Victor Caratini was not supposed to be on the Milwaukee Brewers roster this year. The veteran backstop was acquired via trade when Pedro Severino tested positive for PED’s during Spring Training.
On July 4, the day Severino made his season debut with the Brewers, Caratini found himself started at first base. Due to MLB’s rule regarding Severino not being eligible to play in the postseason, the Brewers have decided to keep three catchers on the roster for the time being. Caratini made the decision look good as he launched a three-run home run in the 10th inning to give the Brewers a 5-2 victory over his former team, the Chicago Cubs.
Eric Lauer had been struggling for near a month when he took the hill for the Brewers on their Independence Day tilt with the Cubs. Despite not getting the win, Lauer pitched a quality start for the first time in nearly a month. His last quality start came on June 5 against the San Diego Padres when he went six innings and allowed three runs.
Since then, Lauer has been far from efficient:
- Five innings and eight earned runs against the Washington Nationals.
- 6.1 innings and four earned runs against the Cincinnati Reds.
- Six innings and five earned runs against the St. Louis Cardinals.
- 4.1 innings and three earned runs against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Against the Cubs, Lauer pitched six innings, allowed just one run and struck out nine.
All season long, the Brewers have struggled against left-handed pitching. That trend continued on Monday as Cubs starter Justin Steele. The Brewers could muster just two hits against the Steele, one of which was Severino’s first hit as a Brewer.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Brewers’ own pitching was able to limit the Cubs’ bats. After a mistake from Josh Hader allowed the Cubs to take a 2-1 lead in the ninth, Christian Yelich came through in the clutch with a two-out walk with the bases loaded that tied the game.
After Brad Boxberger pitched a scoreless 10th frame, Caratini came to the plate with two Brewers runners aboard.
The blast, after going 0-4 with four strikeouts in his previous at bats, made Caratini a part of history:
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