Bob Uecker's final inning calling a Brewers game: Game 3 of the 2024 NL wild-card series
Bob Uecker's final inning of Milwaukee Brewers play-by-play ended on a horrendous note, with the Brewers losing a 2-0 lead in Game 3 of the National League wild-card series. Devin Williams came within two outs of sending the Brewers on to the next series, but instead, Pete Alonso's three-run homer sparked a four-run rally that kept Milwaukee at home for the offseason in a crushing 4-2 loss.
Uecker, a beloved Wisconsin icon for more than five decades, died Thursday at the age of 90.
Uecker and partner Jeff Levering painted the scene this way, starting with the return from break for the top of the ninth inning. Levering's words are italicized.
Devin Williams is on to close this one out. 2-0 lead, he'll have to go through the top of the Mets order. And to take us home and hopefully to the division series, here's Bob Uecker.
All right, Jeff, thank you. It is going to be the top three as Jeff just told you a moment ago. (Francisco) Lindor, (Mark) Vientos and Brandon Nimmo, and that would be enough for Devin Williams. On for the 23rd time this year.
And we are set. And Williams having trouble with the electronic device again. I tell you what, this series with the Mets has been more of a problem for that device. And a new one being brought out of the Brewers dugout. Let's see if this one works for Devin Williams. Into the hat it goes, and we'll see here in a moment.
(Umpire) Vic Carapazza is talking to Devin Williams, and everyone is smiling down there right now, but does he hear what Gary Sánchez …
We got a thumbs up, we got a thumbs up we're good to go. It's that old commercial "Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? Good!"
We are ready. Lindor is in there. And Devin Williams deals the opening pitch. Little bit high, off the outside corner. Lindor is 2 out of 3 tonight.
One ball and no strikes. And the pitch. Check swing, strike anyway. That was a changeup. And a beauty. That one right in there.
One ball and one strike. The stretch, the pitch. Big swing and a miss. He was trying to get one back with that one. One and two on him.
Williams all set. And the pitch. Down low and off the inside, right back with a changeup. Ball two and strike two. Vientos due next.
Devin all set. And the pitch. High and wide with that one. He's taken him full. Don't need any runners for New York.
Three balls, two strikes. From the stretch, here it is. Hit foul to the third deck and bouncing back down.
Three balls, two strikes. New York leadoff batter, Francisco Lindor. New sign for Williams, all set, the pitch. Big swing and a pop fly foul out of play again.
New baseball put in play, set to go. New sign for Devin. The stretch. The pitch. Check swing, did he go? Did not. And New York gets a runner. That was a fastball and missing high and off the outside.
Now it's Mark Vientos. Plenty of power coming up here for New York. 0 for 3 tonight including a couple of strikeouts. SWING and a miss. He was trying to tie it with that one. Why not?
One strike on him. Devin working from the stretch, and the pitch. Bouncer hit foul past third. Well, he's got him two strikes now. 41,594 are here tonight. 2-0, Brewers lead. New sign for Devin. Time called now, Vientos steps out.
Runner aboard with a free ride. Vientos back in there. Devin Williams, a token look at Lindor. Now the pitch. Low and away, and it's one ball and two strikes. Changeup on that one.
Gary Sánchez target up now. And the pitch. HE struck him out swinging.
One away on a big strikeout from Devin Williams. A walk and a strikeout for Brandon Nimmo. Strikeout, pop-up, fly ball for Nimmo tonight.
Lindor, leads at first, the pitch. Bouncer, foul to the Brewers dugout. Nothing and one to Brandon Nimmo.
Left-handed batter. Set to work, Devin Williams ready, the pitch. Bouncer, foul again. Brewers dugout area. Two strikes on him now. Peter Alonso is due next. Outfield deep and about straight away.
Nimmo waiting. Two strike delivery. Here it is. Lined into right center, a base hit. Lindor is going to wind up at third, and the Mets are in business here with two on and one out. So, a big base hit for Nimmo. Alonso is going to be the batter, but not before (Brewers pitching coach) Chris Hook has a chat with Devin Williams, and the Brewers infield along with Gary Sánchez.
Only the third hit in the game for New York. Pete Alonso is going to be the batter. Tying runs are on for New York. Alonso tonight, 0 for 3. Thirty-four home runs on the year for him.
Williams has the sign, and the pitch. Right in there. Changeup. Nothing and one on the New York first baseman.
One strike. Runners lead at first and third. Now the pitch, upstairs, missing. One ball and one strike, about letter high with that one. Brewers have stranded seven tonight, New York has left three.
Devin Williams deals again. Upstairs, missing. Two balls and a strike. Lindor at third, Brandon Nimmo aboard at first. New York trailing, 2-0. The pitch. Dropping low and inside. Three balls and a strike now.
Alonso, stepping out momentarily, now back in there. Williams, three balls and a strike. And the pitch.
Hit in the air to right, deep, warning track, and gone. Peter Alonso just put New York on top in this one with a three-run home run to right field. And just like that, a 2-0 lead is now a 3-2 deficit. That quickly. Wow.
He got it all. No doubt about it. Now (Jose) Iglesias, inside corner a strike. 3-2, New York. From the stretch, still only one out. Hit foul by Iglesias. Nothing and two on him. New York second baseman. Williams delivers again. A swing and a foul.
So the leadoff walk, costly. Base hit by Nimmo a big one. And nothing bigger than Alonso.
The pitch. Fouled again by Iglesias. Fastball around the outside corner, hit it foul. The stretch. Here it is again. Bouncer hit towards right, Turang has that and throws him out. Second out in the inning. Jesse Winker's going to be the batter.
Winker tonight, 0 for 2 officially. Two down, Winker in there, the pitch. Fouled upstairs. Starling Marte due next. One strike on the left-handed batting Winker. 0-1 delivery, Jesse hit it foul. Two strikes on him.
Boy, you talk about taking the air out of a building, wow. That one did it. Well, they got a shot here. Bottom half. Two strikes on Winker, Devin Williams coming back. Upstairs, he missed. One ball and two strikes. David Peterson is up for New York, Brewers get one more shot. The pitch. Hit in the air, foul and out of play again.
Ball one, strike two. Big home run by Peter Alonso, wow. The pitch. Winker got hit again on that right arm, and he's aboard now. Hit by a pitch from Williams. Starling Marte is going to be the batter.
Well, the Crew gets a shot. Devin Williams, who has been as tough as anybody ever — runner goes, and the throw is gonna be late. Winker in there with a stolen base. So hit by a pitch, stolen base for Winker. And the Mets move on.
Gonna see what is going on with Winker, he is out at second base, behind the bag, and is going to be checked out by one of the New York trainers here. I don't know if he got kicked in the head on the play at second base. He's telling (Carlos) Mendoza, the New York manager out there, along with the trainer, that he's all right. It looked like he got kicked in the head. The throw from Gary Sánchez was a little bit high, but I don't think there's anything wrong with him. If he did get kicked, it was in the helmet.
Went down into a crouch as soon as he got to that second base bag and asked for a timeout.
Did it look like that Jeff, like he got…?
Maybe he got grazed in the helmet but nothing serious.
Nothing major, no. Marte waiting, 1-0 pitch. Swing and a miss. One ball and one strike on that changeup. New sign, Williams is ready. And the pitch. Swing and a miss again, another changeup. Out in front of that one. Ball one and strike two now.
Marte tonight, nothing for three. Winker leads. The pitch. Lined to right field, there will be a play at the plate. Here's the throw from Frelick, it's going to be late, and another run for New York. It is a huge base hit by Starling Marte. He winds up at second on that throw coming home from Sal Frelick. But now a two-run margin, and that is going to be it for Devin Williams tonight.
Pat Murphy is out there. Another U.S. Cellular call to the bullpen has been made. Base hit No. 5 for New York. And New York, now on top by a pair. Back after this on the Brewers radio network, it's 4-2, Mets, on the Brewers radio network presented by American Family Insurance.
(After the break) Joe Ross in his 26th game on the year, will face Tyrone Taylor. Mets now lead this one, 4-2. And a runner at second base. And the pitch. Hit in the air down the left field side and playable and going to be caught in the left field corner by Chourio to finally end it.
New York, with a big four-run ninth inning. Crew playing catchup. Back after this on the Brewers radio network. It is 4-2 Mets, presented by American Family Insurance.
(After the break) Jeff, the Mets go to the bullpen here to pitch the bottom half of the inning with David Peterson.
Never had a professional save in his career. Eighty-five starts only 16 appearances out of the bullpen ever for him.
Well, it's Sal Frelick against the left-hander. And the opening pitch. Frelick took a strike and it's nothing and one.
Peterson deals again. LINED to right a base hit. All right! They're alive. One on.
Joey Ortiz is the batter. 0 for 3 tonight for Ortiz. Turang is due next. 4-2, New York.
The pitch. Off the outside, he missed. One ball and no strikes on Joey Ortiz. New sign, (catcher Francisco) Álvarez, now the stretch and the pitch. Right in there with a fastball. It's even at 1-1.
New sign, Peterson set to work. Here he comes. Swing and a miss on a changeup down low and away. Ryne Stanek, a right-hander, is up for New York. One ball and two strikes on the Brewers' third baseman.
From the stretch, here he comes again. Swing and a miss. Fouled it, right field side. One and two.
Ortiz has popped out, bounced out and lined to short. One and two, Álvarez, new sign, and he's ready. And the pitch. Struck him out. High outside fastball, and he went after it.
One down. Brice Turang is the batter now. All set to work. Left-hander throws to first, and back in time. Sal Frelick, he's the runner. Tying run at the plate. 4-2, New York.
The pitch.
A double play ball hit to Lindor, and the throw is going to wind up with a double play, and the New York Mets, after coming from behind with a big four-run ninth inning, rally, overcome that three-run deficit … wow. Turang hit a rocket, short hopped by Lindor, he went to the bag and then the throw to first doubled-up Brice, and this one is over.
And what looked like a huge come-from-behind win in a nothing-nothing game throughout the evening … it was that way. And just like that, their big rally with four to wipe out the lead, that's a tough one. Back with the totals and the summaries after this on the Brewers radio network presented by American Family Insurance.
(After the break) Well, it was a stunner here, partner.
There's no doubt about that. I think everybody who's walking out of this ballpark is absolutely in shock of what took place in that ninth inning.
And credit to the New York Mets to come from behind, um, down a couple, with nothing and coming up with four in that ninth inning.
The bullpen for the Brewers with (Trevor) Megill, and (Nick) Mears and (Freddy) Peralta, they were perfect in three innings. Even Tobias Myers did not allow a base hit until the … from the third inning until the Brandon Nimmo single in the ninth. Devin Williams, it started with the walk. It started with that leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor. Ended up striking out Vientos and you thought you were in pretty good shape. Got ahead of Nimmo, base hit, fell behind Alonso, and a three-run homer later and the Mets are moving on to Philadelphia.
Well, New York, down. They did it. And the Crew will, uh, will have it end here tonight.
Really a crushing end to what was a fabulous season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
I'm telling you, that one … had some sting on it.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A transcript of Bob Uecker's final inning calling a Brewers game