Brewers clinch playoff spot, close in on NL Central title with 12-run 2nd in 16-1 rout of Marlins
MIAMI (AP) — Postseason appearances have become a regular accomplishment for the Milwaukee Brewers lately.
Christian Yelich and Josh Donaldson homered during a 12-run second inning and the Brewers clinched their latest playoff berth Friday night with a 16-1 rout of the Miami Marlins.
Milwaukee, assured at least a National League wild card, trimmed its magic number to one for wrapping up the NL Central title. The Brewers, who have won four straight, can secure the crown with another victory Saturday over Miami or a loss by the Chicago Cubs to Colorado.
It's the fifth postseason trip in six years for the Brewers — by far the best stretch in franchise history.
“The way we’ve played and the confidence these guys have in each other, it’s a playoff team,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We deserve to be there the way this team has played the last six weeks.”
The defeat dropped the Marlins one game behind the Cubs for the third and final NL wild card.
Yelich also launched a three-shot in the sixth as he returned to the lineup after missing 11 of the previous 12 games because of lower back tightness.
“You haven’t seen game action for a few weeks and you kind of don’t know where your timing is going to be,” Yelich said. “Took a bunch of swings the last few days and checked the health boxes.”
Corbin Burnes (10-8) benefited from the early run support and scattered two hits over five scoreless innings. He struck out six. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner had not won since July 20.
“Twelve runs – I didn’t know that was possible,” Burnes said. “Obviously, it makes the next innings go a little easier.”
Milwaukee sent 15 batters to the plate against relievers Steven Okert (3-2) and Bryan Hoeing during the second-largest inning in team history. The Brewers scored 13 runs in the fifth to beat the California Angels 20-7 on July 8, 1990.
Two-run homers by Donaldson and Yelich started and capped the scoring. Mark Canha also hit a two-run double, Carlos Santana and Blake Perkins added RBI doubles, and William Contreras, Sal Frelick and Brice Turang had run-scoring singles. In his second at-bat of the inning, Donaldson had another RBI with a groundout.
“We had great at-bats, took what was available, walks, going first to third, running the bases well and obviously a couple of big swings there,” Yelich said. “Just proud of the guys tonight and hope to keep it going.”
The only teams to clinch playoff berths with more lopsided wins were the 2001 Atlanta Braves and 1996 New York Yankees. Atlanta beat the Marlins by 17 runs, and the Yankees routed Milwaukee by 17.
Miami’s Luis Arraez was hitless in one at-bat as his major league-leading batting average stayed at .354. Arraez missed the previous two games because of a left ankle sprain and was replaced after the Brewers built the early double-digit lead.
Jon Berti homered for Miami in the eighth.
“I think everybody just wants to eat, get the hell out of here and come back (Saturday),” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Do the best they can to flush it and try to win a game.”
Marlins opener JT Chargois was lifted after getting two outs and walking two in a bullpen game for Miami.
BLOWOUTS
The Brewers also had a lopsided win over Miami in the first game of their series in Milwaukee on Sept. 11. They scored five runs in the sixth inning of a 12-0 rout.
ODD MOUND MATCHUP
Position players Jacob Stallings of Miami and Rowdy Tellez of Milwaukee were the last pitchers used — and neither allowed a run. Stallings featured a combination of changeups and slow curves clocked under 50 mph to throw two scoreless innings. Tellez got the final three outs in the ninth to secure the postseason spot.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (right forearm flexor strain) experienced forearm tightness after his four-inning rehab outing Thursday with Triple-A Jacksonville. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is returning to Miami for evaluation.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (5-1, 1.89 ERA) will start the middle game of the series Saturday. LHP Jesús Luzardo (10-9, 3.68) goes for the Marlins.
PODCAST: Up Next
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Professional Sports Bettor Dave Essler (14:48)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (26:16)
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Winners Take: NFL Week 3 & CFB Week 4 Free Picks
Nelson "Rowdy" Raisbeck and professional sports bettor, Dave Essler, breakdown a number of NFL and NCAA games for the upcoming football weekend. They specifically look at a number of primetime college football games and a handful from the NFL. Additionally, the guys run through the market and other games that have caught their eye.
PODCAST: Circling the Wagons
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Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (30:47)
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Packers' David Bakhtiari feeling frustrated that his knee issues have cropped up again
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari was hoping he had gotten past the knee issues that resulted in three separate surgeries and impacted his past two seasons.
Now the oldest player on the NFL’s youngest team realizes that’s not the case.
Bakhtiari missed Green Bay’s 25-24 loss at Atlanta and isn’t sure yet when he will return, though the Packers’ busy upcoming schedule doesn't help matters. The Packers have their home opener Sunday against New Orleans and return to Lambeau Field four nights later to host the Detroit Lions.
“Doing better, but we’re just going to take it one day at a time,” the veteran left tackle said. “I hate to say it, but day to day. You guys hate hearing it.”
The left side of Green Bay’s offensive line figured to be one of the Packers’ biggest strengths this season, but the Packers now don’t know when they might have Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins playing together again.
Jenkins sprained his medial collateral ligament in the Falcons game, with Royce Newman taking over for him after the injury. Rasheed Walker, a 2022 seventh-round draft pick, made his first career start in place of Bakhtiari at left tackle.
“This could be the only game I miss,” Bakhtiari said. “I don’t know. I’m just making sure I check my boxes and I’m able and ready and then when it is, great, go out and play.”
Bakhtiari, 31, has been dealing with health uncertainty ever since tearing his left ACL while in the midst of an All-Pro season on Dec. 31, 2020.
The knee injury caused Bakhtiari to play in just one game during the 2021 season. He played 11 games last season, sitting out three because of his knee and three others because of an appendectomy.
Bakhtiari talked this offseason about how grateful he felt that he finally wasn’t recovering from another surgical procedure. He played well in a season-opening 38-20 victory at Chicago, though he didn’t practice in the week leading up to that game as the Packers monitored his workload.
But at some point, the knee started acting up again. Bakhtiari and the Packers aren’t specifying exactly what happened.
“There’s only so much I want to unveil to people because I do think there’s a competitive advantage,” Bakhtiari said. “I’ve said that in the past like with health and history, but clearly there was something that started going on that we were monitoring and we were going to give up until the game time to see if it was feasible. That’s about as much as I want to say.”
Bakhtiari did want to make one thing clear, though. He is hurt. He wasn’t sitting out the Falcons game merely to avoid playing on turf.
After his good friend and former teammate Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon during the New York Jets’ season opener last week, Bakhtiari went on social media to call for all NFL stadiums to have grass surfaces.
When Bakhtiari sat out a game on Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s artificial surface less than a week after Rodgers’ injury, a segment of the Packers’ fan base wondered if he was refusing to play on turf. A social media post from Bakhtiari’s brother only added to the confusion.
Bakhtiari wants to put that idea to rest.
“I signed up to play,” Bakhtiari said. “I plan on playing. And when I can play, I’m going to play. Clearly if I’m not playing, there’s something going on. It’s not like it’s been a secret. It’s something I’ve been battling with and it’s been (difficult). It’s been weighing on me a lot. You think I don’t want to play?”
How soon — and how often — he will get to play again remains up in the air. That’s frustrating for a player who has been through this situation for nearly three years now.
There’s one difference this time around, though. After becoming a father last year, Bakhtiari now gets to come home and take his mind off his troublesome knee.
“The most refreshing thing is seeing my daughter’s face and like the no-judgment happiness, just saliva everywhere on her mouth, just drooling. I’m like, ‘She just loves (me?) Doesn’t matter what I did today. Didn’t matter how (bad) I feel.’ And that like, has been, it’s been pretty good.”
PODCAST: Grilled
Brewers & Craig Counsell (0:00)
Tailgate Wars (18:49)
Wisconsin Football & Braelon Allen (40:54)
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Contreras, Taylor spark Brewers to 7-3 win over Cardinals
ST. LOUIS (AP) — William Contreras homered and Tyrone Taylor scored twice and drove in a run as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee stopped a two-game skid and reduced its magic number to clinch the NL Central to six.
Richie Palacios homered for the last-place Cardinals, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
Contreras’ solo homer in the third snapped a 16-inning scoring drought for Milwaukee.
The Brewers opened the fourth with four straight doubles. Willy Adames, Josh Donaldson, Taylor and Sal Frelick all doubled and scored to give Milwaukee a 5-2 lead.
Taylor also walked twice and scored on Andruw Monasterio's sacrifice fly in the eighth. Contreras scored on Adames' single in the ninth to pad the Brewers’ lead.
Colin Rea (6-6), recalled Monday from Triple-A Nashville, allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out two.
Trevor Megill served as the opener for the Brewers, giving up two runs in one inning. Hoby Milner, Abner Uribe, Joel Payamps and Andrew Chafin combined for three scoreless innings of relief.
Drew Rom (1-3) allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings as the Cardinals had their two-game winning streak snapped. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out three.
Alec Burleson doubled home Lars Nootbaar, stole third and scored on Nolan Arenado's sacrifice fly to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead in the first. Palacios added a solo home run in the fifth.
Wainwright gets 200th win as the Cardinals blank the Brewers 1-0
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright earned his 200th win, pitching seven innings of four-hit ball in a vintage performance as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 1-0 on Monday night.
It was the longest outing this season for the 42-year-old Wainwright (5-11), who struck out three and walked two. He has won consecutive starts — both against first-place teams — after going 0-10 with a 10.72 ERA over his previous 11 games between June 24 and Sept. 7.
The right-hander became the 38th pitcher in NL history to reach 200 wins, and the 24th major leaguer to achieve the milestone since 2000.
Willson Contreras homered off Freddy Peralta (12-9) in the fourth. Milwaukee lost its second straight and its magic number to clinch the NL Central remained at seven. The Brewers hold a six-game lead over the Chicago Cubs with 12 to play.
John King induced a double play in the eighth and Ryan Helsley worked 1 1/3 innings for his 12th save in 16 opportunities.
Wainwright got Carlos Santana to ground into a pair of double plays and left to a standing ovation from the crowd of 33,176 after pitching around a leadoff single by Mark Canha in the seventh.
Wainwright’s first strikeout of the game, against Rowdy Tellez, was the 2,200th of his career. His last two punchouts moved him past David Wells for 65th on the all-time list.
Contreras lined a sinker from Peralta just inside the left-field foul pole for his 20th home run of the season.
Peralta gave up four hits in six innings and struck out six.
Sal Frelick had two singles for the Brewers and robbed Tommy Edman of an extra-base hit with a running catch in deep center field. Frelick caught the ball on a full sprint and held on after crashing into the wall.
LOYAL FOLLOWING
St. Louis surpassed 3 million in attendance for the 18th straight season unaffected by limited capacity, and for the 25th time overall.
ROSTER MOVES
The Brewers recalled RHP Colin Rea from Triple-A Nashville, while the Cardinals recalled RHP Jake Woodford from Triple-A Memphis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: OF Christian Yelich (stiff back) missed his third straight game. Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said a decision on Yelich's status will likely be made Tuesday. The team also placed RHP Thyago Vieira (right calf strain) on the 15-day injured list.
Cardinals: RHP Giovanny Gallegos (rotator cuff tendinitis) was placed on the 15-day IL.
PODCAST: The Blame Game
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