MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joey Ortiz and William Contreras each drove in two runs, and the Milwaukee Brewers moved a step closer to clinching the NL Central title by beating the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 on Monday night.
The Brewers’ magic number is down to two as they seek their third division championship in the last four years. Milwaukee can wrap it up Tuesday night with a win and a Chicago Cubs loss to Oakland.
Brewers starter Aaron Civale (9-8) scattered seven hits and struck out six while allowing one run and one walk in five innings.
“Anytime you’re competing and playing meaningful games at the end of the year, it’s awesome,” Civale said. “At this point, it’s just trying to get everybody on the same page and trying to make as deep a run as you can.”
Colin Rea, normally a starter, made his fourth relief appearance of the season and worked 2 2/3 shutout innings for the 34-year-old’s first career save. Brewers manager Pat Murphy said he asked if Rae would be willing to help out a bullpen that was short on available arms one night after an 11-10, 10-inning loss in Arizona.
“He goes, ‘Absolutely,’” Murphy said. “That’s the type of people that you’re looking for to build a team when you’re in a small market and had all the adversity we’ve had.”
Rea became the 12th Brewers pitcher to get a save this season, setting a franchise record. The only team to have more was the 2021 Tampa Bay Rays with 14.
Rea never before had earned a save in the major leagues, minor leagues or even in his two stints pitching in Japan.
“I wasn’t sure how long I was going to go, and you just kind of leave it all out there,” Rea said. “I feel like when I come out of the bullpen, that’s the way it goes. There’s just that extra adrenaline.”
Blake Perkins scored twice for the Brewers. Brandon Marsh homered for the Phillies.
Contreras opened the scoring with a two-run double that had a 115.6 mph exit velocity, the third-highest of his career. Contreras hit a sharp grounder off Ranger Suárez that rolled all the way to the wall in left-center to bring home Jackson Chourio and Perkins.
The Brewers extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Rhys Hoskins drew a leadoff walk against his former team, advanced to third on Sal Frelick’s double and scored on Ortiz’s sacrifice fly.
After Marsh put the Phillies on the scoreboard with a two-out homer in the fifth, the Brewers scored twice in the sixth to make it 5-1. Ortiz hit a two-out RBI triple and scored on Brice Turang’s single to left.
Suárez (12-7) went five innings and struck out five while giving up three runs, four hits and three walks. The left-hander remained in the game after jamming his right wrist while trying to field Turang’s bunt in the fourth.
Philadelphia went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to rally.
“We got enough hits to score some (more) runs,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We had chances, but it just didn’t happen.”
The Phillies ran themselves out of an inning in the third. Cal Stevenson attempted to advance from first to third on Trea Turner’s one-out single to right field, but Sal Frelick threw him out. Turner then got picked off attempting to steal second.
Kyle Schwarber and Turner opened the sixth with singles off Civale, but Hoby Milner came out of the bullpen and retired Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm in order.
The Phillies brought the potential tying run to the plate after Schwarber’s two-out RBI single in the seventh cut Milwaukee’s lead to 5-2 and put runners on the corners, but Rea retired Turner on a fly to right.
Milwaukee extended its lead to 6-2 in the bottom half. Perkins singled, advanced to second on Contreras’ walk, reached third on a double steal and scored on Gary Sánchez’s sacrifice fly.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers RHP Nick Mears (forearm) and RHP Bryse Wilson (oblique) have bullpen sessions scheduled for Tuesday.
UP NEXT
RHP Zack Wheeler (15-6, 2.80 ERA) pitches for the Phillies and RHP Frankie Montas (7-10, 4.49) starts for the Brewers on Tuesday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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