MILWAUKEE -- Andrew Vaughn was on the Chicago White Sox's Triple-A affiliate's roster when he got dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers on June 13.
The first baseman made his way back to the big leagues less than a month later. And he had some big-time production while helping the Brewers capture the top record in the majors during the regular season.
That production continued in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Monday against the Chicago Cubs when he launched a three-run homer in the first inning. It was the first of three home runs in the game for the Brewers, who won 7-3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Vaughn's homer, with two outs in the first, shifted the momentum back to the Brewers after Seiya Suzuki's three-run homer for the Cubs in the top of the first.
"I was just trying to keep the momentum going, have a team at-bat there," Vaughn said. "I was able to hit a pitch I could drive, and definitely a big moment there."
Vaughn followed two-out singles by William Contreras and Christian Yelich by working a full count against Cubs starter Shota Imanaga. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Vaughn connected on a sweeper that was inside and off the plate. The ball kept carrying and landed in the left-field seats for the game-tying home run.
"That's what the three-run homers do, it changes games dramatically," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.
Vaughn went 1-for-3 with the home run, three RBIs and one walk as he continued his resurgence with Milwaukee. The Sox selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft and he was a mainstay on their Sox roster since 2021, but struggled mightily at the start of this season. He had a .189 batting average with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 48 games when he was optioned to Charlotte on May 23.
Vaughn remained with the Knights until the trade to the Brewers organization. The Brewers called Vaughn up from Triple-A Nashville on July 7, and he hit .308 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in 64 games with Milwaukee.
"The beginning of the year definitely wasn't how I wanted it to be," Vaughn said. "Definitely really tough part of my career. But getting traded almost was like an opportunity. Going to Nashville, trying to work my butt off, eventually getting the call, and trying to take advantage of my opportunity.
"It's a really hard game. Just trying to go out there, be the best version of myself, and be like a little kid out there and have fun."
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Vaughn has been "a great addition."
"He's a great young man," Murphy said. "The game humbled him. It goes to show you how mental this game is and how much of this game has to do with our mindset. Tremendous teammate, tremendous baseball mind, always studying the game. It's been a joy to be around him.
"People want to be wanted. His teammates love him. It's pretty cool."
Vaughn was traded for pitcher Aaron Civale, who the Cubs claimed off waivers at the end of August. Civale pitched 4 1/3 scoreless relief innings in Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday.
The Cubs surrendered six runs in the first inning in Game 1. The Brewers struck again with three runs in the first inning Monday thanks to Vaughn's blast.
"That home run was the most important part of the game for us," said Contreras, who hit a go-ahead solo homer in the third, through an interpreter. "That's what Vaughn has been doing ever since he's got here."
Michael Busch provided instant offense for the Cubs in Game 1, leading off with a home run. The Brewers quickly responded with the six-run first on the way to the 9-3 victory.
Monday, Suzuki stepped up early for the Cubs. With one out in the first, Nico Hoerner singled to right field and Kyle Tucker walked. Suzuki then crushed a 1-1 high changeup from Milwaukee starter Aaron Ashby for a 440-foot three-run homer.
"I wouldn't say there's any joy toward myself in that moment, it's more so getting that go-ahead run on the board," Suzuki said through an interpreter.
But instead of getting a crucial shutdown inning, the Cubs surrendered the three runs in the bottom of the first and never regained the momentum.
Suzuki's home run turned out to be all the offense on the night for the Cubs. They collected just four hits, two from Hoerner and one each by Justin Turner and Suzuki.
"In the postseason, every team has really good pitchers," Suzuki said. "The goal is to keep applying pressure on opposing pitchers. For me, looking at myself, the first at-bat was good, but after that it was almost like a one-and-done."
The Cubs had one hit after the second inning, a single by Hoerner in the fifth. Through the first two games, Counsell said the Cubs have not "produced enough pressure" offensively against the Brewers.
"We had two at-bats with runners in scoring position (Monday)," Counsell said. "That's a pretty good sign that we're not creating enough pressure. That's going to add up to a lot of zeros, and that's what happened the last seven or eight innings."
Relievers like Jacob Misiorowski, who reached 104 mph, didn't make it easier for the Cubs. Still, Counsell drove home finding ways to create more pressure.
"That's base runners, hits, walks," he said. "We've got to have more pressure and make innings and pitching decisions much tougher on the other side."
Counsell referred to Turner as "the godfather of playoff experience for our guys" before Monday's game.
The Cubs inserted the veteran at the top of their lineup to combat the Brewers opening with the lefty Ashby. Turner went 1-for-2 before being lifted for Busch.
Throughout the playoff run, Turner -- who has appeared in 87 postseason games in his career -- has been someone players have leaned on.
"There's a ton of curious players in the room who want to show up and work and want to get better every single day," Turner said before Monday's game. "Those kinds of conversations kind of happen naturally. You don't really have to seek anyone out. There's guys having conversations constantly, not just with me but with everyone in the room.
"That's what makes this group so special, and that's why it's been such a fun year for us, is the curiosity and the willingness to grow every single day is pretty cool."
The Cubs will look to use some of those lessons for Game 3 on Wednesday at Wrigley Field as they attempt to dig out of a deep hole.