Despite losing seven of their last eight games heading into the All-Star break, including a six-game losing streak that included a five-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Brewers are still in good shape. They're only 2.5 games out of first, and are solidly in the playoff race.
Whether it's been injuries (26 transactions in the past eight days), the sudden bullpen issues (including two late blown leads in Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh), or other factors, the run production for Milwaukee hasn't been there. They're averaging 4.3 runs per game, nearly a full run less than the first-place Cubs (5.1). That's why the Brewers are targeting a bat, to help boost run production.
Much to the surprise of what many thought about the pitching staff before the season, Milwaukee is giving up fewer runs per game than most of the other NL teams in the playoff race, including the likes of Chicago and Atlanta.
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