Tellez steals a base ... and more could be coming

MILWAUKEE – Rowdy Tellez stole a base for the first time in three years, and here’s the thing: His teammate Eric Lauer thinks this is just the start.

“Rowdy’s going to steal another one this year,” said Lauer, who pitched seven innings and benefitted from Tellez’s towering, two-run home run in the Brewers’ 5-1 win over the Reds on Friday. “I’m going to make him. I’m going to bet him. If he doesn’t steal another one this year, I’m going to be upset.”

Tellez will have to get back to Lauer on that.

“I only have two in my career, so I’m still out of breath,” he said. “I got a lot of razzing, and my phone is blowing up. Not about hitting home runs, but about that.”

Tellez’s home run was notable in itself, a 432-footer off Reds starter Robert Dugger that left his bat at 113.5 mph, according to Statcast, by far the hardest ball hit in play all night.

But it was his stolen base with two outs in the third that made the night. Dugger lost track of Tellez on base and Tellez capitalized, taking second without a throw for his first stolen base since June 12, 2019 for the Blue Jays in Baltimore.

This time, Tellez threw up his arms in celebration.

“It’s the fun of the game,” Lauer said. “We’re still just big kids playing a game. It’s a lot more serious than that, but it’s those little fun moments where you get to have fun with the game, take away the stress and anxiety it causes. It’s like, wow, that’s not something you’re going to see but every once in a while.”

“Speed kills,” Tellez said. “I can’t wait for all the memes with cheeseburgers and hot dogs in front of me while I’m running. They’re going to be everywhere, so it’s going to be fun.”