Yelich 'didn't look at a baseball' during break

MILWAUKEE -- Extensive video study and a batting stance adjustment during the 2018 All-Star break turned Christian Yelich from a pretty good hitter into a National League MVP Award winner.

So how did he spend the break this year?

“I didn’t look at a baseball for four days,” Yelich said. “I went home and got away from it.”

Yelich reached the break with a robust .399 on-base percentage, but his displeasure with his run-production over the past year-plus is well known at this point, including when he said he was “learning how to hit again” in a pre-All-Star break session with hitting coach Andy Haines. Yelich returned with a productive series against the Reds to begin the second half, including a go-ahead double to the opposite field in Saturday’s extra-innings victory, and an opposite-field home run on Sunday as the Brewers completed a sweep.

“Yeah, I just battled throughout the game,” Yelich said on Sunday. “Maybe not starting off the best but just hanging with it, knowing you’ve got four or five at-bats and they can all be big ones in different situations. Just trying to contribute, whether it’s getting on base, driving guys in, just being a part of the group we have here. Just do your job, know your role and contribute to a winning cause every day.”

How does manager Craig Counsell think Yelich has handled his frustration?

“I think we’re a good baseball team and he’s a huge part of it,” Counsell said. “I think every player picks out when they were the best and says, ‘I want to be that guy.’ And I’m not singling out Christian -- I’m talking every baseball player. For Christian, it reached a height where he was the best in the game, or really darn close to it. That’s a really high bar to get to again.

“What I know is he’s helping us win baseball games, and if he gets going and gets hot, and gets swinging the bat really well, then that’s great. … I don’t think he’s been the version we saw the second half of ‘18 and the first half of ‘19, but I know he’s helping us win baseball games and that’s really good for me.”

Adames flashes power

An 8-for-13 series in Cincinnati with two home runs, six runs scored and seven RBIs earned Willy Adames NL Player of the Week honors on Monday, and continued a sensational rate of power production since arriving in a trade with the Rays in May. Adames entered Tuesday leading the Brewers in all three slash line categories as well as doubles (16) and home runs (11) since being acquired.

“I don’t know if it’s surprised me,” Counsell said of Adames’ increased power. “This is how players mature in the game, ideally, right? They come in the league and they have to make adjustments. The slider’s a challenging pitch on the same side for guys, the right-on-right slider. It’s just a challenging pitch for young hitters. Then as they learn their craft a little better, see pitch shapes more and more, they get better.

“Willy, there’s power in there and I think there’s always been that. And, he’s a good hitter. How we create power is always kind of interesting. For a lot of these guys, a squared-up baseball hit in the air goes out of the park. How far it goes, we get all excited about that a lot of times, but squared-up baseballs going over the fence is enough. That, to me, is what Willy does. He has enough power to hit balls out the other way, and that’s all you need to know.”

Anderson, Lauer flip

The Brewers swapped Brett Anderson and Eric Lauer in the pitching rotation – Anderson started on Tuesday against the Royals, Lauer was bumped to Wednesday's series finale – because Lauer has been dealing with an infected hangnail on the index finger of his pitching hand. He said the extra day had made a big difference in allowing the minor infection to calm down.

“Brett’s obviously well rested,” Counsell said. “As we monitored it through the weekend, we just thought this was the best way to go.”