William Contreras slammed a crucial three-run home run off Justin Verlander in the fifth inning, propelling the Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.
The Brewers were trailing by one run when Joey Ortiz kicked off the fifth inning with a single, followed by Verlander walking Sal Frelick and Jackson Chourio, loading the bases. Milwaukee leveled the score when Ortiz crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Blake Perkins.
With two outs in the inning, Contreras blasted Verlander’s 13th pitch of the at-bat to center field, putting the Brewers ahead 4-1 and forcing the three-time Cy Young Award winner out of the game.
Contreras reflected on his at-bat, calling it one of the best in his career, especially against a pitcher of Verlander’s caliber.
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy praised Contreras’s performance, describing it as a display of mental toughness that exemplifies the team’s spirit.
Verlander acknowledged Contreras’s skill, admitting that despite making several good pitches, Contreras emerged victorious in their battle.
In his outing, Verlander allowed four hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings, while striking out three batters, bringing his career strikeouts to 3,368, surpassing Max Scherzer for 11th on the all-time list.
Jake Meyers contributed two hits, including a solo home run, for the Astros, whose six-game winning streak came to an end.
Milwaukee starter Bryse Wilson gave up five hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings, while Hoby Milner earned the win after pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
