Corey’s emergence in the fifth hole also provides protection for Prince. Pitchers are now forced to go after Prince, and usually, he’ll make them pay for that.

With only a week left in the regular season and the Milwaukee Brewers in a dead-lock for first place in the National League Central Division with the Chicago Cubs, some players have begun stepping up their game at just the right time. Here is a look at some of the Brewers who have started to make a big impact lately:

Rickie Weeks

Since returning from a short stint in the minors, Weeks has been a much better player. It appears that the Brewers made the correct move sending him down for a little “training” for over a week at the beginning of August. The experience has helped him fix whatever his struggles had been at the plate.

Prior to being sent down, Rickie’s batting average was a disappointing .212 and his OBP was a dismal .279. From his call-up on Aug. 11 through Sept. 18, Rickie’s average increased 18 percentage points to .230 and his OBP jumped to .368, a remarkable turnaround.

Rickie’s patience at the plate has made the difference. He has reached base safely in 15 of 16 games in September.

Since returning to the majors, he has walked 28 times, compared to only walking just 40 times in the first four months of the season. The Brewers need Rickie to continue to get on base any way he can, and he is starting to become the leadoff hitter that Milwaukee had hoped he would be.

Corey Hart

Corey has been arguably the Brewers hottest hitter over the last month. In September, Hart is hitting .382 and has at least one hit in 19 of his last 23 games. His OBP for the month is .433, up from .337 in August.

He appears comfortable in his new spot as the fifth hitter in the Brewers’ lineup. With that assignment, the middle of the Brewers’ lineup appears locked and loaded for their final playoff push with Ryan Braun hitting third, Prince Fielder fourth and Hart fifth.

Corey’s emergence in the fifth hole also provides protection for Prince. Pitchers are now forced to go after Prince, and usually, he’ll make them pay for that.

He also makes the Brewers’ lineup more dangerous simply because of his size. Towering at 6’6”, he’s able to cover a lot of the plate, which makes it difficult for opposing pitchers to strike him out. His 89 strikeouts are the sixth-highest for the Brewers.

Gabe Gross

Gross has been an unsung hero for the Brewers over the past couple of months. Gabe also has flourished since being called up from the minors on Aug. 15. Gross was hitting an abysmal .202 before he was sent down on July 20, but, as in Weeks’ case, it appears Gross found his swing in the minors and has been a big contributor in the Brewers’ lineup ever since. Gross hit .350 in August and his overall average rose to .248 by the end of the month.

In September, he has leveled off, but his average remains steady at .247 heading down the stretch. The switch-hitting outfielder has been in a platoon with Bill Hall, but with Billy’s recent struggles, Gross has stepped in and done an admirable job hitting second in the lineup.

Joe Dillon

Speaking of unsung heroes, Dillon may be the biggest of them all this season for the Brewers. The 32-year-old career minor leaguer has been nothing short of great since he was brought up to the majors on Aug. 1.

Though he has had just 58 at-bats on the season, Dillon leads the team in overall average, hitting .362. The utility man has stepped up when he’s been asked, especially last Sunday against the Reds, when he drove in four RBI in the Brewers’ victory.

Dillon is becoming one of Milwaukee’s top pinch-hitters, and may get some starts in the Brewers’ playoff push this final week of the regular season.

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