Sal Frelick Ended the Drought and the Brewers Buried Arizona 13-2

Seven games without a home run. That's brutal for any lineup, and Milwaukee had had enough. Sal Frelick took the first pitch he could hit in the second inning Tuesday and sent it 396 feet to right-center field off Merrill Kelly to snap the skid and ignite a demolition job. The Brewers steamrolled the visiting Diamondbacks 13-2 at American Family Field in the series opener, and suddenly the bats that had been silent came roaring back to life.

Breaking Through After the Longest Drought Since 1999

Frelick's solo shot was his second of the season and the moment Milwaukee's offense needed. A seven-game homerless streak ranks as the longest for the Brewers since they went 13 games without one back in August 1999. That's the kind of drought that makes even the most patient fan nervous, but one swing in the second inning changed the entire trajectory of this game.

Arizona tried to stay in it. The Diamondbacks scraped together two runs in the fifth when James McCann singled in a pair after Chad Patrick walked the first three batters of the inning, pulling within 3-2. But Milwaukee answered right back with two in the bottom half and then absolutely unloaded in the sixth, erupting for eight runs to put the game away at 13-2. Two bunt singles, a walk, and catcher's interference helped the Brewers bunch eight hits in that inning alone against Arizona reliever Andrew Hoffmann, who couldn't even record an out.

Patrick and Kelly Tell the Story of Two Starters

Patrick (2-1) wasn't overpowering, but he got the job done. Five innings, two runs on one hit, five walks and five strikeouts across 98 pitches. Shane Drohan threw a scoreless frame, and Jake Woodford closed it out with three innings for his first save of the season.

For Arizona, Kelly looked rough. The 37-year-old right-hander allowed five runs on six hits in five innings with five walks and just one strikeout. This was his third start since coming off the injured list, and his second straight rocky outing. He'd been tagged for eight runs in just 4 1/3 innings in his previous start, so the Brewers' offense didn't need much to blow the doors open.

One bright spot for the Diamondbacks: Ildemaro Vargas extended his hitting streak to 24 games with a single in the eighth, including 21 straight games this season. That ties him with Steve Garvey for the fourth-longest hitting streak to start a season since 1940.

Milwaukee plays Arizona again Wednesday in game two of the series. After a week of watching fastballs go nowhere, the Brewers found their timing. Question is whether they can keep it up.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.