DENVER -- Lorenzo Cain’s left ankle has more tape than a gift-wrap counter at Christmas. His left knee has been aching for weeks. But he still managed to dazzle in center field with the Brewers’ National League Central hopes on the line.
None of it -- the catches, the hard slide into home plate in the ninth that left Cain injured and out of the starting lineup for Sunday’s regularly-scheduled season finale -- was enough in a 10-inning, 3-2 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field.
Yeah, this one hurt.
“He’s a big leader of this team,” said Brewers reliever Junior Guerra, the beneficiary of Cain’s finest moment of the night and maybe the season. “Everybody here in this clubhouse is so proud. He put everything on the field for the team. That is awesome.”
Cain, however, didn’t make it to the end of the game. He slid hard into Rockies catcher Tony Wolters while trying to score on Ben Gamel’s double in a disputed out to end the top of the ninth inning as a promising night unraveled. A replay review for violation of the blocking rule went against the Brewers, manager Craig Counsell was ejected, Josh Hader surrendered a two-out home run in the ninth inning to tie the game and Matt Albers gave up the game-winning shot in the 10th to leave the Brewers one game behind the Cardinals in the division with one game left to play.
The Brewers, already missing injured right fielder Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun on Sunday because of a calf injury, are without Cain, as well.
Cain had already been playing through a painful left ankle issue and also a bad left knee. Earlier this season, his plate production suffered because of a right thumb injury that required cryotherapy treatment.
Counsell called Cain’s effort before that painful ending “incredible” and “absolutely amazing.” Those sentiments were shared throughout the clubhouse.
The play of the night came in the seventh inning with Guerra on the mound and the Brewers holding a 2-0 lead. Cain made a leaping catch at the center-field wall to take away a two-run home run from Garrett Hampson, a play similar to previous robberies but with so much more on the line.
An inning earlier in the sixth, Cain made a diving catch to take away a Yonathan Daza hit with a runner aboard in a 1-0 game. Brent Suter was the Brewers pitcher in that inning, and the southpaw escaped without allowing a run in spite of Ian Desmond’s leadoff triple.
“It’s an exclamation on his Gold Glove Award, for sure,” said Suter, joining the chorus of Brewers players stumping for Cain to win that honor for the first time in his career. “Just huge plays for us in that game. He saved probably four runs, at least, by himself tonight. He’s leaving his body on the line for his teammates, and that’s all you can ask for night in and night out all season. He’s such a great teammate.”
Said Gio Gonzalez: “It’s about damn time he gets that Gold Glove. I don’t know if we have to literally go to Tiffany’s or wherever we have to go to buy this Gold Glove for him. He needs this Gold Glove. That guy deserves it, and hands down is one of the best outfielders in the game. Give him his damn Gold Glove already.”
That would be great, but what Cain wanted more Saturday was a win.
“I’m always excited to make plays like that, especially in the situation we’re in,” Cain said. “We’ve got one game left. At the end of the day, the play was nice but we didn’t get a win. That’s going to be the toughest part to deal with tonight.”