Contreras delivers walk-off as Brewers edge Giants in thriller

Willy Adames put on a show in his old ballpark with a pair of solo home runs in front of a sellout crowd, as the Milwaukee Brewers once again showcased their blueprint of success with a thrilling 5-4 victory against the San Francisco Giants on Friday at American Family Field.

It was Milwaukee’s 20th win in their last 25 games, a run defined not by star power, but by execution in all facets.

Veteran starter José Quintana set the tone before handing off to a bullpen that leaned on dazzling defense behind them. Andruw Monasterio, starting at shortstop for injured Joey Ortiz, made a soaring catch in the third.

First baseman Andrew Vaughn robbed a hit with a leaping grab in the fifth.

Second baseman Brice Turang sprinted into shallow right to snare a popup in the sixth. And in the seventh, with the game tied, center fielder Brandon Lockridge fired a strike to third base to cut down a would-be go-ahead runner.

On offense, the Brewers manufactured runs with small-ball persistence. A pair of wild pitches fueled a two-run fourth inning to tie the game 2-2. In the seventh, Monasterio was hit by a pitch, Turang legged out a bunt single, and Milwaukee turned the rally into two runs and a 4-2 lead.

But the Giants refused to fold. In the top of the ninth, a scrappy rally tied the game when Dom Smith’s single off closer Trevor Megill put the tying run on third, and another wild pitch allowed the equalizer to score.

That only set the stage for Contreras. Leading off the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers’ All-Star catcher crushed a no-doubt shot for his first career walk-off home run, sending teammates and fans into a frenzy.