Offense takes another day off
CHICAGO – After winning six consecutive series against opponents expected to contend all season for the playoffs, the Milwaukee Brewers faced a definite non-contender in the rebuilding Chicago White Sox.
Instead of continuing to flourish, the Brewers stubbed their toes in a big way, dropping two of three over the weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field to one of the worst teams in the majors. Showing little offensive life for the second time in the series, they fell Sunday afternoon to the White Sox, 6-1.
Not only did the Brewers score only nine runs in the three games, going 0 for 16 with runners in scoring position, their previously dominant bullpen sprung significant leaks in the opener and finale. And now they move on to face Cleveland’s best pitchers in a two-game series and a much improved Philadelphia team on this trip.
Right-hander Dylan Covey, who had ties to the Brewers’ draft history, started for the White Sox and turned in one of the best outings of his young career. Covey went five-plus innings, allowing only four hits – four singles – and one unearned run with seven strikeouts.
The Brewers selected Covey, then a prep pitcher out of the Los Angeles area, in the first round in 2010. After a postdraft physical exam revealed he had undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes and the Brewers lowered their bonus offer, he opted to attend the University of San Diego and three years later was drafted by Oakland in the fourth round, and later grabbed by Chicago in the Rule 5 draft.
The only damage the Brewers could muster against Covey came in the fifth, when an error resulted in an unearned run. With the bases loaded and one down, third baseman Yolmer Sanchez muffed Christian Yelich’s chopper, allowing the Brewers to snap a 0-0 tie.
With a chance for a much bigger inning, the Brewers allowed Covey to wiggle off the hook as Jesús Aguilar popped out and Travis Shaw struck out.
Brewers starter Brent Suter was brilliant through the first four innings, allowing only one hit – a two-out triple by Yoan Moncada in the second. But a pair of walks cost him in the fifth, setting up a two-out, RBI single by catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, his first hit in the majors.
When Sanchez opened the White Sox sixth with a bloop single to center, that was all for Suter, who yielded to Matt Albers. Chicago countered with lefty-hitting Daniel Palka, who worked the count to 3-2 and blasted a fastball out to right for his team’s first pinch homer of the season.
The next batter, Adam Engel, sent a drive to center that eluded the leaping Lorenzo Cain, bounding off the yellow line atop the padding, ticking Cain’s glove and going over for a home run that made it 4-1.
Left-hander Dan Jennings suffered through his second two-run inning in the series when Chicago built the lead to 6-1 in the eighth.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
BRAUN’S BAD LUCK CONTINUES: Ryan Braun has talked about his bad luck at the plate this season and it continued when he batted for Ji-Man Choi in the sixth inning after lefty reliever Luis Avilán entered. Braun hit a liner to second baseman Moncada, who doubled Domingo Santana off first. Braun entered the day with a .261 batting average on balls put in play, compared to his .329 career norm. His line-drive percentage was 22.2%, highest of his career, yet he was batting only .232 with a .713 OPS.
KLUBER AND CARRASCO AGAIN: What are the odds that in a pair of twogame interleague series against Cleveland, spaced almost a month apart, the Brewers would face the same Indians starters – Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco, who happen to be the team’s best two pitchers. After facing them in early May at Miller Park, the Brewers get them again Tuesday and Wednesday at Progressive Field. The Brewers edged Kluber, 3-2, the first time around when Suter homered against him, but Carrasco pitched a complete game in a 6-2 victory. Asked jokingly if he’d be tempted to use Suter as the designated hitter against Kluber, manager Craig Counsell said, “Brent has swung the bat really well this year. I don’t know if we saw that coming, necessarily. He will not DH on Tuesday. I will make that announcement now. He will be available in an emergency. That’s one of his strongest traits. He’s available in an emergency.”
FIVE AND DONE: For the eighth time in 11 starts, Suter was credited with exactly 5.0 innings. He has yet to make it through six innings, despite an off-season weight program designed to make him stronger and give him more endurance during games.
THAMES TO PLAY GAMES: First baseman Eric Thames, on the comeback trail from left thumb surgery, is slated to play in games in extended spring training Monday and Tuesday. If those games go well, he will be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment with one of the Brewers’ affiliates. That would put him on track to return to the club sometime on the next home stand.
EVERY REBUILD IS DIFFERENT: With the White Sox piling up losses in the early stages of their rebuilding process, Counsell was asked if that team could learn anything from the Brewers, who returned to contending status much sooner than expected. “You’re always trying to advance your players, advance your program,” Counsell said. “There’s no one formula and there’s no magic formula. You have to assemble a good bunch of players and try to get them better. You try to get them on the same page with everything you’re doing. It’s not magic and it’s not necessarily the same for every organization.”
RECORD
This year: 37-23 Last year: 32-28
COMING UP
Monday: Off-day.
Tuesday: Brewers at Indians, 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (3-3, 2.65) vs. Cleveland RHP Corey Kluber (8-2, 2.02). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.