PITTSBURGH -- For the past week, the Brewers waited for their offense to break through. They waited in their series in Oakland and lost twice. Then, they waited as they were swept by the Cubs.\n\nWhen the Crew's pitching depth took another hit with
“It wasn’t on purpose that that happened,” Yelich said of his two-homer day. “You’re trying to do well every game. It just happened to work out that way tonight. If I could hit two homers whenever I wanted, that would be pretty sweet.”\n\nThe projected 425 feet the second dinger carried with a 34-degree launch angle gave the reigning National League MVP Award winner time to watch with admiration, followed by chants of “MVP” from loyal visitors. It marked the sixth career multihomer game for Yelich, four of which have come this season, and he ended his night with four hits.
“Look, when you go 4-for-5 with two homers, I don’t care who you are, it’s an enormous night,” manager Craig Counsell said. “So yeah, it was a great night. And he has the ability to put us on his back offensively. He’s done it before, he did it for a pretty long stretch last year and tonight was a night he did it again.”\n\nBetween those bookends, Milwaukee notched a pair of hit-heavy innings. The first was powered by
“I just want it to get over the fence,” Moustakas said. “I don’t care how far they go.”\n\nThen, it was a game of small ball. Three consecutive singles followed Moustakas’ homer, setting up an RBI groundout by starter
“If you’re going to score runs, that’s what you’ve got to do,” Yelich said. “You can’t just solely rely on the homers. You have to be able to string some together and manufacture runs in other ways than just leaving the ballpark.”\n\nIn the seven days leading up to Monday’s victory, the Brewers had recorded a .271 on-base percentage, the lowest mark in the National League during a 1-6 stretch that included the beginning to this nine-game road stretch. Milwaukee didn’t score more than four runs in a game during that span.\n\nThe Brewers reached that run mark in a single inning, and they reached base safely 16 times on Monday, including 13 hits -- the team’s most in a game since July 16. Four Milwaukee players put up a multhit game, though Grisham led the way in RBIs with three from the leadoff spot, his second straight game there.
The beginning of a new win streak didn’t come without a little turbulence.