Milwaukee’s Garrett Mitchell is making a habit of this. The 27-year-old center fielder delivered a two-out single up the middle in the 10th inning Friday night, scoring automatic runner Jackson Chourio to give the Brewers a 2-1 win over the Miami Marlins at American Family Field. It was his third career walk-off hit, and it snapped Milwaukee’s three-game losing streak.
The win pushed the Brewers to 60-37, making them the second team in the majors to hit that mark this season — alongside the Dodgers. But here’s the thing: Milwaukee got there in just 97 games, which is the fastest pace in franchise history. That’s worth a second look, considering this team wasn’t expected to be anywhere near this good after losing key pieces in the offseason.
Mitchell didn’t just do it with the bat. He made two highlight-reel catches in center field, one in the ninth inning to rob Heriberto Hernandez of extra bases and another on Joe Mack’s liner to end the top of the 10th. Without those, the game might not have even reached the bottom of the frame.
He finished 2-for-4 with a walk and the game-winning RBI, extending a hot stretch where he’s slashing .323/.381/.563 over his last 30 games. For the season — his first full year after shoulder surgery — he’s at .277/.366/.460 through a career-high 87 games. That’s the kind of production the Brewers were betting on when they brought him back slowly.
A Pitching Duel That Delivered
Logan Henderson and Sandy Alcantara traded zeroes for most of the night. Henderson went five innings, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks. He left after 73 pitches when a forearm cramp got checked out by the trainer, but he looked sharp while he was out there. Griffin Conine took him deep in the fifth for his third homer in five games.
Alcantara was vintage. Six innings, one run on three hits, seven strikeouts and four walks. That was his league-leading 15th quality start of the year, and it tied Ricky Nolasco’s Marlins franchise record with 110 career quality starts. Joey Ortiz answered Conine’s homer with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the fifth, and that was the entire scoring until the 10th.
The Brewers nearly won it in the ninth after Ortiz singled, stole second and Christian Yelich walked, but Chourio struck out looking. There was some buzz afterward about an available ABS challenge on a pitch that appeared to be outside the zone, but the Brewers didn’t use it.
Bullpen Shuts the Door
Milwaukee’s bullpen was nails. Chad Patrick, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill and Craig Yoho each threw a scoreless inning. Yoho worked around the automatic runner in the 10th and picked up his first major league win. The Marlins didn’t have an answer.
One concern: Sal Frelick left the game with right shoulder soreness after a throw from the outfield. Manager Pat Murphy said imaging would be done and indicated Frelick probably won’t be available for a bit. That’s something to watch, because Frelick has been solid defensively and on the bases.
For now, the Brewers are still rolling. Sixty wins before anyone expected them to get there. Mitchell is playing like a guy who wants to make sure nobody forgets he’s part of the plan.
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