Covering the bases 8/12/2025: Brewers 14, Pirates 0 (11 straight wins)
Firing on all cylinders, the Milwaukee Brewers demolished the Pittsburgh Pirates 14-0 on Tuesday at American Family Field, winning their 11th straight. It is the second 11-game winning streak of the season for the Brewers, who are the first team since the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays to have two 11-game streaks in the same season. Combined with the Chicago Cubs' 5-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Brewers and their MLB-best 75-44 record have a 7½-game lead over the second-place Cubs in the NL Central.
FIRST BASE: Contreras' contributions
While there were many individual performances that were noteworthy, William Contreras appears to be finding his stride, which bodes well for the Crew. By going 2-for-4 with a key double, Contreras continued his hot homestand. In the last five games, Contreras is 8-for-17 with three homers and eight RBIs.
SECOND BASE: Peralta cruises
Right-handed starter Freddy Peralta can be maddening sometimes by not being efficient, yet still producing. Then he can turn in outings like he did Tuesday, going six shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk, while striking out seven. That lowered his ERA to 2.90 this season.
THIRD BASE: Turang's surge
One of the most surprising things during this run by the Brewers has been the power displayed by second baseman Brice Turang. Turang went deep again for his career-best 12th homer of the season. Four of those have come in the last four games Turang has started. He also had his first career two-homer game a little more than a week ago.
HOME PLATE: Chasing Skenes
Sal Frelick set the tone for the game, battling Pirates ace Paul Skenes before hitting a home run leading off the bottom of the first inning. Skenes had a 1.94 ERA entering the game, the best in MLB by far. Frelick's homer, his ninth of the season, was the first run Skenes has allowed this year in the first inning. Contreras doubled home a run in the third inning and the Brewers were able to put the finishing touches on Skenes in the fourth as Turang continued his power binge with a solo homer and Frelick had an RBI single to make it 4-0. Skenes has allowed four runs five times in his career and the Brewers are the only team to do it twice.
EXTRA BASES: Woody goes for burgers
⚾ Brandon Woodruff is back on the mound for the Brewers, looking to remain unbeaten as he makes his seventh start since returning from 2023 surgery on his right shoulder. Woodruff has been nothing short of outstanding, going 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA, walking six and striking out 45 in 35⅓ innings covering six starts. Woodruff is coming off back-to-back eight-strikeout performances, with four of his starts featuring at least eight K's. For the Pirates, right-hander Mitch Keller (5-10, 3.86 ERA) has allowed three runs or less in 10 of his last 11 starts. A 12th consecutive win for the Brewers would unlock the free burger special from George Webb's.
