Christian Yelich hits his 34th home run of the season on Friday

Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers had a pretty good night on Friday.

He hit his 34th home run of the season in front of the home crowd. His Brewers have clinched a wild-card berth and still could win the National League Central in the waning days of the season. He scored another big run in a 6-5 win over Detroit.

But nothing probably gave him greater joy than catching the ceremonial first pitch thrown at Miller Park by his youngest brother, Cameron, who recently was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps.

Before the game, Cameron Yelich said he hadn't seen Christian play in years. He served in the Marines in several foreign outposts, including Japan, Korea, and the Philippines.

"I haven't seen him play since I was in the Marine Corps, so it's super cool to come out here and throw the first pitch with the Brewers," said Cameron, enlisted in the Marines for four years, to MLB.com. "I'm a little nervous. I haven't thrown a baseball in a little while."

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the younger Yelich enlisted in the Marine Corps after he graduated from high school and was promoted to sergeant this year.

"I think what he's done is great," Christian said. "It was a selfless four years, and I think he gained a lot from the experience, and we're all thankful for everybody that serves this country. To get a greater understanding of what military families go through and the schedule was probably the most eye-opening thing, and I'm glad he's back."

Christian Yelich is in the midst of an MVP-caliber campaign. In addition to his career-high home run total, he's hitting .322 with 106 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in his first season with Milwaukee.