Contreras' HR helps spark Crew to series 'W' vs. Guardians

MILWAUKEE -- William Contreras was only a few steps out of the batter’s box in the fourth inning on Saturday night when he was able to settle into a trot. He had smashed a line drive down the left-field line that got over the wall in a hurry for a solo home run.

Contreras’ big swing helped spark the Brewers to a 2-1 win over the Guardians at American Family Field, as Milwaukee improved to a season-high 19 games over .500 (71-52). The Brewers are just a half-game back of the Dodgers for the second-best record in the National League.

And for Contreras, Saturday continued an August power surge following a down June and July in the slug department.

“I’m just feeling really good at the plate right now,” Contreras said through assistant coach and translator Daniel de Mondesert. “Feeling really comfortable and not trying to do too much. Just trying to do what I can to help the team.”

It’s been a sound strategy for Contreras, who hit three homers during this week’s four-game series split with Los Angeles and has been on quite a run in August. In 15 games this month, he’s slashing .304/.391/.768 with six homers and 14 RBIs, along with six doubles and one triple. That’s compared to a .244/.356/.395 slash line in 23 games in July, when Contreras recorded seven doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs.

Contreras was down 1-2 in the count to Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee in the fourth on Saturday. He got an 82.1 mph changeup at the knees and crushed it 110 mph and a Statcast-projected 380 feet, tucking it inside the left-field foul pole.

“I feel like I executed it,” Bibee said. “Changeup down, usually there’s some good things that’ll happen, but he got it. It was a good piece of hitting. He put a good swing on a good pitch.”

Contreras now has a .284/.357/.468 slash line with 17 homers and 71 RBIs in 119 games this season.

“He's got the potential to be one of the best hitters in the game,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Power is part of his game. He hasn’t changed anything or done anything. He works very hard. He’s staying disciplined to pitches he wants a little better. And when he gets pitches he wants, they’re up out over the plate or something soft up. He can hurt you.”

Contreras has started 118 of the Brewers’ 123 games this season, including 93 starts behind the plate. He drew the start as the designated hitter on Saturday, with Gary Sánchez starting at catcher. Sánchez got Milwaukee on the board with an RBI double in the first inning.

Saturday was only Sánchez’s seventh start this month and his third at catcher. He caught Bo Naylor stealing in the third.

“Sánchez deserves some credit, too,” Murphy said. “He doesn’t get to catch a lot, and this was a big one.”

Contreras and Sánchez’s production backed a strong start by Freddy Peralta, who allowed one run (a solo homer) on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in six innings. Peralta only threw 81 pitches, his fewest to get through a start of at least six innings this season.

Peralta saw some of the Cleveland lineup for a third time in the sixth inning. He issued a two-out walk to José Ramírez, who then stole second and third base. Peralta struck out Josh Naylor on a 78.9 mph curveball at the knees to end the inning, much to the delight of the home crowd, marking the end of his night.

“I knew that we had the guys fresh behind me [in the bullpen], and I was fine with that decision,” Peralta said. “We [made] the decision together, and for me, it was the best decision because we were winning by one run. They already saw me two times, some of them at the top of the lineup three times.”

Peralta’s faith was rewarded after Joel Payamps, Jared Koenig and Devin Williams each delivered 1-2-3 innings in relief to finish off the win. Williams got Naylor to ground out to third baseman Joey Ortiz, and the crowd roared in celebration.

Saturday’s game had some similarities to what the Brewers could experience come October, in the postseason, with a low-scoring game against a good team in a lively atmosphere.

“It was fun,” Peralta said. “[Fans] were excited, and we can feel that when we are playing here. … Today was awesome. I enjoy that and I love when that’s happening when we get that support from the fans.”