David Stearns is a popular guy these days. At the grocery

store. Pumping gas for his car. Out for lunch or dinner.Everyone wants to talk about the Milwaukee Brewers.“They are excited for the start of baseball season http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey ,” said Stearns, who was promoted to president of baseball operations last month. “They are excited to see what can happen this year. From my perspective, that’s all I can ask. It’s a great feeling for all of us to recognize the level of engagement our fan base has. It certainly makes the job that much more enjoyable when that kind of response occurs.”Next up is the hard part.Milwaukee is looking to build on a breakthrough season after it won the NL Central last year and made it all the way to the NL Championship Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. Reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich anchors a potent lineup, and right-hander Jimmy Nelson could help the rotation after he missed last season following surgery on his right shoulder.But the Brewers haven’t made consecutive playoff appearances since 1981-82, and the already tough NL Central looks even better than it did a year ago.“We were close. We got really close to what we wanted to accomplish as a team,” Yelich said. “We have had some time to sit back and reflect on the season and those feelings. You want those feelings again.”Pitchers and catchers report to Phoenix on Thursday, and the first full-squad workout for Milwaukee is Feb. 19.NEW LOOKThe Brewers upgraded their catching situation when they finalized an $18.25 million, one-year contract with Yasmani Grandal in January. The 30-year-old Grandal hit .241 with 24 homers and 68 RBIs last year for the Dodgers. But the switch hitter struggled in the playoffs at the plate and behind the dish.“He’s right there with any catcher in baseball as far as being one of the best catchers in the game on both sides of the ball,” outfielder Ryan Braun said. “He makes us significantly better. It’s an exciting move.”Manny Pina, veteran journeyman Erik Kratz and prospect Jacob Nottingham also are in the mix behind the plate.THEY’RE SETOvershadowed a bit by Yelich’s MVP performance, Lorenzo Cain also delivered in his first season with Milwaukee after agreeing to an $80 million, five-year contract in free agency. The smooth center fielder set career highs with a .308 batting average, a .395 on-base percentage and 30 steals. Cain helps set the table for the middle of Milwaukee’s order Carlos Martinez Jersey , so the Brewers are hoping for a similar performance in 2019.“Whatever happened last year is over with,” Cain said. “It’s time to turn the page and get ready for this year.”THEY’RE NOTOrlando Arcia struggled for much of last season, but he was great in September and October. The 24-year-old shortstop hit .333 with three homers and four RBIs during Milwaukee’s run to the NLCS. Manager Craig Counsell thinks Arcia could help the lineup reach another level if he can perform like he did at the end of last year.“There were some struggles and some rough patches and he finished as the best Orlando Arcia we’ve seen in a Brewer uniform,” Counsell said.ROOKIES TO WATCHKeston Hiura is expected to begin the season with Triple-A San Antonio, but the sweet-swinging second baseman could help Milwaukee this summer. The 22-year-old Hiura, who was selected by the Brewers with the ninth pick in the 2017 draft, is considered one of baseball’s top hitting prospects after he batted .293 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs in 123 games over two minor league stops last year.BROTHERLY LOVEThe Brewers got Ben Gamel in a December trade with Seattle. The 26-year-old outfielder hit .272 in 101 games with the Mariners last year. Gamel’s brother, Mat, played for Milwaukee for parts of five seasons.“He was really excited. I grew up following the Brewers because of him,” Ben Gamel said.ON DECKMilwaukee hosts improved St. Louis on opening day on March 28, kicking off a four-game series. The Brewers begin the season with 10 straight games against the NL Central. KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After losing an inconsequential game to the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Indians were relieved catcher Yan Gomes‘ injury was not as serious as first feared.Adalberto Mondesi hit a tiebreaking Lance Lynn Jersey , three-run homer to lift the Kansas City Royals to a 9-4 win over the Indians on Saturday night.Gomes left the game in the bottom of the third with an injured right hand after he was hit by Alex Gordon’s bat on a backswing as he attempted to throw out would-be base-stealer Mondesi. The Indians’ training staff led Gomes off the field as Gordon was called out for interference and Mondesi sent back to first. Gomes was replaced by Roberto Perez.Gomes received two stitches on his hand near his thumb.“I think we kind of dodged a bullet right there,” Manager Terry Francona said. “When it first happened it was bleeding like crazy. He got a couple of stitches, but it’s just a contusion. The doctors feel like in a couple of days, he gets the swelling out of there. He could play with the stitches but they feel like they can have them out of there by Tuesday or Wednesday. I’m sure he’s going to be sore for a few days, but it looks like he’s going to be OK.”Corey Kluber gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings in his final regular season start for Cleveland. Working with a short pitch count in his tune-up for American League Division Series against Houston, Kluber struck out six while throwing 80 pitches.“I think there’s a couple of times I made mistakes, but that happens every game,” Kluber said. “For the most part I executed pitches the way I wanted to. It may not have always gone the way I wanted it to, but that’s part of the game.”Kluber finished the year fifth in the AL with a 2.89 ERA. He walked 34 batters in 33 starts for a league-leading walk rate of 1.42 per nine innings.“I thought he was actually pretty good,” Francona said. “His line’s not going to look as good. We didn’t finish some plays. Melky (Cabrera) kind of came in and then didn’t make the play and that ended up being three. After that the game got ugly.”After reliever Andrew Miller (2-4) gave up a single to Alcides Escobar in the sixth and a two-out walk to Whit Merrifield, Mondesi hit the next pitch into the left-center stands to break a 3-3 tie.“Just stay short to the ball,” Mondesi said. “I know if I go with that plan, you got time to recognize the pitch. Stay short and put a good swing on a pitch.”The Royals added another run with consecutive hits by Gordon Mark McGwire Jersey , Hunter Dozier and Ryan O’Hearn.Merrifield led off the bottom of the first with a sharp single to center, then stole second and third. He leads the American League with 191 hits and 44 steals. Merrifield, who also had a two-run double in the fourth, has a 19-game hitting streak, tying for the longest in the majors this year and matching his career best set last year.Jakob Junis (9-12) went six innings, allowing three runs and eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Junis has walked just three in his last seven starts, over 56 innings, the best walk rate among American League starters over that span. Junis is 4-1 in 11 starts since Aug. 1, with a 3.38 ERA.“I got off to a slow start,” Junis said. “I was making decent pitches, they were just finding holes. Thankfully, they were just singles and I was able to limit the damage to just a couple runs and no extra base hits or home runs.”Mondesi has hit seven of his 14 homers in the last 15 games. Since August 25, he is hitting .322 (39 for 122) with 10 homers and 19 RBIs over 29 games.Rookie Meibrys Viloria had three hits and drove in the Royals’ first run with a two-out http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , second-inning single.Yonder Alonso and Cabrera gave the Indians a 3-1 lead in the third with consecutive two-out, run-scoring singles.Jose Ramirez, who had three hits, capped the scoring with a solo homer, his 39th, to lead off the eighth. Ramirez is hitting .177 (25 for 141) over his last 39 games.TRAINER’S ROOMIndians: INF Erik Gonzalez is under concussion protocol after getting beaned Wednesday. “He’s doing better today,” Francona said. “He’s actually going to go do some stuff in the weight room, get the blood flowing.”Royals: C Salvador Perez was held out of Saturday’s lineup due to nagging left thumb pain. “It’s been sore all month,” manager Ned Yost said. “It’s one of those things that he deals with and he’s still been very productive.” Perez is expected to be ready for Sunday’s season finale.UP NEXTRHP Carlos Carrasco (16-10, 3.42 ERA) closes out the regular season against LHP Eric Skoglund (1-5, 5.40). Francona expects Carrasco to throw about 80 pitches before giving way to RHP Trevor Bauer, who the Indians hope will finish from there.