Christian Yelich fires stunning throw to catch Diamondbacks runner

The Brewers aim to regain momentum after opening their four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks with two straight victories, but in Wednesday’s game they’ve had trouble generating offense against Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson.

Christian Yelich made a game-saving defensive play in the fifth inning, knowing every run mattered. With two outs and runners on first and second, Alek Thomas sent a single into left field. Pavin Smith tried to come around from second, but Yelich unleashed a perfect throw to home plate, cutting him down and keeping Milwaukee in control.

Christian Yelich’s amazing defensive play

Yelich scooped up the sharply hit ball on two hops and fired a laser to William Contreras, who snagged it cleanly and tagged Pavin Smith out to end the inning , per Talkin’ Baseball. The play kept the Diamondbacks scoreless and protected Milwaukee’s 1-0 lead, but that advantage disappeared in the sixth when Blaze Alexander launched a two-run homer to put Arizona ahead 2-1.

Nelson has limited the Brewers to one run on six hits with no walks and three strikeouts through six innings. Even so, the Brewers continue to play with the belief that they’re never out of a game.

Yelich played a key role in Milwaukee’s massive seven-run rally against the Reds earlier this month. The 13-year veteran has flashed his Gold Glove defense while also staying locked in at the plate throughout August.

Since the start of August, Yelich has been on a tear, hitting .340 with a .431 on-base percentage and a .564 slugging mark. Over his last 24 games, he’s tallied six homers, 21 RBI, and 23 runs scored heading into Wednesday’s matchup.

While Yelich has been a driving force behind Milwaukee’s push, the Brewers have also thrived because of role players stepping up in key moments during what manager Pat Murphy has called a “magical” season.

“The guy’s playing every day. He’s exhausted. He’s just giving us everything he’s got. It’s unbelievable,” Murphy remarked when talking about Yelich.