Halton earns promotion, gets first big league hit
MILWAUKEE -- Sean Halton became the most recent Brewer to earn a promotion from Triple-A Nashville on Thursday and grounded a single through the left side of the infield in his first Major League at-bat as a pinch-hitter in the fifth.
"It was an unbelievable experience," Halton said after the Brewers' 7-2 loss to the Cubs. "Just one of those moments you dream about. I wish it could have come in a win."
Halton took the roster spot of Scooter Gennett, who was optioned to Nashville following Wednesday's 5-4 loss. Halton was the seventh player to make his Major League debut for the Brewers this season, and when Johnny Hellweg starts Friday in Pittsburgh, he will be the eighth.
The two join Khris Davis, Josh Prince, Hiram Burgos, Donovan Hand, Caleb Gindl and Gennett on that list.
Halton said he was given the ball he hit between a diving Luis Valbuena and Starlin Castro off Cubs starter Matt Garza. He also said he will keep the lineup card.
"Every kid grows up wanting to fulfill their dreams and mine was to be a baseball player," Halton said. "Today's that day for me."
Halton hit .288 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 66 games at Nashville this year. He was drafted by the Brewers in the 13th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho).
He was enjoying Nashville's first off-day in 20 days on Wednesday when he got the call that he would join the Brewers.
He was OK with giving up a little bit of his day off to make it to Milwaukee.
"Happily, yeah. No problem," Halton said. "I would have taken the Greyhound to get up here. It was a dream come true and I'm really looking forward to it."
Manager Ron Roenicke said Halton can play first base and the corner-outfield positions. With Carlos Gomez out, the Brewers have left-handers Norichika Aoki, Logan Schafer and Caleb Gindl manning the outfield, so Halton gives them a righty bat against left-handed pitchers.
"If a left-hander starts, I've got to have three left-handers out there until Carlos gets back. That's not real comfortable when you're having to do that," Roenicke said. "I like what I saw in Spring Training [from Halton]. He's been [Nashville's] best hitter as of late."
Halton spoke of the revolving door that is the Brewers' Nashville affiliate this season.
"It's like playing for a good junior varsity team, almost," Halton said. "All your good players get taken, so it's been tough to stay consistent and keep a good clubhouse down there."