Covering the bases 8/15/2025: Brewers 10, Reds 8 (13 straight wins): The Uecker Game
Move over, 1987 Milwaukee Brewers. You have company atop the list of the franchise's longest winning streaks. The 2025 Brewers rallied from an 8-1 second-inning deficit to score nine unanswered runs and pull off a 10-8 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at Great American Ball Park. The triumph was the Brewers' 13 consecutive, matching the '87 team – Team Streak – that started that year 13-0. With MLB's best record now at 77-44, the Brewers also added a game on the second-place Chicago Cubs, who lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2. The Brewers have the largest lead over a second-place team of any division leader at nine games.
While Friday's comeback didn't have the late-inning drama that the 1987 team did on Easter Sunday, getting home runs from Rob Deer and Dale Sveum in the bottom of the ninth inning to go to 12-0, this one still made history as the biggest comeback in MLB history to extend a winning streak to at least 13 games.
FIRST BASE: Miz's misfortune
After spending two-plus weeks on the injured list with a bruised left shin, rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski wasn't going to go deep into Friday's game. But not even getting out of the second inning wasn't part of the plan. Misiorowski didn't look comfortable on the mound and managed to only get four outs on 54 pitches (he was on a 60-pitch limit). The Miz allowed five runs on four hits and a four-batter sequence of a hit batter and three straight walks.
SECOND BASE: Bullpen bailout
Left-hander DL Hall came on to replace Misiorowski with the bases loaded and one out and the Brewers only trailing 2-1. But an Elly De La Cruz two-run double and four straight RBI singles quickly turned it into an 8-1 laugher. At least it appeared to be. But any great offensive comeback needs help from the pitching staff. After the final of those four run-scoring singles, Hall and five of his bullpen buddies retired the final 23 Reds to close the game. Hall wound up going 2⅔ innings, with Nick Mears, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig and closer Trevor Megill each notching three outs and all but Mears getting two strikeouts.
THIRD BASE: Return of the king
Andrew Vaughn homered for the second time in three games – and this one came at the perfect time. The Brewers were down 8-2 when he crushed a three-run homer to make it 8-5 and really provide life to the comeback. It was Vaughn's 14th homer of the season, nine of which have come in 29 games with the Brewers. That came as part of a five-run third inning. The Brewers would tie it up in the fourth inning.
HOME PLATE: Uecker Magic
Christian Yelich couldn't use his Bob Uecker bat last year during Players Weekend because he had undergone season-ending back surgery about a month prior. A year later – and with Uecker's memory following his death in January providing a magical elixir – Yelich conjured up a day he won't soon forget. On the first day of this year's Players Weekend, the DH slammed a pair of home runs, the second one an opposite-field blast breaking an 8-8 tie in the sixth inning. Yelich went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. He also tied the game on a sharp ground single just inside the third-base bag that scored a pair in the fourth inning. Yelich, who has three career cycles – all against the Reds, finished a triple shy of another one.
It gets crazier. The mark from one of Christian Yelich’s two homers today is right on Bob Uecker’s name with the bat.
— Curt Hogg (@cyrthogg.bsky.social) August 15, 2025 at 7:35 PM
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EXTRA BASES: Priester is streaking
⚾ Right-hander Quinn Priester will put two winning streaks on the line as he starts for the Brewers against Reds right-hander Zack Littell. Not only will Priester try to extend the Brewers' winning streak, he has won 10 straight decisions. However, his last outing was bumpy, going 4⅓ innings and giving up six runs to the New York Mets. Littell was also rocky in his second start with the Reds since coming over in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays. Littell lasted 4⅔ innings, surrendering four runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
⚾ Two starting outfielders are unlikely to play in the weekend series, but not for injury reasons. Left fielder Isaac Collins went on the paternity list, while center fielder Blake Perkins went on the bereavement list. Both moves were made before Friday's series opener. Replacing those two on the roster are infielder Tyler Black and outfielder Steward Berroa, who started in center. Berroa played in 28 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year. Also, right-handed reliever Grant Anderson was sent to Triple-A with Misiorowski being activated.
