Brice Turang entered the NLCS in a rough slump. He had a forgettable NLDS performance, going 2-for-16 at the plate. Despite that, he provided one of the biggest swings in the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"If you could see how many hours he’s put in the cage in the last two days," Brewers manager Pat Murphy told Fox Sports Radio Wisconsin's Hunter Baumgardt. "That's all it is, pure and simple. It's great to see him bounce back and have a great offensive game."
Turang had the difficult task of facing the reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner, Tarik Skubal. But the Brewers' second baseman got a sinker on the inner-third of the zone drove it 384 feet to left-center to tie the game.
Brewers Second Baseman Brice Turang on His NLCS Game 1 Home Run
Following the game, Turang interviewed with MLB Network's Jon Morosi. The Brewers' second baseman gave a hilarious response.
"So my first at-bat, I fouled a ball off my knee cap," said Turang. "So I was like, I can't let that happen again. And I just didn't try to do too much, just stay inside the ball and I just caught it.
"The approach wasn't to hit a home run. Just drive a ball back up the middle and stay inside the ball. And I got the pitch to do it on."
The ball left Turang's bat at 102.5 MPH and electrified the crowd at American Family Field. By the time it landed, the game was knotted up 1-1. The Brewers would score the winning run in the following frame, thanks to their small-ball approach.
Brice Turang on the Work Between Series
After a rough NLDS, Turang went to work to fine-tune his approach. During the time between series, he solicited help from his father. Brian Turang was an outfielder for the Seattle Mariners in 1993-1994.
"The last couple of days, I've been grinding in the cage with those guys, trying to figure it out," said Turang. "One of the calls was my dad. I'm very blessed to have these guys a part of the game. It's really cool that they take their time and help me out.
"Even my dad, for him to pick up the phone when I need him, it's a blessing."
Turang can be an X-factor for the Brewers in their series against the Dodgers. In Game 1, they picked up their first postseason win against Los Angeles since Game 6 of the 2018 NLCS. Turang's ability to be an impact hitter, defender, and base stealer can make all the difference. Especially if the Brewers continue to play extremely tight ball games.
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