Love fest for Cain highlights Brewers' victory but Thames' thumb injury raises concerns

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

KANSAS CITY - Lorenzo Cain promised his teammates it would be a love fest when he returned to Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night, and the local fans didn't let him down.

The fans cheered when Cain came out to stretch before the game. They roared even louder when he came to the plate as the first hitter in the game.

Royals fans went as far as standing and cheering when Cain homered in the seventh inning, even though it gave the visiting Brewers a 5-2 lead that would hold up until the end.

When is the last time an opposing player got cheered for going deep against the home team?

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"We were ready for it," said Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw, whose three-run homer in the third inning was the big blow of the game. "He's been talking about it for a while.

"He said, 'They're going to show me some love in KC.' We knew they would. He's done so much for this organization, (helping to win a) World Series title. He played here for a number of years. It was really cool to see the reaction from the fans when he came up.

"These are good fans here. There are certain places that like their guys. When they do something for the organization, they'll remember them forever. He's one of those guys."

Cain, who signed a five-year, $80-million free-agent deal, certainly did his part to make an impact on the game, getting on base four times with two walks, the homer and an infield hit. In the process, he boosted his on-base percentage to .421 and OPS to .927.

"He should get treatment like that," manager Craig Counsell said. "They had some special times here. He was right in the middle of all that. And he had a great game tonight. Just a solid game, setting the tone again for us."

"If they want to love on him when he plays like that, we'll try to do it again tomorrow."

Though Cain promised his teammates he would be bathed in adoration, he later admitted it exceeded his expectations. The cheering was so long and loud when he led off the game, he was obligated to doff his helmet and acknowledge the fans before getting down to business.

"That was once-in-a-lifetime type stuff right there," Cain said. "I definitely enjoyed it. I hit a homer on the road and they cheer for you. That was nice. We were able to accomplish a lot here, go to two World Series and win one. It showed they care about that.

"It was fun. I didn't know what to expect. I was a little nervous, had some goose bumps. There's no better feeling than people cheering for you and showing you love like that. I enjoyed tonight. I was definitely pumped up.

"Throughout the entire game, they were cheering, screaming out there in the outfield. Each time I came to the dugout, they were screaming and yelling for me. It was good. I saw the (Royals) standing and cheering, too. That felt good."

It was another good night for the bullpen, with three relievers backing up a gritty start by Zach Davies, who held the Royals to two runs over six innings despite battling command issues for much of the night. Counsell continues to keep folks guessing as to how he'll use his relievers, this time going to Matt Albers early and Jeremy Jeffress late, reversing their previous roles.

"We're trying to get 27 outs and set them up with the best match-ups to get those outs," Counsell said. "We can use them whenever we want, as long as they get outs. I know which hitters I want them to face, but it doesn't matter which inning they do it."

This game did not go without a possible major glitch, however. The trend of April injuries continued when first baseman Eric Thames jammed his glove hand into the ground to snag a sharp grounder in the eighth inning, bending back his thumb.

Thames, off to another powerful April with seven homers, exited the game after that inning with an issue serious enough to warrant an MRI test Wednesday.

"We're a little concerned about his thumb," Counsell said. "We're going to have to get some tests on it tomorrow. It's a ligament issue we're a little concerned about."

Sounds a bit ominous, doesn't it? But the Brewers have been dealing with injuries since before they broke camp, depending on the depth they worked so hard to build. If Thames goes on the DL, look for the return of Ji-Man Choi and more action for Jesus Aguilar, which never is a bad thing.

With seven consecutive victories and a 15-9 record, the Brewers already have shown they can handle adversity.