Covering the bases 9/10/2025: Rangers 6, Brewers 3
For the first time since the disastrous season-opening weekend, the Milwaukee Brewers were swept in a series. Despite outhitting their opponent 11-6, the Brewers lost to the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Wednesday at Globe Life Field. The Brewers, who have MLB's best record at 89-58, saw their NL Central lead over the second-place Chicago Cubs drop to 5½ games after the Cubs beat Atlanta 3-2. The Cubs played Atlanta later Wednesday. The Brewers have a magic number of 11 to clinch the Central title for the second year in a row. The Brewers' magic number for clinching a playoff spot remained at three. The Rangers are in a tense battle for an AL wild-card spot or, perhaps, the AL West title.
FIRST BASE: Cool Kelly
Rangers right-hander Merrill Kelly wasn't exactly sharp, but he did negotiate his way through 5⅔ innings. Kelly gave up three runs on 10 hits, but didn't walk anyone while striking out six. His biggest escape was getting out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning thanks to a Joey Ortiz grounder.
SECOND BASE: Hoskins comes through
While he might get a few starts down the stretch, it appears that first baseman Rhys Hoskins will be employed as the Brewers' top pinch-hitter. At least that is the way manager Pat Murphy used the veteran right-handed hitter in his first two appearances since returning from a sprained right thumb. After fouling out to the catcher Tuesday, Hoskins came through in a big situation, singling with two outs to pull the Brewers within 5-3 in the sixth inning. Left-handed-hitting Jake Bauers got the start at first base, with Andrew Vaughn, who started almost every game at first with Hoskins out, pinch-hitting for him.
THIRD BASE: Quick strikes
With the roof open the first two days, the ball didn't seem to travel as well as expected for the Brewers. But the roof was closed for the finale – and it seemed to make an immediate impact. Brice Turang led off the game with a homer and Jackson Chourio followed with his own blast to give the Brewers a quick 2-0 lead against Kelly. Turang now has 18 homers this season after his monster blast to right-center, while Chourio hit his 20th, a liner to left.
HOME PLATE: Freddy's streak ends
Right-handed starter Freddy Peralta had been on the best run of his career entering Wednesday's series finale. Peralta, the NL Pitcher of the Month for August, had not allowed a run in 29 innings, just three shy of the Brewers record of 32, set by Teddy Higuera in 1987. Against the Ranger, Peralta tacked on one more inning to his career-best run, but it ended there as Jake Burger hit the first of his two homers to lead off the second inning. It didn't stop there as the Rangers added two more runs in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead, the go-ahead run scoring on a Peralta balk. Burger then put a period on Peralta's day by cranking a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Peralta went five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.
EXTRA BASES: A day off
⚾ The Brewers, who recently had a stretch of 19 games in 18 days, now enter a stretch where they have three days off in the next 15 days, something that should help rest the pitching staff as the Crew prepare for the postseason. The scheduled pitching matchups in this weekend's series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals are Brewers RHP Quinn Priester vs. Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante on Friday, Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff vs. Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray on Saturday and Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski vs. Cardinals RHP Mile Milkolas on Sunday.
⚾ Brewers catcher William Contreras was scratched from the lineup. He was hit on the right forearm on a pitch that had bounced in the dirt while catching in Tuesday's game. Danny Jansen took Contreras' spot in the lineup. It was the first game Contreras has missed since June 25.
⚾ The Brewers' contingent for the Arizona Fall League was unveiled. Assigned to the Surprise Saguaros were corner infielder Luke Adams (Brewers' No. 10 prospect), catcher Marco Dinges (No. 10), second baseman-outfielder Josh Adamczewski (No. 16), right-hander Brett Wichrowski (No. 29), left-hander Jesus Broca, left-hander Anthony Flores, right-hander Michael Fowler and right-hander Edwin Jimenez.
