ATLANTA (AP) — Milwaukee rookie Jackson Chourio hit two two-run home runs, part of a six-homer, 20-hit barrage by the Brewers as they swept the Atlanta Braves with a 16-7 victory Thursday.
This was just the fourth sweep of the Braves for the NL Central-leading Brewers and second in Atlanta. The other was in 2016. The Braves, who gave up 36 hits over the past two games and were outscored 34-12 in this series, are on a five-game losing streak.
“To come here in their ballpark where we haven’t had a lot of success recently and play well all three days regardless of the outcome,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of what this sweep could mean going forward. “We played good defense, kind of unnoticed. Offensively, we scrapped and pecked away, ran pitch counts up and put balls in play.”
In addition Chourio, who went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, the Brewers received home runs from William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Willy Adames and Jake Bauers.
Chourio, at 20 years and 150 days, became the youngest player in Brewers history with a multi-homer game. Billy Jo Robidoux, at 21 years and 266 days, set the previous record in 1985. Chourio also is the youngest player in baseball with such a game since since Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2019.
“We’re in an incredible moment right now,” Chourio said through an interpreter. “We’re just having really good communication, getting really good results. We’ve got a lot of energy in this dugout.”
Also for the Brewers, Contreras went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, Sal Frelick was 4 for 5 with two RBIs and Mitchell went 2 for 4 with an RBI and three runs.
Atlanta’s Austin Riley went 2 for 5 with a three-run homer, and Marcell Ozuna was 2 for 4 with two RBIs that included a 440-foot solo homer to left field.
This was the seventh major league game this season in which both teams combined for at least eight home runs.
Right-hander Frankie Montas pitched the first four innings for the Brewers, running into trouble in the third inning when Riley homered, but otherwise was nearly unhittable. His first five outs came on strikeouts, and he finished with seven Ks while allowing just two hits.
Right-hander Elvis Peguero (7-3) relieved Montas and picked up the victory, pitching a hitless fifth inning with one strikeout and one walk.
It was quite a contrast for Braves right-hander Charlie Morton, who allowed six runs to score in the first two innings with all on two outs. Morton (6-7) left after 2 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits and eights runs — all earned. He also gave up a career-worst four homers.
“I look back on it and the way the ball’s spinning and I think the way the ball’s moving, it’s no better or worse than normal,” Morton said. “I just think that they’re a really good team, and I think the windows there for me today weren’t big at all. … You’ve got to make the right pitch in the right situation to them because they’re very patient. There wasn’t a lot of chase.”
Infielder Luke Williams pitched the final two innings for the Braves, giving up four hits and two runs.
The Brewers took an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning before Riley answered with his line-drive homer to left field. Milwaukee ended just about any doubts with five runs in the top of the fifth, with Chourio and Bauers each delivering two-run homers, to make it a 13-3 lead.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Braves: OF Edwin Rosario, the 2021 NL Championship Series, was designated for assignment. He struggled since that postseason, and between the Braves and Washington Nationals this season, Rosario was batting .175. The Braves also called up RHP Parker Dunshee and OF Eli White and sent LHP Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett. Dunshee made his major league debut in the third inning.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Aaron Civale (2-8, 5.14) will start the opener of a three-game home series against Cincinnati on Friday. It’s the beginning of a season-long 10-game homestand. The Braves open a three-game series at Colorado on Friday, but a starter has not been announced.
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