Brewers sensation Jackson Chourio talks baseball, Venezuela and growing up
For 20-year-old Brewers star Jackson Chourio, there are currently only two driving forces in his life: baseball and his Venezuelan family.
The Milwaukee Brewers opened their most important home game of the season on Monday night with an impressive performance against the top team in the National League.
The pitching was solid, the offense was good enough and the defense was outstanding, leading to a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field, reducing the Brewers’ magic number that secured them the Central Division title to two.
Aaron Civale managed six strikeouts in five innings and William Contreras and Joey Ortiz scored two runs each as Milwaukee (87-63) built an early three-run lead and held it for the rest of the game to earn its first victory in four tries over 90-win Philadelphia.
Result: Brewers 6, Phillies 2
With the win, the Brewers reduced their magic number to win the Central Division title to two, meaning they could be popping champagne as early as Tuesday night after another win over the Phillies and a Chicago Cubs loss to the Oakland A’s.
The Cubs did their Central rivals no favors that night, crushing the Oakland A’s 9-2 at Wrigley Field.
Brewers provide the necessary security in the sixth game
Sal Frelick’s rush down the first-base line to prevent a potential inning-ending double play in the sixth inning proved to be a big play, as Joey Ortiz hit a triple to right-center field and Suárez was out of the game after five innings.
With that, Frelick easily scored a point and a single by Brice Turang to the opposite field sent Ortiz home one batter later and made it 5-1.
Hoby Milner quickly ran into trouble in the seventh inning when Bryson Stott hit a single and JT Realmuto was hit by a pitch. Brandon Marsh was forced off for a foul, then manager Pat Murphy called Colin Rea, who got a flyout to center to bring Kyle Schwarber in to bat.
Schwarber finally hit a 68.1 mph single into short left field as the hit and run continued, scoring a run to make it 5-2. Trea Turner followed with a flyout to right, ending the threat.
Blake Perkins got the run back in the bottom half of the inning by hitting a single, stealing second and third base, and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Gary Sánchez.
Rea ended up throwing 2 ⅔ scoreless innings for his first career save. He is the 12th Milwaukee pitcher to earn a save this season.
Aaron Civale, defense works each other out
Civale (7-8) showed his nasty side early on, striking out six players in the first three innings, but when the Phillies made contact, the right-hander’s defense stood by him.
The first outstanding play came from Frelick in the third inning, when he threw a laser beam from center-right field on a single by Turner that struck out Cal Stevenson as he tried to move from first to third base.
Then, with Bryce Harper at bat, Civale was able to easily throw out Turner at second base after he broke away from first base while Civale was still on the rubber.
A clever 5-4-3 double play cancelled out a leadoff single by Harper in the fourth inning, and it was only a home run by Brandon Marsh on a 1-2 count with two outs in the fifth inning that finally put Philadelphia ahead.
Consecutive singles from Schwarber and Turner at the beginning of the sixth ended Civale’s evening after 90 shots.
Milner took over and got Harper to fly out, Nick Castellanos to strike out and Alec Bohm to give up sharply for Milner, who received warm applause for his efforts.
Brewers bats break through in the third
Jackson Chourio worked a leadoff walk and Perkins hit a single against Suárez, bringing a pair on base for William Contreras.
He responded by hitting a 115-mph fastball into the left-center gap that nearly hit Chourio in the gut. He dodged it, however, and Chourio and Perkins both scored easily, matching the Brewers’ run total from their three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park in early June by one hit.
Then in the fourth inning, Rhys Hoskins greeted Suárez with a walk and Frelick hit 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 bring Hoskins home, increasing Milwaukee’s lead to 3-1.
Brewer’s time, television, radio
The Brewers game starts at 6:40 p.m. on Monday.
Television: 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 Sanchez DH
- Rhys Hoskins 1B
- Sal Frelick RF
- Joey Ortiz 3B
- Brice Turang 2B
Phillies lineup
- Kyle Schwarber DH
- Trea Turner SS
- Bryce Harper1B
- Nick Castellanos RF
- Alec Bohm3B
- Bryson Stott 2B
- JT Realmuto C
- Brandon Marsh LF
- Cal Stevenson CF
More: The Brewers will begin selling postseason tickets on Friday, with a chance to secure your ticket early at a drive-through pep rally
Brewers Schedule
Brewers vs. Phillies, Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. 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, Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. 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.
