The Milwaukee Brewers had their franchise-record 14-game win streak snapped in Cincinnati on Sunday in the 3-2 loss, but they also saw another historic pursuit meet its end.
After swiping two bags in Saturday’s win, they had stolen successfully in 38 straight attempts, tied for third-most all-time. In the top of the eighth inning on Sunday, pinch-hitter Tyler Black reached base on a walk but was cut down trying to steal second, Milwaukee’s only stolen base attempt of the day.
Playing the night game hours later, the Mets had their own active streak broken in the first inning, on a pickoff rundown that went into the books as a caught stealing. Both they and the Brewers fell just shy – so, so close – to claiming the all-time mark.
Brewers leave town in need of fresh streak
The day before, Milwaukee got numbers 37 and 38 from Steward Berroa, playing his second game this season, and catcher William Contreras, who swiped his sixth of the year. They took advantage of Reds catcher Jose Trevino behind the plate, who in 2025 has thrown out just 19% of basepath thieves.
With one out and the Brewers trailing 1-0 on Sunday, a successful steal would have put Black in scoring position for fellow pinch hitter Brice Turang. Instead, the first caught stealing of his career (four attempts) supplied out number two and cut short the team streak.
The 2013-14 Red Sox remain secure atop the all-time list at 40 consecutive, followed by the 2025 Mets with 39. The Brewers tie with the 2024 Dodgers and 1993 Blue Jays for third.
They left Cincinnati at 135 steals this season, behind only the Rays in all of baseball.
Sal Frelick, who had the day off, might have seemed like the more natural choice for a pinch hitter/pinch runner in that spot, but manager Pat Murphy had decided that Frelick would enter the contest only as a desperate last resort. The right fielder is tied for second on the team with 18 steals but has been battling nagging injuries that the Brewers would prefer not to aggravate.
“Didn’t want to use him,” Murphy said. “I just made that choice. I told him before the game, ‘It would be a severe emergency to use you.’ Just wanted to get him off his legs.”
After Saturday’s 11-inning game, heading into an afternoon match Sunday and a doubleheader after that, it was a prime chance to give Frelick a rest. Looking ahead to a grueling end of the month, the Brewers do not have a day off until Tuesday, September 2.
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