Mariners Embarrassed by Brewers in Record-Tying Blowout

Brewers Tie Record in 22-0 Shutout of Mariners

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Seattle Mariners 22-0 on Tuesday night at American Family Field, tying the modern MLB record for the most lopsided shutout victory. The win was the largest margin in Brewers franchise history, surpassing two 20-run wins in 1992 and 2010, as reported by Newsweek.

The 22-0 score matches the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1975 win over the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland's 2004 shutout of the New York Yankees. Newsweek also noted that the last team to score more than 22 runs in a shutout was the 1887 Philadelphia Quakers, who beat the Indianapolis Hoosiers 24-0. According to Sports Illustrated, the 22-0 win tied for the most lopsided shutout in modern MLB history.

The game was close early, with the Brewers leading 1-0 after the top of the fifth inning. Then Milwaukee broke the game open, scoring five runs in the fifth, five in the sixth, two in the seventh, and nine in the eighth, as detailed by Sports Illustrated. The Brewers' offensive outburst included a three-run homer from Christian Yelich in the fifth inning, and homers from Jake Bauers and David Hamilton in the sixth, according to Newsweek.

Seattle's pitching struggled throughout. Starter Bryce Miller was tagged for five runs in the fifth inning, as reported by Newsweek. The Mariners turned to infielder Leo Rivas to pitch the eighth inning. He gave up nine runs on nine hits, including Luis Lara's first career home run, according to Sports Illustrated. Newsweek reported that Rivas surrendered the runs in the ninth inning, while Sports Illustrated noted that he also gave up runs in the eighth. The discrepancy in which inning Rivas pitched remains unclear, but both outlets agree he was responsible for nine runs. Sports Illustrated added that Rivas threw 31 pitches at speeds between 36 and 43 mph.

Kyle Harrison pitched five scoreless innings for the Brewers, and catcher Gary Sanchez preserved the shutout with a 14-pitch ninth inning, as reported by Newsweek.

Mariners' Errors and a Notable Miscue

The Mariners committed four errors, their most in seven years, according to Sports Illustrated. The most memorable came from center fielder Julio Rodríguez in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rodríguez caught a fly ball for what he thought was the third out and tossed it into the stands, allowing all runners to advance two bases. This mistake led to the Brewers' 21st run, as reported by Sports Illustrated. The score was 19-0 at the time, according to SB Nation, though Sports Illustrated reported it was 20-0 before the miscue.

SB Nation called it the "worst mistake you can make on a baseball field," and noted that Larry Walker made a similar error in 1994. Sports Illustrated reported that Brewers' Christian Yelich defended Rodríguez, saying, "You obviously never want to be the guy that does that... It just happens sometimes. You lose track of the outs."

Brewers' Historic Night

The Brewers' victory was historic on several fronts. They became the first team in MLB history to score 20 or more runs, record a shutout with at least 10 strikeouts, and commit no errors, according to Sports Illustrated. Newsweek reported that the Brewers earned their MLB-leading 78th win and passed the Los Angeles Dodgers for the highest run differential in baseball at +158.

Christian Yelich had a strong game, going 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs, according to Sports Illustrated. The same outlet also reported that Yelich won the MLBPA Players Trust's Most Valuable Philanthropist award for August on Tuesday.

Mariners' Season Woes

The Mariners fell to 59-67, losing eight of their last 11 games, as reported by Newsweek. SB Nation highlighted that Seattle is last in baseball in runs per game, averaging 3.88, and that catcher Cal Raleigh's production has declined sharply from 60 home runs to a .570 OPS. SB Nation also noted that the Mariners were already out of the playoff race entering the series.

Perspectives

Julio Rodríguez's error: The mistake was widely criticized, with SB Nation calling it "the worst mistake you can make on a baseball field." However, Christian Yelich showed sympathy, saying such errors "just happen sometimes." Sports Illustrated also suggested that Rodríguez's lapse was understandable given the game's lopsided nature.

Position player pitching: Sports Illustrated reported that Mookie Betts has called for games to be called once a position player takes the mound. The outlet also noted the increasing frequency of position players pitching, with 39 instances from 2005-2011, 160 in 2022, and 131 so far this year.

Looking Ahead

The Brewers and Mariners play the second game of their three-game series on Wednesday night. Newsweek reported that Dustin May is expected to start for the Brewers, with Logan Gilbert for the Mariners.