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Counsell keeping Yelich in No. 2 hole, confident he'll break slump

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell is keeping slumping superstar Christian Yelich in the No. 2 spot in the lineup as his club faces elimination in Game 6 of the NLCS on Friday night.

After his torrid September helped the Brewers win the NL Central and cemented his case as the presumptive NL MVP favorite, Yelich's production has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. So far versus the Dodgers, the left fielder is 3-for-20 overall and 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Counsell is confident that'll change as the series shifts back to Miller Park.

"It's just a case of a guy missing some pitches to hit," Counsell told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. "I don't think that he's worried about where he's hitting in the lineup. He's worried about getting a pitch to hit and squaring it up ... I think he's been swinging at the right pitches, as his on-base percentage all postseason (.395) is showing. He just hasn't been putting his best swings on the ball, as he'd like to.

"It's a really small thing for Christian. He's right there. You just have to be patient. ... You have to trust that Christian is going to put good swings on the baseball, and I do."

After finishing the regular season with a line of .326/.402/.598, Yelich is slashing .179/.395/.680 in the playoffs.

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