Brewers Week In Review: May 2 — May 8

May 8, 2022
|In Brewers
|By Ben Kenney

The weather is heating up in the state of Wisconsin and so are the bats of the Milwaukee Brewers. Dropping the week’s final two games in Atlanta — both partially due to pedestrian days at the plate — leaves a sour taste, though it should not overshadow what was a remarkable seven days of offensive production. The team did so well at the plate in the three-game set against Cincinnati (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) that even Christian Yelich started joking about how many refer to them as a team that “can’t hit.” So stop me if you’ve heard this before: facing pitchers from the NL Central cellar-dwellers leads to some big numbers in the runs and hits columns.

For more on the offense, what Yelich had to say and why the team can’t score runs for Corbin Burnes, here is everything you need to know about the week that was for the Milwaukee Brewers:

 

Record: 4-2

Current Standing: 19-10 (1st in NL Central)

 

The Good: Offensive Explosions Against Cincinnati

Tuesday: 6-3 win, Wednesday: 18-4 win, Thursday: 10-4 win. That’s 34 runs scored in a three-game series, 11.3 runs per game. The best part about the offensive barrage is it came from every part of the lineup. Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez led the way with 3 home runs each, Yelich continued his hot stretch at the plate, Luis Urias came off the injured list in good form with a .353 average, 1.029 OPS and 1 home run, Kolten Wong was red hot in the leadoff spot and more.

The Reds actually put some runs on the board, surprisingly, including the first two home runs hit off Brandon Woodruff this season. But nobody in the Cincinnati rotation had an answer for Milwaukee’s lineup — even young flamethrower Hunter Greene, who was tagged for 8 earned runs in only 2 2/3 innings of work on Thursday.

Yelich, who finished the week hitting at a .348/.444/1.053 clip with 1 home run and 5 RBI, had to get in a little dig postgame at those who dwell on the team’s poor offensive stretches (which is admittedly me, at times):

The hot stretch continued in Atlanta on Friday in the team’s 6-3 win before screeching to a halt in 3-2 and 9-2 losses over the weekend. I think a lot of what we saw early in the week was just an indication of how horrible the Reds are. It is worth noting, though, that we’re seeing prolonged hot streaks from some of the big bats in the middle of the lineup.

Now they just somehow have to start scoring runs with Corbin Burnes toes the rubber.

 

The Bad: Run Support For Corbin Burnes

Sunday’s 9-2 loss in Atlanta was bad all around, highlighted by a 6 ER start by Aaron Ashby. But the biggest “bad” from the week is something we’ve seen for quite some time now: Burnes is given zero runs of support in so many of his brilliant starts.

A few numbers to show how bad it’s been:

-Burnes has pitched 19.2 innings in his last three starts, has given up only 3 runs during that time and is 0-2 in those starts.

-The Brewers average 4.86 runs per game. The team is averaging 2.83 runs per game when Burnes pitches.

The latest example came on Saturday in Atlanta. Burnes tossed 6 solid innings, the only blemish being a solo home run from Ronald Acuna Jr. Milwaukee lost the game 3-2.

Adam McCalvy had a great look at the situation.

The good news is Burnes hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down on the mound. The bad news is he could finish the year with a Jacob DeGrom-like 10-10 record.

 

MVP(s): 

-Rowdy Tellez (.321/.786/1.107, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 9 hits, 4 doubles, 3 runs)

-Willy Adames (.227/.682/1.052, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 hits, 1 double, 6 runs)

 

Stat Of The Week: Mother’s Day success.

(they’re now 34-21).

 

Best Video(s):

-The Cincinnati Reds, ladies and gentlemen

 

Best Tweets: 

-Filth from Devin Williams

-Tape measure week from Rowdy Tellez

 

Next Week: @ CIN, @ MIA

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