Frelick's robbery joins Crew's wildest game-enders

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SAN DIEGO – Pat Murphy wasn’t sure where Sal Frelick’s game-ending catch in Tuesday’s 6-3 win against the Angels ranked among the most dramatic final outs in Brewers history.

He just knew it had to be up there with the best of them.

And we’ll admit the same uncertainty. Since there’s no official accounting of the best game-ending, victory-sealing defensive plays in franchise history, the following account – an update of a story that first ran in 2017 – is merely from memory and thus skews seriously toward the recent.

With that disclaimer, here is some of Milwaukee’s most memorable last-out drama:

June 18, 2024: Exhale in Anaheim

What a way to punctuate the night the baseball world bid farewell to Willie Mays, who would have been proud of the way Frelick finished Major League Baseball’s slate of games with a leaping, game-saving catch to end the Brewers’ 6-3 win over the Angels at Angel Stadium. The Brewers entered the inning with a 6-0 lead, but would have found themselves in a tie game if not for Frelick’s leap.

"Sal’s play goes down in the record books in Brewers history as one of the dramatic finishes to a game," Murphy said.

June 16, 2024: Redemption for Perkins

Two nights earlier, the Brewers' second-year center fielder had popped-up an ill-advised, game-ending bunt to leave the tying- and go-ahead runners in scoring position, and admitted later he shrank from the moment. But Blake Perkins found redemption in the series finale when he fired a perfect throw home to nab the Reds’ Stuart Fairchild and end a 5-4 Brewers win.

“I grabbed him after the game and said, ‘Hey, I know you don’t want to be the hero, but you just were,’” Murphy said.

March 28, 2019: "Not today" in the home opener

In one of the most entertaining of their 50 Opening Day games since the franchise moved to Milwaukee, Lorenzo Cain leaped and pulled back what would have been a tying home run, giving the Brewers a 5-4 win in front of 45,304 fans. When he came down with the game-ending catch after sprinting 101 feet, Cain let out his trademark yell after a defensive gem -- “Not today!" -- and flung the baseball skyward.

Aug. 30, 2017: Broxton goes up

Four years after Carlos Gómez robbed Joey Votto (see below), Keon Broxton made a similarly electrifying, game-ending, home run-robbing catch against the Cardinals -- just a few steps over on the warning track. Broxton began that day on the bench, but ended it in line for a steak dinner from reliever Corey Knebel. Randal Grichuk hit a long fly ball that appeared on its way to giving St. Louis the lead -- on the video highlight, one can clearly hear the crowd moan -- before Broxton pulled it back for a 6-5 Brewers win. “It's what every outfielder dreams of, making a catch like that," Broxton said.

June 21, 2017: Arcia ranges a mile

The list needs some infield acrobatics, and shortstop Orlando Arcia delivered in a 4-3 win over the Pirates. With Pittsburgh’s Adam Frazier at second base and two outs in the ninth, Arcia ranged way to his left for a John Jaso grounder, and – with manager Craig Counsell yelling, “Don’t throw it!” – spun around and fired a daring strike to first base to end the game.

"I think it was just instinct," said Arcia through translator Carlos Brizuela. "Instinct came out, and I went for it."

July 9, 2013: Gómez robs Votto

The reactions made this game-ender special. Brewers closer Francisco Rodríguez saw the baseball rocket off Joey Votto's bat and didn't even look, so sure he'd just surrendered a go-ahead homer. Center fielder Carlos Gómez made a leaping catch at the wall to pull it back, raised his right index finger in the air when he came back down and started dancing toward the dugout. Votto pointed in Gómez's direction and demanded proof that the ball was in his glove. When Gómez obliged, Votto doubled over in disbelief. Gómez did it to Votto again the following season, albeit not in the ninth inning.

April 29, 2012: Double play the hard way

Closer John Axford was in a jam at Busch Stadium after the Cardinals put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a one-run game, but he recovered by striking out David Freese. When Yadier Molina also struck out, the runner broke from first and catcher Jonathan Lucroy threw down to second, combining with shortstop Alex Gonzalez on an unconventional double play. The final out was at home plate to seal the win.

May 7, 1997: Burnitz saves 1-0 win

A more recent game-ending out at home plate brought up a reminder of Jeromy Burnitz’s throw from right field home to nab the A’s Scott Brosius. It was memorable for a couple of reasons. One, it ended the longest nine-inning, 1-0 game in Major League history at the time: A whopping three hours and 20 minutes, a mark that stood until 2014. Two, it produced some postgame fireworks, as Brosius and Oakland manager Art Howe were ejected from a game that was already over. Three, it stood as the Brewers’ last outfield assist to end a game with an out at home plate, with no cutoff man in between, for more than 27 years.

April 15, 1987: Yount's dive

Did Robin Yount have to leave his feet to catch Eddie Murray's sinking liner to right-center field to save Juan Nieves' no-hitter on that dreary night in Baltimore? That's been debated for years, but the fact he did dive makes this play one of the most memorable clinchers in franchise history. It remained the Brewers' only no-hitter until Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combined for one in 2021.