Injury puts damper on homestand
Normally, a 4-2 homestand is an OK thing.
But after winning series from both the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, the Milwaukee Brewers headed for the West Coast late Sunday afternoon having to marinate on some bad vibes.
Most immediately, it was the lousy baseball they’d just played, with two errors and a couple other mental miscues that paved the way to an 8-2 loss to the Nationals at American Family Field.
Then in the larger picture there was the uncertain status of Freddy Peralta, who was forced from the game in the fourth inning with tightness in his right shoulder and lat.
The injury is serious enough that the right-hander will be placed on the injured list; Peralta will remain in Milwaukee and undergo testing on Monday while the Brewers start a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
“Today is disappointing because we didn’t play well,” manager Craig Counsell said. “The double plays early in the game ruined some innings, and losing Freddy is obviously disappointing.
“It’s one game so you turn the page. But losing Freddy hurts a little bit and now, we’re going on a challenging road trip.”
The homestand
Vs. Atlanta: 2-1 record Vs. Washington: 2-1 record
The takeaway
Indeed, this will be the team’s most daunting road trip of the season: three cities and 11 games over 10 days (a makeup doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field is on the docket May 30).
But at least the Brewers will head out on the strength of, Sunday’s performance aside, a well-balanced showing against the defending World Series champion Braves and a not-so-good team in the Na
tionals.
The starting pitching clearly has found its groove. Even with the ugly line Peralta put up before departing Sunday, he and his rotation mates combined for a cumulative 2.57 earned run average with 34 strikeouts over 35 innings.
Peralta’s first start of the homestand against the Braves set the tone, as he tossed seven shutout innings, allowed two hits and a walk and struck out 10.
Eric Lauer was nearly as good in his start against the Nationals on Friday, also throwing seven shutout innings while allowing five hits, not walking a batter and striking out five.
Adrian Houser, Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff all went six innings in their starts with Houser suffering the only loss as the Brewers were shut out, 3-0, by the Braves on Tuesday.
Aaron Ashby, who had been scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale at San Diego before Peralta was injured, now becomes an even more critical piece of Milwaukee’s pitching staff as the team awaits word on how long Peralta will be out.
“We’re going to have to go with five guys,” Counsell said. “In seven days we’re going to have to cut that down to five anyway, so for now it doesn’t change much. But, we lose a good pitcher for at least a couple of weeks.”
Anchored as usual by the back end, the bullpen was up to the task as well by compiling a 2.14 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Closer Josh Hader pitched twice and recorded saves No. 14 and 15, extending his major-league record, but perhaps the most impressive body of work was turned in by setup man Devin Williams.
The right-hander, who has struggled off and on with his command, allowed one hit, didn’t allow a walk and struck out eight in three shutout innings while registering his 10th and 11th holds.
Williams has lowered his earned run average to 4.20 from the 5.25 it was at the outset of the homestand, and his WHIP to 1.62.
Milwaukee did its best offensive work in rallying from a 4-0 deficit to beat Atlanta, 7-6, in 11 innings on Wednesday.
Kolten Wong sent the Brewers into extras for the first time this season with a terrific at-bat in a full count against the normally untouchable (for Milwaukee, at least) Kenley Jansen that culminated in a tying triple.
Then in the 11th, Keston Hiura sent a 447-foot missile out to straightaway center, a two-run homer that came on the same day he’d been recalled from Class AAA Nashville and while he was recovering from a non-COVID-19-related illness.
The Brewers hit six homers in the six games, leaving them in fourth place in the majors with 55. Their collective slugging percentage of .414 also ranked fourth, their OPS of .729 fifth and their total of 193 runs seventh.
At 26-15, Milwaukee holds a threegame advantage over the Cardinals in the NL Central Division standings heading into the teams’ four-game series at St. Louis from Thursday-Sunday.
Speaking of which, shortstop Willy Adames said following the game Sunday his hope is to be reinstated from the IL in time for Thursday’s game.
Out since May 16 with a high left ankle sprain, Adames is already running and hitting. If he can show the Brewers he can run the bases without issue Tuesday and not show any ill effects the following day, it could happen.
Who was hot ...
Hunter Renfroe: The rightfielder, who is tied for the team lead with nine homers, didn’t go deep in the six games but he did collect 10 hits in 19 at-bats (a .526 average) and had four runs batted in. His season average has jumped to .268, which is second on the team among regulars.
Tyrone Taylor: There is playing time for the taking in center field. Lorenzo Cain has gotten off to a bad start, so if Taylor can carry over what he did in five games on the homestand – a .263 average, two homers and team-leading five RBI – he’ll likely see himself in the lineup much more.
“He’s swinging the bat well, for sure,” Counsell said. “He’s driving the ball, which is something he’s very capable of, and we’re certainly taking note of that.”
... and who was not
Brent Suter: He’s had a lot on his plate lately with the birth of his second son. But in three innings over two appearances, he surrendered six hits, three runs and two walks. Almost all the damage came in relief of Peralta on Sunday, but his 5.14 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over 13 appearances are very un-Suter-like.
Omar Narváez: He continues to catch and call good games, but he’s become almost a nonfactor offensively. Narváez was 1 for 11 in three starts on the homestand and is slashing .241/2/8/.710 for the season.
Three numbers
3 Shutouts on the six-game homestand, two by the Brewers, which upped their season total to three, and one by the Braves, giving Milwaukee four games in which it’s failed to score.
15 Saves in as many appearances by Hader, who continues to extend his majorleague record. He has converted 29 consecutive save opportunities dating to last season.
16 Consecutive games Luis Urías has reached base safely since being reinstated from the injured list. He also has reached safely in 19 consecutive games dating to last season, the fourth-longest streak in the National League.
They said it
“I was kind of on my death bed a little bit.” - Keston Hiura
The infielder had been hit with a bout of what he called the flu – Hiura tested negative for COVID-19, he was also sure to mention – right before being recalled to Milwaukee and hitting the second walk-off homer of his career. “YouTube.” - Andrew McCutchen
The Brewers’ designated hitter-out-fielder answer when he was asked how he spent his time while quarantined in his Atlanta hotel after testing positive for COVID-19. He also was an entertaining follow on Twitter, where he interacted with fans during some of Milwaukee’s games.