After heating up at the plate in June, Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich is showing no signs of slowing down.
Yelich is 4-for-7 with a home run, four RBIs and six runs in his last two games for Milwaukee, which continues its four-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
Yelich had three hits in Monday’s series opener, when the Brewers rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Cubs 8-6. Yelich is hitting .359 (33-for-92) with three homers and 16 RBIs in his last 24 games.
“I think (Yelich) is playing really well, and he’s played really well for a long time this season now,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s turned it into where every at-bat is really tough. … I’m definitely looking for his spot to come around in the lineup, because it seems like something’s going to happen right now.”
The Brewers received a boost on Monday from Jahmai Jones, who was signed as a free agent prior to the contest. Jones’ bases-clearing, pinch-hit double tied the game in the seventh inning, setting the stage for Willy Adames’ go-ahead RBI single in the eighth.
Milwaukee has won three straight games and seven of its last nine.
“It’s contributions from a lot of players, that’s the simple fact,” Counsell said of his team’s recent surge. “And then I would say great performances from our bullpen guys.”
While Milwaukee is battling the Cincinnati Reds for first place in the National League Central, Chicago has lost three straight and seven of its last eight games.
Despite the Cubs’ recent struggles, right-hander Marcus Stroman remains confident in his team’s ability to make a run in the second half.
“The division’s wide open,” Stroman said. “It’s there for the taking from anybody’s perspective. I feel like with this group of guys, if we get hot, we could be right there.”
The Cubs will be monitoring the status of infielder Nick Madrigal, who exited Monday’s game with right hamstring tightness. Chicago manager David Ross said the team could activate Patrick Wisdom (wrist) from the injured list if Madrigal doesn’t respond well on Tuesday.
“(Wisdom) definitely will be in the conversation,” Ross said. “I’m sure we won’t push Nick with the All-Star break coming up.”
The Cubs will look to get on track behind right-hander Kyle Hendricks (3-3, 2.81 ERA). He had his three-start winning streak snapped last Thursday after allowing three runs over seven innings in a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Hendricks has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all seven of his outings this season.
Jesse Winker is 10-for-26 with a homer against Hendricks, who is 10-8 with a 3.58 ERA in 31 career starts versus Milwaukee. The native Californian has gone 4-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 15 outings at American Family Field, formerly known as Miller Park.
Milwaukee will counter with left-hander Wade Miley (5-2, 3.02), who received a no-decision after giving up two runs and three hits over four innings against the New York Mets last Wednesday.
Miley has thrown 77 pitches or fewer in all three of his starts since coming off the injured list in mid-June.
Nico Hoerner has one hit in eight at-bats against Miley, who owns a 9-4 record and 3.84 ERA in 16 career starts versus Chicago.
–Field Level Media
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