MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Brewers are proving they can win in every way imaginable. On Friday night, it was William Contreras who delivered the big swing.
The All-Star catcher blasted his first career walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth, lifting Milwaukee to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a sellout crowd at American Family Field. The win pushed the Brewers to a Major League-best 81 victories and their 20th in the last 25 games.
Former Brewers shortstop Willy Adames, now with the Giants, gave fans an early jolt. He received a standing ovation before his first at-bat and promptly launched a solo home run on the first pitch he saw. He later added another solo shot, reminding Milwaukee of the power that once carried their offense.
Milwaukee again leaned on defense and small ball to stay in the fight. Starter Jose Quintana worked into the sixth before handing off to the bullpen, while his defense kept runs off the board. Andruw Monasterio, filling in at shortstop for the injured Joey Ortiz, made a leaping catch in the third inning. Brice Turang sprinted into shallow right to snag a blooper in the sixth. In the seventh, center fielder Brandon Lockridge fired a strike to third to cut down a runner and keep the game tied.
At the plate, Milwaukee manufactured runs with patience and pressure. A pair of wild pitches tied the score in the fourth, and a seventh-inning rally began with Monasterio being hit by a pitch followed by a Turang bunt single.
The Giants had tied the game in the top of the ninth on a wild pitch that slipped past Contreras. But one inning later, he turned frustration into triumph with a towering drive that sent the crowd into chaos.
“I hope that I can do that a thousand more times,” Contreras told MLB’s Adam McCalvy after circling the bases slowly and savoring the first walk-off blast of his career.
The Brewers poured out of the dugout, and the catcher’s long trot was the exclamation point on yet another statement win for a team finding ways to beat anyone.