MILWAUKEE (AP) — Willy Adames hit a three-run homer, Aaron Civale pitched six shutout innings against his former team and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Cleveland 5-3 on Friday to snap the Guardians’ five-game winning streak.
José Ramírez had a two-run homer and David Fry added a solo shot for Cleveland.
The Brewers won the opener of this series between division leaders after splitting four games with the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week.
“You want to face those teams to see how good you are, if you're ready to go to October and compete against the best of the best," Adames said. “We've shown this week we can make it happen.”
Civale (4-8) began his major league career with Cleveland in 2019 and remained with the Guardians until they traded him to Tampa Bay on July 31, 2023. The Brewers acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 3 for minor league infielder Gregory Barrios.
It was the second time Civale faced the Guardians since departing Cleveland. He allowed two runs over five innings on Aug. 11 of last season as the Rays defeated the Guardians 9-8.
“I gave some head nods,” Civale said. “I'll catch up with them tomorrow.”
Civale struck out four and allowed only four hits and one walk. After going 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA in his first five appearances with Milwaukee, he’s 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA over his last two starts.
Adames gave Civale an early 3-0 lead – and nearly won a fan a truck – with his two-out homer in the first inning.
His 431-foot drive off a 0-1 fastball from Gavin Williams landed in a section well beyond the wall in right-center field where a 2024 Toyota Tacoma rests as part of a promotion. If a batted ball hits the Tacoma on the fly, a fan wins the truck.
Unfortunately for Brewers fans, Adames’ shot hit the floor where the Tacoma was resting before the ball bounced and hit the bottom of the truck.
“I want to see somebody getting that truck,” Adames said. “I feel like it's been there forever. I've never seen anybody win it.”
Adames has a franchise-record 10 three-run homers this season. That's the most of anyone in the majors.
The Brewers extended the lead to 4-0 in the third when Garrett Mitchell broke out of an 0-for-21 slump and doubled home Tyler Black on an 0-2 pitch. Joey Ortiz tripled and scored on Brice Turang’s single to make it 5-0 in the fourth.
Williams (2-5) struck out five but allowed five runs, six hits and two walks in four innings. Pedro Avila, Eli Morgan and Scott Barlow teamed up to hold the Brewers hitless the rest of the way.
The Guardians, who lead the majors with 34 come-from-behind victories this season, threatened to do it again as Ramírez and Fry went deep against Bryse Wilson in the eighth.
Ramírez hit a 418-foot blast into the second deck of the right-field stands to increase his season RBI total to 100. Only New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge (111) has driven in more runs this season.
One out later, Fry delivered a 410-foot drive over the center-field wall.
“That's who we are,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We answer every punch back. We don't go down without a fight. This is yet another game where we make some noise and put ourselves right back into it. We just weren't able to get anything going early to catch them.”
Nick Mears replaced Wilson and struck out Andrés Giménez and Johnkensy Noel to end the eighth. With usual closer Devin Williams unavailable after earning a save each of the last two days, Joel Payamps retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his sixth save in eight opportunities.
Brewers RHP Enoli Paredes (forearm tendinitis) recorded one strikeout and retired the side in order in his lone inning of work while on a rehabilitation assignment with Single-A Wisconsin on Friday.
RHP Tanner Bibee (10-4, 3.39) starts for the Guardians and RHP Freddy Peralta (7-7, 4.11) pitches for the Brewers on Saturday.