May 8- MIL 3 CHI (N) 2

Re.: 17-13 2 GB STL

It's Nice to Have Hoffman

I don't know if it's because I was tired or because my shift at REI kept me from listening to this game but Lexi was surprised that I wasn't more enthusastic about this win over the sCrUBS. The Crew came back from their winning road trip and thanks to Braunies 2 run shot off Chi reliever Aaron Heilman in the 8th, won the first of a 3 game series at Miller. Heilman had walked leadoff Corey Hart right off the bat, which gave him little room for error with the 3-4 dur of Braun and Fielder due up. My knowledge of this game was limited to a few glances at brewers.com while dealing with a sales crowd at CS. I saw they were down 2-0 at first, but a 2 run HR by J.J. Hardy in the 6th tied things up. Bush, who pitched 7 strong, wasn't in line for the win, despite another quality start, but Mitch Stetter got his 2nd win by getting Geovani Soto to ground out with the bases loaded to end the 8th after Villanueva had trouble mopping up after a Bill Hall error. When I checked the brewers.com website and saw Hoffman was in with a 1 run lead in the 9th, I felt pretty good, and why shouldn't I, the guy has been solid and despite his age, is pretty damn dependable. Maybe I should change my JSO screen name.

While watching the highlights of this game on Basball Tonight, Lexi and I saw that Aramis Ramirez suffered a pretty severe shoulder dislocation while stopping a Braun liner in the 3rd. He'll probably be out for an extended period of time. I hate feeling happy about injuries, but let's face it, this is going to make the Cubs offense much less potent. It happens to everyone, so you hate to take pleasure in it, which I won't, because who knows how the injury bug could bite the Crew.

May 7- CIN 6 MIL 5

Rec.: 16-13 3 GB STL

Looper Struggles

Hardly a start that indicates Looper's importance to solidifying the staff this season, but he was the first to admit after the game that his 5 runs in 3.1 innings was unacceptable. The Crew was able to get back into this game and could have tied it up had Brad Nelson's warning track fly ball gone out but instead the road trip ended at 3-1, acceptable in my mind. Jay Bruce and Willy Taveras touched up Looper in the first two innings for home runs but the bullpen combo of McClung, DiFelice, Stetter and Julio did a valiant job of keeping the team in it, allowing only 1 run over 4.2. I was watching the Bees get pounded by the Tacoma Reiners with Lexi, Rachael and Charles while this was going on, so perhaps me wearing a Bees hat as opposed to a Crew hat is to blame.

May 6- MIL 15 CIN 3

Rec.: 16-12 2 GB STL

That's the Output I Like Seeing

I remember about this time last season, when the Brewers were having a much more successfull spring campaign than they are in 2009. that I was concerned over the lack of big run totals in their scores. Surely a lineup like theirs could manage to lay some offensive beat downs of 10+ runs on lesser teams. That's exactly what happened tonight, a 12 run margain that was the result of a 5 run 1st, 4 run 2nd and 5 run 9th. Manny Parra was allowed a sizeable pillow with which to pitch thanks to Braunie hitting the Crew's first GS of the season and Hot hitting Hardy banging a 3 run job off Bronson Arroyo. Parra got his first win of the season, but still walked 4 in 6 innings, not something you should be doing when you are staked to an early 9 run lead. The game became a laugher when Dusty Baker brought in shortstop Paul Janish to mop up the 9th. He started out by striking out J.J., but the Brewer's hung another 5 spot on the board with a 2 run tater from Fielder. Braun had a career 6 RBI in the game and Hardy also chipped in 3 RBI.