The last thing the Milwaukee Brewers expected last night was for Joey Ortiz to blast a two-run, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Ortiz came up empty with some traffic on the basepaths in the bottom of the sixth, but he didn't let another opportunity pass him by when he got a second chance two innings later.

One inning after Brice Turang hit a 418-foot bomb to dead center, Ortiz followed it up with one in a similar spot, clocking in at 412-feet.

It marked Ortiz's second homer of the year, and for a guy who's been on the chopping block, the 27-year-old let out a ton of emotion as he trotted the basepaths in what would lead the Brewers to a 5-3 victory.

"I’m still blessed to be in the big leagues,” he said after the game, according to MLB.com. “Whether I’m playing short every day or playing third and then moving to short when they need me, a lot of people in this world would kill to be in my position. I’m happy to be here."

Ortiz was then asked about Cooper Pratt's promotion to the big-leagues, one that put his spot as the team's everyday shortstop in jeopardy, "I had an idea what was going to happen once he [Pratt] signed the extension. He’s such a great player. He’s very much deserving of the money and the position. He’s going to be a great Brewer for a long time, I can already tell. My job is to just take care of what the team needs.”

The corresponding move to Pratt's call-up saw the Brewers designate Luis Rengifo for assignment. Ortiz's spot was safe, for now, but he's had to balance more off days than ever before as he, Pratt, and David Hamilton are all fighting for two positions.

Two-time National League Manager of the Year Pat Murphy spoke highly about Ortiz post game, "I’ve seen a great attitude. I’ve seen having fun again. I’ve seen a kid that’s accepted his role and looking forward to being a good Major League baseball player for a while.”

Closer Trevor Megill, who notched his 11th save of the 2026 season, also had nothing but great things to say about the California native, "To see Joey come through like that, man, that was amazing. He forgot to acknowledge the bullpen, but we'll let that slide."

Megill said Ortiz has been a "gamer the whole time he's been here," and at the very least, Ortiz contributed in a big way to the Brewers 51st win of the season.

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