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.
Brewers starter Aaron Civale (9-8) scattered seven hits and struck out six while allowing one run and one walk in five innings. 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.
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.
Philadelphia went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and couldn’t capitalize on opportunities to rally.
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 for the final out of the inning.
Kyle Schwarber and Turner opened the sixth with consecutive 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 ended the inning by retiring 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 manager Pat Murphy said he had no update yet on RHP Joel Payamps, who left Milwaukee’s 11-10, 10-inning loss to Arizona on Sunday due to forearm tightness. … Murphy said 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 when the three-game series continues Tuesday.
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