DENVER – Since coming to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, Christian Yelich has seen lots of crazy things happen at Coors Field – and with the Brewers typically on the wrong end of it all.
But things have finally turned around.
Yelich, Jackson Chourio and William Contreras all homered and five players logged multi-hit games as the Brewers absolutely walloped the Colorado Rockies, 17-2, on Wednesday night in what had far too often served as their personal house of horrors.
Chourio drove in five runs himself – the second time in three games he’s done so – and Milwaukee set a franchise record by scoring five or more runs in three separate innings. The Brewers plated five in the third, five in the fifth and seven in the ninth with the final total of 17 their most since a 19-2 win at Pittsburgh on July 1, 2022.
BOX SCORE:Brewers 17, Rockies 2
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Since beginning the season 0-4, Milwaukee has won seven of eight while scoring 39 runs over the last four games.
And by winning their first two games against the Rockies, the Brewers clinched their first series victory in Denver since May 10-13, 2018 (three of four).
“I know we haven’t played real well here,” Yelich said. “It’s a hard place to play; anything can happen and no lead is really safe. They do a great job of playing here, and it just really hasn’t gone our way the last few years.
“But nice to come out and win the series, and we’ve got another game tomorrow, so hopefully continue to play well and finish the series off strong.”
Joey Ortiz was on base five times, walking three times and logging two hits. Joining him in the two-hit club were Yelich, Chourio, Contreras, Brice Turang and Garrett Mitchell.
“It’s coming together, for sure,” said manager Pat Murphy. “They’re scoring in bunches.”
A five-spot in the third for the Brewers
The first highlight of the night was of the defensive variety, when Brewers starter Tyler Alexander made an incredible behind-the-back snag of a Brenton Doyle line drive to get himself out of a two-on, two-out situation.
“Spring training might have been when I did it last,” Alexander said of his deft glovework. “Looking at the replay, Turang was definitely there, so it might not have been the smart move to do that because if I don’t catch it, then it’s a bigger mess.
“Instinct. And a lot of luck.”
That play then set the stage for a five-run third for the Brewers offense, with Turang singling in the first run, Chourio doubling in two more with a shot off the wall in right and then Contreras sending a two-out, two-run home run out to right for his second round-tripper in as many games.
Turang’s hitting streak has now reached 12 straight to start the season, passing Contreras for second-longest in club history. A hit Thursday will tie Turang with Dickie Thon for the franchise record of 13.
The Rockies got a run back in the bottom of the frame when Ryan McMahon went deep with two outs to make it 5-1, and after Doyle’s two-out RBI single made it 5-2 in the fourth Alexander was pulled in favor of Elvis Peguero.
In addition to the two runs, Alexander allowed six hits, two walks and struck out three in his 79-pitch effort.
Another crooked number in the fifth
Ortiz and Turang singled to start the fifth, and Chourio then jumped on a first-pitch slider right out over the plate and belted it out to left for his team-leading fourth homer of the season.
Since going 0 for 5 with five strikeouts on opening day, Chourio has now hit in 11 straight games – the third-longest active streak in the majors.
Yelich then blooped a single and Sal Frelick reached on an error. A double steal put both runners in scoring position, with Rhys Hoskins driving in Yelich with a sacrifice fly to center and Mitchell plating Frelick when he beat out a two-out infield single that made it 10-2.
“Just good at-bats,” Yelich said. “That’s how baseball goes. A week ago everyone thought we were the worst team that’s ever played baseball and this week we’ve turned it around and played a lot better and kind of salvaged where we’re at early in the season.
“There’s still a really long way to go. But a lot of good at-bats by the guys.”
Yelich blasts off with the second-longest homer of his career
Seth Halvorsen walked Ortiz and Turang to start the ninth, then made a costly miscue by throwing Chourio’s swinging bunt all the way down the first-base line to score both runners.
It only got worse from there for him as a batter later Yelich cracked a 465-foot homer to right-center. It was Yelich’s second straight game with a homer, and the second-longest homer of his career.
The longest also came at Coors Field, a mammoth 499-foot leadoff blast to center there on Sept. 6, 2022.
“They shorted me. One hundred percent. No doubt in my mind,” Yelich said of that homer. “It’s cool. It’s a great place to hit. I haven’t really hit too many homers here; they’ve all kind of come the last couple years.
“One of those fluky baseball things.”
Yelich, who along with Contreras has gotten off to an extremely slow start at the plate, has his average up to .171 and his OPS up to .682 with three homers and eight RBI now through 12 games.
“It’s only been (12) games, so there’s no panic,” he said. “Just keep going and keep trying to be the best version of yourself that day. We’ve got a long, long way to go so you’ve got to settle in for the grind and just try to keep going, and eventually you’ll put some things together and hopefully take off.”
Oliver Dunn followed Yelich’s blast with a run-scoring single, then Ortiz lined a two-RBI double to right to cap what ended up being a seven-run frame and a wild night at the ballpark.
What time is the Brewers game?
Time: 7:40 p.m. CT
What channel is the Brewers game on tonight? TV, stream
TV channel: FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin
Stream: Streaming is available on the FanDuel Sports Wisconsin app.
Brewers lineup
- Brice Turang 2B
- Jackson Chourio LF
- Christian Yelich DH
- William Contreras C
- Sal Frelick RF
- Rhys Hoskins 1B
- Garrett Mitchell CF
- Oliver Dunn 3B
- Joey Ortiz 3B
Rockies lineup
- Brenton Doyle CF
- Sean Bouchard LF
- Ezequiel Tovar SS
- Ryan McMahon 3B
- Hunter Goodman C
- Kyle Farmer 2B
- Kris Bryant DH
- Michael Toglia 1B
- Zac Veen RF
Brewers schedule
Brewers at Rockies, Thursday 2:10 p.m: Milwaukee RHP Quinn Priester (season debut) vs. Colorado RHP Ryan Feltner (0-0, 3.60). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Diamondbacks, Friday 8:40 p.m.: Milwaukee TBA vs. Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodríguez (0-1, 6.10). TV – FanDuel Sports Extra. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Diamondbacks, Saturday 7:10 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Chad Patrick (1-0, 2.45) vs. Arizona RHP Corbin Burnes (0-1, 5.79). TV – FanDuel Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
Brewers at Diamondbacks, Sunday 3:10 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Freddy Peralta (1-1, 2.00) vs. Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (1-2, 5.28). TV – FanDuel Sports Extra. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.
