Loose Moose: Moustakas brings pivotal experience
MILWAUKEE» It sounds, at first, like a long, drawn out “Booooo!”
But look at the name on the scoreboard and it becomes apparent what fans at Miller Park are really chanting. “Mooooose!”
Mike Moustakas has been a hit with fans and teammates with the Milwaukee Brewers since being acquired from the Kansas City Royals twoplus months ago. They appreciate his solid third base defense, and his lefthanded power stroke was key in getting Milwaukee through the NL division series. In the clubhouse, his focused demeanor and extensive postseason experience have made him a source of steadiness for a club playing in the postseason for the first time since 2011.
“Amazing, amazing. He’s a great teammate,” said utility man Hernan Perez, who has a locker near Moustakas. “He’s been in this situation.”
Moustakas and current Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain helped Kansas City reach the World Series twice, including their championship run in 2015. Moustakas is one step away from a Series return with Milwaukee. Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers is Friday night at Miller Park.
Moustakas hit .364 in a threegame sweep of the Rockies in the NLDS with two RBIs. He had a gameending, twoout RBI single in the 10th inning in Game 1 and an RBI single in eighth inning of Game 2 to help break open what had been a 10 game.
A cool hand in tense moments. Exactly what Milwaukee had in mind for its midseason acquisition.
“The more experience that you can gain, the better off you’re go Rockies in the lead for National League West title with one game to go, but Gray lasted only two innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. Colorado lost 122 and ended up in a tie with the Dodgers and eventually lost the division title in the Game 163 tiebreaker. That performance cemented Gray’s fate and he didn’t pitch in any of Colorado’s four postseason games.
“I’ve thrown a lot of big games for this club. It’s just that, when things are shaky, I don’t know what to expect out of myself,” Gray said.
Asked if the pressure of the moment overwhelmed Gray, manager Bud Black skirted the question.
“This was a matter of a bad location more than any ing to be,” Moustakas said before a team workout on Wednesday.
Overall, Moustakas is hitting .234 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games over eight postseason series.
“But his experience, it’s important. It really is,” manager Craig Counsell said last week. “Making sure we don’t put the result ahead of the process in our atbats, and I think Moose is doing a heck of a job of that.”
His good friend Cain helped ease the transition to Milwaukee, but the Brewers also had to get creative to add Moustakas to the lineup, with Travis Shaw already on the team as the regular third baseman.
Someone had to move. Shaw accepted a switch to second base, a new position and potentially awkward fit for the 230pound slugger. The rationale was that the Brewers employ so many infield shifts, lining up at second wouldn’t be a hard transition. thing,” Black said.
Gray, eager to embark on his offseason program, said things will be different next year.
“I know a lot of (crud) has happened this year,” he said. “It’s been a rough, Game 2 on Fox; others on FS1 (Bestofseven; xif necessary) Friday: Los Angeles (Kershaw 95) at Milwaukee (TBA), 6:09 p.m. Saturday: Los Angeles at Milwaukee, 2:09 p.m.
Oct. 15: Milwaukee at Los Angeles, 5:39 p.m.
Oct. 16: Milwaukee at Los Angeles, 7:09 p.m. xOct. 17: Milwaukee at Los Angeles, 3:05 p.m. xOct. 19: Los Angeles at Milwaukee, 6:39 p.m. xOct. 20: Los Angeles at Milwaukee, 7:09 p.m. Moustakas also volunteered to move over.
Shaw stuck at second and has played fairly well, allowing the Brewers to have three lefty bats in the lineup to go with MVP frontrunner Christian Yelich. rough year for me. I can’t wait to prove everybody wrong and show what I’m all about.”