Willy Adames hit his 13th three-run homer of the season on his 29th birthday, tying a major league record and leading the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. This win was the Brewers’ sixth in their last seven games.
Adames has now homered in five straight games, matching 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 that I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. Just doing incredible things like that.”
Adames’ 13 three-run homers match the record set by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1996.
“It’s an honor, just to be right next to a legend and an icon like him,” Adames said. “Seeing that reality today is just incredible.”
Adames is hitting .255 and has a career-high 99 RBIs, surpassing his total from 2022.
“It’s almost shocking when he comes to the plate and doesn’t hit a home run with two guys on at this point,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said.
Rookie Jackson Chourio hit a grand slam, and Rhys Hoskins also homered for the Brewers (81-57), who started Labor Day with a nine-game lead in their division.
Adames’ homer gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the first inning, hitting a drive off Andre Pallante (6-7).
St. Louis, which was five games back for the final NL wild card spot, fell to .500 with a 69-69 record.
Freddy Peralta (10-7) earned his third consecutive win, giving up three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He had pitched 11 scoreless innings in his previous two starts.
“It probably could have been better but it was good enough,” Peralta said.
Bryan Hudson and Joe Ross followed with scoreless relief.
Pallante (6-7) allowed five runs, five hits, and a season-high five walks in five innings.
“Everyone’s allowed an outing that doesn’t go their way,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “This guy has been really good over the last stretch. Walks and homers got him.”
