60-game synopsis: Crew claws atop Central

Sixty games down. And, unlike last year, a whole lot of games to go.

The Brewers backed into the playoffs at the end of a 60-game regular season in 2020 but they are going full-steam ahead through the same number of games in ‘21. A 5-1 win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday gave Milwaukee victories in five consecutive games, 10 of its last 11 and 13 of its last 16 for sole possession of first place in the National League Central at 34-26.

Avisaíl García hit his team-leading 12th home run after the Reds lost starter Sonny Gray to an injury; Christian Yelich, Willy Adames and Travis Shaw all made highlight reel defensive plays and four relievers combined with Adrian Houser to keep the Reds off the scoreboard after the second inning as the Brewers continued getting contributions from all over. It’s a winning spree that has lifted Milwaukee from a season-low two games under .500 on May 21 to a season-high eight games over .500 on Tuesday.

For all of their early-season injuries, the 2021 Brewers find themselves on firmer footing through 60 games than they were a year ago, when they never spent a day above .500, never finished a day in first place, and limped into the NL Wild Card Series against the Dodgers.

“I think everybody’s in a better spot,” said Houser, whose 3.66 ERA through his first 59 innings is one example, when you compare that to his 5.30 ERA in 56 innings a year ago. “It’s been a more normal season. We’re playing 162 instead of 60. There’s not all these guys pressing to try to make up for lost time like last year.”

With the equivalent of last year’s shortened season in the books, here’s what we know about the 2021 Brewers: They are a run prevention team, as expected. Milwaukee has baseball’s most valuable starting rotation so far, at least by fWAR (7.2). It is the only rotation in the Majors holding opponents under a .200 average, thanks in part to an outfield group that is tied for second in the Majors in outs above average (seven). And Josh Hader is as good a bullpen anchor as there is in the game, with 14 saves in as many chances and a 0.76 ERA.

Offensively, the Brewers are way below average (86 wRC+, and tied for 26th of 30 teams with a .670 OPS) but recently on the rise, especially during a stretch of games against sub-.500 teams in the Nationals, Tigers and D-backs. While winning 13 of their last 16, the Brewers are sixth in runs per game, fifth in the NL in OPS and first in home runs per game.

“Just mentally and physically, I think everybody is in a really good spot,” Houser said.

That even includes Shaw, who delivered arguably the biggest hit of the night Tuesday, a two-run double in the ninth inning that extended the Brewers’ lead from two runs to four, meaning Hader could take another night off on Day 1 of 33 games in 34 days leading to the All-Star break.

While other Brewers hitters had begun finding some success during the team’s recent run, hits have remained elusive for Shaw, who was in a 7-for-64 funk after Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer robbed him of a hit while shifted in the eighth inning. That was payback for Shaw robbing Farmer of a hit down the third-base line in the sixth.

For Shaw, there was some game left, and he was able to line a double to the right-center-field gap in the ninth.

And there is some season left to work on his .192 average.

“Last year was a sprint. If you got behind the eight-ball, there was no time to make it up,” said Shaw, who spent 2020 with Toronto. “I don't want to say [there was] a sense of panic if you struggled for a period of time, but last year, everything you've known in a baseball season -- it's a marathon, it works itself out, the type of hitter you are is going to be what you are at the end of the season -- that was not the case last year.

“I think guys are starting to realize that now. I think there were times at the beginning of the year where obviously there was some frustration, and I'm guilty of that, too. But we have 100 games left. I mean, we're not even close to the end of this thing.”

Brewers manager Craig Counsell cautioned against making any comparisons to 2020 because of the unprecedented nature of the short season. This year, however, “is what we’re accustomed to,” he said.

“It's a 162-game year and that has its own challenges, some of which we've faced, some of which are still coming -- but we'll face them,” Counsell said. “We're ready for it.”