Milwaukee Brewers Extend Ridiculous Streak Vs Reds with 9-1 Win Ahead of Crucial Homestand

At the plate, Jackson Chourio cranked his 10th homerun of the year to increase a 1-0 Brewers lead to 3-0 in the 5th. An inning later, left fielder Daz Cameron, acquired in a trade with the Orioles in early April, launched a two-run bomb of his own, his first blast of the season.

Leading off and getting the start at third, Andrew Monasterio added a hit and an RBI, and Isaac Collins, pinch-hitting for Cameron in the 9th, hit his second dinger this year, a three-run shot off former Brewer Wade Miley.

If there was anything to nitpick, it would be an 0 for 5 day from shortstop Joey Ortiz, dropping his average to .176 on the season. Ortiz had looked better of late, going 3 for 7 with four walks in his last three games.

Impactful Homestand Ahead

After a day off on Thursday, the Brewers return to American Family Field for a 10-game homestand that begins Friday against the Padres. Chad Patrick is scheduled for his 13th start of the year. Amidst an excellent campaign (2.97 ERA, 3.2 K/BB ratio), the 26-year-old rookie will face a challenging Padres lineup featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr.

Significantly, the homestand will give the Brewers a chance to gain ground in both the wild card race and the division. Heading into their game tonight against the Giants, San Diego sits 2.5 games ahead of Milwaukee for the second spot. The Cardinals, the Brewers’ final opponent of the homestand, own the third and final wild card.

Back in April, St. Louis beat the Brewers two games out of three, so the latter can also exact revenge in the rivals’ four-game set later this month.

Atop the NL Central, the 38-22 Cubs own the league’s best record and remain five games up on the Brewers. Plenty of season remains, but for now, Milwaukee’s best shot at a playoff berth involves overtaking a wild card team like the Cardinals or Giants.

After an embarrassing season-opener against the Yankees and the up-and-down stretch that followed, the Brewers find themselves in a surprisingly good place at the beginning of June.

As far as stretching their Cincinnati streak any further, they will have to wait until after the All-Star break. The teams meet again on August 15, and once more to wrap up the schedule. It will be interesting to see whether Milwaukee’s Reds romp is still intact on Opening Day next season.