Milwaukee Brewers’ June In Review: In The NL Central Drivers’ Seat At The Midway Point Of The Season
Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich has looked much more like the player who tormented NL pitching ... [+]
Riding a six-game winning streak capped off with a three-game sweep of the arch-rival Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers closed out the month of June on and reached the mathematical midpoint of the season on a high note.
Milwaukee began the month 29-25 and third in the Central, 1 1/2 games back of the Cubs. The Brewers have won 19 of 27 since and at 48-33, hold a six-game lead over the rest of the National League Central Division.
A lot can still happen between now and the end of September that could derail Milwaukee’s chances of a franchise-record fourth consecutive postseason berth but for the time being, the Brewers have established themselves as the team to beat in the division.
“Nothing is decided, nothing’s close,” manager Craig Counsell said after his team erased a 7-run first inning deficit to beat the Cubs, 15-7. “But when you give yourself some space, then you give yourself a little room for error.
“We know that there’s a huge number of games left. Nothing’s happened this week. We’ve got to continue playing good baseball. It doesn’t change anything on our end. We’ve got to keep our heads down and keep playing good baseball. The space is great, for sure, but it doesn’t mean anything at this point.”
As the Brewers prepare to open the second half with a three-game series in Cincinnati, here’s a look back at the good and the bad of the last month, and what to watch as the calendar flips to July.
What Went Right
Starting Pitching: Setting the tone
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 05: Brandon Woodruff #53 of the Milwaukee Brewers throws a pitch against ... [+]
Starting pitching has been the foundation for Milwaukee’s success this season and the story was no different in June as Brewers starters continued their dominance of opposing batter
Not including rookie right-hander Aaron Ashby, who gave up five runs in the first inning of his big-league debut on June 30, Brewers starters combined for a 3.97 ERA while striking out an average of 9.93 batters per nine innings and a total of 151, the fifth-highest mark in all of baseball.
“We’re getting good starting pitching,” Counsell said. “The starters carried the big load as those guys have all year but everybody on the staff did their jobs.”
Counsell has been cautious with his staff this season as they re-adjust to a normal 162-game schedule after a 60-game slate in 2020. To help monitor the starters’ workload, the Brewers have used a sixth starter on just about every turn in the rotation to give each pitcher an extra day of rest.
That plan will remain in place for the foreseeable future, with the hope of not just qualifying for the postseason but making run all the way to the World Series.
“Everyone has been taking care of their work, taking care of their bodies,” right-hander Corbin Burnes said. “As long as we continue to do that, stay in our routines and put the preparation in, I don’t see any reason why we can’t stay healthy and continue this all year.”
Josh Hader: Still unhittable
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 23: Relief pitcher Josh Hader #71 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with ... [+]
The Brewers’ closer made sure the starters’ efforts didn’t go to waste, converting all eight of save opportunities while holding opponents to just three hits and four walks while striking out 18 batters over 11 scoreless innings.
He’s 20-for-20 in save opportunities this season and hasn’t allowed a run in 31 of his 33 appearances, including his last 17 in a row thanks in large part to an expanded arsenal of pitches that makes his fastball, which has ticked up to career-high average of 96.1 MPH this season, all the more difficult to hit.
“He’s special,” Counsell said. “There’s no secret about it. He’s unbelievable, so you feel good when he comes into the ninth.”
Willy Adames: The Ignitor
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 30: Willy Adames #27 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after scoring a ... [+]
With a month to go before baseball’s trade deadline, president of baseball operations David Stearns and general manager Matt Arnold are no doubt looking for ways to improve the roster but they’ll have a hard time swinging a deal that will help the team as much as adding shortstop Willy Adames has since coming over in a late-May trade from the Rays.
Adames batted .263 in June (25-for-95) with five home runs, 19 RBIs and an .818 OPS while stabilizing the shortstop position, where Luis Urias had struggled defensively prior to the trade.
He’s also had a significant impact off the field, establishing himself as a leader in the clubhouse and the dugout where his energetic personality has sparked the Brewers’ surge to the top of the standings.
“Willy’s been brilliant since he’s been here,” Counsell said. “He’s impacted us on the field, off the field, in every way you could and in a good way. It was a huge acquisition, no question about it and he’s made his impact incredibly felt for sure. In a lot of ways, the fact that we got him so early makes such a huge difference. We basically got him for all but six weeks of the season. I know at the time it was a different trade, it was before all the attention to trades start, but i know it was an impactful one for sure.”
What Went Wrong
Injury List Keeps Growing: Shaw, Vogelbach go down
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 09: Teammates look on as Travis Shaw #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers is ... [+]
The Brewers didn’t lose many games on the scoreboard but did lose more key members of their roster to injury in June.
The most notable losses were third baseman Travis Shaw, who suffered a dislocated shoulder diving for a ball in Cincinnati on June 9, and first baseman Daniel Vogelbach, who strained his hamstring rounding third — yet still scored — against the Diamondbacks on June 23.
Both aren’t expected to return for several weeks, stressing Milwaukee’s roster depth even further.
“We’ve certainly been tested but we feel good about our depth because we’ve had a lot of guys step up,” Arnold said. “We’re fortunate to be where we are and a lot of the guys we thought would be good depth pieces at the start of the season have turned out to help us which has been great.”
Keston Hiura: Back to the Minors ... Again
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 29: Keston Hiura #18 of the Milwaukee Brewers prepares for a pitch during game ... [+]
The Brewers hoped hitting prodigy Keston Hiura had snapped out of his funk when they recalled him from Triple-A Nashville on May 24 but despite his impressive numbers in nine minor-league games, he struggled again upon returning and was demoted for a second time after going 2-for-29 with 16 strikeouts in 11 games.
Again, Hiura crushed the ball at Nashville and the Brewers probably had preferred to keep him there a little longer but had no choice but to bring him back when Vogelbach was lost to injury.
The bright side, though, is that Hiura has appeared to regained his stroke. In six games since returning, he’s 6-for-19 (.318) with three home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.233 OPS.
“The first step was (having) success there,” Hiura said of his demotion. “I was very glad that all that hard work I put in in Triple-A those two weeks really transferred over to here.”
What’s Next
The Brewers will spend most of July on the road and play 14 games against NL Central opponents.
The Brewers face a challenging month with just nine home games on the schedule. They’ll also face a heavy dose of divisional opponents, starting with four games against the Pirates in Pittsburgh — where they’ll also play another three-game series at the end of the month.
Milwaukee will play seven straight against the Reds: four at home before the All-Star break followed by a three-game set coming out of the break. The Brewers will also see three current division leaders in the Mets, White Sox and Braves.
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