Jake Burger broke out of an 18-at-bat hitless stretch Sunday, lining a single in the seventh inning and finishing 1-for-5 in a 5-2 win over the Dodgers. He struck out in each of his first three plate appearances before finally finding a gap late.
The cleanup batter has struggled to keep his bat hot after an early burst, going 5-for-39 over his last 10 games. Burger has driven in just one run over his last 11 games, a reminder that the middle of the order has not been able to count on the production he provided earlier.
That is the tension for Burger now. The swing that ended the drought showed he can still break through, but the numbers behind it are hard to ignore. Hitting fourth puts him in the heart of the offense, and the gap between that role and his recent output is wide.
The single may not change the larger picture by itself, but it gave Burger a needed release after a long dry spell. The question now is whether he can turn one clean swing into the start of something steadier, because the cleanup spot does not leave much room for extended slumps.
