Manny Pi?a and Travis Shaw teamed up for one of the smoothest tag plays you'll ever see
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Everything is coming up the Brewers lately. Entering Wednesday's game against the Pirates, they had won eight of their last 10 games, had shut out Pittsburgh for two consecutive games and were just a half-game behind the Rockies for the second NL Wild Card spot.
That good fortune reared its head in the bottom of the first inning. With the speedy Starling Marte on second base, rookie Aaron Wilkerson's offering to Josh Bell bounced in the dirt. Catcher Manny Piña blocked it, but it dribbled behind Bell's body, so Marte took off for third. That would prove a bad decision.
Piña jumped on the ball and made a great throw over Bell's body. The throw was on target, but that wouldn't have been enough to get Marte alone. Fortunately, Travis Shaw was there to make a great behind-the-back tag.
The only thing not going the Brewers' way is what the Cubs have been up to. While Milwaukee has been on a winning tear, Chicago entered Wednesday having won seven in a row to maintain a 3 1/2-game lead in the NL Central. Something will have to give this weekend, though: The two clubs will square off in a four-game series in Milwaukee starting on Thursday.