player in the National League, too.
Yelich extended his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-for-3 and driving in three. The NL batting leader is also challenging for a Triple Crown, tied with the Cardinals’ Matt Carpenter for the home-run lead at 36. With 109 RBI, Yelich is two behind the Cubs’ Javy Baez. He’d be the first NL Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937.
The raucous fans at Miller Park chanted “MVP! MVP!” after Yelich’s go-ahead shot in the seventh. He obliged with a brief curtain call, lifting his helmet in the air about halfway up the dugout steps.
Joakim Soria (3-1) got the win with a scoreless seventh. Jeremy Jeffress picked up his 15th save, striking out the side in the ninth.