Covering the bases 9/18/2025: Brewers 5, Angels 2
The Milwaukee Brewers wrapped up their next-to-last homestand of the regular season by completing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 5-2 victory Thursday at American Family Field. The win trimmed the Brewers' magic number for clinching the NL Central to four, following the second-place Chicago Cubs' 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers, with the best record in MLB at 94-59, also moved to three games ahead of the NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies for the No. 1 seed in the NL postseason. The Brewers are also two wins shy of the club record for most victories in a season of 96, accomplished in 2008 and 2011. They have won 95 games three times.
FIRST BASE: Smooth robbery
Blake Perkins is just so smooth as a defender out in center field for the Brewers. He makes things look easier than they really are. That was definitely the case when he tracked down Chris Taylor's drive to left-center, making a sliding catch as he approached the wall to end the sixth inning.
SECOND BASE: Another late rally
A trait that will serve the Brewers well as they enter the postseason is that they don't panic in tight games. They were down 2-1 after five innings, then tied it in the sixth on Caleb Durbin's RBI single and took the lead with a three-run seventh inning. Jackson Chourio greeted reliever Luis Garcia with a ground-rule double and scored on Brice Turang's single to center. William Contreras walked and Christian Yelich made it 4-2 with a double to left and Andrew Vaughn capped the outburst with a sacrifice fly.
THIRD BASE: Priester's hot start
For a moment, it looked like Brewers right-hander Quinn Priester was going to set an MLB record by striking out all 27 batters he faced. Of course, that pace didn't last long. Priester struck out the first six batters he faced en route to 10 strikeouts, the third time he has reached double digits this season and just one shy of his career high, set June 28. Priester did allow two runs – on a fifth-innng homer by Luis Rengifo – over 5⅔ innings, allowing three hits and two walks. Rengifo's homer came after Jo Adell walked to open the fifth and broke up Priester's no-hit bid. While he didn't get the decision, his club-record streak of winning 12 straight decisions remains intact as does the Brewers' unbeaten record in his last 19 appearances. Three relievers – Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Jared Koenig – finished the win.
HOME PLATE: Yelich reaches 100 RBIs
For just the second time in his career, Yelich has reached 100 RBIs in a season. Yelich had an RBI double in the crucial seventh inning to reach the century mark for the first time since his NL MVP season of 2018, his first with the Brewers. Yelich had 97 RBIs in 2019, but his season ended in early September that year with a broken kneecap. He also had 98 in 2016 with the Miami Marlins.
EXTRA BASES: Miz goes in St. Louis
⚾ The Brewers begin their final road trip of the regular season as rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski (5-2, 4.35 ERA) opens a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Sonny Gray (13-8, 4.43 ERA). Misiorowski hasn't been as crisp as he was in his early starts, having allowed three or more runs in five of his last six starts. Included in that is four runs given up in five innings in Saturday's 9-8 win in 10 innings over the Cardinals. Misiorowski gave up seven hits while walking one and striking out four. Gray also started that game Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk, striking out eight.
