MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers rookie outfielder Luis Lara has made a season’s worth of spectacular plays in two months since getting called up to the big leagues.
And he’s made most of them while playing a position that’s new to him.
The latest one came Monday afternoon and helped the Brewers preserve a 4-3 victory over Chicago that enabled them to extend their NL Central lead over the Cubs to eight games.
Milwaukee led 4-2 when Lara used all of his 5-foot-7 frame to make a leaping catch of Pedro Ramírez’s drive that otherwise would have left the park or hit the top of the wall in right-center.
“Really, in that situation, I’m just reacting,” Lara said through interpreter Daniel de Mondesert. “That’s the only thing going through my head is reacting to the play, to the ball off the bat, and just finding any way I possibly can to make the play there.”
Considering that Pete Crow-Armstrong homered immediately afterward to cut Milwaukee’s lead to one, Lara’s catch essentially kept the Cubs from tying the game.
“Lara made a great catch there — incredible play,” Ramírez said through interpreter Fredy Quevedo Jr.
But it wasn’t an unusual play, at least as far as Lara is concerned. He’s demonstrated a flair for making amazing catches in critical situations since making his major league debut exactly two months ago.
Lara crashed against the right-field wall to catch Kody Clemens’ drive and prevent Minnesota from scoring in the 10th inning of the Brewers’ 4-3 win on Aug. 9. He also made another leaping play at the wall to prevent Brooks Lee from getting an extra-base hit earlier in that game.
Less than two weeks later, Lara robbed Matt Olson of an extra-base hit while playing center field in a 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 21.
Lara’s willingness to go all out to make any play has endeared himself to his new teammates.
“That’s what we want from our outfielders and our defense, and that’s the standard,” said Brewers closer Trevor Megill, who was pitching when Lara made his ninth-inning catch Monday. “He goes out there and does that every single day on defense.”
Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy also pointed out the 21-year-old’s ability to handle adversity.
Lara, who is hitting .262 with a .696 OPS in 49 games, struck out to strand a runner on third and end the Brewers’ three-run rally in the eighth inning Monday. Rather than stewing over that misstep, Lara immediately made up for it with remarkable defense.
“That response-type stuff is what it’s all about,” Murphy said. “Responding after things don’t go right — as quickly as possible.”
The Brewers already were well aware of Lara’s reputation as an outstanding fielder when he arrived in the majors. They signed him to a seven-year contract worth $31 million in guaranteed money when he was still in the minors.
Lara won a Gold Glove as one of the top three defensive outfielders in minor league baseball last year, when he was playing center field. He primarily has played right field since getting to Milwaukee, but he has continued producing defensive highlights.
“In right field, you have a little bit less time to maybe read the ball,” he said. “You have to react a little bit quicker. In center field, I have maybe a little bit more time to think about the play or maybe to read the ball off the bat. Since I moved to right, it’s all about reaction.”
Lara’s emergence gives Milwaukee an abundance of ideal defensive options in the outfield.
The Brewers closed Monday’s game with three outfielders capable of playing center, as Lara was in right with Garrett Mitchell in the middle and Jackson Chourio in left. Sal Frelick gives the Brewers a 2024 Gold Glove right fielder who also has experience playing center.
Having so many outfielders with that kind of range provides Milwaukee’s pitching staff with a sense of security. After Lara made his remarkable play in the ninth inning Monday, Chourio made a diving catch of Seiya Suzuki’s fly to left for the final out.
Lara said he’s fine playing anywhere in the outfield.
“I feel comfortable at all three outfield positions,” he said. “I maybe didn’t play a lot of right field in the minor leagues, but if they put me in left tomorrow, I think I’ll feel comfortable. If they put me in center, I’ll feel comfortable there. Wherever the team needs me, I’m comfortable in all three positions.”
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