Yelich knocks in Contreras with homer after both moved down in lineup

SAN DIEGO – After dropping one slumping star down the lineup last week, Brewers manager Pat Murphy decided that it was time for another to make a similar move.

As a result, the Brewers’ two highest-paid hitters were hitting sixth (William Contreras) and seventh (Christian Yelich) for Monday night’s series opener against the Padres at Petco Park. And it didn’t take long for that duo to make an impact, as Contreras worked a second-inning walk from San Diego starter Casey Mize before Yelich powered an opposite-field, two-run homer.

Yelich, fighting a slump that dates all the way back to April, first fell down the lineup last week. When he hit seventh for Saturday’s win over the Twins, it was his lowest spot in a starting lineup since 2015 with the Marlins. Now he’s joined by Contreras, who hadn’t batted lower than fifth in parts of four seasons with the Brewers before hitting sixth Monday night.

Contreras made the National League All-Star team for the third time in his career this season and was hitting north of .300 as late as June 28. But over a 32-game span from June 29 through Sunday, he slashed .177/.243/.282.

As for Yelich, he went 4-for-19 in his first six games after sliding several spots down the order before coming through in his first at-bat Monday night with his first home run since a leadoff shot on July 24, and his first multi-run home run since July 4 at Arizona.

“We are where we are with them performing how they’ve performed. It certainly would make a huge difference if they start to perform and get the results that they’ve gotten in the past,” Murphy said. “I firmly believe that will happen, but if it doesn’t, we’ve got to get other people ready to produce.

“I trust in them. I just do.”

Asked what fuels that trust, Murphy said, “The history, and who they are, and how they work. I know what motivates them. This hasn’t been easy for these guys. To think that in any way, shape and form that this isn’t bothering them as much as it’s bothering anyone else in the world, it’s crazy. Because it is, in fact, very tough on them.”

Is the move down the lineup meant to be a motivation tactic?

“It’s not meant to be motivating,” Murphy said. “It’s meant to be what’s best for our team right now.”