Yelich after snapping season-long slump: 'I've been awful'

That's more like it for Christian Yelich.

The Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and 2018 NL MVP reached base five times during Thursday's 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"I needed that one," Yelich said postgame, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. "I've been awful all year."

Entering the game, Yelich was a woeful 3-for-34 (.088) with two extra-base hits and 16 strikeouts through eight contests. He walked four times on Thursday and was gifted an inside-the-park home run when White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez tumbled into the netting while trying to make the catch on a ball hit to left field.

It wasn't pretty, but he'll take it.

"It was probably the luckiest home run in baseball history," he said, according to Sammon. "Definitely top three."

This comes after manager Craig Counsell gave the struggling All-Star a day off to clear his head on Wednesday, though Yelich was self-deprecating after sitting out.

"I think it was a day off for Counsell, so he didn't have to watch that anymore," Yelich said, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The Brewers inked Yelich to a nine-year, $215-million contract extension in March. In his first two seasons with Milwaukee, he hit .327/.415/.631 with 80 home runs, 63 doubles, 207 RBIs, and 52 stolen bases.