Coming into Saturday night’s contest between Milwaukee and Arizona, outfielder Jody Gerut had only four hits on the year.
Gerut matched his season with four hits in the Brewers’ 17-3 rout of Arizona.
And they weren’t just any four hits.
With a single, double, triple, and home run, Gerut became just the sixth player in Brewers history to hit for the cycle.
The outfielder, who had made only four starts all season, definitely earned himself a spot in Sunday’s game.
“It’s going to be tough not to put him in the lineup,” said Brewers manager, Ken Macha.
Gerut is possibly the most unlikely Milwaukee candidate to hit for the cycle.
Macha wasn’t even sure who to start coming into Saturday afternoon, saying he “flipped a coin” to determine whether to pencil in Gerut or Corey Hart. This was a rare joke from the skipper, who studies match-ups as much as any other manager. But the 32-year-old Gerut’s start in right field was still surprising.
Gerut drove in four runs. Ryan Braun, who hit a 467-foot tape measure home run, also had 4 RBIs. McGehee had three hits and two RBI. Starter Randy Wolf (3-2) overcame a shaky first frame to get the win in a six inning performance.
It was the third time Milwaukee had scored 11 or more runs in the last five games. It was the sixth time they’ve reached double digit runs this season.
The St. Louis Rams have begun to envy the Brewers’ offense of late.
Gerut homered in the second inning, then singled to load the bases in the third. His fifth inning, RBI triple ignited a six-run outburst that put the game on ice. With the rally, the Brewers led 12-2. After two hitless at bats, Gerut thought he wouldn’t get another chance at history. But after Milwaukee exploded for four more runs in the ninth, he laced a double off Arizona’s center field wall.
“It’s unbelievable. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in a game,” Gerut told reporters.
Coming into the game, Gerut was a paltry 1 for 21 against right-handed pitchers.
Arizona’s Mark Reynolds hit a solo home run off of Wolf in the sixth. It was Reynolds’ 99th career blast.
After finishing the series with Arizona on Mother’s Day, the Brewers head back to Miller Park to face the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series.
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