The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs were able to play three of the four games scheduled for the Opening Weekend of 2022. The long-anticipated opening series did not go exactly the way the Brewers wanted as they won just one game out of three played. The Cubs took the first two games with scores of 5-4 and 9-0. The Brewers took the series finale by a score of 5-4. Though it is still very early in the season, there are some things Milwaukee can take away from this series.
Boxberger, Williams, and Hader Are a Lethal 1-2-3 Punch
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Milwaukee was unable to get to the seventh inning with the lead in either of the first two games. However, with a slim one-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh, the Brewers had nothing to worry about. Brad Boxberger, who led the Brewers in appearances last season, allowed just one hit while striking out one. Williams and Harder, who have combined for the last four NL Reliever of the Year Awards, each struck out two and allowed no base runners.
If the Brewers can get to the seventh inning with a lead, it is going to be VERY difficult for other teams to come back. These three relievers are lights-out.
Christian Yelich Gets on Base
One of the big questions going into this season was if Christian Yelich would be able to return to MVP form. While he did not hit a home run, he hit .375/.538/.500 with a double and two RBI. At one point, Yelich reached base in six consecutive at bats. Three of these were walks and one was a hit-by-pitch.
Whether or not Yelich’s power has returned is yet to be seen. However, this series has shown that he is seeing the ball much better than he was in the last seasons.
Hitting with Runners in Scoring Position Is an Issue
In the series, the Brewers were a combined 2-16 with runners in scoring position. This included a 1-10 effort on Opening Day. Willy Adames hit a RBI double in the seventh inning of that game that scored Lorenzo Cain. Rowdy Tellez hit a home run in the series finale with a runner in scoring position. That was it.
Again, it is still early in the season. However, this was a problem last season as well. Hopefully the Brewers can exercise those demons and get some timely hits this season. Going 2-16 with runners in scoring position in a series is not going to win many games.
Up Next: The Brewers travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles.
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