The Brewers' Offense Got Too Small in Chicago

After putting up eight runs in each of their first two games out of the All-Star break, the Brewers scored just five times in a three-game series win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Throughout those low-scoring affairs, they turned frequently to a play that has become a larger component of their offensive repertoire this year: the bunt.

The Brewers are second in baseball this year in bunt attempts (90) and third in bunts laid down (41). Because their roster contains several speedy hitters who can put down solid bunts and beat them out for singles, it makes sense for them to try it more than most teams. A surprise bunt can also send an infield defense into a scramble and influence the positioning of those fielders in subsequent plate appearances.

"But what’s amazing is, how many bunts where we put it out there, pull back, and how that leads to a result," Pat Murphy said on Sunday. "People don’t measure that; you can’t measure it. The immeasurable effect of the unsuccessful bunt attempt."

Still, the bunt’s value is limited. Sacrifice bunting is detrimental to scoring chances in most situations, and a missed bunt can put a hitter down in the count. The Brewers have demonstrated such understanding for most of the season by choosing their spots well, except for a few ill-advised bunt attempts.

That changed in Chicago. Pat Murphy has said he does not view the bunt as a “major offensive weapon,” but that’s how the Brewers tried to use it. They attempted to bunt eight times in three games, including four times in a 1-0 win on Tuesday night.

Only one of those attempts produced the desired outcome: an infield single by Garrett Mitchell to lead off the sixth inning against a cruising Jameson Taillon in Tuesday’s bunt-fest. The remaining attempts were fouled off, missed entirely, or produced unintended outs.

The unsuccessful attempts on Tuesday were particularly perplexing. Minutes after Mitchell’s bunt single, Brice Turang tried to bunt for a hit while ahead 3-0 against Taillon. It went for an out as an unintentional sacrifice. Mitchell attempted a squeeze bunt in a 1-1 count in the eighth inning, fouling it for strike two and eventually striking out. With runners on first and second and no outs in the ninth, Joey Ortiz went through with a bunt attempt on an inside pitch as the corner infielders crashed aggressively, producing a soft lineout.

Murphy expressed frustration with many of these plays shortly after the game, and was seen in the clubhouse giving stern guidance to some of the players involved. That was an encouraging sight, because the overreliance on bunting and playing small ball should not become a trend.

Small ball has a role in the Brewers’ offensive game plan. For much of the season, it’s been one of the plethora of ways a balanced lineup could beat its opponents. That diversity contributed to the club’s success. It could score by hitting for power one day and with infield singles and ground balls through holes the next.

The Brewers must restore that balance. They won’t succeed with an approach centered around small ball. A bunt cannot have the same impact as an extra-base hit, unless the opposing defense makes a catastrophic misplay. The potential to apply surprise pressure diminishes with overexposure, too. It was not surprising that the Cubs were alert and prepared for Ortiz’s ill-advised bunt attempt; it was the fifth one they had seen in two days.

The onslaught of bunt attempts also constitutes an unnecessarily conservative brand of baseball. It cedes opportunities for hits and other more impactful outcomes. There are limited scenarios in which the safer play makes sense, but a lineup that defaults to those plays projects apprehension over its ability.

If there is trepidation in the Brewers’ lineup, it’s neither surprising nor unforgivable. This is a young group. It’s incumbent on more experienced personnel to help it maintain a healthy and productive mindset.

Instruction is part of the solution. Instead of allowing players free rein to bunt in situations they deem fitting, the coaching staff may need to set boundaries.

“Young players, sometimes you have to take it out of their hands and just tell them what to do,” Murphy said.

The responsibility for maintaining a smarter, more balanced approach also falls on the lineup’s veteran cornerstones. Two such hitters have been unreliable for weeks in the middle of the order. William Contreras has a .620 OPS since May 25, and Rhys Hoskins has a .581 OPS since June 2.

Surrounding a hitter with reliable veteran hitters gives him more breathing room to play aggressively and risk failure. Two established bats have stopped producing, imposing more pressure on their younger teammates. A potentially lengthy absence for Christian Yelich exacerbates the problem. There’s a growing need for a veteran who can help keep this lineup grounded.

Getting more from William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins would go a long way. The former’s game-winning double in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s series finale fittingly led the Brewers to their best offensive output of the three games, illustrating how the lineup’s dynamic transforms when he produces.

Murphy characterized the final I-94 Rivalry series of the regular season as featuring “a bunch of teaching moments.” The top lesson is that a team capable of playing small ball should not get too small. Nipping the issue in the bud takes a collaborative effort.