Late in spring training, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was asked to rate his confidence level on a scale of 1 to 10.
“Twenty,” Chourio told MLB.com.
He is playing like it — and he is not alone.
Chourio and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll are two of the hottest hitters in baseball as their teams prepare to meet in a three-game series that begins Friday in Phoenix.
Chourio on Wednesday completed a three-game stretch of historic proportions — 12 RBIs, six extra-base hits (including three homers and two doubles) and a stolen base. Only Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Shohei Ohtani had posted those numbers in a three-game stretch, according to OptaSTATS.
“We have the same confidence that we have always had,” Chourio said through an interpreter after driving in five runs with a double and a home run in a 17-2 victory at Colorado on Wednesday.
“We are just going through a moment in time right here. Just putting good ABs together. I’m going up there looking to make good contact and looking for any way I can to reach base.”
Carroll has five homers this season, including four in the last six games, and is one of seven players tied for the National League lead — one behind Aaron Judge and Tyler Soderstrom for the major league lead.
“He’s been very consistent,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “He works as hard as anybody. He’s not sitting still. He doesn’t waste days. He’s going to get better every single day.”
Carroll has reached base in all 13 Arizona games. Chourio, meanwhile, extended his hitting streak to 12 games in a 7-2 loss to Colorado in Denver on Thursday. Brice Turang had a 12-game hitting streak come to an end during a hitless day against the Rockies on Thursday.
The Brewers have won seven of nine, with series victories over Kansas City, Cincinnati and Colorado, since opening the season 0-4. They have scored 41 runs in the last five games.
Arizona enters after winning the final two games of a three-game home series against Baltimore, halting a three-game losing skid.
The Diamondbacks, who led the majors with 886 runs last season, are tied for third in the majors with 72, four more than Milwaukee.
Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (0-1, 6.10 ERA) will make his third start of the season following a 12-strikeout performance in a 4-3 loss at the Washington Nationals last Saturday. Rodriguez has been hurt by slugging; while opponents only have eight hits against him this season, six have gone for extra bases.
“I’m feeling good,” Rodriguez said. “The rhythm I’ve had, feeling-wise, velocity-wise, pitching-wise. A start like that is going to happen.”
Rodríguez is averaging 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which led major league starters entering Thursday games. He is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two career starts against the Brewers, the most recent being a 2-1 loss at Miller Park last September.
The Brewers have not announced a starter for the series opener, but expectations are that it will be left-hander Jose Quintana, who would make his Brewers’ debut after signing with three weeks left in spring training.
Quintana would be the Brewers’ eighth different starter in their first 13 games. Opening-day rotation members Aaron Civil (hamstring) and Nestor Cortes (elbow) landed on the injured list early, and potential rotation members Tobias Myers and Brandon Woodruff are still working their way back from previous injuries.
–Field Level Media
