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MILWAUKEE — Four months ago Nick Jensen Jersey , Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell was trying to figure out how to fit Jesus Aguilar onto his roster. Now, Counsell is having a hard time taking the hard-hitting first baseman out of his starting lineup.

Aguilar has been Milwaukee’s hottest hitter over the last month, batting .283 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .964 OPS. Five of those home runs along with 12 RBIs have come over his last five games and he’s driven in multiple runs in five straight starts, tying a franchise record.

“He’s certainly been one of the most pleasant surprises (this year),” Counsell said. “He was last year, as well and he’s taken it up a notch this year. You need those kind of performances you weren’t expecting. You need that kind of stuff.”

All that from a player who came to spring training not sure if he’d have a job when the regular season opened.

Acquired off waivers ahead of the 2017 season, Aguilar split time at first with Eric Thames last year, forming a potent right-left platoon combo. But after the Brewers acquired outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain over the winter, the team planned to transition outfielder Ryan Braun as an occasional right-handed option at first, which seemingly diminished Aguilar’s role.

He played his way onto the roster with another strong spring training and established himself as a dangerous pinch-hitting threat before taking over first base on a more regular basis when Thames was lost to a thumb injury on April 25.

“I’m confident in myself. When I get a chance to go, I’m going to give my 100 percent. That’s how I think.”

Thames, who’s spent the majority of his playing time in the outfield since returning June 11, is still adjusting to the position but is happy for his teammate.

“I mean, hey, the team is winning,” Thames said. “It was the same thing for him the first half of last year when I was going off. It’s great because we’re winning and today, he pretty much did it himself and it was awesome. I’m happy for him. He works hard. He’s such a smart hitter Womens Kris Russell Jersey , smart player. He’s a great team guy so you can’t help but root for him.”

His bat — as well as his defensive ability — have been a source of comfort for Brewers pitchers this season and will be Saturday for Chase Anderson, who takes the mound for Game 2 of the Brewers’ four-game series with the Cardinals at Miller Park.

Anderson has yet to find the consistency that led to his breakout season a year ago. He’s 5-6 with a 4.54 ERA through his first 15 starts and has struggled keeping the ball inside the park.

He’s allowed 15 home runs this season — one more than he gave up in all of 2017 — with 13 of those coming at Miller Park, where he’s 3-3 with a 5.70 ERA this season.

He gave up two home runs in the opening inning his last time out, upping his first-inning ERA this season to 8.36.

“It’s just one of those deals,” Anderson said. “That’s kind of been my thing since I was a kid. Obviously, I need to correct it and work on it and get better at getting guys out quicker. Something to work on.”

The Cardinals answer with right-hander Miles Mikolas, who’s 1-0 with a 6.00 ERA in two career starts against the Brewers, both of which came this season.

He allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings but took the victory on April 2 at Miller Park but didn’t factor in the decision after giving up another four runs, this time over 6 1/3 innings, in a 5-4 Cardinals loss on April 9 in St. Louis.

“He pounds the strike zone and uses multiple pitches,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “It’s just not every day you come across starters who can do that … and then to have durability and consistency to stay in the game as long as he has.”

A victory Saturday would mark Milwaukee’s second series victory over the Cardinals in three tries this season.

In her bid for governor of Tennessee, Republican Rep. Diane Black will run an ad during the Super Bowl pregame show saying ”it’s too bad that the league doesn’t respect the patriotism of our national anthem.”

 

Black’s campaign spokesman, Chris Hartline, said Thursday that the ad urging fans to stand will run on one network in several Tennessee markets at a cost of more than $50,000. Some will see it right before kickoff, he said.

It’s a response to the NFL’s refusal to run an ad from the group American Veterans saying ”Please Stand” in the printed Super Bowl program.

The league has been roiled by debate over players kneeling during the anthem to protest social injustice, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the game program is not the place for messages that could be seen as political. McCarthy noted that the NFL approved a Veterans of Foreign Wars ad saying ”We Stand for Veterans.”

In her spot, Black says that though the NFL refused the AMVETS ad urging everyone to stand Authentic Mike Cammalleri Jersey , ”they can’t stop you and me.”

”So tonight, wherever you are watching this game, please stand for `The Star-Spangled Banner’ and join me in standing up for veterans,” Black, a Gallatin lawmaker, said in the ad.

She’s not the only Republican candidate in Tennessee to use ad time to voice support for standing for the anthem, a call that has particularly rallied the Republican base. President Donald Trump mentioned it in his State of the Union speech.

Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running to replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker, bought radio time for an ad that says she stands ”for veterans, the president and `The Star-Spangled Banner.”’

Blackburn faces former Republican Rep. Stephen Fincher in the GOP primary, and that winner likely will face former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen in the general election.

Black is the third Republican candidate to secure TV ad time in the open Tennessee race to replace Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who is hitting term limits.

In a $300,000 buy this week, Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd’s ad says he’s against abortion, thinks Tennesseans should work and not remain on welfare and says immigrant-protecting ”sanctuary cities” are illegal.

An ad released by Franklin businessman Bill Lee last week discusses the death of his first wife and his leadership role in his construction company.

State House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, rounds out the governor’s race field of major Republicans.

Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and state House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley are running on the Democratic side.