Willy Adames hit his 13th home run of the season on his 29th birthday, tying a major league record and leading the Milwaukee Brewers of the Central League on a 9-game hitting streak in St. Louis Cardinals Monday. The win was the sixth for the Brewers in their last seven games.
Adames has now hit a home run in five consecutive games, tying the Brewers record set by Jeromy Burnitz (1997) and Eric Thames (2017).
“For the first time in my career, I got a little emotional,” Adames said. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. “He just does amazing things like that.” Adames’ 13 three-run home runs tied the record set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1996.
“It’s an honor, just to be around a legend and an icon like him,” Adames said. “To see this reality today is simply incredible.”
Adames strikes. 255 and has 99 career RBIs, surpassing his 2022 total.
“It’s almost shocking when you come to the plate and you don’t hit a home run with two guys on the field at that point,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. Rookie Jackson Chourio hit a grand slam, and Rhys Hoskins also hit a home run for the Brewers (81-57), who entered Labor Day with a nine-game lead in their division.
Adames’ home run gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the first, scoring on a base hit by Andre Pallante (6-7). St. St. Louis, which was five games out of the last National League Wild Card spot, fell to .500 with a 69-69 record.
Freddy Peralta (10-7) picked up his third straight win, allowing three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had posted 11 scoreless innings in his previous two starts.
“Maybe it could have been better, but it was enough,” Peralta said.
Bryan Hudson and Joe Ross followed with scoreless substitutions. Pallante (6-7) allowed five runs, five hits and a season-high five walks in five innings.
“Everybody allowed an out that didn’t go as planned,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “This guy was really good in the last inning.