The Milwaukee Brewers took the term “walk-off” to a whole new level with their 6-5 victory over the Mariners at American Family Field on Friday night. In the bottom of the ninth inning, they coaxed four consecutive walks from Seattle reliever Andrés Muñoz, propelling the Brewers to a 5-1 overall record, including an impressive 3-0 in one-run games.
Muñoz, known for his tough pitching with a triple-digit fastball, narrowly missed the strike zone enough times to gift the Brewers a unique win.
According to MLB.com research, the Brewers had never before walked off an opponent with four walks and no hits, dating back to available data since 1974. The closest comparison was on April 9, 2018, when the Brewers scored a run in the top of the 10th inning with four walks and no hits against the Cardinals.
By walk-off, the Brewers prevail in yet another close game
For the Brewers, the victory held extra significance as it marked their first walk-off win via walk since July 2, 2018, against the Twins. The decisive moment came when William Contreras confidently took a slider just off the plate for the winning Ball 4 with the bases loaded, sending the Brewers into celebration mode.
“That was awesome,” shared Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. “Our offense showed great patience and determination.”
Manager Pat Murphy echoed the sentiment, giving credit to home-plate umpire Derek Thomas for maintaining a consistent strike zone throughout the game.
“That’s the name of the game,” Murphy remarked. “Swing at strikes and take balls. Especially against a tough pitcher like Muñoz, who has both a triple-digit fastball and a great slider.”
Reflecting on Muñoz’s challenging situation, Peralta empathized with the opposing pitcher’s plight.
“We’ve all been there. It’s not easy,” Peralta acknowledged. “You have to focus on the process, understand the situation, take a deep breath, but it’s still tough. No one wants to be in that position, especially in the ninth inning with the game on the line.”
The Brewers found themselves in this thrilling situation after facing challenges earlier in the game. Willy Adames and Oliver Dunn contributed homers for Milwaukee, with Adames hitting his first home run of the season and Dunn securing the first of his Major League career. Peralta, on the mound, breezed through five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts before encountering difficulties in the sixth inning.
Despite the Mariners mounting a comeback, tying the game at 5-5, Brewers reliever Abner Uribe showed resilience in a tough situation. Losing the lead but preventing further damage, Uribe impressed Manager Murphy with his composure.
“It was a learning experience for Uribe,” Murphy noted. “He kept his composure, which was impressive for a young player like him.”
In a surprising turn of events, the bottom of the ninth inning offered a learning moment for Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio. Despite being called out on strikes with the bases loaded, Manager Murphy saw it as a positive, emphasizing the learning experience for the young player.
Ultimately, Sal Frelick’s leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth set the stage for the Brewers’ memorable victory. Jake Bauers and Brice Turang followed suit with walks, and after Muñoz managed to strike out Chourio, Contreras sealed the win with the decisive walk.
“So far, we’ve played a lot of tight baseball games,” remarked Dunn, another Brewers rookie. “I think it’s something we’re good at. Over the course of the year, we’re going to be one of the teams that excels in these close games.”