Brock Changes Stroke; Brewers Rout Tigers

MILWAUKEE — Greg Brock has flattened out his batting stroke and on Wednesday that refined swing helped the Milwaukee Brewers flatten the Detroit Tigers, 13-2.

Brock had four hits and drove in three runs as the Brewers unleashed an 18-hit attack, their largest of the season.

“I’ve done nothing special,” said Brock, who spent 15 days on the disabled list last month with a hamstring pull.” Since returning last Saturday, Brock has nine hits in 17 at-bats and his batting average has climbed 22 points to .283.

“I feel good at the plate. I’ve flattened my bat a little and it seems like the whole team is swinging the bats well right now.”

Brock had a two-run single to ignite an eight-run Milwaukee third after the Tigers walked Cecil Cooper to load the bases.

“I felt good in that situation. I was just trying to calm myself really,” Brock said. “I probably got a little too excited and I was trying not to get too anxious. A lot of times that’s what happens in that situation.”

The eight-run inning also featured two-run triples by B.J. Surhoff and Mike Felder. The eight runs matched Milwaukee’s season high and were the most given up by the Tigers in an inning this season. The 13 runs scored in the game were the most allowed by Detroit this season.

Milwaukee’s Bill Wegman pitched his third complete game of the season, losing his shutout in the ninth when Darrell Evans hit his 15th homer of the season. It was the 362nd of Evans’ career, moving him past Joe DiMaggio into 32nd place on the all-time homer list.

“I was trying to get three outs with one pitch,” Wegman, 7-7, said. “I wanted to get the shutout and get on the plane.”

Detroit starter Walt Terrell, 6-8, began the third by hitting Dale Sveum on the left knee with a pitch. Sveum had to leave the game when his knee swelled up and the club said he could miss several games. Felder, who along with Surhoff also had three runs-batted in, then walked.

After a sacrifice bunt, Cooper was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Brock foiled the strategy with a two-run single up the middle. Glenn Braggs singled in the third run and Surhoff finished Terrell with a triple to left center.

Ernest Riles’ sacrifice fly and Felder’s triple off first baseman Dave Bergman’s glove finished the scoring off reliever Mark Thurmond.

“I tried to get the ball inside today and I hit Sveum. I tried to hit the inside corner and I hit the middle of the batter’s box instead,” Terrell said. “It’s just a bad outing.”

Brock also drove in a first-inning run with a single, Surhoff’s grounder knocked in another run in the fourth and Felder’s infield single scored the Brewers’ 13th run in the sixth.

Two other Brewers, Cooper and Jim Gantner, left the game with hamstring injuries. Gantner’s wasn’t considered to be serious but Cooper will be examined today.