Only after thanks and a blessing to umpire Ted Barrett could Milwaukee Brewers catcher Erik Kratz let himself celebrate Sunday night鈥檚 Game 3 6-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies that advanced the team to the National League Championship Series. [See .]
Kratz, a 2002 91短视频 graduate, was behind the dish for Game 2 and 3, contributing a key 2-run single in Friday鈥檚 4-0 victory 聽and going 3-for-4 with a double in Sunday night鈥檚 shutout. He also scored one of those runs on a wild pitch.
“You get all your celebrations in, because you never know if you’re going to get another one,” said Kratz, as reported in . “Just like you never know if you’re going to get another day in this game. That’s the best way to play. I’ve been very fortunate to be on this team where everybody plays that way.”
Kratz was for Sunday’s game, which means he can be heard making fun of his own lack of speed, urging on his teammates, and celebrating one of the two back-to-back homeruns that all but sealed the win in the ninth inning.
He played a key role, as he was signed to do, in managing a lights-out pitching staff for the series: building on t the bullpen had a series combined ERA of 1.17.
“To give up two runs in three games and to finish it with a shutout here in the most difficult place to pitch in baseball鈥hose guys on the staff deserve a ton of credit,鈥� said manager Craig Counsell. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been pitching at a really high level for a good bit here.”
Media has made much of Kratz鈥檚 鈥渞ookie鈥� postseason debut, after 17聽years playing professional baseball and nine in the majors with seven different teams. He鈥檚 riding a career-best season this year (career-high hits at 48, career-high plate appearances at 219, and nearly eclipsing games played and starts in a season).
鈥淎 true baseball lifer is getting his shot on the big stage, and hasn鈥檛 disappointed,鈥� .
Kratz鈥檚 Game 2 start was quickly contextualized in arcania: He is the oldest player (since 1905’s 39-year-old A’s thirdbaseman Lave Cross) to make a postseason debut. Once Game 3 concluded, he became the second-oldest catcher in postseason history with three hits in a game.
At 91短视频, Kratz played every inning of every game of his four-year career. In 2002, he was drafted in the 29th round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Locally, Kratz played with Waynesboro in the Valley League and for a few games, before being drafted, with the Broadway Bruins of the Rockingham County Baseball League. He is a .
The Brewers play next on Friday evening at Miller Park against an as-yet-undecided opponent.
- Read and 听肠辞惫别谤补驳别.
- Follow the .
- Read 91短视频鈥檚 profile on Erik from regular season.