Fourteen Straight: Andruw Monasterio Carries Milwaukee Past the '87 Brewers With an 11th-Inning Blast

CINCINNATI: The Milwaukee Brewers had already tied one of the most recognizable records in franchise history.

On Saturday night, they decided to break it in the most dramatic way possible.

Andruw Monasterio came off the bench in the eleventh inning and hit a three-run home run, lifting Milwaukee to a 6–5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and extending the Brewers' winning streak to 14 games.

The victory surpassed the 13-game streak established by Milwaukee's 1987 team, a group that became known for its extraordinary opening run.

For the current Brewers, the record required one more escape.

Milwaukee tied the game in the ninth, scored in the tenth and eventually found the deciding swing in the eleventh.

By the time Monasterio's home run landed, the Brewers had transformed a threatened defeat into another historical achievement.

The pressure of an expanding streak

Winning streaks become increasingly difficult to ignore as they approach historical territory.

Each victory changes the conversation.

What begins as a productive week becomes a remarkable run, then a statistical achievement that invites comparisons with earlier generations.

Milwaukee entered Saturday with 13 consecutive victories.

The total tied the franchise record set in 1987.

That season's opening streak remains one of the defining achievements in Brewers history.

The current club had now reached the same number.

One additional victory would give the 2025 team sole possession of the record.

But Cincinnati had no obligation to cooperate.

The Reds nearly end it

Milwaukee entered the ninth inning trailing.

The Brewers needed to score simply to remain alive.

They did.

The tying run forced extra innings and extended the game beyond regulation.

That represented the first important step in preserving the streak.

A team that has won 13 consecutive games can still lose if it fails to execute during one late scoring opportunity.

Milwaukee refused to allow the ninth inning to become the end.

The Brewers continued attacking in the tenth.

They scored again, but the contest remained unsettled.

Cincinnati answered, forcing an eleventh inning.

The streak had survived one potential ending.

Now it faced another.

The ninth-inning rescue began with Sal Frelick’s ground ball. Cincinnati got a force at second, but Elly De La Cruz’s throwing error allowed Brice Turang to score the tying run. Milwaukee had reached extra innings without needing a home run.

In the tenth, William Contreras singled home automatic runner Anthony Seigler. The Reds answered when Ke’Bryan Hayes doubled home Matt McLain. That exchange left the teams tied at three and sent both bullpens into another inning. Monasterio’s three-run shot in the eleventh brought home Caleb Durbin and Turang, giving the Brewers a 6–3 lead.

Even that did not finish the contest. Santiago Espinal’s sacrifice fly scored De La Cruz, and Noelvi Marte’s solo homer cut the margin to one. Nick Mears then got McLain to fly out to Brandon Lockridge in center, securing the final out of the 6–5 victory. Milwaukee needed Monasterio’s full three-run margin because Cincinnati scored twice after the decisive swing. The final sequence placed the record on two separate contributions: a reserve hitter supplying the lead and a reliever completing the inning while the potential tying run could still come to the plate.

An unlikely hero enters the game

Monasterio was not the hitter most observers would have selected to become the defining figure in a franchise-record victory.

He had occupied a reserve role rather than serving as one of Milwaukee's primary offensive stars.

That circumstance made his appearance especially memorable.

In the eleventh inning, the Brewers created an opportunity with runners aboard.

Monasterio entered as a pinch hitter.

He connected on a three-run home run.

The swing supplied the separation Milwaukee needed and became the decisive hit in the 6–5 victory.

The moment illustrated an important quality of sustained winning teams.

Not every important contribution comes from the players who receive the most attention.

A club must occasionally rely on a reserve who has spent much of the evening waiting.

Monasterio was ready when his opportunity arrived.

Robin Yount's place in the story

The 1987 Brewers' streak remains closely associated with Hall of Famer Robin Yount.

Yount played a central role in Milwaukee's history and experienced the original 13-game winning streak.

The 2025 team's run created renewed interest in that earlier season.

According to MLB's contemporary reporting, Yount had been following the current team's progress and found himself repeatedly checking scores as the victories accumulated.

The connection is important because franchise history provides a reference point for extraordinary achievements.

Fourteen consecutive wins are impressive in isolation.

Surpassing a record that stood for 38 years gives the accomplishment additional meaning.

The current Brewers had not simply enjoyed an unusually productive stretch.

They had moved beyond one of the organization's most enduring benchmarks.

What the streak reveals about Milwaukee

Winning 14 consecutive major league games requires several elements to align.

Starting pitching must keep opponents within reach.

Relievers must protect narrow advantages.

The lineup must produce runs through different contributors.

And managers must make decisions that allow the roster to navigate demanding sequences of games.

Saturday offered an illustration of those conditions.

Milwaukee did not dominate Cincinnati from the first inning.

The Brewers needed late offensive production and an extra-inning contribution from a reserve hitter.

That flexibility has become central to their success.

A team capable of winning only when its stars perform exceptionally is vulnerable to ordinary slumps.

Milwaukee has demonstrated that its depth can influence the outcome.

Monasterio's home run provided the most memorable example.

A record with unfinished business

The victory gave Milwaukee sole possession of the franchise's consecutive-wins record.

It also strengthened the club's position in the National League playoff race.

But the Brewers' ambitions extend beyond a regular-season streak.

They are attempting to build a roster capable of advancing deep into October.

Fourteen consecutive victories demonstrate an extraordinary level of confidence.

They do not guarantee postseason success.

For now, Milwaukee can appreciate an achievement that has taken nearly four decades to surpass.

The 1987 team won 13 straight.

The 2025 Brewers won 14.

And the record-breaking hit came from a player who had entered the game from the bench.