PHOENIX -- Even when the vicissitudes of a season come crashing down, the Brewers keep the win machine churning.
Hours after finding out that Brandon Woodruff would officially land on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, further complicating their pitching apparatus in both the short and long term, they responded with another shut down effort from the bullpen, a timely bash from Jake Bauers and a game-ending grab from Sal Frelick, who didn’t jog onto the field until nearly two hours after the game began.
It all culminated in a 3-2 Brewers victory over the D-backs on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field, bringing their record to 42-20 since April 26, the best mark in the Majors.
Here’s a look at three key elements that led to the win:
Bauers’ bash
The 30-year-old’s career renaissance received another brush stroke as he drilled the difference maker, a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh off D-backs southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez, who will represent the National League in the 2026 All-Star Game. Getting a start left-on-left didn’t used to be in the cards for Bauers, but he’s coming off arguably the best month of his pro career. He slugged a career-high-tying six homers and posted a .976 OPS during June; the last time he went deep that many times in one turn of the calendar was July 2018 during his rookie season with the Rays.
“I think any day your name's written on a Major League lineup card is something you can't really take for granted,” said Bauers.
Bauers entered the day running an elite 53.5 percent hard-hit rate, which has aided him in posting the highest average exit velocity (92.6 mph) of his career this season. (He ranks among the top 96th and 92nd percentile in those categories, respectively.)
“He's trying to be a hitter, not just a power guy,” said manager Pat Murphy of what has worked for Bauers in ‘26. “He doesn't get down on himself, and if you keep him in there, then that’s what happens.”
“It's a mental battle because I know I can hit the ball hard and I know I can hit a home run,” said Bauers, “but at the same time, that happens when you're relaxed, calm, not trying to do too much, just trying to take hits when they give them to you and then you hit the mistakes.”
Relief, to its core
Mistakes have been few and far between for Milwaukee’s relief corps in 2026. Their Midas touch was best put on display as left-hander Drew Rom, summoned Sunday as Woodruff’s roster replacement, struck out the lone batter he faced en route to picking up the win, his second in the Majors and first since Sept. 13, 2023.
Starter Brandon Sproat gave the Brewers just four innings but did limit the damage, allowing only one run despite finishing each frame with a runner in scoring position. The quintet of Grant Anderson, Rom, Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill held the D-backs to just two hits and one run over the final five frames. Milwaukee’s bullpen combined to throw 17 2/3 innings during the series and lowered its ERA as a group on the year to 3.48, the second-lowest mark in the National League.
“Huge shout-out to the bullpen for the past couple of days,” said Sproat. “It really hasn't been ideal but they've picked us up tremendously.”
Sal being Sal
When Corbin Carroll connected on the final pitch of the game, a roar erupted inside the ballpark. But by the time Frelick -- who entered the game in the seventh as a pinch-runner before taking over for Bauers in right field -- finally showed the ball, only those wearing Brewers navy blue and gold were left cheering.
In the moment, Megill was as curious as anyone if he could celebrate. Murphy made fun of Frelick in jest for making the catch -- which required him to cover 126 feet, his most on any play in 2026 -- more difficult than it needed to be. Bauers also shook his head when asked about his teammate’s choice to go careening into the low right-field fence to record the 27th out.
“I knew he caught the baseball, but I mean, the guy went flying into the wall and I'm pretty sure he could have just camped under it and caught it,” Bauers jokingly said. “I know Murph gives him [a hard time] about that a lot about diving. … I might be on Murph's side.”