Jake Bauers’ Game-Ending Single Lifts Brewers to 2-1 Victory Over Phillies

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night, with Jake Bauers delivering a crucial RBI single in the ninth inning. This triumph came on a night when the Brewers had already clinched the NL Central division title after the Chicago Cubs lost to the Oakland Athletics earlier in the day.

Bauers’ timely hit off Phillies closer Carlos Estévez, who is now 4-5 for the season, brought home Jackson Chourio, who had made his way to third base by hitting a triple.

Reflecting on the atmosphere in the clubhouse, Bauers commented, “The vibe in the clubhouse all day was, that’s great that we (clinched), but we need to win this game. It was intense, man, it was intense. You could feel the pressure.”

Milwaukee’s closing pitcher, Devin Williams, was dominant in the ninth inning, striking out Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh in succession.

This victory marks Milwaukee’s second consecutive division title and the team’s sixth playoff appearance in the last seven years, thanks in part to Chicago’s loss. Despite this setback, the Cubs continue to vie for a wild card spot.

The Brewers’ Freddy Peralta made his 31st start of the season, a career high, during which he allowed just one run on two hits over five innings while fanning nine batters and walking two. Peralta showed impressive resilience on the mound.

On the opposing side, Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who ranks second in the National League for innings pitched, delivered a strong performance as well. He pitched for seven innings, limiting the Brewers to one run on three hits, striking out nine and yielding just one walk. Nola noted, “My command was pretty good, I was getting early outs.”

“They’re definitely a grinding team. Just trying to execute my pitches and get first-pitch strikes and get the leadoff guy out,” he added.

The game was characterized by its pitching dominance, with both teams combining for a striking 28 strikeouts. The Phillies alone contributed to this total with 16 strikeouts in both Tuesday and Wednesday games.

Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson remarked on the nature of the games, stating, “Two really good teams, low scoring, tight games. Those are the games you certainly like to win and hate to lose.”

Milwaukee claimed two out of three games in the series, having won 6-2 on Monday and Philadelphia taking the second game with a score of 5-1 on Tuesday.

Bohm put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 in the second inning, marking his first home run since August 15. In response, Rhys Hoskins tied the game in the fifth inning with his 25th homer of the season and also contributed a double during the game.

“Are you surprised? Of course, you’re not surprised,” Hoskins said, discussing the team’s ability to stage a comeback. “That’s what we’ve been doing all year.”

After Peralta exited the game, Brewers right-hander Joe Ross came in to pitch and promptly allowed a single and a walk but managed to retire Nick Castellanos and Bohm before giving way to left-hander Jared Koenig. Koenig then got Stott to ground out on his first pitch.

The critical moment came in the ninth when Chourio led off with a triple. Estévez intentionally walked William Contreras, struck out Garrett Mitchell, and then walked Willy Adames, which loaded the bases for Bauers. He delivered the winning hit shortly afterward, sealing the game for the Brewers.

“Everybody was doubting us at the beginning, that we were going to be able to do this,” Adames reflected. “We proved them wrong. Hopefully we can go all the way and win it all.”

For the Phillies, their magic number stands at one for qualifying for the playoffs, and four to clinch the NL East title. The team has made it to the playoffs in the last two seasons, losing to Arizona in the 2023 NL Championship Series and to Houston in the 2022 World Series.

This weekend, the Phillies will begin a four-game series against the New York Mets on Thursday, while the Brewers will face the Arizona Diamondbacks in their own four-game series.

Source: AP