The Milwaukee Brewers opened their most pivotal homestand of the season with an impressive performance against the National League’s top team on Monday night.
The pitching was solid, the offense good enough and the defense outstanding, resulting in a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field that reduced the Brewers’ magic number to clinch the Central Division title to two.
Aaron Civale struck out six over five innings and William Contreras and Joey Ortiz drove in two runs apiece as Milwaukee (87-63) jumped out to a three-run lead early and kept its distance the rest of the way for its first victory in four tries over 90-win Philadelphia.
Box score: Brewers 6, Phillies 2
The victory lowered the Brewers' magic number to clinch the Central Division title to two, meaning they could be spraying champagne as soon as Tuesday night with another victory over the Phillies and a Chicago Cubs loss to the Oakland A's.
The Cubs did their Central rivals no favors on this night, belting the Oakland A's by a score of 9-2 at Wrigley Field.
Brewers add some needed insurance in sixth
Sal Frelick hustling down the first-base line to prevent a possible inning-ending double play in the sixth proved to be a big play as Joey Ortiz tripled to right-center with Suárez out of the game after five.
That scored Frelick easily, and a Brice Turang opposite-field single one batter later sent Ortiz home to make it 5-1.
Hoby Milner got into trouble quickly in the seventh as Bryson Stott singled and JT Realmuto was hit by a pitch. Brandon Marsh fouled out, then manager Pat Murphy called on Colin Rea and he got a flyout to center to bring Kyle Schwarber to the plate.
Schwarber eventually rolled a 68.1 mph single into short left with the hit and run on, driving in a run to make it 5-2. Trea Turner followed by flying out to right, ending the threat.
Blake Perkins got that run back in the bottom of the inning by singling, stealing second and third and scoring on a Gary Sánchez sacrifice fly.
Rea ended up throwing 2 ⅔ scoreless innings to earn his first career save. He's the 12th Milwaukee pitcher to register one this season.
Aaron Civale, defense work off each other
Civale (7-8) had his nasty stuff going early, as he struck out six through the first three innings. But when the Phillies did make contact, the right-hander's defense had his back.
The first standout play came from Frelick in the third, when he threw a laser beam from medium right field on a single by Turner that cut down Cal Stevenson trying to go from first to third.
Then, with Bryce Harper at the plate, Civale was able to throw Turner out easily at second base after he broke off first with Civale still on the rubber.
A nifty 5-4-3 double play erased a leadoff single by Harper in the fourth, and it wasn't until a Brandon Marsh homer in a 1-2 count with two outs in the fifth that Philadelphia finally dented the scoreboard.
Consecutive singles by Schwarber and Turner to start the sixth ended Civale's night at 90 pitches.
Milner took over and got Harper to fly out, Nick Castellanos to strike out and Alec Bohm to tap out – sharply – to Milner, who earned a hearty ovation for his efforts.
Brewers bats break through in the third
Jackson Chourio drew a leadoff walk and Perkins singled against Suárez, putting a pair on for William Contreras.
He responded by lining a 115.6 mph screamer to the gap in left-center that nearly drilled Chourio in the midsection. He deftly avoided being struck, however and Chourio and Perkins both scored easily to match the Brewers' run total in their three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park in early June with run in one swing of the bat.
Then in the fourth, Rhys Hoskins greeted Suárez with a walk and Frelick ripped a 106.6 mph double down the right-field line to put runners in scoring position with one out. Ortiz sent a sacrifice fly to right to plate Hoskins, upping Milwaukee's advantage to 3-1.
Brewers time, TV, radio
The Brewers game starts at 6:40 p.m. Monday.
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620 and a state network.
Brewers lineup
- Jackson Chourio LF
- Blake Perkins CF
- William Contreras C
- Willy Adames SS
- Gary Sánchez DH
- Rhys Hoskins 1B
- Sal Frelick RF
- Joey Ortiz 3B
- Brice Turang 2B
Phillies lineup
- Kyle Schwarber DH
- Trea Turner SS
- Bryce Harper 1B
- Nick Castellanos RF
- Alec Bohm 3B
- Bryson Stott 2B
- JT Realmuto C
- Brandon Marsh LF
- Cal Stevenson CF
More: Brewers will begin selling postseason tickets Friday, with a chance to get yours early at a drive-through pep rally
Brewers schedule
Brewers vs. Phillies, 6:40 p.m. Tuesday. Milwaukee RHP Frankie Montas (7-10, 4.49 ERA) vs. Philadelphia RHP Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.60). TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin/TBS. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers vs. Phillies, 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. Milwaukee RHP Freddy Peralta (11-8, 3.75) vs. Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (12-8, 3.62). TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin/MLB Network. Radio – AM-620.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers 6, Phillies 2: Complete performance lowers Milwaukee's magic number to two
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