Brewers first-rounder Clark hits for cycle

Just a few weeks after being taken off the field on a stretcher, Brewers' 2015 first-round pick Trent Clark left the field in better spirits Thursday.

Clark hit for the cycle -- including his first career home run -- for the Rookie-level Arizona League Brewers in an 18-4 win over the AZL Indians. Clark drove in five runs, scored four times and also picked up his second pro stolen base in just his seventh professional game.

The 15th overall pick in this year's Draft opened the game with a triple to left field. He doubled to right in the second inning, then rocketed a grand slam to the opposite field in the fifth. Needing a single, he struck out in the fifth and flew out in the seventh before grounding a single up the middle with two outs in the ninth.

"The last three at-bats, everybody was giving me hell," Clark said. "They were placing bets on what pitch it would happen, if it would happen. It was exciting, fun to be around. Everybody was so loose with the nice lead. Everyone was having fun."

In his second pro game on June 21, the 18-year-old was taken off the field in a stretcher after running head first into a wall while pursuing a fly ball. He suffered a bruise on his forehead and was reportedly sore following the incident, but avoided serious injury.

He returned to game action on July 4, going 1-for-3 with four runs scored and two walks against the Reds' AZL affiliate. He'd hit safely in four of his first six games prior to Thursday's feat.

"It was fun, exciting," Clark said. "I was zoned in at the plate. I'm starting to get my timing back after the injury. It's been fun to be able to get my timing back and have things come together like that."

The grand slam came in the fourth, when the Brewers sent 14 batters to the plate and scored nine times. The outfielder led off the frame and was hit by a pitch, later scoring on a single by Brewers' No. 6 prospect Gilbert Lara.

He came up again with two outs and the bases loaded against right-hander Ryan Colegate, who got ahead 0-1 then threw two consecutive balls. The next pitch was a fastball, and Clark laid into it and drove the pitch over the fence in left.

"He threw two pretty close pitches out of the zone and got to 2-1," Clark said. "Everything was flowing and I felt good. I got my front foot down in time and got my first [homer]."

The Fort Worth, Texas native is hitting .375 in the AZL with four extra-base hits, 10 runs and seven RBIs.

"I think I've adjusted well," he said. "I played in a pretty good high school district and saw top level pitching when I played a lot of showcase stuff.

"It's something I've seen before, but it's a challenge. There are a lot of guys from the Dominican (Republic) and from the islands that throw well, and a lot of rehab guys coming down. I'm seeing what it's like at that level. That pitching is a big step and something to go through. I'm excited for the challenge."