Brewers: 3 Fun Facts From The Crew's Big West Coast Road Trip

The Milwaukee Brewers just went 7-3 on a big three city, 10 game road trip across the West Coast including Arizona, San Diego, and Seattle. Two of those teams were in the playoffs last year and the other is currently in first place in the NL West.

The Brewers are now 14-5 to begin the year, an excellent start by any standard but also considering the number of injuries they've suffered, it's even better.

The road trip was very impressive. The first homestand was impressive, especially with the performance of the young rookies. The first major road trip also had some impressive performances.

Here are 3 fun facts from the Brewers successful road trip out west against the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Mariners.

Fact #1: The Brewers got their first sweep in Seattle since 1989

While the Brewers haven't traveled out to Seattle since 2016 prior to this trip, and haven't gone their frequently since moving over to the NL back in 1998, there have been 16 trips to Seattle without a sweep.

Until now.

When the Brewers swept the Mariners back in 1989, they were playing at the Kingdome, which was reduced to rubble 23 years ago and turned into a football stadium for the Seattle Seahawks.

It's especially impressive considering the talent of the Mariners team. They have a loaded roster and are coming off a playoff appearance. They're led by a young phenom in Julio Rodriguez. Back in 1989 when the Brewers last swept the Mariners, that team was also led by a young phenom in 19 year old Ken Griffey Jr.

Fact #2: The Brewers allowed 3 or fewer runs in six of the 10 games

The key to winning baseball games is scoring more runs than your opponent. Obviously. So it stands to reason that keeping the amount of runs your opponent scores as low as possible increases your chances of winning.

The Brewers won seven of the 10 games on the trip, and kept their opponents to three runs or less in six of the 10 games.

One of those games was a loss, back at the beginning of the road trip the Brewers were shut out by Arizona. But in six of the seven wins, the Brewers kept their opponent to three runs or less. They had a 7-1 victory over Arizona when Corbin Burnes dominated. Then they beat the Padres by scores of 4-3, 11-2, and 1-0. Then they swept the Mariners, including a 7-3 win and a 5-3 win.

There was one win on the trip where the Brewers allowed more than three runs, a 6-5 extra innings victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night.

Fact #3: The Brewers had 3 starting pitchers go 7 IP or longer

Craig Counsell is known for being cautious with his starting pitchers and not extending them deep into games, especially early in the season. He likes to go to the bullpen as the pitch count rises and percentages change, but the Brewers starting pitchers on this road trip were continuing to excel and even early in the season, Counsell let them go deep.

The Brewers had their starting pitchers go 7 innings or longer in three of the 10 games. Corbin Burnes dominated in 8 strong innings against the Diamondbacks, then Wade Miley had a 7 inning performance against the Padres, dicing them up and scattering just four hits in that 1-0 win. Then Eric Lauer closed out the road trip with 7.2 IP of excellent work.

If it wasn't for Burnes having to leave the 6th inning with an injury against the Mariners, he likely would've been able to make it four of the 10 games on the road trip with a 7 IP start or longer.

This is especially important as the Brewers are dealing with some injuries on their pitching staff, seeing co-ace Brandon Woodruff land on the IL on this road trip and spot starts from Janson Junk and Colin Rea took up three of the 10 games. Of the remaining seven games pitched by the original members of the rotation, three of them went seven innings or longer. That's quite the feat in today's age.

It's a winning road trip, and now the Brewers return home with more momentum, and still in first place.