MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers shattered a long-standing team record for stolen bases on Sunday, achieving the historic feat within just four innings of play. During their matchup against the Athletics, the Brewers successfully stole nine bases in those first innings, surpassing the previous record of eight which was set on August 29, 1992, against Toronto.
The swift series of thefts began remarkably, with six steals occurring in the very first inning. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this was the highest number of bases stolen by a single team in one inning since the expansion era began in 1961. Such a display of base-stealing prowess highlighted a rare occurrence in baseball history, with only 13 instances of five bases being stolen in a single inning since 1961. This feat was last recorded by Cincinnati against Colorado on April 19, 2016.
Sportradar’s statistics further revealed that the Brewers’ six steals in an inning were unprecedented in more than a century, the last instance being the New York Giants in 1919 against Pittsburgh. The history-making session was completed in the fourth inning when Caleb Durbin achieved his first-ever major league stolen base, having recently made his debut. Although initially ruled out, a video review reversed the decision, marking his safe arrival at second. Durbin’s subsequent run extended Milwaukee’s advantage to 8-0.
Remarkably, the Brewers continued their impeccable streak with no caught stolen bases until Shea Langeliers successfully threw Sal Frelick out during the fifth inning. Leading the charge, Brice Turang swiped three bases within the first four innings, while Frelick, Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins, and Caleb Durbin each contributed with a stolen base.
Milwaukee’s exhilarating first inning was accentuated by two double steals. The Brewers capitalized on a combination of two hits, six stolen bases, a balk from Jeffrey Springs, and two throwing errors by Langeliers to secure four early runs. The first double steal saw Langeliers’ attempt at third base result in an error, allowing Turang to score and Yelich to advance. Contreras and Hoskins efficiently executed the second double-steal. Frelick’s strategic walk allowed him to seize second base as another Langeliers’ throw sailed off-target, prompting Hoskins to score from third—though Frelick was ultimately caught advancing further by the center fielder, JJ Bleday.
In subsequent innings, Turang further distinguished himself by walking with two outs in the second inning and proceeded to steal second, marking his third steal of the day. With an aggressive lead-off from second, Turang attempted another steal only for Jackson Chourio to capitalize with an RBI double to right field. Furthermore, in the third inning, Frelick continued to display agility by successfully stealing second base, adding to the Brewers’ tally of stolen bases.