Hitting another speed bump
CLEVELAND - For the first time since late April, the Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in the midst of a losing streak.
The Brewers fell behind Corey Kluber early, and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner never let them get back into the game as they fell to the Cleveland Indians, 3-2, Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
The Brewers came in having not lost consecutive games since being swept in a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field from April 26-29 but have now lost two straight after losing to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
The Indians put together the gameclinching rally against Junior Guerra in the second.
A walk of Edwin Encarnacion started it and then singles by three of the next
four batters made it 2-0, with Lonnie Chisenhall’s two-RBI liner to center the big hit.
José Ramírez hit a two-out, solo homer in the third to push Cleveland’s cushion back to two runs.
Guerra (3-4) pitched six innings for his third straight start, allowing seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Kluber, meanwhile, allowed seven hits without a walk and struck out seven in his seven-inning stint.
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
SOLVING KLUBER: The Brewers got to Kluber for five hits, three runs and a walk over six innings in a 3-2 victory on May 8 at Miller Park. Pitcher Brent Suter provided some unexpected offense when he hit a 433-foot homer off the scoreboard in the third inning that wound up proving to be the decisive run.
Manager Craig Counsell laughed when it was jokingly suggested he should have started Suter at DH on Tuesday but acknowledged runs would again be at a premium.
JUDGING ARCIA: Arcia came into Tuesday hitting .273 with one RBI in four games since being recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs. Does he look any different at the plate after his brief four-game stay there?
“I don’t have any big conclusion,” Counsell said. “The biggest thing with any hitter is if he stays in the strike zone, there’ll be good results. “
RESTING UP: With the Brewers enjoying three days off in a 10-day span, including one on each end of the Cleveland series, Counsell was asked if it was a needed breather for his bullpen.
“I would point to this for the position players as much as anybody,” he said. “This is a really nice stretch. I feel good about what we’re doing with our bullpen, I really do.”
FIFTH SPOT: The Brewers will play a stretch of six straight games beginning Friday in Philadelphia, meaning they’ll need a fifth starter Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park. Zach Davies (right shoulder) is eligible to be reinstated from the disabled list on Saturday, but that might be too optimistic at this point.
“That’s up for debate right now,” Counsell said of the fifth starter.
HOW’S IT GOING: Shaw is a huge Cleveland sports fan but it was Yelich who went out to dinner Monday night with Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns quarterback and No. 1 pick in April’s NFL draft. The two became friendly over the winter after meeting at a workout facility in California, with Mayfield becoming a Brewers fan not long thereafter.
“It was cool to kind of reconnect a little bit, hang out and talk about all the stuff that’s been happening,” said Yelich, who had a Mayfield jersey hanging in his locker.
RECORD
This year: 37-24 Last year: 32-29
COMING UP
Wednesday: Brewers at Indians, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Chase Anderson (4-4, 4.45) vs. Cleveland RHP Carlos Carrasco (6-4, 4.50). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.