Ryan Braun ending season on another hot streak

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun is healthy again, and appears to be putting together another one of his scorching-hot Septembers. But he still refuses to say much about what hindered him earlier this season.

"I feel, probably, as healthy and strong as I have all year, which is a good feeling with 16 games to go and we're not really playing for anything as a team," Braun said after his three-hit game Friday night. "I'll continue to believe in the process, put my work in and let the results fall where they may."

The results have been very good lately. Braun's 57th multi-hit game Friday -- he's tied with Atlanta's Martin Prado for the National League lead in that category -- gave Braun a .362 batting average with three home runs and nine RBIs through the first 14 games in September. This after he batted an NL-best .424 in August.

It's something of a repeat of 2009, when Braun batted .299 in August and .357 in September to lead the National League with 203 hits.

The key has been good health, according to Braun, who said he "dealt with some things this year that I haven't deal with in the past. I had to figure out a way to deal with it, and it's nice to be finishing strong."

What those things are, Braun won't say. He has dealt with occasional back stiffness this season, but that problem has popped up earlier in his career. He was struck in the elbow by a Tommy Hanson pitch during a game against the Braves in early May and lost his power stroke, but consistently declined the notion that the hit by pitch had any lingering effect.

It's not as if he's having a poor season; Braun entered play Saturday night batting .309 with 22 home runs and 89 RBIs. Whatever ailed him this season will stay between Braun and the medical staff.

"There's no reason to get into it," he said. "That does you no good. I don't want it to sound like an excuse or anything like that."

He'll say only that, "I think I found a way. Every year is different, and you adjust your routine and workout regimen to figure out things that work, things that don't work. The last couple of years, I've been really strong down the stretch, and that's a good feeling."



(mlb.com)