08/18/26 11:51:00
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08/18 23:50 CDT Power surge fuels record-tying night for Brewers in 22-0 rout
of Mariners
Power surge fuels record-tying night for Brewers in 22-0 rout of Mariners
By RICH ROVITO
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) --- The long ball hasn't been the Milwaukee Brewers' strength
this season, but the team with the best record in the majors put its power on
full display on Tuesday night in a record-matching 22-0 rout of the Seattle
Mariners.
The Brewers equaled baseball's modern-era record for the biggest shutout with a
power surge that included three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David
Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers.
The Brewers have 117 home runs this season, the fewest in baseball, but as was
pointed out by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, they have multiple players with the
ability to go deep.
"They'll put bunts down and put pressure on the bases and steal bags," Wilson
said before the game. "They also have the ability to hit the home run. You kind
of have to prepare for all areas of the game."
The Brewers also generated offense doing what they do best, pulling off a
double steal in a five-run fifth inning that helped break open a tight game.
The 78-48 Brewers matched a franchise record for runs in a game, tying the 22
runs they scored at the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28, 1992. The Brewers also
had a season-high 22 hits.
"It's one game but a pretty darn good performance," Brewers manager Pat Murphy
said. "I'd like to order that every night."
The only other 22-0 victories since 1901 were by Pittsburgh over the host
Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug.
31, 2004.
Yelich connected for his ninth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Bryce
Miller in the fifth. The Brewers tacked on five more runs in the sixth.
"It's kind of crazy. It happened fast," Yelich said. "It's always fun to be on
this side."
Bauers smiled as he struggled to find words to describe the Brewers offensive
outburst.
"I've got nothing for you on that one," Bauers said. "It was just good
performance all around. Just good at-bats all night up and down the lineup."
Bauers hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the season in the sixth inning and
he's now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.
The Brewers tagged Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who came on to pitch in the
eighth, for nine runs, which included a three-run home run from 21-year-old
rookie Lara, his first career homer.
Lara took some good-natured ribbing about whether the homer counted since he
hit it off a position player, but he was in a celebratory mood.
"For me, it all counts," Lara said through an interpreter. "But I understand
that it may not be common to get your first (home run) against a position
player."
Bauers and Yelich backed their young teammate.
"It's a hard game. Every bloop single, dribbler single, home run off a position
player, they all count," he said.
Yelich urged Lara to embrace the moment.
"The first career homer is always cool," he said. "Anytime you get to jog
around the bases in a major league game is always special. It was cool for him
to get his first one and smile and laugh about it."
The Brewers also used a position player on the mound, veteran catcher/first
baseman Gary Sanchez, with a much different result. Sanchez pitched a scoreless
ninth with many in the announced crowd of 36,870 standing and cheering.
It was the third career pitching appearance for Sanchez and second this season.
He has tossed two scoreless innings in the pair of outings the season.
"He did great. He was a showman as always," Bauers said. "The crowd was
involved. They loved it. He loved it. We loved it. But I still think he's a
better catcher than a pitcher."
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