When a team puts together a winning streak, good things happen. Everyone is smiling. And hitting is easy. Great fielding plays are the norm. Clutch performance both on offense and defense are routine. The Milwaukee Brewers have just laid down an eight game winning streak, sweeping the World Champion, Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies on the road. And now the National League Playoff team, the Pittsburgh Pirates have lost the last two games in Miller Park.
This does not mean that the Milwaukee Nine have played perfect ball. Whenever you have the jolly third base coach on the team whom everyone loves because he is always jovial, chances are there will be lost chances to score runs. It happened again on Saturday night as the third base coach clearly put up the stop sign to the runner tagging up at third on a fly ball to left. Khris Davis didn’t stand a chance on scoring. And because of the start…stop…start again, he didn’t even try.
But great plays on defense were norm at Miller Park. Jonathan Lucroy caught a foul ball by last year’s National League MVP, Andrew McCutchen, then in a surprise move, he saw the runner at first breaking for second, and threw a strike to the shortstop, Jean Segura, who immediately threw the ball to home where big Jim Henderson, the pitcher, put a perfect tag on a sliding Starling Marte coming in from third. Double play ending the threat.
Then Reynolds made a tremendous stretch for a ball thrown wide of first by second baseman, Scooter Gennett. Reynolds kept his toe on the bag and made a remarkable completion of another double play.
K-Rod came in for his fourth save in the young season which made the Brewers 9-2, riding an eight game winning streak.
Before everyone asks, how long is the longest winning streak in baseball, the New York Giants back in 1916 were undefeated in 26 games, but that streak included a tie. Thus, the longest streak with no ties belongs to the 1935 Chicago Cubs at 21 games. If you’re thinking ahead and being very, very optimistic, the Brewers could beat the Cubs streak on Sunday, April 27th, at Miller Park, against the Chicago Cubs. It’s Blue Bunny Ice Cream Sunday where the first 2,000 fans 12 and under get the promotion. But the real thrill is that all fans entering on that day will receive the Carlos Gomez Gold Glove Bobblehead.
Only 14 more games to go.
Play Ball!
overtheshouldermlb 