Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy is running out of superlatives to describe left fielder Jackson Chourio, who has entered the record books in just his third season.
Chourio has homered three times in Milwaukee’s last three contests. The Brewers look to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday.
Chourio and William Contreras each homered in the first inning in the Brewers’ 5-3 win on Saturday. Chourio’s blast was his 20th homer of the season.
The 22-year old has recorded three consecutive 20-homer seasons to begin his career, and he is the 17th player in major league history with at least three seasons of 20 or more home runs by his age-22 season.
“And he’s still learning the game,” Murphy said. “Man, he’s special. His hands go from A to B as quick as anybody. Bat speed and strength, he’s got a great base underneath him. And the great thing is, he comes every day with a smile on his face. He doesn’t get too down … He’s special.”
Milwaukee won its fourth straight game on Saturday despite an off night at the plate by leadoff hitter Brice Turang, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
“Brice has been doing it for three years now,” Murphy said. “He can do it. He’s banged up, he’s lost weight. His offense tonight was not what he wanted, but he still goes out and plays defense. That’s the mental toughness the guy has.”
Texas has lost four straight and sits two games behind the American League West-leading Houston Astros and two games behind Cleveland in the chase for the AL’s final wild card spot. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said his team is still searching for its identity on offense.
“Finding different ways to beat a team is kind of what I want it to be,” Schumaker said. “Trying to create that over the next 20-plus games is what we are going to have to figure out.”
One component of Schumaker’s plan is to have speedy outfielder Evan Carter increase his number of bunt hits. He has just five this season.
“I’d love to be that kind of player where you lead off and, on the first pitch of the game, you lay down a bunt and – oh, my gosh – you can feel it right away,” Carter said. “I bunt a lot, probably work on it half the days of the week. I’m trying to work on it as much as I can.”
Texas will send right-hander Kumar Rocker (5-10, 4.41 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He yielded two runs in 5 2/3 innings in an 11-2 road win over the Chicago White Sox last Monday.
Rocker, 26, is making his first career appearance against Milwaukee.
The Brewers will counter with right-hander Dustin May (6-8, 4.56 ERA), who exited last Wednesday’s start against the New York Mets after he was drilled in the shoulder by a line drive off the bat of A.J. Ewing on the first pitch of the game.
May, 28, was able to play catch on Thursday and is set to make his fifth start with Milwaukee since being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 3.
Brandon Nimmo is 2-for-9 with six strikeouts against May, who owns a 3.86 ERA in two career starts versus Texas.
-Field Level Media
