In a game that had everything from a pitching scare to a historic hitting streak, the Milwaukee Brewers powered past the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-1 on Thursday, turning a potential setback into a statement win.
William Contreras was the star of the show, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. The Brewers' catcher set the tone early with an RBI double in the first inning, then launched a two-run homer in the third. He wasn't done there, adding an RBI single in the fourth, drawing a walk in the sixth, and singling again in the eighth. Contreras and teammate Garrett Mitchell each crossed the plate three times, while Sal Frelick also went deep for Milwaukee.
The win was especially impressive given the early exit of ace Brandon Woodruff. The two-time All-Star managed just 21 pitches before leaving with one out in the second inning, his fastball averaging a concerning 85.4 mph. But the Brewers' bullpen picked up the slack, with Shane Drohan (1-1) earning his first career win after allowing just one run over four innings of relief.
Arizona's Michael Soroka (4-1) had a day to forget, surrendering eight runs over three-plus innings and seeing his ERA balloon from 2.60 to 4.70. Tyler Black and Luis Rengifo each drove in three runs for Milwaukee, while the Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas extended his hitting streak to 23 games this season—matching the second-longest start to a season since 1940, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
In a quirky subplot, Arizona catcher James McCann took the mound for the second time in three days. After a perfect eighth inning on Tuesday, he gave up one run on a bases-loaded walk in his lone inning Thursday.
The Brewers wrapped up a 3-3 homestand by taking two of three from Arizona, and now head to Chicago for a three-game series with the Cubs. The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, travel to face the Cubs as well, with Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.14 ERA) set to take the mound for Arizona on Friday.
