Brewers 5, Dodgers 0: Christian Yelich continues to feast on home cooking with two more homers

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Christian Yelich is putting on the best performance at home since Macaulay Culkin got left behind at Christmas.

Yelich continued his love affair with Miller Park on Saturday night, pounding two more home runs to spark the Brewers to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, snapping a three-game losing streak in the process.

Yelich has been incredible at home since coming to the Brewers in a trade with Miami before the 2018 season. In 87 games (85 starts) at Miller Park, he has slugged 35 home runs, including all 13 of his homers in 13 home games this season. Yelich has eight home runs in six games on this home stand.

Those 13 home runs tied Prince Fielder’s franchise record for most in any month, set in May 2007. Yelich also has 31 runs batted in for March/April, another Brewers record.

Yelich’s homers off Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu accounted for the Brewers’ first two runs but also directly led to the other three. With Lorenzo Cain on second with a two-out double in the seventh, the Dodgers intentionally walked the left-handed-hitting Yelich despite having a left-hander, Caleb Ferguson, on the mound.

BOX SCORE:Brewers 5, Dodgers 0

HAUDRICOURT: Yelich taught Cardinals manager a tough lesson

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

That move brought to the plate right-handed-hitting Ryan Braun, mired in a 3 for 38 slump. But Braun, who has a flair for the dramatic, made the Dodgers pay by crushing a three-run home run to left-center to break open the game. Braun’s homer was the 1,815th hit of his career, tying Cecil Cooper for third place on the all-time franchise list.

Right-hander Chase Anderson also played a huge role in the Brewers’ victory, coming out of the bullpen to make a spot start for injured Freddy Peralta. Anderson shook off a shaky 34-pitch first inning to blank the Dodgers over five innings, allowing no hits after Joc Pederson led off the game with a single.

Anderson expected to start the season in the rotation but had trouble with his pitching mechanics in spring training and was assigned to bullpen duty instead. He was disappointed by that decision but rose to the occasion when given this unanticipated opportunity.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

Pitching plan still flexible: Manager Craig Counsell said he hadn’t decided if Anderson would get another start. The pitcher for Monday’s spot, vacated when Corbin Burnes was sent down, still remains undecided as well. “The off day (next Thursday) gives us some flexibility to make a decision (with Anderson),” Counsell said. “We haven’t made a decision on what’s going to happen next. We are going to start to start with the spots in flux right now.”

Peralta on comeback trail: Peralta played some catch Friday as he tries to bounce back from his shoulder inflammation and it went well. The Brewers are hoping his time on the injured list is short. “He experienced no discomfort doing some light throwing. So, that’s a good sign,” Counsell said.

Fits like a glove: The Brewers entered the night with only five errors for the season, fewest in the majors, and riding a streak of 10 games in a row without one. Mike Moustakas, who some predicted would be a disaster in moving from third base to second, had no errors in 17 games at his new position. “We thought he could play second base,” Counsell said. “It’s still a work in progress. I think he’ll improve as the season goes. We’re working hard on double plays three or four times a week, to keep making progress on his comfort level there. He has handled it well, and I think it has gone as expected from our end.”

Moustakas leaves game early: Moustakas started at third in this game, his third start there, but left the game in the seventh inning with right hand discomfort. He made a diving stab of a sharp grounder to his left by A.J. Pollock in the fourth, and might have jammed his hand into the ground doing so.

Yelich on torrid pace: The 13 home runs by Yelich in the Brewers’ first 22 games are the most for any player through 22 games since New York’s Alex Rodriguez slugged 14 in 2007. Rodriguez won his third AL MVP Award that season.

RECORD

This year: 13-9

Last year: 13-9

ATTENDANCE

Saturday: 40,402

This year: 463,931 (35,687 avg.)

Last year: 424,372 (32,644 avg.)

COMING UP

Sunday: Dodgers at Brewers, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RH Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 5.23) vs. Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 2.57). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.