Christian Yelich was listed as the Brewers’ designated hitter and batted third on April 10 as Milwaukee opened against the Red Sox, a matchup that came with the Brewers at 8-3 and Boston at 3-8. Sonny Gray was scheduled to start for the Red Sox, while Shane Drohan was set to make his major league debut for the Brewers against his former organization.
The lineup spot matters because Yelich has had real success against Gray, going 8-for-31 in his career against the right-hander. Milwaukee also carried momentum from Tuesday night, when it beat Boston 3-2 despite collecting only three hits, a result that kept the Brewers moving early in the season.
That win came with the Brewers already short-handed. Brice Turang was dealing with a foot or ankle injury, and manager Pat Murphy said, “Turang’s playing on one leg, and he hasn’t got great numbers on this road trip, but he’s helped us win,” a comment that explained why Milwaukee kept leaning on him even while the lineup was being adjusted again.
Read Also: Where To Watch Houston Astros Vs Seattle Mariners: Drohan Debuts vs Red Sox
Those adjustments have been part of the Brewers’ start, with Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn also out injured. That left Milwaukee turning to a familiar core around Yelich as it tried to protect an early lead in the standings and keep pace in a stretch where even a thin offensive night had still produced a victory.
Read Also: Brewers - Red Sox: Gray faces former club as Boston seeks first series win
The tension in this game preview is that Milwaukee’s success has not always matched the box score. The Brewers won with three hits on Tuesday, then had to shuffle the lineup again the next day, a reminder that their 8-3 record has been built as much on finding enough answers as on overwhelming opponents. If that holds, Yelich’s role against Gray may matter as much for its timing as for its numbers.
