Ryan Braun homers for Brewers, leads NL batting race

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are both strong MVP candidates for the Milwaukee Brewers. Fielder thinks Braun is putting together the more compelling case.

"MVP year," Fielder said. "He's been outstanding. Batting title possibly, the home runs, stolen bases, RBIs. He's done magnificent."

Braun homered and raised his NL-best batting average to .333, lifting the Brewers to a team-record 55th victory at home, 9-5 over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

"This is a special year, man," Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan said. "I don't want to say too much yet, but yeah, special. Really special."

Every position player had a hit for the NL Central champions before the first out of the third as Milwaukee swept the season series from the Marlins (7-0) for the first time since 1998.

Milwaukee scored three in the second and four in the third before Braun's opposite-field solo shot in the fourth. The sellout crowd again serenaded him with chants of "M-V-P" as it did throughout a memorable weekend.

Braun finished 2 for 3 before leaving after the fifth and leads Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (.331) for the batting title. No Brewers or Mets player has ever won the crown.

"He's the MVP of the league," Morgan said. "Hopefully, (Friday) kind of locked it up for him. I hope that really locked it up. I think it really showed that he should be the MVP."

On Friday, Braun's three-run homer in the eighth inning led Milwaukee to a 4-1 victory and its first division title since winning the AL East in 1982. On Saturday, he drove in two runs as the Brewers rallied from three deficits for a 6-4 win.

In this one, Braun singled and scored in the four-run third before hitting his 33rd homer off reliever Brian Sanches to give Milwaukee an 8-1 lead in the fourth.

"With him, it's plate discipline," manager Ron Roenicke said. "When he's disciplined and swinging at strikes, there's no place to get him out."

Braun has 110 RBIs and a 30-30 season with 31 stolen bases. Fielder is hitting .293 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs.

Braun, Fielder and Rickie Weeks all left the game in the later innings as Roenicke works to give his starters as much rest as he can before the postseason.

"I'm going to keep playing," Fielder said. "Playing every day means a lot to me. Plus, we've got two days off before the playoffs. Nothing's hurt on me. It's not like I'll feel any different."

The Brewers have won seven of nine and need to finish with a better record than NL West champion Arizona to secure home-field advantage in the first round.


(sfexaminer.com)