3-2 win vs. San Diego, 81-60, 4.0 GB

Once Again Bailing Out Gagne

I didn't get to listen to any of this game, just a few checks of the score on Brewers.com while I worked at REI. Every time I checked however, I was ticked to only see 2 runs on the board. Josh Geer was making only his second start of his career and the lineup still seemd to be sleepwalking. Had it not been for Sabathia's RBI, who knows how this would have turned out? Actually, had it not been for Gagne, it would have ended in 9 instead of going 11 and ending on a J.J. Hardy single that scored Craig Counsell. Gagne gave up a tater to Brian Giles on the second pitch of the 8th to run his HR total to 11 in 37 innings pitched. Sabathia's given up 4 in 95 innings pitched as a Brewer. Sheets 14 in 179 innings pitched. Gagne MUST be grooving more pitches per inning than anyone on the staff-- not my definition of a good setup guy. I'm not a huge fan of booing, but Gagne's making $10 million, what does he expect from the crowd. I think now that the Crew has more pitchers on the staff thanks to the roster expanding, it's time to find someone else to do that setup role. Hell, I'd even be for Mota who at one time was my biggest target in the bullpen, but appears to be getting his act together.

The Crew was somewhat better with RISP, 3-9, and the Padres were pathetic 0-16 and missed out on a 1st & 3rd, 1 out in the top of the 11th when Shouse got an inning ending DP. Other concerns in addition to the anemic offense is Torres once again having to to 2 innings and Riske only going a ⅓ and walking a batter. Bright spots are a morale lifting win and the Reds once again beating the Cubs, 10-2. And as much as I hate to take pleasure in an injury, even someone as hated as Zambrano, the Crew still has a good chance at the Division if the Cubs continue to slide and Harden and Zambrano really do have arm issues.

5-2 loss to San Diego, 80-60, 5.0 GB
It's officially a Skid
After dropping 3 in a row to the East leading Mets, bringing in the West's cellar dwelling Padres seemed to be custom made for a Crew turn around. Not so. The Brewers were 0-9 with RISP against a pitcher, Shawn Estes, making his first start since May. The Padres had lost 9 in a row on the road and got into Milwaukee at 5:30 in the morning, yet they did what the Brewers can't, peck away, get guys in, sac flies, timely hits. I'm not going to hang this one on Suppan, even though it fails to be a quality start and he loaded the bases in the 6th and needed Mota to bail him out (Mota only let one of those runs score, I'll count that as a success), but the Crew had bases loaded, 1 out in the 4th and NOTHING. Thankfully CC is going Friday and hopefully Sheets, whose tight left groin seems to be OK, can do better in outdueling Peavy on Saturday and what do you know, 2 game win streak. Cubs had the night off, so the Crew only lost ½ a game.

Aug. 30th, 11-3 win at Pittsburgh, 79-56, 5½ GB
Suppan 5-0 in August
You have to beat the bad teams, even if you're on the road, and the Crew is doing that. Suppan's great month continues as he pitched 7 innings of 3 hit ball and the offense erupted in the 6th to put the game out of reach. Corey Hart hit his 20th tater to be the first Brewer to have 2 20-20 seasons and the 5-8 hittes, (Hart, Cameron, Hall and Kendall) had 10 hits and 9 RBI. Cameron was responsible for 5 of those runs himself, including his 24 tater. That's what the Crew needs if Fielder and Braun are going to go hitless. Mota did walk a couple guys to raise my eire, but he got out of it with a little help from Shouse. McClung polished it off and the Brewer's are now 19-7 on the month with a game left to play.

Aug. 29th, 3-1 win at Pittsburgh, 78-56, 6½ GB
Bush's Comeback Continues
Ryan Braun's 3R homer in the 1st off Tom Gorzelanny was all the Brewer's needed as Dave Bush pitched 6⅔ and made one mistake to Nate McLouth, who launched one in the 5th. In that same inning, Bill Hall snared a Freddy Sanchez liner with a man on second that saved the Pirates from every threatening and Bush moves to 9-9 on the season. Torres picked up his 26th save.

Aug. 27th, 5-3 loss at St. Louis, 77-56, 6 GB
Easy There Villy
This looked like the final nail in the Card's coffin. The Brewer's had a lead in the bottom of the seventh and looked as though they were going to fight tooth and nail to keep it. Villanueva had just worked out of a bases loaded jam when he pumped his fists and pointed towards the Cards dugout. Albert Pujols went up to him and exchanged words with him and while Villy claims he was pointing at Kendall, that lit a fire on the Cards who came out and scored 4 in the 8th to win it. The St. Louis media and the Cards did a lot of whining about the Crew untucking jersey's and disrespecting the game, but let's face it, the Cards are really pissed because the Brewer's ended the season series going 10-5, including 6-3 in St. Louis. Braun got nailed in the ribs by Adam Wainwright in the 5th. Think that was "accidental"? For the Cards, Ryan Ludwick was the big hero of the day, 3-4 with a tater and 2 RBI, one of which was a double that got the 8th inning rally going against Davide Riske. The Cards are still 3½ games back in the wild card with the 2 game series sweep.

Aug. 26th, 12-0 win at St. Louis, 77-55, 5 GB
That's the Sheets I Want to See
Sheet's success agains the Cards, especially in St. Louis, has been limited. He hadn't won there since 2004. He was also coming into the game 1-5 in his last 8 starts. In 6 innings though, he was able to keep the Brewer's main Wild Card rival at bay and give the offense, a chace to make this into a joke. Braunie broke it open with a 2 R tater in the 7th, and then the crew dumped on another !7! in the 9th to run their record to 22 games over .500. Braun is now hitting .491 with 7 taters agains St. Louis this season. Ouch!