The Milwaukee Breweries defeated the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 on Saturday afternoon to improve to 41-29 on the season. They are now six and a half games ahead of St. Louis Cardinals in the fight for first place in the National League Central. The Reds are now seven games back, and the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates are seven and a half games back.
The excitement of the Brewers’ victory was highlighted by the appearance and commentary of hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch. While it was great fun for players, fans and broadcasters, it was the play of starting third baseman Joey Ortiz and the team’s outstanding play that got the team back into the win column.
Third baseman Joey Ortiz of the Milwaukee Brewers hit a three-run home run to lead the offense
Milwaukee struggled to get base hits against Liverpool pitching a day after failing to hit with runners in scoring position. They only managed four hits on Saturday, and two of them came off Christian Yelich. The biggest hit of the day for both teams was a three-run home run by reigning National League Rookie of the Month Joey Ortiz:
No more goalless draw!
Joey Ortiz breaks it up with a three-run hit. 💥 pic.twitter.com/1B1Qme6DCW
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2024
The blowout was Ortiz’s sixth of the year and his only hit in four hits from the starting spot.
On the season, Ortiz is hitting .281/.381/.472 with six home runs and 27 RBI.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Bryse Wilson says the Baltimore Orioles made a mistake by trading Joey Ortiz for Corbin Burnes
As Brewers fans know, Ortiz was originally drafted and drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. Before the start of spring training, the Orioles sent Ortiz and left-handed pitcher DL Hall to Milwaukee for 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.
The trade has worked out well for the Orioles this season, as Burnes is 7-2 with a 2.08 ERA in 14 starts. That being said, they only have him under contract for this year. After the 2024 season, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere.
Ortiz, in turn, is under club control with the Brewers until 2029.
Bryse Wilson, who earned the victory after pitching five and one-third innings, told reporters after the game that he believed the Orioles made a mistake by sending Ortiz to Milwaukee:
Bryse Wilson on Joey Ortiz: “I think the Orioles screwed up. Of course they got Corbin, but he’s a generational player. He hits shots and plays elite defense. pic.twitter.com/reJtQPpdDb
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) June 15, 2024
– I mean, what’s not to like [about Joey Ortiz]? The guy is hitting about .290, has a lot of power, had good outings [velocity]. I feel like when he came in, the most important thing was defense, and we saw defense.
“And I think the Orioles screwed it up. I’m not going to lie to you. Of course they get Corbin, but he’s a generational player. He hits shots, plays elite defense and it’s great to have him behind us. And he plays everywhere.”
Wilson mentioned that Ortiz’s batting average is .290. That’s because the third baseman is hitting .289 with five home runs and 19 RBI since May 1.
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