Covering the bases 9/16/2025: Brewers 9, Angels 2
The playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers are entering the deep-breath portion of their schedule. That is, the part where – while still trying to clinch the NL Central – they are playing an opponent not in contention. Still, they attacked and added to their MLB-leading win total by dispatching the Los Angeles Angels 9-2 Tuesday at American Family Field. The win reduced the Brewers' magic number for clinching their third straight Central championship to seven after the second-place Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1. The Crew's Central lead remains at five. The Brewers, with MLB's best record at 92-59, also stayed 1½ games ahead of the newly crowned NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies, who rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6.
FIRST BASE: Skipping Quintana
Brewers left-handed starter Jose Quintana, likely headed for a bullpen role for at least the NL Division Series, had a throwing session before Tuesday's game following a calf injury sustained Sunday. Manager Pat Murphy said Quintana won't start this weekend vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, meaning he could be in the picture to start on the road next week vs. the San Diego Padres or perhaps be pushed all the way back to the final series of the regular season against the Cincinnati Reds. A lot will depend on how Quintana feels Wednesday.
SECOND BASE: Woodpecker offense
If a team scores one run every inning, they are going to be pretty successful. And that is the reputation the Brewers have developed with their woodpecker offense, as Murphy has described it. The Brewers scored scored in six of the eight innings they batted, including single runs in four of those. They started out the game by scoring one run in each of the first three innings and scoring in the first four.
THIRD BASE: Yeli power
Since returning after missing a handful of games due to his back situation, Christian Yelich has been hitting the ball with authority, just not always seeing positive results. On Tuesday, there was definitely positivity flowing out of Yelich's bat as he homered and doubled, driving in three in his four plate appearances. Yelich doubled home Jackson Chourio in the bottom of the first, then hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to put the Brewers up 5-0. Yelich has 99 RBIs, the second-most of his career behind only the 2017 NL MVP season in which he had 110.
HOME PLATE: Picturesque Peralta
With one real exception, Brewers right-handed starter Freddy Peralta had one of his best starts of the season, which is saying something considering he will get a lot of second- and third-place votes for the NL Cy Young Award. In six innings, Peralta struck out a season-high 10 as he allowed one run on two hits and two walks. Peralta has allowed two or fewer hits in nine of his 31 starts. Peralta did pick up his 17th victory, which ties him for the MLB lead with Max Fried of the New York Yankees. Peralta won't get a shot at 20 wins with only two regular-season starts remaining. His only blemish was allowing a fifth-inning solo homer to Angels rookie shortstop Denzer Guzman, his first MLB homer.
EXTRA BASES: Rested Woodruff is back
⚾ After getting his start pushed back a few days, right-hander Brandon Woodruff (6-2, 3.32 ERA) takes the mound for the Brewers against Angels right-hander Jose Soriano (10-10, 4.13 ERA). Woodruff has had 10 days off since his start Sept. 6 in a 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he tossed six shutout innings, allowing two hits while walking none and striking out eight. Soriano has been lit up in his last two starts. He gave up four runs in four innings on Sept. 11 in a 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners after allowing eight runs in 2⅓ innings in a 10-4 loss to the A's on Sept. 5. Soriano has walked 11 over his last three outings.
