MILWAUKEE BREWERS

Notes: Not even vampires struggle as much in daylight hours as the Brewers have in 2018

Tom Haudricourt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Corey Knebel gave up a two-run homer to the Rockies' Nolan Arenado in the 11th inning as the Brewers lost last Sunday.

ATLANTA – When the Milwaukee Brewers take the field for the series finale against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon at SunTrust Park, they will face what has been a double whammy in terms of scheduling.

The Brewers have fared poorly in day games this season, going 17-29 in matinees. Considering they entered Saturday 13 games over .500, that is a hard-to-figure won-loss record.

And the Brewers have been particularly bad on Sundays, winning only four of 18 games on that day. Day of rest, indeed.

If you’re looking for an answer for that aversion to natural light, the last place you should look is the Brewers’ clubhouse, because they don’t have the slightest idea why it has gone that way.

“If we had the answer to it, we would have fixed it,” said Ryan Braun, who has seen every kind of statistical anomaly during his dozen years in the majors. “If there was a simple solution, it’s something we would have addressed.

“I don’t think there is an answer. The goal is to win every game. It’s not like we have more motivation or inspiration for night games. Everybody goes about their preparation the same. There’s usually less batting practice on the field for day games but the other team does that, too.”

THE GAME:5 Takeaways | Box score

ANALYSIS:Catch of the season was followed by hit of the season

HAUDRICOURT:Brewers likely would go with Jhoulys Chacin for wild-card start

MLB:Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

If it was 30 years ago, the answer might be that too many of the players were partying at night. But the modern player doesn’t indulge in such behavior, with obvious exceptions. Most go right home after the games, or if on the road, back to the hotel, to play video games or face time with family members.

“That’s not what’s going on,” Braun said. “It’s definitely not because guys are going out. None of us know what the issue is or we would have corrected it. It is later in the season now, so we’re aware of it. We’ve been asked about it. There is no simple solution.

“You hope that it turns around. We’ve got seven games left and hopefully we’ll start playing a lot better in day games and find a way to win a majority of them.”

Manager Craig Counsell is well aware of his team’s struggles in day games but says he has found no common thread in the outcomes. The Brewers have had trouble scoring runs on Sundays, for whatever reasons, tallying two runs or fewer nine times in 18 games.

“I can’t explain it,” Counsell said. “It’s a number that’s out there. There’s lots of other numbers out there.

“We haven’t been good in day games. We’ve thought about it. I can’t give you a reason, a specific statistical thing that suggests anything. Look at the games. Can you explain the games?

“If we’re going to do that, what about Tuesdays?”

Counsell no doubt knew that the Brewers are 13-5 on Tuesdays, their best record of any day of the week. Sundays, in fact, are the only day of the week in which the Brewers have a losing record. The next-closest is Thursday, at 7-6.

Whatever the reason, the Brewers need to figure this day thing out because they have 13 day games remaining on the schedule, including eight on Sundays.

“Our record is our record,” Counsell said. “Every year, we’re going to look at different ways we get to our record. We’ve got to control the things we can control, and we’ve got to be better at the things we can control, for any day.”

For something this inexplicable, one almost is tempted to look at otherworldly answers. For example, could these guys be vampires?

“As far as I know, no,” Braun said, playing along. “It’s not 100% confirmed. I’m assuming we don’t have any.”

Wilkerson recalled: The Brewers continued to rotate pitchers in the final spot in the bullpen, keeping a fresh arm on hand. Adrian Houser, recalled for the fifth time Friday, pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the 10-1 loss to Atlanta and was sent back to Class AAA Colorado Springs, with Aaron Wilkerson summoned from that club for the fourth time.

“This is what we’ve done all season,” Counsell said. “It’s been really helpful in managing innings in the bullpen and managing workloads. It is tough on the guys (going up and down). The big thing we’ve communicated, and the players understand, is that they’ll be back.

“They know that’s their job this year. They’re trying to work their way into a more solid role.”