William Contreras Anchors Brewers' 47-Lineup Run Ends
William Contreras was behind the plate Friday night as the Brewers ended an unusual run of 47 consecutive unique lineups, going back to a version they had already used earlier this season. The move came with Milwaukee back in first place in the NL Central and opening a three-game series against the NL West-leading Dodgers in Milwaukee.
Murphy Uses a Familiar Card
Pat Murphy said he was unaware the Brewers had repeated a lineup, even though the batting order matched one already used earlier in the season. He also pointed to the payoff from that earlier version: “The lineup is the same as it was on Monday, and it worked then: that’s the game in which the Brewers put eight runs on Shota Imanaga and won 9-3.”
The order placed Christian Yelich at designated hitter, Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick in the outfield, and Luis Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang and Andrew Vaughn in the infield from left to right. Contreras handled the catching duties again, keeping the core of the order intact for a matchup that started at 6:40 p.m.
Brewers Carry Momentum
Milwaukee came into the Dodgers series after sweeping the Cubs earlier in the week, a run that pushed the Brewers back into first place in the NL Central. That backdrop gives the lineup choice a sharper edge: the club did not chase novelty for its own sake after a reset at the top of the division.
The repeated lineup also arrived against a staff led by left-hander Justin Wrobleski, with Logan Henderson starting for Milwaukee in game one. The Dodgers lined up Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Kyle Tucker at the top, so the Brewers answered with a familiar construction rather than a new one.
Wrobleski and Henderson
Wrobleski’s recent work added another layer. On May 10, he threw 8 2/3 innings, allowed seven earned runs and needed 100 pitches, numbers that offered Milwaukee a concrete recent look at the opposing starter.
For the Brewers, the more striking number remains 47. A season that began with constant lineup variation finally landed on a duplicate, and Contreras was part of the group that carried it into a series that began with the division race already tight and the Dodgers holding first place in the NL West.
