Tag Archives: Christian Yelich

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The fifth inning heard round Milwaukee

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The Milwaukee Brewers were 8-6 heading into Saturday’s game versus the Philadelphia Phillies. This was an exciting matchup as both teams have dominated baseball throughout the last decade and were playing together in this elite matchup. The Philadelphia Phillies had their ace on the mound, Zack Wheeler, as he faced up against Brewers starter Adrian Houser. This matchup consisted of a shaky start for both pitchers, a wild fifth inning, and a hit that changed the ballgame completely. These three aspects within the ballgame proved to be quite the performance for the Milwaukee Brewers, and was very entertaining to watch.

Adrian Houser on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers
  • Coming into Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers had lost the game prior to the Philadelphia Phillies and were looking to even out the series. Coming into a rough crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the Milwaukee Brewers were trying to come out on top and give them a win on the road. Adrian Houser started off the game for the Brewers and gave up an RBI double to Nick Castellanos which gave the score in favor of Philadelphia 1-0. Houser continued to struggle in the third inning, giving up an RBI single and a sacrifice fly, which gave Philadelphia a 3-0 lead. The offense was nowhere to be found and as the innings got later, it gave Milwaukee less time to make the comeback needed to win the ballgame. 
  • Zack Wheeler was dominating the Brewers offense having only given up two hits in four innings with three strikeouts to add. Normally, pitchers start to fatigue as their arm can only handle throwing 90-100 miles per hour for so long. Just when the Brewers needed a spark, Hunter Renfroe started off the inning with a double to deep right field. This was the start to a much needed rally. Shortly after, Omar Narvaez struck out and left Renfroe on second base with one out. Next to hit, fan favorite Lorenzo Cain hit a single to put runners on the corners with one out. Then the tides changed with an RBI single from Jace Peterson to score Hunter Renfroe and advance Lorenzo Cain to second base. Milwaukee had now scored their first run with an opportunity to cash out and additional runs. Being down 1-3 is still a lot in the low scoring sport of baseball. Kolten Wong lined out to the shortstop and possessed the second out of the inning. Philadelphia was one out away from getting out of the inning and stopping the wildfire of hits and runs. Then, Willy Adames hit an RBI single to left field, which scored Lorenzo Cain and advanced Jace Peterson to second base. Now Milwaukee had the tying run on second base with Christian Yelich up at the plate. While Yelich has struggled in the last two years, it’s still not smart to give him a pitch to hit. Well, Zack Wheeler had other plans and threw a slider down the plate that allowed Yelich to hit an RBI single which tied up the ballgame. With Willy Adames on third base, he was 90 feet away from gaining the lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. All of the sudden, both runners from first and third steal the advancing bases and Philadelphia couldn’t get that last out. Adames has just scored from third base on a stolen base attempt and took the lead for the Milwaukee Brewers. Eventually, Andrew McCutchen struck out and the Milwaukee Brewers had finally taken the lead, 4-3. 
Zack Wheeler on the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies
  • Now this game had completely changed due to an incredible fifth inning, and Milwaukee had to maintain the lead and add any additional runs, if possible. The very next inning, the man who started the fifth inning rally hit a blasting home run to right field that traveled over 400 feet. This was a solo home run from Hunter Renfroe that gave the Milwaukee Brewers a 5-3 lead over Philadelphia. This moment gave the Milwaukee Brewers some cushion and allowed them to really take control of this ballgame. It was only right that the man who started the miraculous fifth inning, was able to add the final touch to a terrific offensive performance. The next half inning, Adrian Houser finished the sixth inning strong and helped Milwaukee maintain that lead. Thanks to Trevor Gott, Devin Williams, and Josh Hader, the Milwaukee Brewers were able to maintain the lead necessary to win the ballgame. These three relief pitchers combined for 3.0 IP, innings pitched, while striking out four hitters and only allowing two combined hits. This was a successful day for every pitcher as Adrian Houser was able to comeback after a slow start to help eventually climb back into the ballgame while every relief pitcher kept the lead in tack throughout the last three innings.

Saturday’s game was very entertaining and provided a rollercoaster of emotions for fans watching this ballgame. Whether it was being upset by the fact that Milwaukee was allowing many runs early on, or the fact that Milwaukee came back from all odds and won the ballgame, it set forth an incredible game to watch. Thus far, this game has been one of my personal favorite games and would recommend watching highlights of the game to understand the significance of these moments. This matchup possessed poor starting pitching for both pitchers, an incredible offensive inning, and a dominant close out to end and win the ballgame.

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2018 Season

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When thinking about the Milwaukee Brewers within the last decade, it’s common for fans to remember the 2018 season. 2018 was a memorable year for Milwaukee Brewers fans and holds a special place in hearts all across the country. This 2018 season from the Milwaukee Brewers consisted of MVP level play from Christian Yelich, the greatest rivalry game in franchise history, and postseason success and failure.

Christian Yelich tipping his cap to Milwaukee Brewers fans
  • When people think of that 2018 season, one of the first things that comes to mind is Christian Yelich’s MVP season. Christian Yelich was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for a few young prospects. Yelich had won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards with his time in Miami and was a player that was very underappreciated in Miami. Immediately, Yelich made a huge impact for the Brewers and made his first All-Star appearance. Christian Yelich had a phenomenal second half of the 2018 season which put himself in the MVP, Most Valuable Player, conversation. Yelich led the league in batting average and OPS, On-Base + Slugging Percentage. He ended up winning the MVP award and led Milwaukee to their first postseason appearance since 2011. Christian Yelich had also won the Silver Slugger award in 2018 due to his great hitting season. Yelich put Milwaukee on the map and helped lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a ton of success both in the regular season and the postseason. 
  • There was one specific moment that was very memorable for Brewers fans during the 2018 season. Game 163 in specific, was one of the greatest games ever in Milwaukee Brewers history. Heading into the game, the Milwaukee Brewers hadn’t won the NL Central division since 2011 and they would face off against the Chicago Cubs in an extra elimination game to determine the winner of the NL Central division. Both teams were tied with 95 wins during the regular season and had the opportunity to beat their divisional rivals in order to secure a division clinching win. Jhoulys Chacin started on the mound for the Milwaukee Brewers as they traveled to Chicago. The game started off slow until the top of the third inning, in which Christian Yelich hit an RBI single to score Orlando Arcia to take the lead 1-0. This game was low scoring and was a battle that went on back and forth with the Milwaukee lead looking promising. But, in the bottom of the fifth inning, Anthony Rizzo for the Chicago Cubs hit a solo home run which tied the ball game. It wasn’t until the top of the eighth inning where another run was scored. Thanks to Lorenzo Cain and Ryan Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers were able to score two additional runs creating a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. With a chance to win the NL Central division, there was lots of tension, especially playing at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Eventually, there was a fly ball in the bottom of the ninth inning, which had a chance to carry beyond the stadium but was caught by outfielder Keon Broxton to win the game and clinch the NL Central division.
Ryan Braun and Orlando Arcia shaking hands in Game 163
  • Much of the success in the regular season was appreciated, but won’t be remembered as well as their success in the postseason. The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central division which clinched a playoff spot. They would end up playing against the Colorado Rockies in the National League Divisional Series. This was a best of five series with the chance to advance to the National League Championship Series. Milwaukee hosted game one and two and utilized home field to their advantage. In game one, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies on a walk off hit by Mike Moustakas. This really set the tone for the rest of the series as Milwaukee was able to come out on top in game two as well in Milwaukee. Milwaukee was up 2-0 in the divisional series with a chance to advance to the NLCS. They had to travel to Colorado in game three as they faced a tough Rockie’s crowd. Milwaukee shut them out completely and hit numerous home runs, winning 6-0 and advancing to the NLCS. The Milwaukee Brewers faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven game series with the chance to advance to the World Series. Milwaukee started off the series hot with a game one victory. The series went back and forth as both teams took games from one another. The series was eventually tied at 3-3 as both teams headed back to Milwaukee with a chance to advance to the World Series. Christian Yelich started off game seven with a solo home run. Shortly after, Cody Bellinger for the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a two run home run to take the lead for LA. This game was a battle as both teams had opportunities to score runs but were unable to close the game until Yasiel Puig came to the plate. With two runners on base, Puig hit a monster home run which scored three runs and created a four run lead for Los Angeles. Eventually the Brewers lost, as the Los Angeles Dodgers were heading to the World Series. This was devastating for Brewers fans and it hurt even more because of how close they were to achieving the final destination.

The 2018 season was remarkable in many aspects and is memorable for all Brewers fans. While they didn’t quite achieve the goal of winning a World Series, they were able to make it to game seven of the NLCS which is incredibly impressive. Considering different aspects including MVP play from Christian Yelich, a historic rivalry game, and fantastic postseason success, I would say this season was ultimately a success. This season set the stage for multiple postseason appearances in the future and created a winning culture in Milwaukee. This season was an important step for the Milwaukee Brewers franchise as it set the stage for future years to come.