Hiura hits first homer to cap big trip
ATLANTA – Keston Hiura has gotten some very important “firsts” out of the way on the Milwaukee Brewers’ justcompleted road trip.
After recording his first major-league hit with a solid single off Philadelphia pitcher Jerad Eickhoff ’s backside in his initial plate appearance Tuesday, the rookie second baseman collected his first career home run and run batted in with one swing of the bat Sunday afternoon at SunTrust Park.
Facing Mike Foltynewicz, Hiura jumped on a first-pitch slider to open the fifth and drove it into Milwaukee’s bullpen in left to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead in a game they’d eventually go on to win, 3-2, in 10 innings.
“It felt good to barrel that ball,” said Hiura, who also singled in the seventh and finished 2 for 4. “I put a good swing on it and tried to drive it hard somewhere. I still want to stay aggressive early in the count, and he threw that slider over the plate and I put the barrel on it.”
Added manager Craig Counsell: “He got the two firsts out of the way. A good way to end a road trip. Finish with a win, so you definitely feel good about it going into the off day.”
Hiura actually had an opportunity to put the Brewers ahead in the ninth with Yasmani Grandal on third base and one out, but he wound up hitting a fly ball to shallow center and Grandal had to stay put.
Then, in the Brewers’ next at-bat, Grandal was thrown out trying to retreat to third after a wild pitch from Jacob Webb bounced off the brick wall behind home plate and right to catcher Tyler Flowers.
Hiura struggled with runners on base on the trip since his callup from Class AAA San Antonio last Tuesday, leaving a total of 20 stranded in six games and striking out four times with the bases loaded.
“In that situation you’re looking to drive the ball to the outfield for a sac-fly opportunity,” he said of his ninth inning at-bat on Sunday. “I got under it a little bit too much, hit it too high, and it was a little too shallow. But it all worked out in the end.
Hiura, who will make his Miller Park debut Tuesday with a .250 average, was the second Brewers player to hit his first major-league home run in three days. Jacob Nottingham hit his Friday.
Hiura was fortunate that his landed in the Brewers’ bullpen in left. He said he’ll give the ball to his parents and let them decide what to do with it.
“The debut, of course, trumps it all,” Hiura said of his whirlwind first week in the majors. “But it definitely feels good to have a home run in the big leagues.”
Anderson’s return successful
While his command was a little spotty at times and the length of the outing shorter than he would have liked, Chase Anderson was pleased with his return to the rotation on Saturday night after a 17day absence.
The right-hander allowed two hits, one unearned run and four walks while striking out three over four innings while taking a no-decision in a 4-3, 10inning loss to the Braves. He threw 76 pitches in all before being replaced by Matt Albers.
It was his third start of the season, and first since April 26. He had what should have been his third start May 1 scrapped less than an hour before first pitch after a callus on his right index finger broke open during warmups, and he was immediately placed on the injured list and shut down from throwing until the lesion had healed up sufficiently.
“I felt good,” he said. “My mental approach was really good, just trying to be on the attack the whole time. I know I walked four guys but I didn’t feel like that was the case when I was in it because I was in attack mode, trying to get early outs.
“I think overall it was a good step in the right direction.”
While the numbers in his final line were fine, the numbers he flashed on the radar gun were impressive as he hit 96 mph with his fastball multiple times. He came in averaging a career-best 94 mph, and he finished his best major-league season at 93.7 in 2017.
“It felt good,” Anderson said. “My arm felt good; it’s felt good all season. My arm felt the same was last year, but my arm and my body weren’t synced up properly. So when they’re synched up perfectly I feel like the velo’s going to come.
“It’s nice to have a little extra on it, because I think you can get away with a little bit more than if you’re at 92. We don’t all have pinpoint control like Zach Davies.”
Counsell liked what he saw. “Chase pitched well. I thought he really got after it,” he said. “They made him work – a couple walks and stuff, but he kept making good pitches with men in scoring position. He did a really nice job. His velocity was excellent.
“A good step forward.” Anderson is now 2-0 with a 2.66 earned run average in eight appearances and has struck out 25 in 232 ⁄3 innings. He’s also done well keeping the ball in the park – his major weakness last year, when he tied for the National League lead by allowing 30 – having surrendered only three.
His first five appearances this season came out of the bullpen after the Brewers went with veterans Jhoulys Chacín and Davies and youngsters Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes.
But when Peralta landed on the IL with a shoulder issue, Anderson threw five shutout innings in his place on April 20 against a potent Dodgers lineup. Now, after three starts, he’s 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA – numbers he hopes are good enough to keep him in the rotation moving forward.
But with Chacín, Davies and Woodruff all locked into their spots and late April addition Gio Gonzalez also pitching well, it remains to be seen what happens once Jimmy Nelson returns to the fold.
Assuming he gets through his fourth minor-league rehab start on Thursday with no issues, Counsell said it will be time for the Brewers to decide how to proceed with him.
“I do hope that’s the plan because I feel like, as a starter, I give our team the best chance to win a game,” Anderson said. “My mentality as a starter is to pitch deep into the ballgame. That’s what I’ve done my whole career, starting, but that decision ultimately isn’t up to me.”