We can’t just let it pass that Christian Yelich, on Friday night, had one of the wackiest baseball games in history. Truly. It’s pretty easy to miss the Brewers’ 17-6 victory over the Twins, a game that ended with BOTH TEAMS using a position player to pitch.
The Twins tossed infielder Jonah Bride into the game in the ninth, and predictably, he was smashed for five runs in an inning (though he did strike out Eric Haase, who I’m sure will never hear the end of it).
Then the Brewers sacrificed Jake Bauers, who predictably gave up four runs in an inning (though he did strike out Matt Wallner, who I’m sure will never hear the end of it).
But we’re getting away from the point, which is Christian Yalich’s bananas game.
Christian Yelich came up six times in the game.
1st inning — Man on first, grounded out weakly to second.
4th inning — Man on second, broken back nubber back to the pitcher. Not too exciting yet, is it?
6th inning — Man on third, ground ball through the drawn-in infield. Run scores.
7th inning — Bases loaded, chopped a ball down the third base line. Fair. Rolls to the wall. Three runs score.
8th inning — Bases loaded again, rips a blast to center, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton thinks it’s gone, ball bounces off the wall. Three more runs score.
9th inning — Facing infielder Jonah Bride, man on second, sharp single to right. Run scores.
That’s eight RBI in a game for Yelich. The good but not unheard of — he became the fifth player to drive in eight RBI in a game this year, joining Aaron Judge, Rafael Devers, Brandon Nimmo, and Wilmer Flores.
But, unlike those guys, Christian Yelich did it without hitting a home run.
Huh, you will say. Interesting. No. It’s more than interesting. Do you know who the last guy to drive in eight RBI without hitting a home run? You do not, unless you already saw this somewhere else: It was Gavy Gravath back in 1915.
Still, even THAT is not the unheard-of part.
No, the unheard of part is that Christian Yelich drove in eight RBI WITHOUT SCORING A SINGLE RUN.
That has never happened, ever, not even by Gavy Gravath.
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