MILWAUKEE – The Brewers have had a lot thrown their way lately. Stints on the injured list for budding star Jackson Chourio, defensive whiz Joey Ortiz and All-Star closer Trevor Megill. News that Shelby Miller, Milwaukee’s biggest Trade Deadline pickup, is lost for the season just when a weary bullpen needs him most. Then came word early Wednesday evening that franchise cornerstone Christian Yelich was a late scratch from the starting lineup due to the three words Milwaukee fans least want to hear: Low back soreness.
It will emerge in the coming days whether it’s yet another thing for the Brewers to worry about in the wake of their costly stretch of 19 games over 18 days, or just a blip in Yelich’s sensational – and so far healthy – season coming off back surgery. The club plans to rest Yelich again on Thursday and see if he can return for the next series in Pittsburgh, manager Pat Murphy said.
But one trademark of these Brewers seemed clear during a 6-3 win over the Phillies at American Family Field. No matter what happens, they just keep going.
“We’re here for something big,” said veteran starter Jose Quintana. “We know it’s not going to be easy. At some point, we’re going to feel fatigue. At some point, we need to support each other. I think tonight, that’s what we did out there. It’s hard when you hear Yelich is scratched from the lineup, that something has happened. … So now is the perfect time to be together and keep fighting.
“I think we’re staying in a really good position and we’ll just keep it rolling. We’re close.”
Quintana delivered a quality start ahead of a unique bullpen approach that saw Abner Uribe take the eighth inning and Jared Koenig earn his first 2025 save in the ninth. They all pitched with the lead after the lineup, sans Yelich, scored five runs against Phillies starter Aaron Nola before producing a single out, giving the Brewers a hard-earned victory on a night every other NL team currently in playoff position lost. The Brewers’ lead over the Cubs in the NL Central is six games with 140 in the books and 22 to go.
Not to be overlooked was that the Brewers also secured the season series victory over the Phillies, meaning that Milwaukee holds the tiebreaker against every current division leader – the Phillies, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Tigers and Astros – in the event that becomes relevant for purposes of postseason seeding.
For a tough day that began with news of Miller’s UCL sprain and Yelich’s balky back, it turned into a productive night.
“‘The full catastrophe’ is what we call it, you know what I mean?” Murphy said. “The Major League season will give you the full catastrophe, and we’ve had about everything you can. But that’s what’s beautiful about the people in the room. Those guys play hard.”
Chourio, called into designated hitter duty on what was supposed to be a rest day, tested his recently recovered hamstring with a 180-foot scamper from second base home on a Sal Frelick single that produced the first two Brewers runs of the decisive first inning. Isaac Collins followed by burnishing his NL Rookie of the Year Award resume with a three-run home run, his first since hitting a walk-off homer against the Mets back on Aug. 10.
That made it a 5-0 ballgame before Nola recorded an out, and showed the Brewers can score without Yelich, who has worked endlessly over the years to avoid absences because of his troublesome back. He underwent a disc surgery last August and played in 132 of the Brewers’ first 139 games, including 18 starts in left field and 111 as the designated hitter before Wednesday marked the first time he was known to miss a game for a reason beyond regular rest.
The 32-year-old has been one of the most productive hitters for MLB’s winningest team, slashing .268/.350/.464 with 27 home runs, 92 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. His .973 OPS in August was his most productive month, as the Brewers went 21-9 and surged to the top of the MLB standings.
Wednesday’s scratch came on the heels of the Brewers’ first team off-day since Aug. 14. They played 19 games over 18 days from Aug. 15-Sept. 1, with Yelich playing in all 19 and starting 18 of them. Five of those starts were in left field including on Aug. 27, when Yelich notched his first outfield assist of the season and legged out a hustle double in the ninth inning of a loss to the D-backs. It was on that double, Murphy believes, that he felt something in his back.
“He wanted to keep playing,” Murphy said, “because he loves the guys and wants to represent every day and post every day so they get in the habit of posting every day.”
That includes Chourio, who wasn’t originally in Wednesday’s lineup. And Collins, who wasn’t supposed to be on the Brewers’ Opening Day roster but made the cut and became a mainstay. His 2.8 fWAR leads NL rookies.
“This is a dream, honestly, to be part of the No. 1 team in baseball and be a big contributor to a team,” Collins said. “We’re obviously in the thick of it right now and trying not to worry too much about the noise, but at the end of the day, there’s a lot to be proud of so far. There’s so much more to accomplish.”
