Brewers 11, Padres 2: Hello Officer, I’d Like To Report a Murder In San Diego

Box Score

SP: Eric Lauer - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 94 pitches, 59 strikes (62.8%)
Home Runs: Christian Yelich (2), Rowdy Tellez 2 (5)
Top 3 WPA: Eric Lauer (.112), Brian Anderson (.097), Luke Voit (.094) 
Bottom 3 WPA: William Contreras (-.034), Joey Wiemer (-.018), Rowdy Tellez (-.002) 

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

The Eric Lauer Redemption Arc Is Here
Like many pitchers, Eric Lauer has not had a great start to the season. We finally got a glimpse of the old Eric Lauer, straight from the get-go, against the San Diego Padres. He has never been a pitcher who overwhelms you with blazing velocity or wicked movement, but he’s generally a consistent pitcher with good control, who knows how to get outs when needed.

Other than a hanging curveball that conceded a home run to Luis Campusano in the fifth inning, Lauer was successful at preventing any Friars from crossing home plate. He gave up five hits, but was able to strand runners on base when needed, allowing his offense to win the game for him.

Lauer credited his ability to maintain his composure and poise for his strong performance tonight, a stark contrast to his last start when he discussed struggling with execution and finishing at-bats. Like many pitchers, it seems that he’s finally starting to adjust to a new season, as well as the increased pace of play. 

Big Cheese, Bigger Hits
Things got a little awkward for Padres fans, as by the time the first San Diego hitter arrived at the plate, the team was already down by four runs. How did that happen, exactly? Well, Christian Yelich hit a lead-off double. And then Willy Adames hit a double to score Yelich. And then Brian Anderson hit a double to score Adames. And then (lest the team be accused of a lack of variety) Luke Voit hit a single to score Anderson. And then, because classics are classics for a reason, Mike Brosseau hit a double to score Voit. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Brew Crew continued to pile on the punishment, with Yelich hitting a solo home run in the second inning, and Tellez hitting two home runs, one in the fifth inning and another in the sixth.

By the time Tellez rounded the bases on his second home run, the score was 10-1, and things got real quiet in Petco Park.

Don’t Forget About Wilson!
Sure, the Brewers scoring eleven runs is great, but what was even greater was the fact that the Padres scored just two. After Lauer’s impressive six-inning performance, Bryse Wilson stepped in to relieve the final three innings of the game. It was a step-up in workload for any bullpen arm, requiring 50 pitches, but the longtime starter did exactly what he needed to in extended relief. Similar to Lauer, he gave up four hits but just one earned run, the result of an RBI single by Rougned Odor.

The crucial importance of this longer relief appearance is that his fellow relievers will now have an extra day of rest before their services are required, likely to close out games that are slightly more competitive.

What’s Next?
The Brewers seek to keep the momentum going against the Padres, after winning the first two games of the series. Freddy Peralta will look to continue the strong Brewers pitching performances of the series thus far, while right-handed Seth Lugo will look to avoid the same fate that befell Michael Wacha.

Postgame Interviews

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet

Tweet Highlight

I actually wanted to see if this was plausible, and I think that at the very least, it would be close.