MILWAUKEE — Within the 11 years for the reason that Brewers made him a second-round Draft choose, Tyrone Taylor has gone from high prospect to listening to whispers about being a bust to an enormous league function participant to a must-start within the postseason.
When he smashed a two-run residence run within the second inning of Sport 1 of the NL Wild Card Collection, it was a joyous second made even higher by the very fact his household was within the stands at American Household Discipline for the primary time this season.
Sadly for Taylor and the Brewers, the great vibes didn’t final. He got here up empty in two subsequent probabilities with the bases loaded and Milwaukee took a 6-3 loss to Arizona.
“The tip purpose right here is to win,” mentioned Taylor, 29. “I used to be capable of benefit from the second for somewhat bit.”
Taylor has had so many good moments recently — he’s hitting .313 with eight doubles, six homers, 17 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS in his previous 19 video games courting to Sept. 9 and together with Tuesday’s Sport 1 — that he has pushed previous a number of the Brewers’ younger prospects within the outfield pecking order.
The Brewers left former first-rounder Garrett Mitchell off the Wild Card Collection roster in a little bit of a shock after he efficiently made it again from shoulder surgical procedure to play himself into competition. And whereas they did embody Joey Wiemer, it’s anticipated to be in a bench function as a late-inning runner or defensive substitute. Wiemer didn’t make it into Sport 1.
Taylor did, hitting on the backside of a Brewers lineup that produced 17 baserunners however solely three runs — none after Taylor’s residence run noticed Corbin Burnes a 3-0 lead.
“I attempted to deal with it like simply one other day of baseball, and on daily basis of baseball is one I’m grateful for,” Taylor mentioned. “Hopefully we get a pair ‘dubs’ and get to hold right here somewhat longer.”
The Brewers might want to win every of the following two days towards Arizona starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to increase the season.
Taylor had probabilities for extra in Sport 1, however was denied. Within the third inning, after Brice Turang walked to load the bases with two outs, Taylor bounced right into a fielder’s alternative. Within the fifth, with the bases loaded once more and one out, Taylor hit a line drive to the left facet that was snared by diving D-backs third baseman Evan Longoria.
It was the play of the night time.
“It was disbelief,” Taylor mentioned. “He’s been doing it since I used to be somewhat child, I’ve watched that man try this, so I shouldn’t have been in that a lot disbelief.”
Longoria felt the identical approach, saying afterward, “Truly I couldn’t consider I caught it.”
“I sort of simply jumped and threw my glove up,” Longoria mentioned. “It is only a response. Typically, I do not even bounce for these. And for no matter motive, in that second, clearly we’re attempting to sort of simply depart all of it out on the sector.”
Taylor and the Brewers should try this on Wednesday and, they hope, Thursday.
Finally, he’ll face an unsure offseason. Taylor is arbitration-eligible for the primary time, and the Brewers are flush with outfielders from Christian Yelich to up-and-comers like Sal Frelick, Mitchell, Wiemer and high prospect Jackson Chourio, who completed this season at Triple-A and can start subsequent season a name away from the Majors.
First issues first, nonetheless.
“I do know me personally, I’m assured in our group,” Taylor mentioned. “We’ve received two extra probabilities to go on the market and get some wins. Thank God it’s a three-game sequence.”