Roenicke, Brewers trying to find more consistency

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke spent time with reporters on Saturday musing about why his team is so inclined to go on streaks. Over the past two seasons, the Brewers have had separate stretches in which they have won nine games in a row and nine of 11, and losing streaks of seven, eight and nine games.

Roenicke was asked why he believes this particular team is so prone to extremes.

"That's what I'm trying to get away from, is the streakiness of this team," Roenicke said. "It was there last year. Streakiness makes it really rough on you emotionally, because you're winning a bunch and then you're losing a bunch. That's a hard way to go through a long season.

"Somehow we have to figure out how to be more consistent on the mound and at the plate."

What sort of message does Roenicke impress on players to make that happen?

"When the whole offense goes bad, when the whole pitching staff goes bad, that's when you need your leaders to step up," Roenicke said. "You need your veterans and your leaders to step up and say, 'Hey, enough of this.'"

Roenicke later clarified that he meant those players should make that statement with their play. "It's not like they have to do anything better than they do," Roenicke said. "Just do what you do. … There's no reason for a whole offense, eight guys, to all go bad at once for a month.

"We've got some good hitters, some veteran guys who have had success, have experience. Those guys, I don't expect to go bad. It shouldn't be contagious to those guys. Young guys, I get it. They get a little nervous, they feel the tension. But the young guys who have played here a long time, I expect those guys to come through."

The Brewers' only streak so far in 2015 has been a losing one; the team dropped eight in a row before beating the Reds on Sunday. After losing again to the Cardinals on Friday night, Roenicke was still awaiting the club's first back-to-back victories.

"Every time we win a game, I'm expecting, 'OK, here it goes,'" he said. "Then we get shut out [on Friday]. We can't have those things happen."