Gomez has good feeling about 20/40 season

ATLANTA -- Carlos Gomez had a good feeling entering Monday's series opener against the Braves. He felt even better after hitting a solo home run in the first inning.

But his night went south from there.

"Four strikeouts," Gomez said with a shrug on Tuesday afternoon. "But I feel good today, and I'm going to try to put it together today. There is still time, because I need to steal three bases."

He entered Tuesday with 37 stolen bases, matching his career high from last year. With three more, Gomez would be the first player in Brewers history with at least 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season.

"Six games away, I have a really good feeling," he said.

He had a different feeling on Monday night, when Gomez hit his team-best 22nd home run in the first inning but then struck out in his subsequent four at-bats, nearly breaking his bat over his knee in the seventh inning and dramatically spiking his helmet in the dirt in the ninth.

It was the fourth four-strikeout game of Gomez's career and his second this season. He became the 10th Major Leaguer this season to strike out four times in a game he also homered.

"I was so frustrated, a home run to start the game, and then strike out four times," Gomez said. "This was one of those days when you feel good. I didn't feel when I started the game like they were going to get me out and then, boom, first at-bat of the game, a home run. It was like, today is going to be the biggest night ever."

Turned out, it was not.

"Any job, you get one of those moments -- angry and frustrated," Gomez said. "But after I let it out, it's no more. I play defense more, like, OK, if I don't get a hit, I'm going to make sure nobody gets a hit to center."