MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers broke a 33-year-old franchise record for stolen bases in a game Sunday and they needed only four innings.
Milwaukee stole nine bases through the first four innings against the Athletics. The Brewers had stolen eight bases in a 7-2 victory over the Toronto on Aug. 29, 1992.
Six of Sunday's steals occurred in the first inning. The Elias Sports Bureau said those were the most stolen bases by a team in an inning since the expansion era started in 1961.
A team has stolen five bases in an inning 13 times since 1961, most recently by Cincinnati against Colorado on April 19, 2016.
Sportradar said the Brewers were the first team to steal six bases in an inning since Aug. 26, 1919, when the New York Giants had six steals in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
The Brewers broke their franchise game record in the fourth inning when Caleb Durbin got his first career stolen base, two days after his major league debut.
Durbin was initially called out at second, but a video review determined he was safe. Durbin scored to extend Milwaukee's lead to 8-0.
No Brewer got caught stealing until the fifth, when Shea Langeliers threw Sal Frelick out at second.
Brice Turang stole three bases through the first four innings. Frelick had two steals. Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins and Caleb Durbin stole one base each.
Milwaukee's six first-inning steals included a pair of double steals. The Brewers scored four runs in that first inning by capitalizing on two hits, the six steals, a balk from Jeffrey Springs and two throwing errors by Langeliers to score four runs.
On the first double steal, Langeliers’ throw to third went into left field, enabling Turang to score and Yelich to reach third. Contreras and Hoskins executed the second double-steal of the inning. Frelick walked later in the first inning and took off for second as Langeliers’ throw went into center. That error allowed Hoskins to score from third, though Frelick tried advancing to third on the play and got thrown out by center fielder JJ Bleday.
In the second inning, Turang drew a two-out walk and swiped second for his third steal of the day. Turang took off for third again, but Jackson Chourio swung on the pitch and hit an RBI double to right.
Frelick stole second in the third inning.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
