Notes: Knebel raises game to new level in topping strikeout streak of Aroldis Chapman

During the entire time he was chasing Aroldis Chapman’s amazing season-opening strikeout streak, Brewers closer Corey Knebel respectfully declined to talk about it.

Players are superstitious, you know.

Knebel was finally free to talk about it Thursday morning, having matched Chapman’s streak the night before of recording at least one strikeout in each of his 37 appearances to begin the season. Knebel won a nine-pitch battle with Pittsburgh’s Josh Harrison in the ninth inning to record his only strikeout in a tense 4-3 victory.

Knebel then went out in the afternoon and moved past Chapman by saving a 4-2 triumph with yet another strikeout, getting the first batter he faced, Josh Bell, on a filthy curveball.

So, what’s it like to top a mark set by Chapman, the fire-balling Yankees closer?

“It’s awesome,” Knebel said. “Everybody knows Aroldis Chapman. It’s an honor, and really fun. Just to be tied with him for anything. It’s kind of an out-of-body experience. We all know what kind of stuff he has. He threw a pitch 103 mph (Wednesday) night.

“To be part of that, it’s a really good experience.”

Already a budding high-leverage reliever, the 25-year-old Knebel has raised his game to a new level this season, becoming the obvious choice to replace since-released Neftali Feliz as closer when Feliz couldn’t keep the ball in the park.

In 38 outings, Knebel has crafted a 0.96 ERA with an amazing 65 strikeouts in only 37 2/3 innings. His strikeout total tops all major-league relievers and he ranks fifth with 15.52 strikeouts per nine innings.

“I’m pitching with confidence out there,” he said. “I’m trying to throw strikes. I’m not trying to hit spots exactly. I’m just trying to throw strikes and get outs.

“What reliever doesn’t want to be in the last inning? You ask any reliever, and that’s exactly where they want to be. I just want to keep it going and keep my head on right, and help us win ballgames.”

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At this point, if the Brewers only have one player selected for the NL all-star team, Knebel would seem to be an obvious choice.

“Corey is having a great season, by anybody’s standards,” manager Craig Counsell said. “If he continues on this path, there are going to be a lot of accolades coming his way."

Knebel now has a shot at the all-time record of consecutive appearances with a strikeout, at any point of a single season. Bruce Sutter holds that mark with 39 games in a row with the Cubs in 1977.

Defense doesn’t rest: Knebel got some amazing help in recording the final out of that game Wednesday night, with shortstop Orlando Arcia ranging far behind the bag to field John Jaso’s grounder, then doing a 360-degree turn and firing to first base. It is a play that Arcia has done before, though never at such a critical point of a game.

Arcia, 22, came to the majors with the reputation as a stellar defender and has lived up to that billing, especially in recent weeks by deftly making tough plays look easy.

“He’s got that ability,” Counsell said. “He makes difficult plays look easier. I think that confuses even the people doing defensive statistics. They are still subjective. They are graded by somebody else, doing them.

“I think he plays on his feet a lot more. Other shortstops dive a lot more. He plays on his feet. He makes plays from his feet. To me, that’s a sign of skill. So, he tends to make a lot of stuff look easier than it is. It’s very graceful, the way he plays.”

That grace often is exhibited when Arcia turns double plays, which he also makes look easier than they actually are at times.

“He makes that double-play turn look very routine,” Counsell said. “What we’ve tried to do is add details to the defensive game as we’ve gone along. All the great defensive players have beautiful instincts. That’s the foundation of a great defensive player, and Orlando has that. You just add the pitch-to-pitch details to that.”

So, is there perhaps a Gold Glove or two in Arcia’s future? Some of his teammates believe that is inevitable.

“He’s already so polished,” first baseman Eric Thames. “He has so much range. In games, he’s just a wizard. I see a very high ceiling for him, definitely a Gold Glove in his future.”