MILWAUKEE -- Nate Orf had no idea what was coming.
Orf had just recorded his first career hit, a solo home run that would ultimately be the difference in 3-2 win over the Twins, and was still catching his breath after getting his first taste of the Brewers' "home run gauntlet."
The next thing Orf knew, he was being lifted into the air by teammates Jesus Aguilar and Manny Pina, while the Miller Park crowd of 36,700 showered him with applause.
"I didn't even think about it," Orf said. "I was just pumped that I got a hit. They picked me up, and that's when I noticed they wanted a curtain call. Next thing I know, I'm in front of all the fans on their shoulders.
"It was awesome. It just shows what kind of guys we have here, everyone is rooting for each other. That's one of those moments I just wanted to embrace. Look at the crowd, and give them some respect."
It's just another chapter in what's been a surreal week for Orf, who is in the big leagues for the first time after an unlikely path to the Majors that began when he signed with Milwaukee for $500 as an undrafted free agent back in 2013.
"[Orf has] gone through everything," Counsell said. "I'm glad it happened that way."
Orf was batting .307 with six home runs and 39 RBIs at Triple-A Colorado Springs this season. He earned his first big league callup Monday, as the Brewers try to find some kind of offensive solution at shortstop while Orlando Arcia works out of a funk down in the Minors.
With Tyler Saladino likely back soon after a lengthy stay on the disabled list, Orf knows there's no guarantee he's sticking around for the long term. So in the meantime, he's trying to make his moments count.
"You're never guaranteed a day in the big leagues," Orf said. "You have to stay humble through it all. ... I just have to continue with that attitude as many days as I get."