Christian Yelich walked into Wednesday night with the Brewers asking for a spark, the crowd answering the call, and Yelich giving them exactly what they wanted.
Each trip to the plate brought a noticeable lift from the 33,528 fans at American Family Field, and Yelich fed off it. He was eventually the one who broke things open, ripping a run-scoring double that got Milwaukee on the board against the Pirates and Paul Skenes in a 4-2 win, the Brewers’ second straight over their division rivals.
Yelich’s night had some of everything. He was called out on a disputed check-swing third strike in the second inning, then came back in the fourth to double home the first run of the game. He added a single and stole second base in the sixth, putting together the kind of all-around performance the Brewers have long associated with him.
“It was cool to see the support from the fans tonight,” Yelich said. “It obviously hasn’t been the best last couple of months for me, but I definitely appreciated that tonight.”
That support came after a public nudge from manager Pat Murphy, and it was impossible to miss. Andrew Vaughn said, “They were in it,” and added, “It was pretty cool.”
Murphy sounded almost amused that the message had landed.
“That was really special,” Murphy said. “Does anybody really listen to what I say?”
Apparently, they do.
Murphy had originally slotted Yelich seventh in the lineup posted on Tuesday, a notable move for a player who has been a fixture in Milwaukee since arriving in 2018 and helping power the most successful stretch in franchise history. Yelich later moved back up to the five-hole when first baseman Jake Bauers was scratched with an abdominal injury. Either way, it marked the first time this season he had started a game below the cleanup spot.
Murphy was quick to praise what followed.
“I’m happy for him,” Murphy said. “He had two good at-bats and ran the bases unbelievably.
That was big. Huge.”
Yelich, for his part, didn’t make anything out of the lineup adjustment. He said Murphy was simply doing what he believed gave the Brewers the best chance to win.
“That’s what Murph thinks is best for the team and will help us win,” Yelich said. “I’ve always been willing to do whatever they think is best for us to try to win.
That’s the ultimate goal here. I’ve kind of hit all over - never seventh.
Regardless, whenever you’re in there, you try to do something to help the team win.”
That’s what happened Wednesday, and Vaughn said it fit the player the Brewers know so well.
“He’s putting his head down and working,” Vaughn said. “He’s not having the success of MVP Christian Yelich, but this game is really hard.
We all go through it, and I think he’s been really great about it. He’s our guy.
He’s a leader in this clubhouse, and we all look up to him.”
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