MILWAUKEE — There was a time in May when Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen were spiraling, locked in a side-by-side slide toward the Mendoza line. McCutchen reached .200 for a day before beginning to rebound. Mercer never crossed .203, a batting average he hit exactly one month ago, and has been one of the best hitters in the majors for the past 25 games.
Sunday, Mercer ripped a solo home run off Chicago Cubs right-hander John Lackey for his fourth home run in the past month. He arrived in Milwaukee for a four-game series against the first-place Brewers batting .