Narváez impacts Crew's G1 win behind plate

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers catcher Omar Narváez offered a reminder in the National League Division Series that there are more ways to measure a player’s impact than his batting average.

Narváez entered the postseason mired in a second-half slump (.225/.272/.320 slash line after the All-Star break), but he impacted the Brewers’ 2-1 win over the Braves in Game 1 on Friday in at least four significant ways while wearing his catcher’s gear:

1. With ace Corbin Burnes over-amped for his first October start, Narváez earned rave reviews from manager Craig Counsell for his work navigating Burnes through a difficult opening inning, which was followed by five more scoreless innings that set up the Brewers beautifully for the remainder of the series.

2. With Burnes on the mound in the first inning and Josh Hader on the mound during a harrowing ninth, Narváez made a series of saves on balls in the dirt with a runner at third. Those pitchers possess some of the nastiest stuff on the team, and Counsell referred to Narváez’s blocks as “enormous” in the outcome of the game.

3. Narváez was the key to the night’s signature defensive play. With Braves runners at the corners and nobody out in the first, Ozzie Albies hit a bouncer to first baseman Rowdy Tellez, who stepped on the bag and threw a one-hopper home. Narváez managed to field the short hop and tag out Jorge Soler for a game-changing double play.

4. With Hader facing trouble in the ninth after a walk and a single, Narváez pounced in front of the plate to field Adam Duvall’s swinging bunt and threw down to second to get a critical out. When Hader then retired pinch-hitter Orlando Arcia, the Brewers had a series-opening victory.

“I was yelling, ‘Third!’ in my head,” Counsell said. “But just getting an out at one of those bases, I thought, was a big deal.”

Said Narváez: “I got in my head that anything close to me I was going to go to second to try to get a double play. I’ve got to give credit to Duvall. As soon as he hit the ball, he flew to first.”

The play of the night, however, was the first-inning double play. When Tellez was being interviewed about his role in that moment on Friday, he stopped mid-answer and said, “You guys are giving me credit for that, but I don’t know why. [Narváez] made the great play.”

“Postseason baseball is all about momentum,” Burnes said. “That play … stopped their momentum and shifted it back in our direction.”

For Counsell, Narváez’s biggest contribution to Game 1 was his work helping Burnes settle in. That is always a catcher’s No. 1 priority, even a backstop like Narváez -- who came to Milwaukee in a trade with Seattle on Dec. 5, 2019 -- regarded primarily for his bat. He credits Brewers catching coordinator Charlie Greene, among others in the organization, for helping him improve as a receiver. In each of the past two regular seasons, Narváez has been baseball’s best pitch-framer, according to Statcast.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Narváez said. “Since I got to this team, [I've done] a lot of work with Charlie Greene. It’s been almost every day trying to improve something.

“I think the biggest thing we worked on was confidence and one thing at a time. It was one [piece of] information at a time. They didn’t tell me all the information right away. I worked on my weaknesses and also worked on my stronger side, catching-wise. It was huge, as soon as I got here -- they never told me I was bad, we just needed to work. All the time we put in, and here I am.”

Last call
• Avisaíl García will have a decision to make in the days following the World Series, as he compiled enough plate appearances over the past two seasons to convert his 2022 club option into a mutual option. He didn’t make any pronouncements on Saturday when asked about that situation, but he said, “I feel good here. I’d like to come back here. It’s pretty soon to make a decision, but let’s see what happens after we win the World Series.”

• Fans needed their sunscreen on Saturday. The Brewers and Braves began play under an open dome at American Family Field, only the third time the stadium’s convertible roof was open in 16 postseason games here. The other occasions were Games 1 and 2 of the 2011 NL Championship Series against the Cardinals during a week of high-70s temperatures in Milwaukee.