Milwaukee erases an early deficit before Vaughn delivers the decisive hit in the eighth
Andrew Vaughn’s single in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie, and Milwaukee’s bullpen made it stand as the Brewers held off Minnesota, 4-3, on Friday night at American Family Field.
The Brewers scored first, fell behind by two runs, then steadily worked their way back into the game before Vaughn provided the final swing. His ground-ball single through the right side brought home pinch-runner Brandon Lockridge, who had reached second on a stolen base after replacing William Contreras. Milwaukee’s pitchers then closed the door in the ninth, turning a tight game into a one-run victory.
Milwaukee grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first after Brice Turang opened the inning with a double and advanced to third on Jake Bauers’ single. William Contreras was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Turang to score. Taj Bradley escaped further damage, but the Brewers had an early 1-0 advantage.
Minnesota answered immediately in the second. Luke Keaschall opened the inning with a ground-rule double, and Kaelen Culpepper was hit by a pitch before Austin Martin was also hit later in the inning. Ryan Jeffers walked to load the pressure on Milwaukee starter Robert Gasser, and the Twins took advantage. Jeffers’ walk brought home Keaschall, tying the game, before Royce Lewis ripped a two-run double to left that scored Culpepper and Martin. Minnesota suddenly led 3-1.
The Twins had chances to add to the margin but could not turn their opportunities into another run. Keaschall reached again in the third on a single, moved to second on a balk and was later caught trying to steal third. Minnesota also put runners on base in the fourth, but Milwaukee’s defense and pitching prevented another scoring threat.
The Brewers finally pulled even in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew Vaughn and Christian Yelich opened the inning with consecutive singles, and David Hamilton followed with a walk to load the bases. Turang then delivered again, lining a single to right that scored Vaughn and Yelich. The two-run hit erased Minnesota’s advantage and made it a 3-3 game.
From there, the game settled into a bullpen-driven contest. Bradley departed after five innings, with Travis Adams taking over for Minnesota in the sixth. Milwaukee moved from Gasser to Chad Patrick in the fifth, then Abner Uribe, Aaron Ashby and Jeff Hoffman followed. The Brewers’ relief corps kept Minnesota off the scoreboard through the middle innings, while Minnesota’s Adams and Kody Funderburk did the same until the eighth.
Turang remained a constant presence for Milwaukee. He singled in the seventh and stole second, his 16th stolen base of the season, but Minnesota escaped the inning without allowing him to score.
The deciding sequence came in the bottom of the eighth. Contreras singled and was replaced by Lockridge, who immediately stole second. After Garrett Mitchell flew out, Vaughn came through with another base hit, this one into right field. Lockridge scored, Vaughn moved to second and Milwaukee took its first lead since the opening inning.
Jeff Hoffman retired the next two batters to preserve the advantage, and Trevor Megill entered for the ninth. Trevor Larnach lined out, pinch-hitter Alan Roden popped out in foul territory, and Ryan Jeffers finished the game with a flyout to center.
Milwaukee’s 4-3 victory came down to the same formula that had kept the game within reach: timely hitting, aggressive baserunning and a bullpen that did not surrender the lead once Vaughn put the Brewers ahead.
