Just what everyone at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia — no, the world — wanted to see Tuesday afternoon: Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun getting healthy against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Actually, Braun unsurprisingly was booed by the partisan crowd, and called a "cheater" (you can hear it clearly on the video) by some in the stands. It was a response to his 65-game suspension related to PEDs purchased from the Miami clinic called Biogenesis, along with the denials and lies that followed.
The boos were no big whoop to Braun, who hit three home runs to break the longest power outage of his career, and knocked in seven to tie a franchise record and key a 10-4 victory. Braun, who has been bothered by thumb pain due to a nerve irritation, came in with only three singles in 20 at-bats, and had not homered in 98 plate appearances going back to '13. But he loves to hit at CBP, where he has 10 home runs in 21 career games. Braun also made a terrific sliding catch in right to stop a Phillies rally with the score tied 1-all in the second.
Oh: And he says he likes to hear the boos:
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"It's very motivating,'' Braun said. ''It's nothing new for me."
Drives ya' crazy, don't it? That's got to sound like nails on a chalkboard to those who still have issues with Braun. He sounded and acted apologetic after getting busted, and during his offseason of penance. It just seems like, if you wanted Braun to have been humbled by Biogenesis, it was fleeting. And if you want Braun to keep apologizing for PEDs, or for hitting home runs, also prepare to keep booing. It's your only recourse. He'll be your bad boy. Braun also was booed at Boston after getting cheers at Miller Park for the Brewers season-opening series.
Braun hit a three-run shot against Kyle Kendrick to put the Phillies ahead 4-1 in the third, he added a solo jack in the next inning and capped off his massive day with another three-run shot against Brad Lincoln in the eighth. It was the second three-homer game of his career, the first coming in 2012 against the Padres.
"He's a special player," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "There's no better way to silence the crowd."
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