Free-agent signing continues to pay off for brewers.
Milwaukee — Rhys Hoskins has been at the center of several significant occasions throughout his career. But after having to watch those types of moments from afar last season while out of play due to an ACL injury, Hoskins knew he couldn’t take Saturday night for granted. The veteran first baseman’s three-run home run in the seventh inning helped the Milwaukee Brewers overcome a one-run deficit and upset the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, at American Family Field. Rhys Hoskins’ free agent addition in the summer has had a good impact on the Brewers thus far.
Rhys Hoskins Continues to Make Major Impact on Brewers
“Those are the types of moments you picture as a kid,” Hoskins stated. “Being where your feet are is the key there but after watching a lot of those moments last year, so just to kind of be right back in the middle of those is a ton of fun.”
It was exactly the type of moment the Brewers envisioned when they signed Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million contract in late January. While he missed the whole season due to a broken ACL, his 137 home runs and.846 OPS from his six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies were the type of damage Milwaukee’s offense had been lacking in recent years.
Coming into Saturday’s game, Rhys Hoskins had lived up to the promise, contributing to the Brewers’ offense with a slash line of.230/.333/.460, five doubles, eight home runs, 23 RBI, and a.794 OPS in 147 plate appearances.
“He’s been huge for us this year,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “But his personality and leadership style in the clubhouse are even greater. He’s a very special man. You root for guys like that to do it.
Yelich Gets A Break
Christian Yelich was not in the lineup Saturday night, but the decision to keep him out was motivated by a desire to avoid missing another month later in the season.
“It’s a sensitive situation,” Murphy explained. “You just want to keep him healthy. That’s number one. So, be careful. He’s been dealing with this for years, so he understands where he is. We are going to listen to him. “He’s pretty smart about it.”
Sitting Yelich is not a simple decision. After going 0-for-5 in his return game against Kansas City on Wednesday, Yelich went 5-for-8 with a triple and two RBIs in the Brewers’ opening two games against the Cardinals and is slashing.346/.414/.692 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and a 1.106 OPS this season.
Chourio Does, Too
Jackson Chourio was also out for the fourth straight game on Saturday, as Murphy seeks to give the highly touted prospect a chance to break out of his offensive slump.
The outfield sensation began his debut major league season in excellent manner, batting.259/.305/.444 with a.750 OPS in his first 13 games. Since then, Chourio’s bat has gone cold (.186/.226/.254,.480 OPS), prompting Murphy to give the kid a break.
“Jackson’s gonna be fine, he’s going to be a good player,” Murphy stated. “This short break we’re providing him here is an indicator of perspective and such. It’s about the Brewers first and foremost, not Jackson Chourio, but Jackson is an important part of this, and this brief period of not playing in the early portion of the season will benefit him.
Turning the Tables
With victory in the first three games of the four-game series, the Brewers have won eight straight and 11 of their last 12 meetings with the Cardinals, including all six this season.
“We’re just playing good baseball right now and we were the last time we played them, too, down in St. Louis,” Hoskins stated. “I believe it’s simply the type of baseball we’re playing.
The eight-game winning streak is the longest by either team in the rivalry’s history, which officially began with the 1982 World Series but did not become a regular occurrence until the introduction of interleague play in 1997, when the Brewers switched from the American to the National League.
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