Brewers’ magic number at 4
Milwaukee beats Pittsburgh to edge closer to playoffs; Cardinals are next.
PITTSBURGH – The Milwaukee Brewers needed a game like this.
Using a five-run second inning to build a nice cushion and a five-run sixth to put it out of reach, they clinched a rare series victory at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon with a 13-6 laugher over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Christian Yelich, Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas all homered to key Milwaukee’s biggest offensive output in Pittsburgh since beating the Pirates, 20-0, on April 22, 2010.
The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals won their respective games, but
the Brewers nevertheless dropped their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to four while maintaining their two-game lead in the wild card.
“We won the game, and that’s all that matters,” said manager Craig Counsell. “The score is kind of irrelevant at this point. We won the series and put ourselves in a good spot.”
The Brewers appeared primed for a big first inning against Pirates spot starter Nick Kingham, who took the place of an injured Joe Musgrove.
They loaded the bases on consecutive one-out singles by Yelich, Lorenzo Cain and Shaw but managed to score just one run when Moustakas was hit in the leg with a pitch.
It wound up not mattering as a huge second inning knocked Kingham from the game and gave the Brewers plenty of breathing room.
It started off strangely, as Orlando Arcia hit a shot to the wall in left-center that a young fan reached over the wall to catch. The play was reviewed and Arcia was left with a ground-rule double.
Starter Wade Miley followed with a walk to put two on and after a flyout to right, the fireworks started.
Already with a first-inning single on his ledger, Yelich drilled a laser beam of a three-run homer nearly over the bleachers in right-center to up Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0.
Jesús Aguilar singled next, then Shaw did Yelich one better by blasting a two-run homer completely over the bleachers in right – a shot that wound up in the Allegheny River.
Moustakas, up next, drew a walk and that was it for Kingham, who exited to a chorus of boos.
Tanner Anderson did a nice job in place of Kingham, allowing one run on a wild pitch over 32⁄3 innings. Pittsburgh’s offense then got the Pirates back into the game with a four-run fifth.
The rally started with a walk and a single by .185-hitting Jordan Luplow, then turned when Moustakas booted a surefire double-play ground ball that loaded the bases.
Consecutive doubles by Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer made it 7-4 in the blink of an eye, and just as quick Miley was done.
Corey Knebel (3-3) took over and put out the fire by striking out the next three hitters, with a 99-mph fastball putting away Kevin Kramer and putting an exclamation point on his outing.
The game took a turn into the ridiculous in that frame, with the Brewers scoring five runs on one – yes, one – hit and five walks against Steven Brault and Michael Feliz.
Cain led off the frame with a single, Shaw and Aguilar both walked and then with two outs Ryan Braun came off the bench to force in a run by drawing a free pass from Feliz, who’d just entered the game.
Arcia also walked, and with Eric Thames at the plate Feliz uncorked a wild pitch that caromed away from catcher Elias Díaz and rolled all the way to the front of Milwaukee’s dugout, allowing Aguilar and Braun to score.
First baseman Josh Bell corralled the ball and then uncorked an errant throw home, allowing Arcia to score all the way from first base to make it 12-4 and cap the crazy play.
It marked the second time in the last five seasons the Brewers unloaded the bases on a wild pitch. FIVE TAKEAWAYS
DOWN TO THE WIRE: With a week to go in the regular season, Yelich remains atop the leader board in the National League in hitting with a .322 average. But he’s handling the ‘what-ifs’ regarding a possible batting crown the same way he’s handling the MVP talk that has surrounded him in recent weeks. The Brewers have never had a batting champion, by the way.
“There’s still a long ways to go, a lot of at-bats left,” said Yelich, who was drilled in the right elbow by Feliz in the seventh but said he was fine afterward. “Stuff can change really quick.”
TAKE A BREAK: Jeremy Jeffress has shouldered a heavy load in the bullpen this season, with his 70 appearances ranking second on the team and just two shy of tying his career high set in 2015. That said, he’s gotten a nice respite of late, making just one 1-inning appearance in the last nine days.
“I would think everyone would welcome the rest,” said Jeffress, who is 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA and 12 saves. “That’s something we all look at, and whenever we can get it, we get it and enjoy it. I just had a birthday; 31 years old. Body’s feeling great right now. I haven’t really hit the wall.”
ON THE OTHER HAND: Then there’s Albers, who had made one 1-inning appearance since Aug. 28 prior to pitching the ninth. Albers started the year strong but landed on the disabled list and never regained his footing after returning. He gave up a two-out, two-run homer to Adam Frazier and is now 3-3 with a 7.34 ERA in 34 outings.
STILL ON BOARD: Even though his season was ended in May due to shoulder surgery, catcher Stephen Vogt continues to travel with the Brewers. He catches bullpens, acts as a sounding board and generally does whatever else he can to help as the Brewers enter crunch time here in the regular season while still having an eye on returning to action in 2019.
“I’m enjoying my time with the team,” he said. “I’m very fortunate they’re allowing me to travel with them and I’m trying to stay as plugged in and engaged as I can.”
FAMILIAR FACE: The official scorer for the game was former Brewers scouting director and Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik.
RECORD
This year: 89-67 Last year: 82-74
COMING UP
Monday: Brewers at Cardinals, 7:15 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Chase Anderson (9-8, 3.93) vs. St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (8-8, 3.08). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.