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.

May 5- MIL 8 PIT 5
Rec.: 15-12, 2.0 GB STL
J.J.'s Night Runs the Streak to 17
17 games, that's how many the Crew has won in a row from the Pirates. I hate to sound unapreciative of the win, but I feel for the Pirates. The organization has now gone 16 seasons without a winning record and has lost more consecutive games to one opponent than any team since 1970. When you are a fan of a team like the Brewers, you know how those 9,000 fans at PNC Park must have felt, suffering in the rain while their pitching staff walked 10 Brewers. Every year starts with a team full of young prospects with promise and every year ends with the club saying, "Next Year". It would kill me to see a team with talent, like the Crew of Dave Nilsson, Jose Valentin, Jeff D'Amico and Greg Vaughn fail to get over .500. Then it was Scott Podsednik, Richie Sexson, Geoff Jenkins and Scott Karl that would dash my hopes. It just made me realize, every team has talent, and every fan buys into that talent. I'm not saying the players I mentioned weren't good players, but let's face it, Freddy Sanchez, Andy LaRoche and Zach Duke aren't getting it done an Pittsburgh. I guess it takes talent like that, mixed with someone as amazingly valuable as Ryan Braun or Prince Fielder sitting in the middle of the lineup, to REALLY make a difference. Makes a fan savor what he has I guess and wonder how a fan of the Yankees or Red Sox must feel.

Being a night I worked at the station running "Sloperator" with a 5pm Mountain start, and a night when I wanted to get out for a jog, I didn't hear much of this game. Turned it on around the 6th, when the Brewers took a lead with the help of a J.J. 2 run single, his 3rd and 4th RBI of the night. He was 3-3 with runners in scoring position Tuesday night and reached base 5 times. Of course that helped raise his average from .167 to .195. Mendoza Line... LOOKOUT!

Jeff Suppan evened his record to 2-2 with 5⅔ innings and Carlos Villanueva worked a perfect 9th for his 3rd save. Good to see Macha is being cautious with Hoffman. Yost would always SAY he was not going to overwork his closer but seemed to always be in that situation, especially with Cordero, where he had no choice. Maybe the bullpen is deeper than I thought and this may be the best way for Villy to train as the closer of the future.

May 4- MIL 7 PIT 4 Rec.: 14-12 3.0 GB STL
Braun Crosses a Time Zone to Blast the Buccos
Braunie started the morning in a Milwaukee hospital getting an MRI on his back. In the 8th inning, he delivered a 2 run double off Jon Grabow to tie the game in Pittsburgh. The MRI revealed that Braun wouldn't do any further damage to his back if he continued to play, which was great for the Crew because until that inning, Pat Maholm had absolutely stymied the bats, allowing only 1 run.

The Pirates were back in a position to win in the 9th however after a Wisconsin native Jason Jaramillo doubled in a run in the bottom of the 8th and the Pirates turned things over to closer Matt Capps, who was 5-5 this season in save opportunities. Instead, Jason Kendall and pinch hitter Jason Kendall singled, Corey Hart walked and J.J. Hardy (batting second again) sac flied in the tying run. Then Ricke stepped up and ripped a 3 run tater to the deep left field in PNC Park and put the Crew up for good. Mark DiFelice got his 3 win of the season, in relief, and Hoffman closed it out. The Brewer's have now won 16 in a row against the Pirates, the longest streak since Arizona did that to Cincinnati from 2001-2003.

May 3- MIL 4 AZ 3 Rec.: 13-12

Duffy Delivers

There was a sellout crowd for Braunie bobblehead day, but the slugger had to sit again with his back problem that had him out yesterday. Nelson got the start in left, but was replaced by Chris Duffy for defense in the 7th. The Brewers got their first "back-to-back" taters from Fielder and Cameron early in the game but after a 3 run D-Back 7th in which Dave Bush gave up three solo shots, it was Duffy's bases loaded fielder's choice that gave the Crew their go ahead run.

Not a bad way to end the homestand, 5-2 with Dave Bush giving the Crew another strong start. Sure, 3 taters in an inning is no fun, but it was the only blemish on a 7 inning, 7 strikeout, no walk performance. Mitch Stetter ended up getting the win in relief with a perfect inning of work.

Macha mixed up the lineup today with Braunie's absence. He went with Hart leading off, Hardy batting second and Weeks third. It was a rare spot for Weeks to be in and Hardy, who had a few days off, responded well with a single that ignited the comeback in the 8th.

May 2- Arizona 4 Milwaukee 1 Rec.: 12-12

Dan Haren Outduels Looper

Looper, even as one of the most consistent pitchers for the Crew this young season, was amazingly good through 4 innings. He retired the first 12 he faced and when 7 innings, but Dan Haren cuffed the Crew for 8 innings with 11 Ks. The bullpen of Jorge Julio and Seth McClung kept the D-Backs off the board after Looper came out but a lineup with Braun out for "tightness in the back" couldn't muster more than a lone RBI off Prince's bat.


A great size crowd however was at Miller to witness it: 42,240. Glad to see early season baseball is getting people excited in Wisconsin.