Crew's outfielders key 'needed' power surge

In 24 hours, the Brewers went from being nearly no-hit by Kenta Maeda on Tuesday to matching a season high for home runs and margin of victory in a 9-3 win over Rich Hill and the Twins on Wednesday at Target Field.

Even in 2020, when everything is different, one thing remains the same: You can’t predict ball.

• Box score

Here’s another: Hitting home runs with men on base is good for business.

On a big night for the Brewers’ slugging percentage, their entire starting outfield -- Ryan Braun, Christian Yelich and Avisaíl García -- smashed two-run home runs, García finished with four RBIs, and Keston Hiura added a solo shot in a runaway win. It once again positioned the Brewers (11-11) to push over .500 for the first time all season.

Braun’s first home run of 2020 turned a 1-0 deficit into a lead, and sparked what became a four-run third inning that chased Hill from the game. Yelich and García went deep in the fifth as the Brewers opened a wide lead, and Hiura connected against Twins infielder Ehire Adrianza in the ninth when Minnesota was looking ahead to Thursday’s series finale.

“The guys that we're counting on to be run producers tonight came through,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Braun, Yelich, ‘Avi’ came through with really big nights driving the baseball.

“We needed one of those nights.”

The four homers matched a season high set against the Twins at Miller Park on Aug. 11, and they also backed a stellar night on the mound for Brewers pitchers Brett Anderson and Drew Rasmussen. Anderson allowed one run on five hits in a season-high six innings before making way for rookie right-hander Rasmussen, who pitched two scoreless innings and struck out three while touching 99.2 mph in his Major League debut.

Thanks to the bats, Rasmussen had an 8-1 lead when he took the mound for the first time. Milwaukee's hitters entered the night slugging a collective .354, the fourth-lowest mark in the Majors and second-lowest in the National League ahead of only the Pirates, a rebuilding club that hits in a pitchers’ park.

The average Major League slugging percentage entering Wednesday was .416. The Brewers haven’t slugged below league average since 2016, the first full season of their rebuild under Counsell and president of baseball operations David Stearns. They haven’t posted a sub-.400 slugging percentage as a team since '15, when big hitters Carlos Gómez and Aramis Ramirez were traded away at the start of that rebuild.

Count García, coming off a career-high 20 homers for the Rays last season, among those surprised about the Brewers’ lack of thunder.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” he said. “I think everybody is feeling comfortable, feeling better, every single game. It’s a tough season. It’s a grind for everybody, it’s not easy, but we’re here, it is what it is. I think we’re in a good place right now.”

García was one of the hitters who contributed to a game-changing rally in the third inning that began with Orlando Arcia working a rare walk. Braun followed by punching Hill for a misplaced fastball with a home run down the left field line, and the inning continued with a Yelich walk, a Hiura single and a Jedd Gyorko walk followed by García’s two-run single for a 4-1 lead.

“That was a dead inning but we put five straight guys on and it turned into a good inning,” Counsell said. “That's a very, very good offensive inning -- and an offensive inning that we've needed.”

Speaking of needed, Braun’s home run was his first in what has been a disjointed season so far. He missed the end of Summer Camp with core soreness, then played four regular-season games, only to then hit the 10-day injured list because of an infection in his right index finger. He’s played six games since returning from the IL, with a hit in each of the last four.

“This is where we want him, in games,” Counsell said. “We have to work hard to keep him healthy and to be in there, but he's a presence in a lineup. That's the biggest thing -- he makes our lineup different. Keeping him involved and active and there for the big games is still what we have to do. I think if we get him consistent at-bats, he's going to produce still. He's a dangerous hitter.

“He has been a little off. I think we've seen it. I think it's from a lack of at-bats, but we're starting to create some consistency in it. We'll keep moving in that direction."