Christian Yelich scored the go-ahead run from first base on a double by rookie Jackson Chourio in the eighth inning, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-5 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday night at American Family Field.
Yelich led off the eighth with a single off Miami reliever Cade Gibson (2-4) and dashed home on Chourio’s line-drive double into the left-center field gap, giving Milwaukee its 10th win in its last 14 games. Chourio’s clutch hit was his 23rd double of the season, tying him for second in the National League with Freddie Freeman, just behind the Mets’ Pete Alonso (25).
“It’s just instinct, really,” Yelich said of his dash from first. “You see it off the bat and you go. Jackson put it in the perfect spot.”
Left-hander Aaron Ashby (1-0) earned the win with a dominant outing in relief, retiring all seven batters he faced after entering in the sixth inning.
Trevor Megill worked a tense ninth for his 19th save in 22 chances. After two outs, he allowed a single to Xavier Edwards and walked Jesús Sánchez on a nine-pitch at-bat, but struck out Otto Lopez swinging to end it.
The game was a back-and-forth battle. Miami struck first in the opening inning, taking a 1-0 lead on a Lopez RBI groundout. Milwaukee responded in the third. Caleb Durbin singled and scored on Joey Ortiz’s two-run single after a Sal Frelick sacrifice fly and William Contreras double helped the Brewers build a 5-2 lead.
Durbin had an excellent night, finishing with two hits, an RBI, and two stolen bases — pushing Milwaukee’s MLB-leading team total to 101 steals on the season.
Connor Norby cut into the lead with a solo home run in the fourth, his fifth of the year, and Miami pulled even an inning later. Sánchez tripled with one out in the fifth and came home when Lopez followed with a game-tying two-run homer — his ninth.
Brewers starter Quinn Priester labored through 4 2/3 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He was hampered by throwing errors from both himself and second baseman Brice Turang in the third, allowing a run to score and helping Miami stay close.
Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara went six innings, allowing five runs on just five hits, but a lack of command and timely hits by Milwaukee kept him from gaining traction.
The series continues Saturday as Brewers RHP Chad Patrick (3-7, 3.51 ERA) faces Marlins RHP Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.42 ERA).
With the win, Milwaukee maintains its momentum in the NL Central race, while the Marlins continue to battle through a tough July stretch.
