Maysonet crushes, Marcum cruises in win
Maysonet crushes, Marcum cruises in win
In five games since being called up, Maysonet is 3-for-4 at the plate, including his first career grand slam in the sixth inning of Saturday's 8-2 Brewers victory.
After first baseman Travis Ishikawa was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, Maysonet crushed an 0-1 sinker from Chris Volstad over the left-field fence. Maysonet, who did not play in the Majors the last two seasons, had not homered since his first career blast on May 29, 2009.
He knew he had it too, pointing to Brewers shortstop Cesar Izturis in the dugout on his way to first base.
"Yes sir, yes sir, yes sir," Maysonet said with a smile. "It feels amazing. You're helping your team win, and especially in that way. It's amazing."
Maysonet got the start on Saturday in place of the injured Rickie Weeks, who is day to day after being hit with a pitch on his left hand and wrist Friday night. Weeks may be back in the lineup on Sunday, but Saturday afternoon belonged to Maysonet.
The 30-year-old infielder did not waste his first start with the Brewers, giving a curtain call to the sellout crowd of 42,339 at Miller Park after the grand slam. All this from a guy who said himself he did not expect to have a big role on the club after his callup.
"I know, right?" Maysonet said. "It's amazing. Great day for the Brewers."
It was the first grand slam of the season for the Crew, and the club's first by a position player in nearly two years. Shaun Marcum, who also started Saturday's game, had the Brewers' lone grand slam last season, on July 4 versus the D-backs.
Eight runs were more than enough Saturday for Marcum, who gave the Brewers just what they needed after running through every reliever in Friday night's marathon victory.
"He's got four pitches, and he's got command of all of them. He can expose things, and he did a great job of it today," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "He can maneuver the ball around, in and out, and he cuts it and changes and throws a slow curveball, and he's very deceiving in his motion, and how quick he is to the plate makes him deceiving as well."
Marcum tossed seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits, and retired 16 of the last 18 hitters he faced. He also walked a pair and hit a batter, to go along with six strikeouts.
"He threw really well," said catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 3-for-5 day. "That's the Shaun Marcum that we're used to seeing. Executing down, mixing, changing speeds."
It was the third outing of seven innings this season for Marcum, and the first at Miller Park. His previous best outing came on May 1 at San Diego, when he tossed seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and walking four with six strikeouts.
Marcum lowered his ERA on the season to 3.07, best among Brewers starting pitchers. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a game this year, and has pitched at least six innings in all but one outing.
Marcum has returned to form nicely of late after struggling last postseason.
"Once he starts getting in that rhythm, it's fun to watch, because he can really mess up some good hitters by the speed change and the different ways his ball moves," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "It's never straight."
The entire staff has come around this month for Milwaukee. Marcum's was the fourth straight quality start for the Crew. Over that stretch, Brewers starters have posted a 1.00 ERA, allowing just three earned runs over 27 innings pitched and holding opponents to a .140 batting average.
Combined with the eight-run outburst from the offense, the Brewers turned in one of their most complete performances of the season on Saturday. They'll look to build on it on Sunday and potentially pick up the club's first sweep of the year.
"We're finally playing ball the way we want to play," Marcum said. "Everything's going pretty well for us right now."