StaTuesday: Yelich, Brewers post wild numbers in 15-14 marathon win
It’s been the year of offense in Major League Baseball and Saturday’s game between Milwaukee and Washington was just further proof.
In a wild back-and-forth 14-inning game in D.C., the Brewers prevailed 15-14.
It marked just the 10th time in Brewers history (11th if you count the Seattle Pilots) that both teams scored 12+ runs and the first time each club had 14+.
| DATE | OPP | RESULT |
| 8/17/2019 | Nationals | W, 15-14 |
| 8/22/2018 | Reds | W, 13-12 |
| 7/3/2012 | Marlins | W, 13-12 |
| 6/15/2009 | Indians | W, 14-12 |
| 9/22/2006 | Giants | W, 13-12 |
| 4/18/2006 | Astros | L, 13-12 |
| 9/21/2001 | Rockies | L, 14-12 |
| 7/1/1999 | Cubs | W, 19-12 |
| 9/12/1998 | Cubs | L, 15-12 |
| 6/29/1995 | White Sox | L, 17-13 |
| 5/10/1969* | Senators | W, 16-13 |
* - Seattle Pilots
Since 1908, it was just the 61st time both teams scored at least 14 runs in a game and it was the first such occasion since Sept. 2, 2008 when the Braves beat the Marlins 16-14.
Against the Nationals, Milwaukee clubbed seven home runs, which tied a club record done just one time previously – April 29, 1980. In a game which lasted just 2 hours, 41 minutes, Sal Bando and Ben Oglivie both hit two out of the park while Larry Hisle, Sixto Lezcano and Paul Molitor also went deep.
Just like in 1980, a pair of Brewers hit two homers – Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich.
Yelich had five hits in all and also drove in four runs. Only two other Brewers have had at least five hits, two homers and four RBI in a game in franchise history: Ryan Braun on April 21, 2009 and Jonathan Lucroy on May 31, 2013 (both went 5-for-5 with two homers and four RBI).
Yelich as the third player this season to have such a game, joining San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford and Houston’s George Springer, the sixth in the past two seasons and the 10th since 2017.
But Yelich also added a stolen base, which puts him in even more select company. He’s just the 13th player in history (well, since 1908, which is how far back the research goes) to have 5+ hits, 2+ homers, 4+ RBI and a stolen base in a game.
| PLAYER | TEAM | DATE |
| Jimmie Foxx | Athletics | 5/1/1929 |
| Carl Reynolds | White Sox | 7/2/1930 |
| Bob Johnson | Athletics | 8/29/1937 |
| Gus Zernial | Athletics | 6/22/1952 |
| Willie Mays | Giants | 5/13/1958 |
| Orlando Cepeda | Giants | 8/24/1962 |
| Willie Stargell | Pirates | 5/22/1968 |
| Mike Marshall | Dodgers | 8/22/1984 |
| Danny Bautista | Diamondbacks | 4/22/2004 |
| Asdrubal Cabrera | Indians | 5/22/2011 |
| Tommy Medica | Padres | 8/1/2014 |
| Yoenis Cespedes | Mets | 8/21/2015 |
| Christian Yelich | Brewers | 8/17/2019 |
All of the 13 players listed above had five hits, but Yelich and Zernial are the only two of the 13 to also have walked.
Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
