Good Vibrations: Yuni B, Brewers Win Streak Spark Plug…?

We owe you an apology, Yuni B. And by “we”, I mean “I”.

The Yuni B grand slam owns the top spot on the “WHAT THE **** JUST HAPPENED” leaderboard through 14 games.

Quite possibly the most harshly-critiqued Brewer not named John Axford in the last three seasons, Betancourt has been the spark plug behind the team’s current four-game win streak, which including a three-game sweep of the reigning World Champs.

Over those four games, Betancourt had a base hit and an RBI in each game, all-in-all going 5-for-11 at the plate and driving in eight runs.

Though Ryan Braun’s two-run homer end the club-record 32 inning scoreless streak and captured all the magic and headlines and glamour, his feat would have merely been the only salvaging moment in a gut-wrenching sweep. Instead, Betancourt tied the game up in the top of the ninth with an RBI double, plating Carlos Gomez. The Brewers pulled out the win in extra innings, and the  rest was, err, history(?).

For those accustomed to Yuni B’s first-pitch swinging antics and ground ball-botching, his rope to score Gomez would have been WAR-y enough (Related: I’m getting incredibly analytic into sabermetrics and stuff here).

But nope. Yuni must have been paying attention in physics to the unit of circuits and electricity and was, thus, motivated into becoming a week-long spark plug for his team.

Apr 14, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Yuniesky Betancourt (3) hits an rbi double that ties the game against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. The Brewers defeated the Cardinals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

His grand slam off of Barry Zito on Tuesday was, evidently, the determining factor in a 10-8 Brewers victory over San Francisco; his wall-scraping homer got the Brewers on the board on Wednesday in addition to a fifth inning sacrifice fly propelled Milwaukee to a 4-3 victory; and he drove in yet another run with a single in the series rubber match.

So what I’m saying is this: Betancourt–the ever-so-maligned Yuniesky Betancourt–came up as the most consistent contributor during the team’s four-game win streak. His defense has been respectable at first base, even. Two homers, eight RBI, a grand slam, an incredibly clutch intentional base on balls require credit to be given where credit is due.

I’m pickin’ up good vibrations, Yuni B. Well done, kid.