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The Leading Logic In Sports Handicapping |
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MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers found a little
"extra" to complete a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Perhaps, more accurately, they found a lot of it.
The Brewers tied a franchise record for extra-base hits in a
game, led by a pair of home runs from white-hot J.J. Hardy, to
defeat the Pirates, 11-6, on Sunday at Miller Park.
Hardy, whose 16-game hitting streak was snapped one night
earlier, added one of the team's club record-tying nine doubles
and finished with three hits. The shortstop has six home runs in
his past six games and is hitting 18-for-29 (.621) in his last
seven contests.
"I can't explain it," Hardy said. "It feels good. I think I'm
just relaxed and comfortable up there, and it seems like I'm
getting a lot of pitches to hit. When things are going bad, it
seems like you hit the ball hard and everything gets caught.
When things are going good, it seems like you don't have to hit
the ball hard, and you'll find holes."
Hitting the ball softly wasn't the problem for Hardy, who
recorded consecutive four-hit games before going 0-for-3 with a
critical ninth-inning sacrifice bunt in Saturday's game. Both of
his home runs Sunday were two-run shots, giving him a
season-high four RBI.
"He's hitting for singles, he's clutch hitting, he's hitting
everything," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "I don't know how
much better it gets."
Bill Hall also collected three hits, as every Brewers regular
recorded an extra-base hit except Mike Cameron.
"I knew I was going to be in there for three days in a row and
face some guys I've been successful off as well," said Hall,
whose ineffectiveness against righthanders landed him in a
platoon at third base with Russell Branyan.
"Going into the series, I was starting to feel confident with my
swing again, starting to feel good at the plate and in batting
practice. It showed for the series. I even hit some tough ones
and got hits off of them."
Hall finished the series - which featured a trio of opposing
lefthanded starters - 7-for-11 with a home run and four doubles.
On the day he was announced as a starter for the National League
in the All-Star Game, Ryan Braun snapped out of a 15-game
homerless streak with a solo blast in the opening inning, going
back-to-back with Hardy's first bomb. That gave the Brewers a
3-0 lead without an out recorded.
Milwaukee finished the initial frame with four runs against
lefthander Zach Duke, who lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed
five earned runs and seven hits. Yet, Pittsburgh answered
against Brewers starter Jeff Suppan, who also endured a rough
outing, yielding six runs and five hits in three innings.
Jason Bay clubbed a solo homer and Nate McLouth delivered a
bases-clearing double with two outs that tied the game in the
second. Adam LaRoche ripped a two-run blast in the third, giving
Pittsburgh a 6-4 lead.
"It's about evaluating your stuff when you go out and pitch and
pitching with what you have (working) that day," Suppan said.
"Lately, I haven't been pitching well with the stuff that I've
had.
"You have to be able to identify whether your sinker has been
moving well or off-speed stuff or whatever," Suppan added. "I
think I just need to do a better job of evaluating my stuff
while I'm pitching to be more effective during the game."
Milwaukee's offense picked up Suppan by scoring twice in the
third and four more times in the fourth, with Corey Hart and
Hall delivering RBI doubles in each inning. Hardy's second
two-run homer in the fourth snapped a 6-6 tie.
Milwaukee finished with 12 ex
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