Covering the bases 9/3/2025: Brewers 6, Phillies 3
Following a well-deserved day off, the Milwaukee Brewers rode a five-run first inning en route to a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at American Family Field. Combined with the Chicago Cubs' 5-1 loss to Atlanta, the Brewers not only extended their MLB-best record to 86-54, but they also pushed their lead in the NL Central to six games over the second-place Cubs. The win also clinched the season series over the Phillies, meaning the Brewers possess the tiebreaker should that be needed to determine seeding in the NL playoffs.
FIRST BASE: Turang, Peralta sweep August awards
After tying a team record for wins in a month, including a club-record 14-game winning streak, two Brewers players were honored for their performance in August. Second baseman Brice Turang was named the NL Player of the Month and right-handed starter Freddy Peralta was named NL Pitcher of the Month for August. Turang hit 10 homers last month after having 13 in his first two seasons and six this year entering August. The Brewers have won the Player of the Month award in back-to-back months, with Isaac Collins claiming the July award. He hit .343 and had an MLB-best 1.092 OPS and 193 OPS+. Peralta allowed just one run in 28 innings and has a 24-inning scoreless streak. Peralta, who leads MLB with 16 wins, went 4-0 in five starts and limited opponents to 11 hits for a .117 batting average, the best mark among MLB starters. He also had a 0.82 WHIP.
SECOND BASE: Koenig to close
After Abner Uribe struggled in his first two tries as the designated closer following Trevor Megill going on the injured list, manager Pat Murphy turned to left-hander Jared Koenig in a save situation.
THIRD BASE: Calm Quintana
After getting knocked around in his previous start, left-hander Carlos Quintana was in vintage form for most of his outing. Quintana sailed early, including an eight-pitch second inning in which he handled three comebackers to retire all three batters he faced. Quintana had allowed five hits and a run over six innings. He started the seventh and recorded one out, but also got tagged for a two-run homer by former Brewers prospect Weston Wilson before exiting. Quintana walked three and struck out six.
HOME PLATE: Offense explodes early
The day off Tuesday was a chance for everyone to get away and relax following a very eventful 19 games in 18 days. So the Brewers were eager to get back to work – and they showed it. Before an out was recorded, the Brewers put up five runs. Turang walked, Jackson Chourio was hit by a pitch and William Contreras singled to load the bases. Sal Frelick then golfed a single to center to score Turang and Chourio before rookie Isaac Collins cranked a three-run homer to make it 5-0. The opposite-field blast was Collins' ninth homer of the year.
EXTRA BASES: Freddy in finale
⚾ Peralta makes his first start of September after a huge August (see above). He will face Phillies left-hander Robert Suarez (10-6, 3.02 ERA), who has gotten back on track in his last three starts after a rough stretch. In his last outing, allowed 10 hits in five innings, but yielded just one run in a 2-1 win over Atlanta.
⚾ Designated hitter Christian Yelich was scratched from the starting lineup with lower back soreness. Chourio, originally on the bench, replaced Yelich as the DH.
