May record: 13-15
Andrew Gruman's player of the month: CF Carlos Gomez (.354, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 8 2B, 7 SB)
Despite missing six games in May due to a suspension for his role in an April benches-clearing brawl, a back injury and an illness, Gomez continued to produce at an MVP level. Gomez had eight multi-hit games and drove in two or more runs in five May games. After serving his three-game suspension and sitting out two more with back spasms, Gomez hit .425 over the final 10 games of May.
Andrew Gruman's pitcher of the month: LHP Will Smith (0.00 ERA in 13 IP, 2 BB, 18 K)
Smith has been fantastic all season for the Brewers, but the left-hander went the entire month of May without allowing an earned run. Only two of seven inherited runners scored against Smith in May, as he's stranded 14 of the 17 runners he's inherited this season. Smith was an unknown commodity when the Brewers traded for him this winter but has turned into a lights out late-inning reliever.
Looking up:
RHP Wily Peralta (1-4, 2.87 ERA in 37 2/3 innings over six starts in May)
RHP Kyle Lohse (2-0, 3.18 ERA in 34 innings over five starts)
RHP Rob Wooten (0.71 ERA in 12 2/3 innings over 13 relief appearances)
LHP Zach Duke (1.93 ERA in 9 1/3 innings over 11 relief appearances)
C Jonathan Lucroy (.347, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 11 2B in 27 games)
LF Khris Davis (.281, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 9 2B in 25 games)
2B Rickie Weeks (.413, 2 HR, 10 RBI in 21 games)
C Martin Maldonado (.333, 2 HR, 6 RBI in 9 games)
Looking down:
RHP Francisco Rodriguez (5.73 ERA, four of six in saves over 11 innings in May)
RHP Tyler Thornburg (6.00 ERA in 12 IP over 11 relief appearances)
INF Jeff Bianchi (.059, 1 RBI in 17 at-bats)
RHP Marco Estrada (5.05 ERA in six starts)
RHP Yovani Gallardo (5.79 ERA in five starts)
1B Lyle Overbay (.161, 1 HR, 4 RBI in 22 games)
OF Logan Schafer (.178, 4 RBI in 22 games)
Looking back: Coming off a 20-8 April, the Brewers started May by losing five of their first seven games, including dropping a home series to the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Milwaukee responded by taking two of three at home from the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates, but then dropped a three-game series in Chicago to the Cubs and lost three of four in Atlanta.
Milwaukee finished May strong, winning five of its last eight to sit at 33-23 and in first place of the National League Central on June 1.
The Brewers hit a severe lull offensively in the middle of the month, capped by scoring just two runs over their last 25 innings in Chicago from May 16-18. A series in Miami helped Milwaukee catch fire at the plate, as the Brewers scored six or more runs in six of their last eight games in May.
Milwaukee's starting pitchers had a 4.22 ERA in May, while the bullpen had a 4.21 ERA. Kyle Lohse and Wily Peralta had good months on the mound, while Marco Estrada, Yovani Gallardo and Matt Garza were hit or miss. Closer Francisco Rodriguez blew two saves in May, but the Brewers only lost one of those games.
After a 6-22 May in 2013, a 13-15 second month of the season helped keep the Brewers in first place a third of the way into 2014.
Looking ahead: After opening June with three home games, the Brewers will play 15 of their next 18 games away from Miller Park.
Milwaukee starts the month with four games against the Twins, two games at home and two in Minnesota. The Brewers then travel to Pittsburgh and New York to face the Mets before returning to town for a three-game series against Cincinnati.
The second road trip of the month sends the Brewers to Arizona for four games and to Colorado for three. Milwaukee wraps up June with a six games at Miller Park against Washington and Colorado.
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