Brewers 13, Diamondbacks 2: Milwaukee Erupts After Homer Drought

The lead

April 28, 2026 - Milwaukee - The Milwaukee Brewers waited more than a week for a home run, then made sure the night did not depend on power alone. Sal Frelick ended the drought with a second-inning solo shot, Tyler Black drove in three runs, and Milwaukee buried the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-2 at American Family Field.

This was the top AthX Engine team score of the slate. Milwaukee finished with 27 team fantasy points, 13 runs, 15 hits, and a sixth inning that turned a competitive game into a blowout. It was the kind of game that checks almost every team-scoring box: early lead, immediate answer after trouble, a crooked inning, and enough pitching to keep the opponent from extending the fight.

How the game turned

Frelick gave Milwaukee the lead for good in the second. ESPN and AP both noted that his 396-foot homer to right-center ended a stretch of seven straight Brewers games without a long ball, their longest such drought since 1999. The swing made it 1-0, but the important part was what came later.

Milwaukee stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth on a two-run single by Joey Ortiz. Arizona briefly made the game uncomfortable in the fifth when James McCann singled home two runs after Chad Patrick walked the bases loaded. That trimmed the margin to 3-2 and gave the Diamondbacks a real opening despite having only one hit against Patrick.

The Brewers answered immediately. Black singled home two runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-2, and then the sixth inning became an avalanche. Milwaukee's first eight batters reached against reliever Andrew Hoffmann. Garrett Mitchell, William Contreras, Black, Jake Bauers, and David Hamilton all drove in runs as the lead ballooned to 13-2.

Pitching and matchup notes

Patrick's line was unusual but effective enough: five innings, one hit, two runs, five walks, and five strikeouts. The walks were the problem. The one hit was McCann's two-run single. But Patrick still left with the lead, and Milwaukee's offense removed the suspense before the bullpen had to protect a tight game.

Shane Drohan worked a clean sixth, and Jake Woodford handled the final three innings for his first save. That mattered in a blowout because Milwaukee avoided using the highest-leverage part of the bullpen on a night when the offense created a large cushion.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly took the loss after Frelick's homer and the early traffic. The Diamondbacks' bigger issue was that the bullpen could not stop Milwaukee's singles-and-walks machine once the sixth started.

Bats that changed the board

Frelick's homer carried the headline because it ended the drought, but Black's three-hit night drove the run-scoring shape. Contreras, Bauers, Hamilton, Ortiz, and Mitchell all added RBI, giving Milwaukee one of the most balanced offensive lines of the April slate.

For Arizona, McCann's fifth-inning single was the only real run-scoring blow. Ildemaro Vargas also extended his hitting streak, according to AP coverage, but the Diamondbacks never built enough pressure around him to turn the game.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

The Brewers led April 28 with 27 AthX Engine team FP, and Frelick posted 10 AthX Engine hitting FP. That combination tells the story: Milwaukee got one big swing, then a full-team inning that created value well beyond one player.

This is a useful reminder that AthX Engine scoring can reward both power and volume. Frelick ended the homer drought, but the team score really exploded because Milwaukee kept putting the ball in play with runners aboard.

What comes next

The Brewers get a chance to carry the offensive reset into the rest of the series. Arizona needs to prevent one bad relief inning from spilling into the next game. For AthX traders, Milwaukee's lineup depth is the key note: when a team can score 13 with only one homer, the daily fantasy value is not tied to a single slugger.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, MLB Gameday, ESPN recap, AP/CBS Sports game coverage, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*