Wiemer robs De La Cruz of homer, but phenom answers back

MILWAUKEE — Rookie to rookie, Brewers heart fielder Joey Wiemer advised Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz, “Not as we speak!”

That was Lorenzo Cain’s mantra when he was robbing homers for the Brewers, and on Monday, it was Wiemer’s flip. He began a essential collection between the Nationwide League Central’s prime two groups with a terrific defensive play when Cruz led off the sport with a deep drive that flew a Statcast-projected 405 toes. Wiemer felt his method again to the wall, leaped and pulled it again.

That play helped Brewers starter Colin Rea work a 1-2-3 opening inning, and the ultimate collection of the season between these division rivals was off and operating.

De La Cruz had one thing of his personal to say when he batted once more two innings later and drilled a go-ahead, two-run house run that sailed over Wiemer’s head and method over the right-center-field wall for a 2-1 Reds lead. At a Statcast-projected 456 toes, it was the longest house run at American Household Discipline in additional than a 12 months, because the Phillies’ Bryce Harper hit one 460 toes final June 9.

Wiemer went into Monday night time with a modest .678 OPS however has manned heart subject on an on a regular basis foundation due to his protection. He leads all Main League heart fielders in Statcast’s Fielding Run Worth metric and ranks fourth in fielder runs, a metric that grades outfielders in how nicely they stop runners from taking additional bases.

“That is the power of the crew, the protection,” supervisor Craig Counsell mentioned the final time the Brewers confronted the Reds. “We’re actually making decisions day-after-day based mostly on placing good defenders on the market and a superb defensive crew on the market. …

“All of it provides up. It is much less pitches for the pitcher, fewer jams, much less holding runners, simply, easy outs, much less getting guys up within the bullpen. We predict there’s carryover results to it along with, you realize, simply placing a bunch of excellent defenders on the market.”