Brewers 5, Reds 4: Andruw Monasterio Has Got Whatever It Is

In an unusually early game leading into an on-site concert by the Zac Brown Band, the Brewers were as satisfying as a cold beer on a Friday night.

Image courtesy of © Sam Greene-USA TODAY Sports

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Box Score

Starting Pitcher: Corbin Burnes - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 100 pitches, 59 strikes (59.0%)
Home Runs: Joey Wiemer (6)
Top 3 WPA: Andruw Monasterio (.524), Devin Williams (.150), Elvis Peguero (.150)
Bottom 3 WPA: William Contreras (-.324), Brian Anderson (-.319), Victor Caratini (-.077)

Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs)

Free
Corbin Burnes struggled a bit with command, issuing free passes to four batters in the game. After the Reds scored their first run in the second inning on a close play at the plate, they scored two more in the third, thanks to a home run by Jonathan India that scored himself and Luke Maile. Both Maile and Luke Raley, who scored in the second, reached on leadoff walks.

The cutter that led to the home run was thrown at 95.5 mph and was placed well, but had just one inch of horizontal break, giving India a perfect shot to blast into the seats.

Despite this quick hiccup, Burnes finished the rest of his start without further damage, giving up just one baserunner (another walk) in his last three frames. With seven strikeouts and just two hits, it was actually one of Corbin’s better starts this season.

Adios, and Vaya Con Díos
After a Christian Yelich walk in the second, Joey Wiemer hit an absolute rocket to left field. It had an astounding exit velocity of 109.1 mph and a distance of 432 feet--a true no-doubter. Not only would it have been a home run in every ballpark, it had a rarely-seen expected batting average of 1.000, meaning every other batted ball with the same characteristics has ended up as a hit. After looking at it, are we really surprised?

The crack of the bat upon contact is one of the best I’ve heard so far this season. Wiemer clearly has power, but is slugging just .366, primarily driven by his batting average of .201. If he’s able to improve his strikeout rate and find the barrel a little more often, we’ll hear that sound a lot more often in the future.

McLain Lends A Helping Hand
Cincinnati Shortstop Matt McLain made a crucial throwing error in the fourth inning to allow the Brewers to score their third run. After a Christian Yelich single, Andruw Monasterio hit a ball that was supposed to lead to a routine double play. After McLain made a wide toss that ended up past the first baseline, Yelich was able to advance to third base, while Monasterio moved to second base.

Victor Caratini would later hit a ground out to first base that allowed Yelich to score the tying run.

Monasterio Brings In The Win
After both bullpens were lights out, the game went into the 11th inning after being tied 3-3. With a runner placed on second base, Monasterio led off the inning with a single that drove Brian Anderson to third before Joey Wiemer walked to load the bases. After two consecutive groundouts that scored Anderson and Monasterio, the Brewers brought the score to 5-3.

Why was this important? If Monasterio hadn’t gotten on base, he would’ve served as the first out. Assuming everything else went the same way (i.e., Wiemer walks, Caratini and Turang ground out), Anderson would still score but the final out being a forceout would’ve prevented further runs from scoring, reducing the Brewers lead to just 4-3.

Since the Reds scored a run of their own in the 11th inning, the game would have remained tied and they would’ve played a 12th inning, and we all know how "great" the Brewers have been in late innings.

Overall, it’s safe to say Monasterio played a major part in winning the game for Milwaukee.

Roll the Dice and Have Some Faith
The Brewers called on the services of five relievers to finish this game: Joel Payamps, Peter Strzelecki, Devin Williams, Elvis Peguero, and Bryse Wilson. They would combine for just one hit, zero walks, and six strikeouts.

Things got a little spicy in the eleventh after Wilson got two outs before allowing a double by Curt Casali to score the Reds’ extra runner, but he got Spencer Steer to ground out to end the game and earn his third save of the season. Craig Counsell had to take a bit of a chance by going to Williams in the ninth, knowing he would need someone further down the bullpen ladder to get the top and middle of the Cincinnati order out in extras in order to secure the win, but his faith was rewarded.

Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet