Lucroy keeps ticking at plate

ATLANTA -- Despite adding time at first base to his catching duties as of late, Jonathan Lucroy has been an outlier during a tough May at the plate for the Brewers.

Milwaukee has a .233 (152-for-651) batting average this month, but Lucroy is hitting .363 (24-for-66), and his .447 on-base percentage ranks 10th among Major Leaguers with at least 50 plate appearances in May.

"If you watch his at-bats and watch what he does, I'm hoping that rubs off on everybody else because they really are good at-bats," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "They're not chasing balls out of the zone and patient, it's different than when we see most of the guys, and then see him."

Lucroy has reached base in 13 straight games, batting .400 (18-for-45) during that stretch. Roenicke credits Lucroy's success, in part, to his ability to go the other way.

The catcher has also demonstrated power to all fields as his doubles against Atlanta this series have gone to left, center and right field.

"I think when he's hitting well, that's what he does," Roenicke said. "He'll hit it there, and he'll also pull the ball, so you can't pitch him one way."

Lucroy added: "Hit the ball where it's pitched. Don't try to do too much."

Milwaukee's offensive woes have resulted in a month that has seen the club cool off from its 20-8 start. The Brewers own an 8-12 record this month.

But efforts like Wednesday night's win against the Braves, where eight of nine Milwaukee batters reached base as the Brewers plated six runs on 10 hits, make Lucroy feel the team is on the verge of returning to the success they enjoyed early in 2014.

"I think we're too good to be held down," Lucroy said. "I really believe that. Whenever you have the kind of talent that we have in here, you just can't hold it down forever, and we showed that last night."