SEATTLE – The Milwaukee Brewers are the story in the major leagues these days.
They’re also, by record, the game’s best team thanks to a 6-0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners on Monday night, July 21 at T-Mobile Park.
That, combined with losses by the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers, leaves Brew City’s finest with a 60-40 record and nifty .600 winning percentage – a tad better than the top team by record in the American League (60-41, .594) and its Central Division rival (59-41, .590).
“It doesn’t surprise me,” said starter Brandon Woodruff, who had a big hand in Monday’s outcome. “We’ve got a lot of great guys in this clubhouse, and it’s a fun team. I feel like we say that every year, but this year’s a little bit different in a way.
“We’re just playing good baseball – we’re getting guys on, we’re doing the little things to win baseball games, and that’s what it takes.”
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Manager Pat Murphy, meanwhile, had a different take when asked what he thought about the Brewers’ current standing at the top of the heap.
“My reaction is July 21,” he said. “You read into that whatever you’d like. That’s my quote – July 21.”
A four-run outburst by the offense to break up a budding no-hitter by George Kirby in the sixth proved to be the difference, and Woodruff made his third consecutive sparkling start in his return from shoulder surgery as Milwaukee ran its winning streak to 11 games, tied for the second-longest in the regular season in franchise history.
The Brewers also won 11 straight from June 22-July 3, 2021. A 12-game winning streak from Sept. 23-Oct. 12, 2018 included four postseason victories.
“Team Streak” rattled off 13 straight wins from April 6-20 to open the 1987 season.
Their 60-40 mark ties a franchise best through the first 100 games of a season (also 1979), and it’s the latest in a season Milwaukee has owned the best record in the majors since 1982 – yep, the World Series year.
“Tomorrow’s a new day,” Woodruff said. “You come in and try to win tomorrow and keep it going. But man, we’re having fun.
“It’s been a blast.”
Tacking onto the lead
Brice Turang singled to lead off the eighth against Brandyn Garcia but was thrown out trying to steal second.
William Contreras, up next, doubled, then Christian Yelich beat a high chopper to Garcia that he fielded but then threw away to score Contreras.
Yelich ended up on second, stole third without a throw with Jackson Chourio at the plate and then scored when Chourio singled to up Milwaukee’s lead to 6-0.
Ashby allowed a leadoff single in the ninth and was replaced by Anderson, who finished up to guarantee the Brewers, at the very least, a winning road trip with two games to go – and Jacob Misiorowski on the mound on Tuesday.
Brandon Woodruff was terrific once again
As well as Kirby threw early, Woodruff was just as good.
A four-pitch first helped set the tone, and he maintained that efficiency throughout with Seattle reaching base only three times against him, on a hit by pitch and a couple singles.
Woodruff then struck out the first two batters in a 1-2-3 sixth that proved to be his last frame despite his pitch count sitting at only 62.
Manager Pat Murphy spoke before the game about being especially judicious with both Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski, and indeed Ashby took over in the seventh despite Woodruff’s terrific performance.
Woodruff (2-0) didn’t issue a walk, struck out five and twice hit 96.2 mph on the radar gun.
Brewers finally get to George Kirby
Kirby recorded an impressive 11 ground-ball outs through the first five innings and actually took a no-hitter into the sixth, with a diving play up the middle robbing Anthony Seigler of a single for the first out of the frame.
But quickly, things turned.
Joey Ortiz followed by singling just over the glove of shortstop JP Crawford in short left, then Turang doubled. Third-base coach Jason Lane played it conservatively by holding Ortiz at third, and a batter later Contreras sent a sac fly to right that scored him.
Then came three consecutive two-out hits – a Yelich single, a Chourio double and Isaac Collins single – that upped Milwaukee’s lead to 4-0.
What time is the Brewers game tonight?
Time: 8:40 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Brewers game on tonight?
TV channel: FanDuel Sports Wisconsin.
Brewers lineup
- Brice Turang 2B
- William Contreras C
- Christian Yelich DH
- Jackson Chourio RF
- Isaac Collins LF
- Andrew Vaughn 1B
- Blake Perkins CF
- Anthony Seigler 3B
- Joey Ortiz SS
Mariners lineup
- JR Crawford SS
- Julio Rodríguez CF
- Cal Raleigh C
- Randy Arozarena LF
- Jorge Polanco DH
- Luke Raley 1B
- Dominic Canzone RF
- Ben Williamson 3B
- Cole Young 2B
Brewers schedule
Brewers at Mariners, July 22 8:40 p.m. CT: Milwaukee RHP Jacob Misiorowski (4-1, 2.81) vs. Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (2-3, 3.39). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Mariners, July 23 2:40 p.m. CT: Milwaukee RHP Quinn Priester (8-2, 3.33) vs. Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (7-5, 3.21). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
