Christian Yelich Continues Return to Form, Walks Off to Lift Brewers Over Reds
Outfielder Christian Yelich powered the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, capping it off with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth.
Yelich stepped up to the plate 0-for-2 on the night with a pair of walks. With runners on first and second and nobody out, the 31-year-old slugger slapped a ground ball through the right side, bringing designated hitter Blake Perkins around to score.
The Reds' five-game winning streak came to an end as a result of Yelich's clutch at-bat.
That single also extended Yelich's hitting streak to six games, adding to a midseason turnaround that has helped the former All-Star return to form.
Yelich won NL MVP in 2018, and he was runner-up in 2019. He won the batting title and OPS title in each of those seasons – racking up 80 home runs, 207 RBI, 52 stolen bases and 14.3 WAR in 277 games – and he capitalized by signing a nine-year, $215 million deal to remain in Milwaukee.
Over the next three years, though, Yelich fell off hard.
Yelich hit .243 with a .745 OPS between 2020 and 2022, only recording 35 homers, 135 RBI and 32 stolen bases across 329 games.
The 2023 campaign initially appeared to be more of the same for Yelich, who was hitting .249 with a .729 OPS through June 5.
Since then, however, Yelich is hitting .342 with a 1.020 OPS. He has gotten a hit in 33 of his 40 appearances in that stretch, and he has gotten on base 75 times.
Yelich's batting average is up to .289 on the season, while his OPS is up to .854. He is one home run and three RBI away from his highest marks since his 2020 dropoff, and he has already stolen 22 bases on 24 tries.
The Brewers now have a rejuvenated Yelich in left field and rookie sensation Sal Frelick in right. Frelick joined Hall of Famer Paul Molitor as the second Brewer ever to record five-plus hits and a home run in his first three career games.
Milwaukee entered Monday's series opener 0.5 games ahead of Cincinnati for first place in the NL Central. If the Brewers can win at least one of the next two games, they will head into the weekend still holding onto first.
Game two between the Brewers and Reds is scheduled to get underway at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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