Lewis Brinson couldn’t have scripted his return to Milwaukee any better.
Now, as a member of the Miami Marlins, the centerfielder smacked the first two major league home runs of his major league career against his former team, the Brewers. The Marlins may have fallen 12-3 at Miller Park, but the 23-year-old outfielder may have found his swing again.
Per Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, Lewis Brinson, back in Milwaukee for the first time since being traded in the Christian Yelich deal in January, connected on his first two homeruns of the season, both off right-hander Chase Anderson. Both shots were to centerfield. The first was a solo dinger in the third inning. The second was a two-run drive in the fifth.
“I came back to a place I played last year,” Brinson said “I had a little chip on my shoulder, a little bit. I wish we could’ve gotten the win, but that feels good. I was in a good place tonight, and hopefully, I can keep it going.”
The Marlins hope we can keep it going too, as he has played well in the outfield this early season, but has been lacking at the plate. His struggles with the bat still my warrant the team sending him down to Triple-A New Orleans, but Thursday night was encouraging.
Lewis Brinson’s second home run gave Miami a 3-2 lead, but Milwaukee responded off Dillon Peters who took the loss. Peters didn’t make it through the fifth inning and was pulled. Peters was looking to win his third game of the season. He has two of the Marlins’ five wins in 2018.
“I didn’t get ahead early, and I threw that 3-1 changeup and [Cain is] sitting on half speed,” Peters said. “I felt comfortable throwing up, and he took it for a ride.”
Lewis Brinson’s struggles have been a hot topic in Miami. He entered the road trip in a 1-36 rut. Marlins manager Don Mattingly didn’t start Brinson either of Miami’s two games on Monday and Tuesday against the New York Yankees. The time on the bench could possibly have given him a chance to rethink his hitting strategy.
“I was happy with my approach tonight,” Brinson said. “I stuck with it. I told myself to trust it all day. I told myself to come in here and trust my abilities. I know I’ve belong up here, and I was just happy with the result.”