Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Sunday, July 1, 2018

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1 What s on Tap: Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Sunday, July 1, The Brewers close out this trip to Cincinnati today at 12:10 p.m. The team returns home tomorrow to begin a seven-game homestand against the Twins and Braves. Included in today s clips: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: - The top 15 plays by the Milwaukee Brewers this season - Injuries to Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun leave Brewers short of depth in the outfield - Reds 12, Brewers 3: Tight affair turns into laugher in seventh inning - Shortened roster comes back to bite Brewers in the end MLB.com: - Braun, Yelich injuries test Brewers outfield depth - Undermanned Crew runs out of steam vs. Reds FOX Sports Wisconsin: - Cincinnati uses eight-run inning to rout Brewers Baseball Prospectus: - Are the Brewers a Playoff Team? The Athletic: - Bowden: Six trades NL contenders should make before the deadline New York Daily News: - Harper: Which prospects can Mets get in a trade? We break down four deals Appleton Post-Crescent: - Brewers prospect wears mother's memory on his sleeve

2 2018/ / The top 15 plays by the Milwaukee Brewers this season JR Radcliffe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel June 30, 2018 The Brewers have enjoyed a successful first half of the 2018 season, with their 81st game taking place Friday. Milwaukee's record is the best in the National League. Here's a look at the 15 best moments from the first half of the season. 15. Broxton stars The first on our list happens to be the most recent. Relegated to Class AAA Colorado Springs for much of the season after the Brewers picked up outfielders Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich in the off-season, Broxton delivered a spectacular singular performance in an 8-2 win June 29 against the Reds. He hit two home runs, drove in four, posted an RBI single, broke out of a creative rundown to score a run and made a diving catch in the ninth inning. 14. All the way back Manny Pina's home run May 11 with the team down to its last out capped a wild comeback against the Colorado Rockies and forced extras, in which the Brewers landed an win. Milwaukee was down at one point, Santana disappears Rightfielder Domingo Santana disappeared into the corner on the May 25 telecast, but one camera managed to capture his flying grab. 12. Sogard climbs the tarp The May 27 catch came early in the game with the Mets already having scored four times in the second inning. It proved crucial in making sure nobody else scored, and the Brewers wound up rallying for an 8-7 win. 11. Run Saladino run The recently recalled shortstop sent a ball past the Diamondbacks outfield and came all the way around for an inside-the-park homer, but he had to earn it. 10. Yelich on the tip drill Christian Yelich has made a number of difficult grabs for the Brewers in the outfield, but his snaring of a tipped ball by Hernan Perez on April 18 may be the best. 9. Speaking of tipped catches... Yelich did it well. Cain did it better. This is from June 8, followed by a lighthearted top of the cap... to himself. 8. Suter's three mound dives Brent Suter's dive-and-roll-and-dive-again June 27 against the Royals is probably the best of these three plays, but the athletic lefty has made a number of great plays off the mound.

3 7. Braun steals a homer, shows some swagger Ryan Braun stole a home run away from the Cubs on June 11, then playfully hid the ball. It marked his second great catch of the game. 6. Back-to-back to end it For the first time in major-league baseball history, a game began and ended with back-to-back home runs. Yelich and Braun went deep on consecutive pitches after Milwaukee was down to its final strike to shock St. Louis on April Suter vs. Cy Young Milwaukee pitcher Brent Suter blasted a 433-foot home run off reigning American League Cy Young winner Corey Kluber on May 8, part of a 3-2 Brewers win. 4. Freddy on Mother's Day A whale of a debut for rookie pitcher Freddy Peralta included 13 strikeouts, flirtation with a no-hit bid and a family that got to see him work for the first time. 3. The Hader 8 Josh Hader has certainly been one of the top storylines of the first half of 2018 so far, but his magnum opus came on April 30 against the Reds, when he registered eight strikeouts in a historic 9-out save. 2. Cain's base-running gold On June 12 against the Cubs, Cain famously helped his team evade a rundown with some of the craftiest base running you'll see pitches Jesus Aguilar, who perhaps is knotted with Hader for the best Brewers story of the first half, saw 13 pitches before sending everyone home with a thrilling walk-off homer against the Marlins on April 21. It gets the nod over another Aguilar walk-off, when he homered to break up a no-hitter in the seventh against the Cardinals on June 22 and won the game two innings later with another blast. Injuries to Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun leave Brewers short of depth in the outfield Todd Rosiak Milwaukee Journal Sentinel June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI - If Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell was worried about his lack of depth in the outfield prior to Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, he wasn't letting on.

4 With Christian Yelich's lower back still not well enough for him to play, Ryan Braun's lower back acting up once again and Lorenzo Cain still on the disabled list, the Brewers' starting outfield consisted of Eric Thames in left, Keon Broxton in center and Hernán Pérezin right. "We re fine," Counsell said before the Brewers were pounded by the Reds, "This is a normal scenario, really. We ve had an extra position player for a while now. We re down one position player, which is a very common day in the big leagues. So I m perfectly comfortable with where we re at. "We re carrying five bench position players; most teams are carrying four. In a lot of scenarios you ll have a guy down for a day. "It s not as dire as you guys are making it sound." Yelich left Thursday's game in the first inning after his back tightened up and Braun left Friday's in the seventh after his tightened up as well. Counsell ruled Yelich out Saturday and said "he's got a ways to go," but said after the game that Braun was "doing pretty good." With Yelich and Braun out, the Brewers' bench Saturday consisted of catcher Manny Piña, shortstop Orlando Arcia and utility man Eric Sogard. Pérez made a couple nice plays in right, including throwing out Joey Votto trying to go from first to third on a Scooter Gennett single in the fourth. But Thames made a big miscue in the decisive seventh, misplaying a Gennett fly ball to left that helped open the door to Can eight-run inning for Cincinnati. Counsell left the door open for some potential moves heading into Sunday's series finale. "We ll have to discuss it," he said. "We do have to make sure bullpen-wise we re in good shape if something happens tomorrow." Cain, meanwhile, is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday with the Brewers hosting the Minnesota Twins. "He was on the field on Thursday, so that s obviously a really positive sign," Counsell said. "We ll just keep making progress and when we get back to Milwaukee we ll talk about BP on the field. Then we re getting pretty close. "I don t know if we re going to be right on 10 days, but we re in good shape." Hernán his keep: Pérez's greatest value to the Brewers is his positional versatility, as he's already appeared at every position on the field - including designated hitter - aside from catcher this season. What would help his cause even more would be increased offensive consistency. Pérez came into Saturday hitting.248 with four home runs and 16 runs batted in, but his on-base percentage was just worst during his three-plus-year tenure with the Brewers - in what's been a reduced role compared to his previous two seasons. "It s a valuable role, it s a difficult role," Counsell said. "His versatility is something that makes other spots on the roster possible. His at-bats are kind of unpredictable, though. In the past he s gotten more consistent playing time. This year it s been a little more sporadic.

5 "Hernán s challenge has always been his ball-strike recognition. It s the foundation of hitting because it s difficult to get hits swinging at pitches outside the strike zone. He s got great bat-to-ball skills, which is the thing that almost gets him in trouble sometimes. "To me, he s an incredibly valuable piece to this roster with what he brings." Pérez singled in the first and scored a run in the sixth after reaching on an error. Davies is down: It was an all-around bad night for right-hander Zach Davies on Friday. Not only was he hit hard his second minor-league rehab start at Class A Wisconsin, surrendering 10 hits - including two homers - and six earned runs, but he also was forced to leave the game after three innings and 48 pitches due to injury. On the DL with a right-shoulder issue, Davies is now dealing with spasms and tightness in his lower back. Initially, Davies was scheduled to join the Brewers in Cincinnati. Instead he headed back to Milwaukee from Appleton and was expected to have his back examined on Monday. "Look, he didn t have a good night, period," Counsell said. Reds 12, Brewers 3: Tight affair turns into laugher in seventh inning Todd Rosiak Milwaukee Journal Sentinel June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI - Things went from bad to worse in the blink of an eye for the Milwaukee Brewers on a sweltering Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park. Having thwarted potential big rallies by the Cincinnati Reds in both the fifth and sixth innings, the Brewers went on to endure their worst inning of the season in the seventh. The Reds sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight times, turning what had been a tightly contested affair into a total laugher. By the time all was said and done, the Brewers had suffered a tough-to-swallow 12-3 loss. Milwaukee was clinging to a 3-2 lead when things quickly got out of hand. Taylor Williams, who needed to battle his way out of a tight spot in the sixth, allowed a leadoff single to open the Reds' seventh. With both Jeremy Jeffress and Josh Hader presumably unavailable, manager Craig Counsell called on recently recalled left-hander Mike Zagurski to face at least the twosome of Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett. Votto battled Zagurski - pitching in the major leagues for the first time since for a walk and Scooter Gennett followed by lofting a fly ball to left field that Eric Thames misplayed into a double, tying the game.

6 Eugenio Suárez was then walked intentionally to load the bases for Jesse Winker, and he singled to left to put the Reds ahead, 4-3. Things quickly spiraled out of control from there. Jacob Barnes replaced Zagurski and allowed consecutive singles to Adam Duvall and Tucker Barnhart. That brought up pitcher Michael Lorenzen, who promptly provided the coup de gras by crushing a grand slam to left-center field. It was the Reds' major-league-leading ninth grand slam of the season, and Lorenzen's second homer in as many games. Lorenzen took a curtain call after rounding the bases, while the Brewers could do nothing but cringe. Barnes finally finished up the inning, and catcher Erik Kratz got the call for the eighth. It was his third career pitching performance and second by a Brewer position player this season. Kratz allowed two hits and two runs with a strikeout. The Brewers had to battle hard for their three runs off Reds starter Tyler Mahle, who struck out a careerhigh 12 in 5 2/3 innings. Milwaukee hitters struck out a season-high 18 times altogether. Thames homered two batters into the game. Then after the Reds came back to tie it at 1-1 against starter Jhoulys Chacín, Milwaukee got an RBI double from Jonathan Villar and an RBI groundout from Kratz to take a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Chacín allowed four hits, a run and three walks with five strikeouts over five innings. Cincinnati got a run back in the bottom of the sixth after Williams allowed a pair of singles and a walk to open his appearance, but he was able to keep it at 3-2 heading to the decisive seventh. FIVE TAKEAWAYS PRETTY CLOSE: The Brewers finished the first half of the season with a record, the second best in franchise history. Only the 2014 team posted a better mark 81 games into the year, at ERIC THE RED: By going deep in the first inning, Thames made it 14 homers in 22 career games against the Reds and seven homers in 11 career games at Great American Ball Park. GOING DEEP: Thames's homer also gave the Brewers homers in 18 consecutive games at Great American Ball Park, tying them for the longest such streak in the facility's history. The Reds also homered in 18 consecutive games from April 25-May 29, Milwaukee has hit a total of in the streak that dates to Sept. 13, UPON FURTHER REVIEW: Chacín thought he had struck out Winker to close out the fourth, and was actually walking off the mound when he realized home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild had instead called a ball. Chacín tapped his chest as if to say, "My bad," then promptly got a called third from Fairchild on his next offering. NEWS ON NELSON: General manager David Stearns was in Appleton on Friday for Zach Davies's rehab start with Class A Wisconsin. Among the topics he discussed with reporters was the progress of righthander Jimmy Nelson's comeback from last September's shoulder surgery, and the fact he continues to throw only off flat ground.

7 "I'm sure there is a cut-off date (for it being too late to return) but we're not close to it yet," Stearns said. "At some point, if we don't progress Jimmy to the point of throwing off a mound, we have to be realistic that it may not happen this year. We still feel comfortable that we have plenty of time to get him off of a mound, get him through a rehab assignment and get him back to helping our major-league team." RECORD This year: Last year: COMING UP Sunday: Brewers at Reds, 12:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Freddy Peralta (3-0, 1.59) vs. Cincinnati RHP Matt Harvey (3-5, 5.28). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM Shortened roster comes back to bite Brewers in the end Todd Rosiak Milwaukee Journal Sentinel June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI - The Milwaukee Brewers were personnel-challenged to say the least on Saturday afternoon. Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun were both out with sore backs. Jeremy Jeffress and Josh Hader were unavailable out of the bullpen and Dan Jennings was in need of a day off as well. The Brewers almost made it work without those four key players, taking a one-run lead into the seventh inning before all heck broke loose. The Cincinnati Reds scored eight runs against three different Milwaukee relievers, catcher Erik Kratz came on to pitch the eighth and by the time it was over the Brewers had endured an ugly 12-3 drubbing at Great American Ball Park. "These were our guys today and we knew before the game this was who we were going to have to get through the game with," manager Craig Counsell said. "These guys can t pitch every day. They won us the last two games, and that s how you ve got to play it. There ll be more games where Josh and J.J. weren t available and Corey (Knebel's) not available. "You put yourself in a position to win, and that s all you can ask." Despite striking out 12 times against Reds starter Tyler Mahle, the Brewers held a 3-2 lead in the seventh when the personnel deficits began showing. Taylor Williams, who'd wriggled off the hook in a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the sixth by allowing just a run, allowed a leadoff single to José Peraza in the seventh. That led to Counsell removing Williams in favor of recently recalled left-hander Mike Zagurski to face Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett.

8 On a day when nobody is off-limits, Jeffress very likely would have taken Williams's spot and Hader would have pitched in Zagurski's. Ultimately, Zagurski walked Votto after getting ahead of him, 0-2. That brought up Gennett, who sent a fly ball to left that Thames both misread and lost in the sun. It dropped for a double, and Eugenio Suárez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jesse Winker singled in Votto to tie the game, Jacob Barnes replaced Zagurski and the Reds were off and running from there. "My job is to get outs," Zagurski said. "It doesn t matter if it s 1-0 or It was probably more out of need at the time, but that s a situation I need to handle, and I didn t do the job. "It s just disappointing." Adam Duvall, next up, drove in two runs with a single. Tucker Barnhart singled. Then came Reds pitcher Michael Lorenzen, who slugged a pinch-hit grand slam to left-center to make it "Look, Taylor worked really hard to get through the sixth," Counsell said. "The plan was to try to get through the sixth and Peraza, Zagurski s got two hitters and then hopefully Jacob s only got to get four outs. Then we turn it over to Corey. "It just didn t work. We didn t get anybody out." The grand slam was the major-league-leading ninth of the season for the Reds. It was also the second homer in as many days for Lorenzen against the Brewers and his third of the season. Reds manager Jim Riggleman has toyed with the idea of using Lorenzen as an outfielder in certain situations, so he was definitely on the Brewers' radar screen coming into the series. "The guy s swinging the bat really well, that s for sure," Counsell said. "We treat him as a position player; we covered him in scouting meetings. But obviously we ve got to make some adjustments. "He s swinging it well." The Reds ultimately sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh. And with the game out of hand, Counsell turned to his starting catcher, Kratz, to get him through the eighth inning on the mound. Pitching for the third time in his major-league career, Kratz allowed two hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk. He also struck out Suárez with a 59-mph knuckleball. Most important, he picked up the bullpen in a definite time of need. "We don t want to wear anybody else s arms out, so if it can get some guys fresh so we can use them tomorrow or the next day, I definitely take pride in that," said Kratz, who also drove in the Brewers' third and final run. "I d rather catch nine and go away with high fives, but we didn t get it today." Added Counsell: "You ve got to do it sometimes. It makes Dan fresh for tomorrow for sure. Sometimes, you ve just got to do it." Counsell should have more flexibility with his bullpen Sunday, and he left the door open for a potential roster move while also adding Braun was trending in the right direction with regard to his availability.

9 For the Brewers, getting closer to full strength will definitely be a good thing. "That s just the course of a season," Counsell said. "There s going to be games when those guys have to get outs. That s not injury-related in any way. We just couldn t get outs." Braun, Yelich injuries test Brewers outfield depth Cain on 10-day DL, still recovering from groin injury Adam McCalvy MLB.com June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI -- Remember when the Brewers had too many outfielders? The Brewers are pushing the limit of how many day-to-day injuries one team can navigate at one time, said GM David Stearns, even as manager Craig Counsell suggested otherwise. Outfielders Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun were sidelined with stiff lower backs, with Yelich's seeming the more serious of the two. And those day-to-day issues were on top of Lorenzo Cain's absence, while he recovers on the 10- day disabled list from a groin injury. "We're probably at about that limit right now." Stearns said when asked about the line between managing bumps and bruises, and requiring reinforcements. "I don't know that we can withstand another day-to-day situation and still function with our current roster. We are OK right now, as long as this does not linger past a couple more days. If it does, then we will have to make a move." Counsell fielded a lineup Saturday with Eric Thames, Keon Broxton and utility man Hernan Perez in the outfield from left to right, on a sweltering day at Great American Ball Park. Eric Sogard, primarily a middle infielder, was probably the first backup outfield option on the bench. Jonathan Villar and Brad Miller also were options in a pinch. "I'm perfectly comfortable with where we're at," Counsell said. "We're carrying five bench position players; most teams are carrying four. In a lot of scenarios, you'll have a guy down for a day. It's not as dire as you guys are making it sound." Counsell said "definitely, we'll stay away" from Yelich on Saturday. Braun's status was more nebulous. The 34-year-old was getting treatment all afternoon, and was not available to the media. "We can manage for the moment," Stearns said. "We understand that these are things teams go through over the course of a year, when you're dealing with injuries or discomforts that can linger for 3-4 days, and we have to make decisions as to whether that's worthy of a DL placement. At this point, we're hopeful we can avoid a DL." Cain was making progress, meanwhile, in his rehab. He could be cleared to take batting practice on the field as soon as Monday, Counsell said. Cain is eligible to come off the DL on Wednesday. Davies' status unclear Right-hander Zach Davies was back in Milwaukee on Saturday, a day after his rehab start at Class A Advanced Wisconsin was cut short by lower back discomfort.

10 Davies was supposed to throw 80 pitches in what might have been his final step before returning to the Brewers from a right shoulder injury. Instead, he threw 48 pitches and surrendered six earned runs on 10 hits before alerting medical officials to back trouble. "At this point," Stearns said, "we don't really know how much of a setback this is. [Davies] felt some tightness during his outing. He wisely mentioned it, so we took him out of the game. He's going to be reevaluated over the next couple of days, and I think our goal would be by early next week, to have a plan of attack going forward. We don't have a firm grasp on it right now." There's a chance that the discomfort will simply subside, Stearns said. If it doesn't, the team will order more tests. Either way, will Davies require at least one more rehab start? "That's certainly a possibility, now," Stearns said. "But we'll want to see what this turns out to be." Torres-Costa promoted From the low-a level to Triple-A Colorado Springs in two years, former 35th-round Draft pick Quintin Torres-Costa continues to be a fast riser in Milwaukee's Minor League system. The 23-year-old lefthanded reliever was promoted to the SkySox this week. Torres-Costa, whose funky delivery has been compared to Josh Hader, pitched in the Arizona Fall League last year and posted a 1.16 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 31 innings over in 21 games for Double-A Biloxi before Friday's promotion. "[Torres-Costa]'s an exciting guy for us. He deserves the promotion" Stearns said. "We're looking forward to see what he can do against some advanced competition in a hitter-friendly environment." "If you're in Double-A and performing, you're on the radar." Counsell said. "[Torres-Costa]'s had a really nice season. He's left-handed, he's got a little different arm slot. It's easy to be interested in that." Undermanned Crew runs out of steam vs. Reds Chacin preserves early lead, but bullpen falters in 8-run seventh Adam McCalvy MLB.com June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI -- The shorthanded Brewers skirted disaster for as long as they could Saturday, but in the seventh inning, disaster finally stuck. With outfielders Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun down with injuries, and relievers Jeremy Jeffressand Josh Hader off-limits for the day, the depleted Brewers yielded eight Reds runs before recording an out in the decisive seventh inning of a 12-3 loss at Great American Ball Park, a go-ahead outburst punctuated by power-hitting pitcher Michael Lorenzen's pinch-hit grand slam. For the second time this season, Brewers manager Craig Counsell found himself on the wrong end of a score so lopsided, he sent a position player to the mound. Catcher Erik Kratz drew the assignment this time. "We were kind of squeaking by for six innings there, then we put ourselves in a pretty good spot," said Counsell. "But give them credit -- they kept swinging the bats."

11 Kratz was forced into his third career pitching appearance after 35-year-old left-hander Mike Zagurskididn't retire any of the four hitters he faced in his first big league outing in five years, and Jacob Barnessurrendered a grand slam to Lorenzen -- a no-doubter to left field that made it The quick strike turned a close game that the Brewers mostly led, into a blowout. Eric Thames continued his torment of the Reds with a home run in the first inning, and Jonathan Villar and Kratz delivered RBIs for a 3-1 lead in the sixth. Brewers pitching, meanwhile, held the line. The Reds loaded the bases with no outs against Jhoulys Chacin in the fifth inning and Taylor Williams in the sixth, but came away with a lone run each time. In the seventh, however, with high-leverage relief aces Jeffress and Hader down, and left-hander Dan Jennings in need of a day off himself, Cincinnati finally hit it big against Williams, Zagurski and Barnes. "These were our guys today, and we knew before the game this was who we were going to have to get through the game with," said Counsell. "These guys can't pitch every day. They won us the last two games, and that's how you've got to play it. There'll be more games where Josh and J.J. weren't available, and [closer Corey Knebel] is not available. You put yourself in a position to win, and that's all you can ask." The Reds tied the game against Zagurski when Thames misplayed Scooter Gennett's fly ball in the sun for a game-tying RBI double, and took the lead when Jesse Winker punched a go-ahead RBI single through the left side. Enter Barnes, who surrendered a two-run single to Adam Duvall and another base hit, before Lorenzen, a former Cal State Fullerton outfielder, smashed a fastball for a grand slam, his second home run in as many days and his third in his last three official at-bats. Lorenzen hit a solo shot off Chase Anderson on Friday. "[Lorenzen] swings," said Barnes. "We knew he can hit. But it was one of those things -- down a couple, bases loaded, 1-0 count, he was geared up for a fastball and it was more over the plate than I liked, obviously." Zagurski took the loss in a high-leverage Brewers debut. "It was probably more out of need at the time, but that's a situation I need to handle, and I didn't do the job," he said. "It's just disappointing. Hopefully we'll get a few more in there and straighten it out a little bit." MOMENT THAT MATTERED Zagurski vs. Votto: Zagurski's first Major League appearance since September 2013 with the Yankees began with no outs, a runner at first, with the Brewers trying to protect a one-run lead and Joey Vottodue to hit. Zagurski fired a series of mph fastballs at the outside edge of the strike zone, as Votto worked a seven-pitch walk that put the go-ahead runner on base and put the Brewers in trouble. "I have to make a little better pitch," Zagurski said. "If [the umpire] is not giving me that, I need to move it on the plate a little bit more, and I didn't do that. No ill will towards him. I have a job to do, and I didn't do it." "We didn't give 'Z' some easy matchups," Counsell said. "I understand that, but that's how it works. That's where we were at today. He made good pitches to Votto, there's no question. He made really good pitches and [Votto] laid off of them."

12 Perez vs. Votto: Hernan Perez has made a pair of scoreless appearances as a pitcher for the Brewers, so perhaps it was not surprising when he unleashed a strong throw from right field to third base on the fly in the fourth inning to retire Votto. It was a big moment with the Brewers leading 1-0. SOUND SMART Thames' home run gave him 14 in 22 games against the Reds and seven home runs in his first 39 at-bats at Great American Ball Park. The Brewers have hit a home run in 18 straight games at the venue over the past three years, matching the Reds' own record from 2010 for any team at the ballpark. The Brewers also set a strikeout record. They whiffed 18 times, a season high for MIlwaukee, and a Reds club-record for a nine-inning game. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Kratz might have surrendered a pair of runs on two hits and a walk, but he also struck out one of the Reds' best hitters when he caught Eugenio Suarez looking at a knuckleball for the first out of the inning. Kratz also pitched for the Astros and Pirates in "We don't want to wear anybody else's arms out, so if it can get some guys fresh so we can use them tomorrow or the next day, I definitely take pride in that," Kratz said. "I'd rather catch nine and go away with high fives, but we didn't get it today." HE SAID IT "Hey, he got three more outs than I did." -- Zagurski, on Kratz's mound work UP NEXT Rookie sensation Freddy Peralta will make his fifth big league start when the Brewers and Reds finish their four-game series on Sunday at 12:10 p.m. CT. Peralta has 35 strikeouts in his first 22 2/3 big league innings while holding opponents to seven hits in 74 at-bats (.093). In two of his four starts, Peralta has used a steady diet of high fastballs to log double-digit strikeouts while yielding only one hit, making him the only rookie in the live ball era with two such outings, and the only Brewers pitcher ever to have two such outings in his career. The Reds counter with former Mets ace Matt Harvey Cincinnati uses eight-run inning to rout Brewers AP June 30, 2018 CINCINNATI When Brewers pitchers went over the strengths and weaknesses of Cincinnati s hitters to prepare for their series, they included reliever Michael Lorenzen in the mix. They need to do more studying.

13 Lorenzen hit the second grand slam by a Reds pitcher in a week and his third homer in his last three at-bats as Cincinnati pulled away to a 12-3 victory Saturday, ending a seven-game losing streak against Milwaukee. Lorenzen s pinch-hit grand slam off Jacob Barnes in the seventh inning completed an eight-run rally, Cincinnati s biggest of the season. Lorenzen s fifth career homer drew a curtain call from the crowd of 24,640. It was a surreal feeling, for sure, Lorenzen said. I love this game and everything about it. It was the reliever s second homer in the series. He also had a solo shot Friday during Milwaukee s 8-2 win. The guy s swinging the bat really well, that s for sure, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. We treat him as a position player. We covered him in scouting meetings. We re going to have to make some adjustments. One week earlier, Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani hit a grand slam off Cubs left-hander Brian Duensing at Great American Ball Park. Lorenzen avoided the temptation to swing at a slider, and then hit a fastball deep to left field. The Reds have always put together some good-hitting pitchers, going back to Travis Wood and those guys, Brewers catcher Erik Kratz said. You have to know who those guys are and where they want the ball and not throw it there. Tyler Mahle struck out a career-high 12 batters in 5 2/3 innings, three shy of the Reds rookie record. David Hernandez (3-0) pitched the top of the seventh. The Reds fanned 18 batters, a club record for a nine-inning game. The Brewers depleted bullpen couldn t hold a one-run lead in the seventh. Cincinnati s first eight batters reached safely against three relievers, with left-hander Mike Zagurski (0-1) taking the loss in his first major league appearance since The NL Central leaders also were missing two starting position players. Christian Yelich left Thursday s game with back tightness, and Ryan Braun came out of Friday s game with the same issue. Counsell said Braun could be available on Sunday. Eric Thames homered off Mahle, his 14th home run in 22 career games against Cincinnati. Thames hit 10 last year, the most by a Brewers player against the Reds in one season. LORENZEN LORE The last pinch-hit grand slam by a Reds player came from Chris Heisey on April 13, 2014, against Tampa Bay. Lorenzen s three homers this season are the most by a Reds pitcher since Micah Owings had three in The last major league pitcher to homer in three straight at-bats was Colorado s Mike Hampton in POWER SURGE In the last eight days, Reds pitchers have produced four homers three by Lorenzen, one by DeSclafani. For the season, Lorenzen is 4 for 6 with three homers and six RBIs.

14 MAHLE S STRIKEOUTS Mahle s 12 strikeouts were the most by a Reds pitcher since Amir Garrett also fanned 12 Orioles on April 19, The club record for strikeouts by a rookie is 15 by Gary Nolan on June 7, 1967, against the Giants. TRADING PLACES With the game out of hand, Kratz moved to the mound for the eighth inning his third career pitching appearance and gave up a pair of runs. I d rather catch nine innings and do high-fives, he said. REDS DEAL The Reds sent minor league catcher Joe Hudson to the Angels for cash. The 27-year-old Hudson has never played in the majors. He batted.235 with no homers and three RBIs in 16 games for Triple-A Louisville this season. TRAINER S ROOM Brewers: RHP Zach Davies had a setback in what was expected to be his final minor league rehab assignment as he recovers from a sore shoulder. He lasted only three innings and gave up 10 runs and three hits for Class A Wisconsin on Friday night, leaving after just 48 pitches because of a sore back. Reds: RHP Homer Bailey will make his fourth rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Louisville. He s been sidelined since June 2 because of a sore right knee. Bailey is 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA. UP NEXT Brewers: Freddy Peralta (3-0) makes his fifth start. The Brewers are 4-0 in his starts. Opponents are batting.093 against the right-hander. Reds: Matt Harvey (3-5) makes his 10th start for the Reds, who got him from the Mets in a trade for catcher Devin Mesoraco on May 8. Harvey has allowed six runs in his last three starts spanning 17 2/3 innings. Are the Brewers a Playoff Team? Nicholas Zettel Baseball Prospectus June 30, 2018 The Brewers are officially finished with half of their games, providing fans and analysts with a nice theoretical signpost to assess the club. So far so good for the first place Brewers, who are maintaining a tenuous lead over the Pythagorean (Run Differential, Runs Scored / Runs Allowed expected record) superior Cubs in the National League Central and Atlanta in the race for National League playoff positioning. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are surging thanks to a 21-9 stretch, while the Cardinals, Nationals, Phillies, and Pirates are fading at the moment. But there s a boatload of baseball to be played, and even the distance between the Pirates and Brewers is hardly insurmountable. So, are these Brewers a playoff club?

15 At Baseball Prospectus Milwaukee Twitter I keep a daily record of the club s Pythagorean Record progress. The benefit of keeping a daily record of the club s progress in Runs Scored and Runs Allowed, scaled to the National League and Miller Park environment, is that one can track the variance of the club over time, and understand trends by creating different time horizons throughout the season. For example, now that the season reached the official halfway point, it is possible to gauge the 2018 Brewers midseason success compared to the 2017 club. Below, Table One demonstrates the average of daily run differential records, standard deviation of that average, and the contextual Runs Scored and Runs Allowed after 81 games. Table One: Midseason 2017 and 2018 Brewers Run Differential Comparison Daily Pythagorean Midseason Average RS / RA StDev RS RA 2017 Brewers Brewers The composition of a baseball team includes the true talent of pitching, batting, and fielding elements, as well as the distribution of those elements in time, which is why it is important to understand the strength of a team during a fixed point in time and their average and variant performances over time. In this regard, what is difficult about assessing the 2018 Brewers is that although one can understand that the team is indeed better than the 2017 varietal in terms of RS / RA elements, there is notably more variance in the 2018 squad. This variance can be attributed to games six-to-twenty for the 2018 Brewers, as well as games 28-to-44, which are two stretches during which the club respectively experienced terrible (including bottoming out at a 57-win run differential early on) and mediocre baseball. From game number 48 onward, the Brewers have averaged a 90-win run differential, which suggests that the team has indeed corrected numerous elements; but this does not make the elements that caused great variance during the first 48 games any less real (especially in terms of extrapolating trends). So the 2018 Brewers might indeed be better than the 2017 Brewers, but they are also demonstrating worse true talent floors and more variance than the slow-and-steady 2017 club. Choose your poison: no one is going to print Most Volatile Team on any 2018 Playoff gear should Milwaukee reach that point. Over the off season, I used the theory of Daily Pythagorean variance analysis to assess the New Wild Card Era ( ) playoff teams. While this form of analysis can be helpful for assessing a team internally, over the course of 162 games (or even several seasons!), it can also be helpful to demonstrate the various run differential compositions that populate the playoffs. By assessing each playoff team (and midseason contender) according to the average of their daily run differential, it is possible to determine the average traits of playoff teams in the expanded Wild Card format, while also understanding how certain types of outlier teams reach the playoffs. An additional benefit of keeping average and standard deviation of a uniform number of baseball games (i.e., 81 observations, 162 observations) is that one can use statistical tests such as a Student s T-Test to determine the statistical significance of differences between teams. The implication of this last point should not be taken to state that one can more realistically predict the odds of one particular team reaching

16 the playoffs, but rather that by assessing teams according to their deviation from their respective means one can provide significant comparisons between types of playoff teams. So, are the 2018 Brewers a playoff team? Using Student s T-Test to assess the first 81 games from sixty New Wild Card Era ( ) teams and thirty-one midseason contenders that failed to reach the playoffs, I searched for teams with statistically significant differences in terms of average daily run differential win totals compared to the 2018 Brewers. Table Two demonstrates the results of my study. By isolating teams with statistically significant different average daily run differential win totals, I constructed a set of playoff teams and contenders that are reasonably similar to the 2018 Brewers; i.e., I constructed a set of playoff teams that demonstrate statistically insignificant differences in terms of midseason averages. Below, Table Two includes midseason daily average run differential record, as well as the standard deviation of that average, plus the final actual W-L record and run differential record. Results are sorted by actual win total. Teams that failed to reach the playoffs are marked by an asterisk. Table Two: New Wild Card Era Playoff Teams and Midseason Contenders that are Most Reasonably Similar to 2018 Brewers Midseason Daily Average Run Differential Record Playoffs Mid_RS/RA Mid_StDev Final_W-L Final_RS/RA 2015Cubs Rangers Pirates Cleveland Cardinals Tigers Yankees* BlueJays* Orioles* Rays* These data include six of the sixty MLB playoff teams of the expanded Wild Card era, as well as four of the 31 midseason contenders I included in my original study of the era. Half of the teams ended up winning at least 90 games once the dust settled. Notably, the original study (see Related Reading, above) found that six playoff teams outplayed their expected run differential record by at least seven wins; four of those playoff teams appear in this survey. This group features quite a range of ballclubs that are worth further exploration:

17 Some clubs on this list are interesting because they appear to be at the beginning or end of building / contending windows. For example, the 2013 Cleveland, 2013 Pirates, and 2015 Cubs were clubs that were opening extended years of competitive play (the Pirates ended up being the least successful club in this group). By contrast, clubs like the 2015 Orioles, 2016 Rangers, and 2017 Rays were arguably clubs working within their last competitive window before some type of roster development strategy or correction was necessary. Additionally, what is worth noting is that some of these teams surged after posting mediocre midseason records. Here the 2013 Cleveland, 2013 Pirates, and 2015 Cubs are exemplary clubs once again. Of course, two of the clubs also had very strong midseason average run differential records (85 wins or better) without maintaining or improving that pace for the second half of the season. Finally, I feel compelled to speak to the exclusion of the 2012 Orioles and 2014 Royals from this survey, as both teams feel like the type of playoff club the 2018 Brewers could become. However, it is worth remembering that the 2012 Orioles had a very solid midseason average daily run differential record (86.9 wins) and actually declined (in terms of run differential) to close the season. By comparison, the 2014 Royals were an average 78.7 win team based on their midseason daily run differential, but they exhibited relatively low variance and therefore their T-test range did not capture the Brewers 2018 midseason average daily run differential record. It is difficult to answer whether the Brewers will indeed reach the playoffs in 2018, but it is easier to understand the type of playoff profile they will have in recent history. With an elite bullpen, one indeed gets the sense that Milwaukee could easily out perform their run differential for the season and enter the playoffs without a phenomenal underlying performance in terms of RS / RA. The idea that this type of club exemplifies a team beginning a contending window also resonates with the sense that the Brewers are exiting a rebuilding phase and thus in a strange zone where they are not truly contending but no longer focusing solely on developing players at the MLB level also places them into a particular category. Finally, given the strong surges of the starting pitching staff, as well as some of the recent explosions of the bats exhibited over the last 33 games, one could also see the 2018 Brewers as a club that enters a Second Half tear and easily posts a win total in the mid-90s. All of this is suitable after an offseason that defined a very clear five-year window by acquiring Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich, boosting the sense that 2018 is the first real chance for this organization to reach the playoffs. Bowden: Six trades NL contenders should make before the deadline Jim Bowden The Athletic June 27, 2018 The National League, unlike the American League, could have epic pennant races in all three divisions and a down-to-the-wire finish in both wild-card races too, which means GMs will have a huge impact on who makes the playoffs based on trades made over the next five weeks.

18 Here are six I d like to see happen by NL teams between now and the trade deadline: 2. Milwaukee Brewers trade Domingo Santana to the Minnesota Twins for Brian Dozier The Twins reportedly have not made any attempts to extend the contract of soon-to-be-free-agent second baseman Brian Dozier, and if that s the case, it only makes sense they consider trading him at the deadline. Dozier, 31, is having a down year, slashing.221/.301/.398 with 11 home runs, 31 runs batted in and only four stolen bases. That s a far cry from the previous two seasons, in which he averaged 38 home runs and 17 stolen bases per season. But he could stabilize second base in Milwaukee, where the Brewers have had inconsistent play from Jonathan Villar, Hernán Pérez, Eric Sogard and now even Brad Miller. The Twins probably would be able to get back in trade the demoted Domingo Santana. The 25-year-old outfielder was sent to the minors in mid-june after slashing just.249/.313/.354 with three home runs and 17 RBI. Last year he belted 30 home runs and stole 15 bases, and the hope is he can get back to that level of performance. The Twins would control Santana through 2021, which would be a fair return for offering up three months of Dozier. Remember, the Brewers can afford to trade Santana because of their depth in the outfield and at first base, including Lorenzo Cain (who is expected back from a strained groin in a few weeks), Christian Yelich, Ryan Braun, Eric Thames and Jesús Aguilar. Harper: Which prospects can Mets get in a trade? We break down four deals John Harper New York Daily News June 30, 2018 On his first day as the new face of the Mets front office, John Ricco said everything is on the table when it comes to the trade deadline, and while the odds may be against him taking the huge step of trading Jacob degrom or Noah Syndergaard, he at least opened the door to exploring the possibilities. So let s explore. After talking to scouts and minor-league evaluators, I ve come up with a list of four teams that I think would be motivated to give up prized young talent for a No. 1-type starter that could put them over the top in a quest for a championship. Three of them the Braves, Brewers, and Dodgers, are in the National League where there are no super teams this season, and adding a Syndergaard or degrom truly could separate them from other contenders. All have plenty of blue-chip major-league ready talent, or close to it anyway, which is vital to any such deal because the Mets have made it clear they re not going to do a Cubs- or Astros-like rebuild that would entail the years of losing those franchises endured. And then there are the Yankees. I really can t see the Mets sending either degrom or Syndergaard across town to win championships, unless Brian Cashman dipped into his treasure trove of prospects and made them an offer that was simply too good to refuse and he s already said Gleyber Torres is off-limits.

19 In any case, I ve constructed four potential trades for Syndergaard, because I believe the Mets asking price for degrom would be so high as to make it unrealistic any team would meet it, especially in baseball s current climate in which GMs value and over-value prospects like never before. They would ask a high price for Syndergaard as well, and they should, especially since he s under team control for three more seasons before he can become a free agent. In fact, that long-range control gives the Mets all the leverage here to get maximum value, because they know they could still get a big haul for Syndergaard next offseason. In fact, there s a chance they d get a bigger return then because some teams that aren t in contention this season, like San Diego, to name one team with a strong farm system, surely would be in the mix. Meanwhile, potential trading partners obviously would want to see Syndergaard come back from his finger injury and make at least a few starts in July. But scouts I talked to seemed to think that if he did that, his value would be plenty high, so with all of that in mind, here are my potential trades. 1. Syndergaard to the Brewers for 2B Keston Hiura, RHP Corbin Burnes and OF Corey Ray Sources say the Brewers, sensing a chance to make a big splash in October, are very interested in dealing for Syndergaard. Hiura, 22, is the Brewers top prospect. He was the ninth pick of the 2017 draft out of Cal-Irvine, and scouts believe he has All-Star offensive potential. Really quick bat with a solid approach at the plate, one scout said. He should hit for average and power. Not a great defender but adequate. Promoted to Double-A a month ago, Hiura is hitting.341 in 23 games there with a.930 OPS. Combined with Class A stats this season, he has 27 doubles and nine home runs. He and Burnes would be the key pieces to the trade. Burnes, 23, is projected to be a No. 3-type starter in the big leagues. Throws mph with a very good curve ball, and with a slider and change-up as well. Scouts like his polish. Burnes, 23, posted great numbers coming through the minors, and though he s pitching to a 5.45 ERA in Triple-A Colorado Springs, scouts attribute that to the usual difficulties of high altitude. Ray, 23, was the fifth overall pick in 2016, and after he struggled his first couple of years in the minors, scouts see significant progress this year in Double-A, where he s hitting.250 with 10 home runs, 20 doubles, and 19 stolen bases.