Best and Worst: Brewers vs. Cubs

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Brewers have won their first series! The Crew went 2-1 against the Cubs at Wrigley, playing three strong games behind an outstanding pitching staff.

THE BEST:

1. The returning presence of Carlos Gomez was felt in the latter two games, as the Gold Glove center fielder went 3 for 8, with 2 RBI, 2 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases. Moving everyone down the outfield depth chart is a huge relief, as Gerardo Parra earned marks as a late-game replacement for a struggling Khris Davis.

2. Parra went 4 for 7 with 2 doubles in a start and two late game replacements for Davis, proving he can hit coming off of the bench, which is no small feat. He provided his usual value with the glove today as well, and he has consistently shown how he has won Gold Gloves at both corners.

3. The starting pitching was outstanding in the series, going 3 for 3 in quality starts giving up 5 earned runs over 18 2/3 innings (2.41 ERA). Both Wily Peralta and Mike Fiers brought their ERAs down below 5, with the latter striking out an impressive 12 over 6 innings. Jimmy Nelson went 6 2/3 innings and gave up 3 earned runs, striking out 6 and walking 2.

4. The bullpen was virtually flawless against the Cubs, covering 7 1/3 innings while posting a 13:2 K/BB ratio and giving up no runs. Jonathan Broxton is bouncing back from a poor start to the season, and Will Smith and Francisco Rodriguez have their ERAs down around 2.

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BEST GAME: Mike Fiers, 6 IP, 1 ER, 12 K, 2 BB    Runner-up: Jean Segura, 4 for 5, 3B, 2 RBI, SB

THE WORST:

1. Ryan Braun had a decent day yesterday, with a home run and 2 RBI along with a walk, but went just 1 for 12 on the series. This is especially disappointing given his power surge to finish to the previous series. He isn’t playing anywhere near his potential right now.

2. Khris Davis went 0 for 10 in the series with 5 Ks and 1 walk. His BB% is still at 9.6, well above his Big League average, but he’s got a reasonable .298 BABIP while slashing just .217/.298/.325. It’s getting harder to imagine Davis reaching his .457 SLG from last season.

3. Hector Gomez has the versatility to make an impact with the 2015 Brewers, particularly with an aging Aramis Ramirez and an incapacitated Scooter Gennett. Gomez has had his highs and lows already this year, with a particular low this series, going 0 for 8 in 2 starts and a pinch hit appearance.

For the first time this season, the Brewers won a series, also winning back-to-back games for the first time. The team finally strung together a series of quality starts from their rotation, while producing enough offense to win on two out of three chances.