Covering the bases 8/30/2025: Brewers 4, Blue Jays 1
The Milwaukee Brewers rediscovered their late-inning magic, getting a couple of home runs from their top producers to score three runs in the top of the ninth for a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday at Rogers Centre. The Brewers, who have MLB's best record at 85-52, have taken the first two games of this series against the AL's top team. The Brewers have a 6½-game lead in the NL Central over the second-place Chicago Cubs, who edged the Colorado Rockies 4-3. The Brewers won their 21st game in August, tying the club record for wins in a month. It was the third time they have won 21 games in a month.
FIRST BASE: Uribe's time
There is no doubting that right-hander Abner Uribe will be the next Brewers closer. With Trevor Megill on the injured list, Uribe is getting an early audition in the role. Facing the heart of the Jays' order in the bottom of the ninth, Uribe struck out star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., allowed a ground single up the middle just past a diving shortstop Andruw Monasterio and then induced Alejandro Kirk to hit into a game-ending double play. Uribe has finished both games in this series, allowing one hit in Friday's 7-2 win. It was Uribe's fourth save of the season and eighth of his career.
SECOND BASE: Good Gausman
The Brewers were shut down by Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. They struck out eight times, while managing just four hits over seven innings against Gausman, who did not issue a walk. The only run Gausman allowed came on a groundout by Sal Frelick in the seventh inning.
THIRD BASE: Prime Priester
If not for a rare error by second baseman Brice Turang, right-handed starter Quinn Priester would have had six shutout innings on his ledger. Still, allowing just one unearned run isn't too shabby against one of MLB's best offenses. Priester turned in his eighth quality start, walking none and striking out three. The defense was pretty good behind Priester, with the only blemish coming as Turang was trying to complete a double play and threw wide of first, his first error as a second baseman since July 26 (he also had one as a fill-in shortstop).
HOME PLATE: Finish with a flurry
After missing 29 games due to a strained right hamstring, Jackson Chourio smashed the first pitch he saw deep to left-center field. But there was Jays center fielder Myles Straw, who robbed a home run for Chourio in the top of the first inning. But Chourio made sure the last pitch he saw cleared the fence. Chourio delivered a tiebreaking opposite-field homer leading off the top of the ninth and Christian Yelich followed on the very next pitch with an opposite-field shot of his own to make it 3-1. It was Chourio's 18th homer of the season, while Yelich hit his team-leading 27th. Both came off struggling Jays closer Jeff Hoffman. Chourio scalded the ball all day, including a single up the middle in the fourth inning. After Frelick walked and moved to second on a groundout, Isaac Collins chased Hoffman with a two-out double for a 4-1 advantage.
EXTRA BASES: Woodruff vs. Scherzer
⚾ A weekend of good pitching matchups ends with the best one. Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff (5-1, 3.10 ERA) goes up against Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (5-2, 3.82 ERA). Woodruff had the worst of his nine outings this season since returning from surgery on his right shoulder in his previous start. Woodruff was tagged for five runs in 5⅔ innings in a 7-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did strike out eight, the fifth time he has had at least that many strikeouts this season. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, is also coming off a subpar outing, having allowed four runs over six innings in a 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Before that, Scherzer had allowed one run in three of his last four starts and two in the other.
⚾ In addition to activating Chourio, the Brewers also sent out outfielder Brandon Lockridge to Triple-A Nashville and activated left-hander Robert Gasser (Tommy John surgery) from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Nashville. Infielder Oliver Dunn was designated for assignment.
