Key facts
- Brewers 22, Mariners 0 — tied for most lopsided shutout in the Modern Era (since 1900)
- Game was 1-0 through top of fifth; Brewers scored 5 runs in fifth, 5 in sixth, 2 in seventh, 9 in eighth
- Julio Rodríguez threw a live ball into the stands with bases loaded in eighth, losing track of outs; scored runs 20-21
- Mariners brought in position player Leo Rivas to pitch in eighth after trailing 13-0
- Brewers improved to 78-48; Mariners fell to 59-67, eighth loss in their last 11 games
The result
The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Seattle Mariners 22-0 on Tuesday night at American Family Field. The shutout victory tied the franchise record for runs scored by the Brewers and runs allowed by the Mariners. The 22-run margin matched the third-largest shutout in baseball’s Modern Era (since 1900), with only the Pirates’ 22-0 win over the Cubs on September 16, 1975, and the Indians’ 22-0 victory against the Yankees on August 31, 2004, achieving the same result.
How the game unfolded
Remarkably, the game remained close through the early innings, standing at 1-0 through the top of the fifth inning. The Brewers then unleashed their offensive barrage: five runs in the fifth inning, five runs in the sixth, two runs in the seventh, and nine runs in the eighth. The Mariners, trailing 13-0, surrendered to the situation and brought position player Leo Rivas to pitch in the eighth inning, where he allowed nine of those final runs.
The eighth-inning explosion included a notable mental mistake from Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez. With the bases loaded, Rodríguez lost track of the outs and threw a live ball into the stands, believing the inning was over. The play counted as a sacrifice fly for Christian Yelich and a two-base error for Rodríguez, scoring what became the 20th and 21st runs of the game. Yelich said after the game that such lapses occur during long defensive stretches amid the chaos of a late inning with constant substitutions and activity.
The Brewers used backup catcher Gary Sánchez to pitch the final three outs of the game.
Records and recent form
The victory improved the Brewers to 78-48, the best record in MLB. According to Sporting News, they trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 2½ games for baseball’s best record and lead their division by 4½ games. The Brewers are two wins away from clinching 80 victories and are pursuing a 100-win season for the first time in franchise history, which would require a 22-14 finish from this point.
The Mariners dropped to 59-67 with the loss. The defeat marked their eighth loss in their last 11 games and the third instance in that span in which they allowed at least 10 runs. The loss widened the gap in their division race: Seattle sits four games out in the AL West and three games behind the third wild-card spot, though six teams currently occupy positions ahead of them.
Historical context
The 22-run victory is one of just three instances of a 22-0 shutout in the Modern Era. The largest margin of victory in MLB history remains 27 runs, set by the Texas Rangers in their 30-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on August 22, 2007. The Angels defeated the Rockies 25-1 in 2023, and the Indians beat the Red Sox 27-3 in 1923. Unlike the Brewers’ victory on Tuesday, when they scored against a position player pitcher, the Pirates and Indians achieved their 22-0 wins against actual pitchers.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson acknowledged the difficult situation after the game, noting that the Brewers’ offensive outburst and Seattle’s quiet offense allowed the game to get out of hand. He emphasized the need to regroup before the next matchup.
Sources
Featured photo: Carol H. Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)