Wiemer winning at plate with career-best 4 RBIs

MILWAUKEE -- In the six weeks since his earlier-than-expected callup to the Major Leagues, everything Brewers fans have seen from Joey Wiemer is the opposite of smooth and subtle.

It’s everything from the rib-cracking warmup swing as he strides to the plate to the wall-crashing catches in center field to a slide home in San Francisco on Sunday that was so hard, the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder stood up with a hole in the back of his uniform pants and straight through the tights Wiemer wears underneath.

Did he have to change into new pants before going to the outfield for the bottom of the ninth inning?

“Yes,” Wiemer said.

Did it break the skin?

“Yes,” Wiemer said.

Has that ever happened before?

“No,” Wiemer said.

Monday night’s 9-3 win over the Dodgers at American Family Field brought something else new.

Wiemer drove in the Brewers’ first four runs starting with a three-run homer off Los Angeles starter Tony Gonsolin in the sixth that, while it wasn’t the first home run of Wiemer’s career, it was the first that showed the kind of power which propelled the 24-year-old to No. 3 on Milwaukee’s prospects list, and to No. 81 in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.

At 108.8 mph, it was the hardest-hit ball in play of Wiemer’s Major League career, which spans 34 games and counting. It was also the first home run he’s pulled, after his April 5 homer against the Mets and his April 26 blast against the Tigers sailed out to right field.

By game’s end, Wiemer had a career-high four RBIs in a win that started with six quality innings from Freddy Peralta and essentially ended with a six-run Brewers rally in the seventh inning that included Wiemer’s RBI double and Willy Adames’ three-run home run.

Career homer No. 101 came a day after Adames delivered No. 100 in San Francisco. The Brewers won their second straight after a six-game losing streak.

“That’s something we’re going to put in the rear-view mirror and pretend it didn’t happen,” Wiemer said.

Wiemer is trying to do the same with his troubles against offspeed stuff. His run-scoring hits came off a splitter from Gonsolin and a slider from Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford.

“I’ve sucked hitting offspeed right now. [The home run] felt good,” Wiemer said. “But like I said, not a big concern. When I get my feet under me. I’ll get going. It’s a hard game and it humbles you quick.”

Wiemer entered the series opener hitting .177 against non-fastballs, according to Statcast, and he had four hits in his previous 27 at-bats overall before connecting against Gonsolin.

But Wiemer has been playing every day for two reasons.

One, he’s delivered excellent defense in center field. Two, the Brewers need him there desperately, after losing Garrett Mitchell to shoulder surgery for perhaps the rest of the season, and losing Mitchell’s potential replacement in the Minor Leagues, Sal Frelick, to thumb surgery for 6-8 weeks. Both outfielders went down on the same day last month.

“Just logging at-bats is really going to help [Wiemer],” manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s made such an impact on the bases and playing defense. That’s what’s earning him playing time and I think he can improve as the season goes offensively.

“He’s capable of having nights like that. He’s certainly capable of hitting home runs. It’s something we’re going to have to be a little patient with.”

Said Adames: “This is the Major Leagues, teams and pitchers adjust really quick to your timing and your swing, and they're going to pitch to your weakness. [Wiemer] is learning that and he’s making adjustments, too.

“That’s really important to see he’s doing that in his first year. He’s really talented.”

Wiemer pushed past the 100 at-bats threshold while going 2-for-17 with no RBIs on the Brewers’ tough 1-5 road trip to Denver and San Francisco. His two hits on Monday pushed his on-base percentage to .296 and OPS to .671, figures he’s not happy with after delivering an .873 OPS in his Minor League career.

As Wiemer adjusts to big league pitching, how has his confidence been?

“I’ve tried to keep it as high as possible,” he said. “There’s highs and lows. Sometimes you walk in there feeling like you suck and sometimes it’s going to be higher. I’m just trying to stay as level as possible.”

He added, “I’ve felt all right. It hasn’t been great. I know I’ve got to do better. I hold myself to a higher standard.”