MILWOOKY – Xander Brown wanted to meet his favorite ex-Blue Jay on his fifth birthday.
Rowdy Telez gave him more than that.
The Brewers ’10-3 win over the Blue Jays at American Family Field on Sunday had a meeting, a signed jersey and two home runs from Tellez, giving Milwaukee a winning homestand and an afternoon of memories for the Brown family. Forget it soon. It’s safe to say that their long road trip from Ontario was rewarding.
“He gave me something special,” Xander said. “I’ve been missing him ever since.”
The Blue Jays traded Tellez to the Brewers last July, and since then he has been pushing for Milwaukee’s left-handed power. That included home runs 12 and 13 this season on Sunday, as the Brewers pulled the Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk’s three-run homer out of the hole in the first inning.
Tellez hit a two-run shot in Milwaukee’s three-run counterpunch and then another two-run blast, five runs ahead, as the Brewers picked up right-hander Jose Berrios. They have been harassed for a long time. Tellez added a walk to the second late rally as Milwaukee scored a double-digit run at home for the first time since May 5 – all in Xander Brewers cap and shirt looking through Section 102.
“He’s always loved Rowdy, and when the schedule came out this year, [the Blue Jay and the Brewers] were actually playing for his birthday, so we thought, we’d have to do that,” said Xander’s mother, Christina Brown. “That’s what Rowdy has been asking for since he was traded.”
Xander got more than he asked for. Teles gave up his second multi-homer game this season and his seventh game through Brewer. And those were just the first two innings.
“I’m not a superstar. I’m not a big man in baseball, “said Teles. “People remember me because I have a great name. But I think what I do is very relevant to people. I always tell people, ‘I’m a normal guy with bad hair, who has a good job.’ That’s really it.
“For me, it’s inspiring the next generation. Xander turned 5 years old today, and who knows? Maybe in 20 years he will be in the big leagues. You always want to influence people. It’s great when you realize it’s bigger than the game. “
The Brewers needed a big game after Chi Chi Gonzalez fell short early in his second-place start. Gonzalez made a comeback with three more scoreless innings from the first three runs and a combined four relivers kept Toronto away from the scoreboard for the rest of the way.
That group included Trevor Gott and Jandel Gustav, who appeared for the first time since being dropped from the list of injured. The Brewers ’pitching staff will get another hand at Tampa Bay on Tuesday, when starter Brandon Woodruff is due out of the IL.
“This is a day when crime really picked us up and gave us a great pillow,” said Craig Counsel, manager of Brewers. “Obviously, Rowdy’s day was big but a lot of people up and down did good things. They carried us today. They have made the work of pitchers much easier. ”
Craig Council on the Brewers’ big win
The Browns live in Kitchener and Waterloo, about an hour southwest of the Blue Jays home in Rogers Center. They left at 5:30 a.m. Saturday and spent about 11 hours on the road fulfilling Xander’s birthday wish, but didn’t know what to expect. Xander’s father reached out to the brewers via Twitter with a request, and his mother said she made no promises to Xander.
A member of the Brewers social media team told Tellez about the young boy on Sunday morning and gave him a jersey to sign. Teleznech asked Xander to meet him.
Christina said, “As Rowdy walked out, he saw that I was already crying.
And gender?
“I was scared, because his autism doesn’t work well in the crowd,” she said. “I thought we would try our best. We did a sign and everything. And then when Rowdy came out it was amazing.
“It just shows what kind of person he is. He could have decided not to sign the jersey. He has no idea what he did for Xander. “
There was a home run on the birthday cake.
“First, we’re in a crowd of Rowdy fans, so he loved it,” Christina said of her son. “Second, it was like, ‘Seriously?’
“I don’t know how we can put this birthday on top.”
