Wow, That's a Great Juice Box
9-6 Win at Houston
Now 35-31, 7½ Games Back
This team is just hanging onto my optimism by a thread. After looking horrible in Denver, the Crew finds a way to get up off the mat and finish the roadtrip at a respectable 3-3. Sheets got the support of 3 home runs in the 2nd (4 total in the game) and a lineup that now features Hart in the leadoff spot and Cameron in the 5 spot seems to have found some life. Hart's 3R dinger was his 3rd in two games. So much for not getting RBI opportunities in the leadoff spot. Of course, when Brian Mohler can't even get Sheets out and walks him, your leadoff guy is going to get opportunities to clean the bases.
Added to the 5 HRs they hit in Wednesday's 10-6 win and the Crew is doing its best to channel the Walbangers and take some stress off the pitching staff. Villanueva cooled my "closer of the future" talk a little by giving up a run in 1⅔, but I didn't really hear the situation. It sounds like he came in for Parra in a dicy situation and worked out of it by letting 1 inherited to score and 1 of his own. That'll happen I guess.
However, worry isn't completely out of the picture, with Weeks already on the DL and Hardy getting checked out for a sore shoulder, the infield is looking pretty thin. The Brian Roberts rumor has been floated around, but Melvin denies it. One other thing to note is that Jeff Weaver has officially been released. What does it say about a player that he can't perform acceptable enough at AAA to earn a spot in a thinner than expected rotation?
6.13.2008
6.11.2008
(Mike Cameron to self) "DOH!"
Loss 6-1 to Houston, Brewers now 33-31, 7½ games back Chicago
After grabbing only one game from the Rockies, I still had hopes the Brewers could break even on this 6 game roadie. And even thought Oswalt was going against McClung, I thought they could find a way to beat him. I was wrong, but not about McClung, he pitched pretty well, but Oswalt was dealing. The Crew was still in the game however until a couple of defensive miscues gave the 'Strohs 3 late inning runs. A Julian Taverez E led to an extended inning and a triple off the bat of Lance Berkman that Cam misjudged cleared a bases loaded situation. It was pretty much over after that. Braunie's HR was the lone O. Got to get off the mat today then take advantage of the Sheets start tomorrow.
With Weeks now on the DL, Hart started in the leadoff spot and Hernan Iribarren was called up.
Loss 6-1 to Houston, Brewers now 33-31, 7½ games back Chicago
After grabbing only one game from the Rockies, I still had hopes the Brewers could break even on this 6 game roadie. And even thought Oswalt was going against McClung, I thought they could find a way to beat him. I was wrong, but not about McClung, he pitched pretty well, but Oswalt was dealing. The Crew was still in the game however until a couple of defensive miscues gave the 'Strohs 3 late inning runs. A Julian Taverez E led to an extended inning and a triple off the bat of Lance Berkman that Cam misjudged cleared a bases loaded situation. It was pretty much over after that. Braunie's HR was the lone O. Got to get off the mat today then take advantage of the Sheets start tomorrow.
With Weeks now on the DL, Hart started in the leadoff spot and Hernan Iribarren was called up.
6.08.2008
One Little Victory
Milwaukee 3 Colorado 2 33-30, 6 GB Chicago
When the Crew jumped out to a 2 run lead before Suppan took the mound, I was hoping for a constant barrage of 1 or 2 runs per inning that would take the pressure off the team. Instead the bats shut it down after Kapler's RBI in the 2nd and Suppan had to grit it out again. Villanueava comes in during the 6th and gets an inning ending double play, then overcomes an error in the 7th to keep the Rockies off the board. Had the Brewers found a way to score a runner from scoring position (like they had in EVERY INNING after the 3rd) then Kapler's error in the 8th wouldn't have made things so scary. But Torres goes 1⅔ for the save and the Brewers avoid a sweep in Colorado. First win there since 2006 AT LEAST.
Weeks is heading back to Milwaukee to get his knee checked out. A Jeff Baker slide in Friday's game apparently "tweaked" it. I really had high hopes for Rickie early in his career, but he is quickly on his way to a being a disappointment. I think Yost batting him leadoff is part of the problem, nagging injuries another, but plain and simply, he has underachieved. I'm still rooting for him, the way he's made himself into a legitimate defensive 2nd baseman is admirable, but considering the tools he has, the draft position, the contract, I'll admit to being frustrated with him.
Milwaukee 3 Colorado 2 33-30, 6 GB Chicago
When the Crew jumped out to a 2 run lead before Suppan took the mound, I was hoping for a constant barrage of 1 or 2 runs per inning that would take the pressure off the team. Instead the bats shut it down after Kapler's RBI in the 2nd and Suppan had to grit it out again. Villanueava comes in during the 6th and gets an inning ending double play, then overcomes an error in the 7th to keep the Rockies off the board. Had the Brewers found a way to score a runner from scoring position (like they had in EVERY INNING after the 3rd) then Kapler's error in the 8th wouldn't have made things so scary. But Torres goes 1⅔ for the save and the Brewers avoid a sweep in Colorado. First win there since 2006 AT LEAST.
Weeks is heading back to Milwaukee to get his knee checked out. A Jeff Baker slide in Friday's game apparently "tweaked" it. I really had high hopes for Rickie early in his career, but he is quickly on his way to a being a disappointment. I think Yost batting him leadoff is part of the problem, nagging injuries another, but plain and simply, he has underachieved. I'm still rooting for him, the way he's made himself into a legitimate defensive 2nd baseman is admirable, but considering the tools he has, the draft position, the contract, I'll admit to being frustrated with him.
6.01.2008
Once again, part laziness, part superstition is my reason for letting this blog lapse. When I got back from Canyonlands a week ago on Saturday and saw that the Brewers had taken care of business, winning three of four, I figured I would catch up on other things rather than blogging. Now that they are back to the dismal state of making weak teams look like the '27 Yankees (see Colorado) I'll get this blog caugh up on how the Crew got to this state continueing the most recent game blog first.
Saturday, 6.7, Part 2 of the Test Fails, Loss at Colorado 7-2
There were two things the Brewers had to do to prove to me they were finally turning things around. Beat a legit team (Arizona swept-- √) and play .500 on the road. Well, the Rockies are one of the worst teams in the league, they have the worst record at home and they are without Holliday and Tulowitzki, so I figured the 3 games in Denver would be a great way to get that .500 record on the road going. 2 out of 3 right? WRONG! Rookie Greg Reynolds came into the game 0-3 with an ERA close to 6. But when your mound counterpart gives up 5 in the first inning like Bushie did, you can relaxe and earn the first win of your career. In 28⅓ previous innings, he gave up 18 walks, but the Crew's free swingers only got 2 free passes courtesy of Reynolds. They did jump on him for 2 in the 2nd thanks to RBI from Kendall and Branyan, but the rest of the lineup sputtered against a no name pitcher. Bushie did his best to maintain, giving up nothing after the 1st, but as usual, the big inning ruins him, and Mike DiFelice and Tim Dillard were responsible for giving up the other 2 runs.
Rickie Weeks sat out this game with a left knee injury, and Yost's replacement in the leadoff spot was Craig Counsell, a player I love, but maybe not your first choice for a leadoff hitter. I know Hart's great in the 5 spot, but given that Weeks is out and will miss Sunday's as well, why not TRY to get something going at the top of the lineup. Instead, Yost is just plugging the 2nd baseman in the leadoff spot regardless of their ability in that spot. For game 3 of the series, it looks like it will be "professional hitter" Joe Dillon leading off. (I love that "professional hitter" phrase I got from Philly.) At least Yost is finally getting Cameron some pine time in place of Kapler, who, unfortunately, is hitting well enough that I'll sacrafice a bit of leather in Center.
Friday, 6.6, BACK ON THE ROAD, BACK IN THE HOLE, Loss to Colorado 6-4
With the night off and Sheets on the mound, I settled down with the computer tuned in on Uecker to listen to what should have been the Crew's 7th win in a row. And it looked good most of the way through the game. I could tell Sheets was struggling with the thin air (he had 2 walks), but only gave up 1 run before being pulled for a pinch hitter in the 7th. With only a 3 run lead and Kendall on 3rd (after an RBI triple) with no outs, I understood why Yost lifted Sheets for Dillon. His pitch count was high and the Crew had a chance for a big inning. But alas, Dillon failed to get the run in, as did Weeks and Kapler. Now the Crew had to put their faith in Villy. Which worked very well-- he needed only 10 pitches to retire the side in the 7th with 2 Ks. So a lot of us Brewer fans were surprised when Mota came out for the 8th. Mota gave up 4 straigh hits and suddenly, the Brewers were out of this game. Shouse couldn't stop the bleeding either (although he should have been brouht in sooner) and a 5 run 8th led to the Brewers downfall.
This is one of those choices Yost made where I think he needs to just flat out accept he was wrong. Villy was dealing he should have stuck with him... PERIOD. Some bloggers argued that Kapler, a defensive downgrade to Cameron, would have pulled in two of those hits, but that seems stupid to argue when Cameron's bat has been taking the Crew out of the game just as much. Maybe Cam should have been a defensive replacement. Either way, my hopes that the Crew could pay the Rockies back for that 30 run beatdown I endured over two games last August quickly faded as I hoped they could just get off the mat and take game two. But in my gut I knew it wouldn't happen.
Thursday, 6.5, "Drafted Eh!"
With the 16th pick, the Brewers chose Canadian catcher Brett Lawrie as their first pick in the draft. Lawrie went to a high school with no baseball program, so since age 15, he has been playing on the Canadian Junior team and RAKING... WITH A WOODEN BAT! Apparently they've played some quality Dominican teams and intertational tourneys and this kid has held his own. He also think he can make the bigs in 1 to 2 seasons. If he can hit, I'm sure he'll get a chance,. Kendall is no spring chicken, I don't think Rivera is a long term option and Vinny Rottino, who was told in spring to "focus on catching" for a quick trip to the bigs, hasn't exactly lit up Nashville, so by all means Brett, do your best to get here. It's likely he'll want to play for Canada in the Olympics this summer, so the Crew could have another Olympic star on the roster.
At 32, the Crew picked up Jake Odorizzi, a Illinois high school righty that was 11-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In 69 innings, he gave up 18 hits, 5 walks with 116 Ks. "Would someone at least try to lay down a bunt against this guy!?" He apparently has a scholarship to Louisville as a WR, so we'll see what happens with that. At 35 they chose Evan Frederickson from the University of SF. Apparently the lefty is a little wild, but in a workout at Miller, he was consistently hitting the mid 90s. The 6'6" had 109 Ks in 75⅓ innings, but also had 61 walks. At 53 the Crew took prep righty Seth Lintz and at 54, Lenny Dykstra's son Cutter, who's recently switched to CF.
Wednesday, 6.4, Well I Wasn't Expecting This, a 10-1 Win A SWEEP.
Kapler still swinging that hot bat goes 4-5 and Parra pitches 7 strong. The starters have a 2.41 ERA in last 10 and the bullpen has a 1.03 in last 13. Now it's time to go out and get it done on the road.
Tuesday, 6.3, Big Unit Gives the Fans a Milestone, but Crew gives them a win, 7-1 Randy Johnson only needed like 3 Ks to pass Roid Clemens for 2nd or 3rd on the all time K list. Against the Crew, he should have felt pretty good about getting that out of the way early. Go figure, the victim was Mike Cameron. I think Milwaukee fans treated him well and he even acknowledged the standing O they gave him after the game. But I think Randy had to be a little miffed that McClung, a lefty with very few AB collected not only his first, but 2nd major league hits of him. I was a little worried about McClung early in this game, but he only gave up 3 in 6 innings and the Crew now has guaranteed 2 out of 3 against a legit team.
Monday, 6.2 Beat a Legit, 4-3 over Arizona 30-28
I wanted to see a good performance against a legitimate team and some .500 ball on the road. The Brewers took a step in the right direction by beating 1st place Arizona. Suppan pitched well for 7 innings, a 2nd consecutive strong start by him and Fielder makes the D-backs pay for the lefty-lefty matchup by knocking a go ahead HR in the 8th off reliever Doug Slaten.
Sunday, 6.1, WAY TO GO F-TROOP, Beat Houston 10-1, 29-28 7 GAMES BACK CHICAGO
Chicago just keeps on winning. Thanks NL West for making Chi feel so at home on their roadtrip. PATHETIC.
Yost gave some guys a rest today and had Dillon and Kapler in 1-2 slot, and they promptely make first two outs. "GREAAAAAAT!" I'm thinking, then Shawn Chacon gets rocked, gives up 4, and lasts only 1 inning. Rivera, Counsel, Kapler end up going 6-12 with 5 RBI. Counsel had a 2 run double in first and in the fourth, Dillon was hit by a pitch and then tripled home by Kapler. That's they type of work I LIKE to see out of the top of the order. I know why Yost is keeping Weeks in the 1 spot, but Cameron in the 2 hole is just making it too easy for the pitchers to get into the heart of the lineup with no one on. These are the big innings I was expecting to see more of from this lineup. In the 4th, 12 hitters to the plate, 6 runs, including jacks by Braun and Branyan. I have to hand it to Braun, he's making a difference in this lineup.
Bush did give up solo shot to Loretta in 1st (seems to be a trend) and I was really feeling sick to my stomach. Seriously, when Loretta takes you yard, you can't feel confident in your stuff. However hen then pitches 7 innings with no walks and Ks 5. In the last 7 games, starters have 6 quality starts and a 2.47 ERA. The Cre is over .500 for the first time since May 13th.
Saturday, 5.31, SO CLOSE! Beat Houston 4-1
Sheets wanted that CG bad and apparently, it was obvious. Kendall said he wasn't going to get between Yost and Sheets in the 9th when Yost yanked him for Torres after 2 outs. But Sheets was well over his pitch count and had just walked Lance Berkman (that guy is raking now, probably best to walk him), his first walk in 4 starts. Torres game in and earned a save on 2 pitches and the Brewers are now 28-28. Fielder hit another dinger, which was obscured by the Herculian shot that Branyan hit to the 3rd deck. Approximately 465 feet and the third longest in Miller history. Too bad the piss poor FSN cam op couldn't follow it. "Zoom OUT ASSHOLE if you can't follow it!" Glad I'm not directing Brewer games, I would probably flip out in the control room every inning.
Friday, 5.30, Back in the win column agains Houston, 5-1
Another gem from the rotation was needed to wash the bad taste of McClung out of our mouths. Manny Parra, who took a Miguel Tejada liner to the stomach in the 2nd went 6 innings and gave up 1 earned to beat Brandon Backe. He's able to keep Tejada, Berkman and Carlos Lee to 3-12 with no Rs or RBI. Cameron and Braun went back to back, however, it was the 2nd game in a row where Cam had 3 Ks. Someone wants to win the Jose Hernandez ahievement award. Fielder also chipped in with a HR, which he hit like a little leaguer playing Home Run Derby, seriously, he swung so far out of his shoes that he nearly toppled over in the box. Braunie, who was battling an inner ear infection was 4-4.
Thursday, 5.29, Streak is over, 8-1 loss to Atlanta
Maybe the McClung starter experiment was too good to be true. In 4⅔, he gave up 6 earned on 6 walks and 8 hits. His counterpart, who hadn't allowed a run in 10 innings over 2 previous starts, had a major hand in stifling the heart of the Crew lineup. Cam, Fielder and Braun were 2-12 and the linup totaled 12 Ks. The lone run was scored on a Branyan HR.
Wednesday, 5.28, my favorite score 1-0 over Atlanta
This is how baseball was meant to be played, little scoring, good pitching and a LIBERAL strike zone. Both Suppan and JoJo Reyes were benefiting from the big box, but the moment I most wished I had MLB Extra Innings to see was when (Brian?) McCann, the catcher for Atlanta, so upset with the strike zone that he stepped out of the box to complain, cost himself a strike when home plate umpire told Soup to go ahead and deliver. In all, there were 10 combined called third strikes.
None of that fine pitching would have meant anything unless the Brewers could find a way to make Reyes look mortal rather than Bob Freakin' Feller. It happened when Hardy drew a leadoff walk in the 9th and Cox quickly pulled him (that's quite a hook). After moving to third, Hardy scored on a Weeks triple and the Crew had their first 1-0 win since Sep. of 2006. It was also the first 3 game win streak since May 11th through 13th. Torres now has 4 saves and is looking like the new closer.
Tuesday, 5.27, come from behind to beat Atlanta 3-2
Bill Hall, who complained earlier in the day about being "soft" platooned with Branyan (read between the lines Hall, soft platoon is a nice way of saying, "You couldn't hit a righty if he was placing it on a tee, so I have to do something to show you that no one is guaranteed a spot in this lineup") came through with a pinch hit single on an 0-2 count (wow, hitting for contact on 2 strikes, what a concept), moved to second on a Weeks sacrafice (another missing concept for this team), then stole 3B. That set the stage for Cameron to win the game with a sac fly, good for two
guys who have barely been hitting their weight lately. I will say this in Hall's defense, if Yost is going to bench Hall for hitting near the Mendoza line, he has other candidates on the team as well, (COUGH!, Hall-- Cameron!).
All this went to benefit Bushy who managed to avoid the big inning and pitch 7 innings, give up 2 earned and only walk 1. Newly acquired Julian Tavarez and Salomon Torres were sharp out of the pen to help the Crew beat a game started by Tim Hudson.
Saturday, 6.7, Part 2 of the Test Fails, Loss at Colorado 7-2
There were two things the Brewers had to do to prove to me they were finally turning things around. Beat a legit team (Arizona swept-- √) and play .500 on the road. Well, the Rockies are one of the worst teams in the league, they have the worst record at home and they are without Holliday and Tulowitzki, so I figured the 3 games in Denver would be a great way to get that .500 record on the road going. 2 out of 3 right? WRONG! Rookie Greg Reynolds came into the game 0-3 with an ERA close to 6. But when your mound counterpart gives up 5 in the first inning like Bushie did, you can relaxe and earn the first win of your career. In 28⅓ previous innings, he gave up 18 walks, but the Crew's free swingers only got 2 free passes courtesy of Reynolds. They did jump on him for 2 in the 2nd thanks to RBI from Kendall and Branyan, but the rest of the lineup sputtered against a no name pitcher. Bushie did his best to maintain, giving up nothing after the 1st, but as usual, the big inning ruins him, and Mike DiFelice and Tim Dillard were responsible for giving up the other 2 runs.
Rickie Weeks sat out this game with a left knee injury, and Yost's replacement in the leadoff spot was Craig Counsell, a player I love, but maybe not your first choice for a leadoff hitter. I know Hart's great in the 5 spot, but given that Weeks is out and will miss Sunday's as well, why not TRY to get something going at the top of the lineup. Instead, Yost is just plugging the 2nd baseman in the leadoff spot regardless of their ability in that spot. For game 3 of the series, it looks like it will be "professional hitter" Joe Dillon leading off. (I love that "professional hitter" phrase I got from Philly.) At least Yost is finally getting Cameron some pine time in place of Kapler, who, unfortunately, is hitting well enough that I'll sacrafice a bit of leather in Center.
Friday, 6.6, BACK ON THE ROAD, BACK IN THE HOLE, Loss to Colorado 6-4
With the night off and Sheets on the mound, I settled down with the computer tuned in on Uecker to listen to what should have been the Crew's 7th win in a row. And it looked good most of the way through the game. I could tell Sheets was struggling with the thin air (he had 2 walks), but only gave up 1 run before being pulled for a pinch hitter in the 7th. With only a 3 run lead and Kendall on 3rd (after an RBI triple) with no outs, I understood why Yost lifted Sheets for Dillon. His pitch count was high and the Crew had a chance for a big inning. But alas, Dillon failed to get the run in, as did Weeks and Kapler. Now the Crew had to put their faith in Villy. Which worked very well-- he needed only 10 pitches to retire the side in the 7th with 2 Ks. So a lot of us Brewer fans were surprised when Mota came out for the 8th. Mota gave up 4 straigh hits and suddenly, the Brewers were out of this game. Shouse couldn't stop the bleeding either (although he should have been brouht in sooner) and a 5 run 8th led to the Brewers downfall.
This is one of those choices Yost made where I think he needs to just flat out accept he was wrong. Villy was dealing he should have stuck with him... PERIOD. Some bloggers argued that Kapler, a defensive downgrade to Cameron, would have pulled in two of those hits, but that seems stupid to argue when Cameron's bat has been taking the Crew out of the game just as much. Maybe Cam should have been a defensive replacement. Either way, my hopes that the Crew could pay the Rockies back for that 30 run beatdown I endured over two games last August quickly faded as I hoped they could just get off the mat and take game two. But in my gut I knew it wouldn't happen.
Thursday, 6.5, "Drafted Eh!"
With the 16th pick, the Brewers chose Canadian catcher Brett Lawrie as their first pick in the draft. Lawrie went to a high school with no baseball program, so since age 15, he has been playing on the Canadian Junior team and RAKING... WITH A WOODEN BAT! Apparently they've played some quality Dominican teams and intertational tourneys and this kid has held his own. He also think he can make the bigs in 1 to 2 seasons. If he can hit, I'm sure he'll get a chance,. Kendall is no spring chicken, I don't think Rivera is a long term option and Vinny Rottino, who was told in spring to "focus on catching" for a quick trip to the bigs, hasn't exactly lit up Nashville, so by all means Brett, do your best to get here. It's likely he'll want to play for Canada in the Olympics this summer, so the Crew could have another Olympic star on the roster.
At 32, the Crew picked up Jake Odorizzi, a Illinois high school righty that was 11-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In 69 innings, he gave up 18 hits, 5 walks with 116 Ks. "Would someone at least try to lay down a bunt against this guy!?" He apparently has a scholarship to Louisville as a WR, so we'll see what happens with that. At 35 they chose Evan Frederickson from the University of SF. Apparently the lefty is a little wild, but in a workout at Miller, he was consistently hitting the mid 90s. The 6'6" had 109 Ks in 75⅓ innings, but also had 61 walks. At 53 the Crew took prep righty Seth Lintz and at 54, Lenny Dykstra's son Cutter, who's recently switched to CF.
Wednesday, 6.4, Well I Wasn't Expecting This, a 10-1 Win A SWEEP.
Kapler still swinging that hot bat goes 4-5 and Parra pitches 7 strong. The starters have a 2.41 ERA in last 10 and the bullpen has a 1.03 in last 13. Now it's time to go out and get it done on the road.
Tuesday, 6.3, Big Unit Gives the Fans a Milestone, but Crew gives them a win, 7-1 Randy Johnson only needed like 3 Ks to pass Roid Clemens for 2nd or 3rd on the all time K list. Against the Crew, he should have felt pretty good about getting that out of the way early. Go figure, the victim was Mike Cameron. I think Milwaukee fans treated him well and he even acknowledged the standing O they gave him after the game. But I think Randy had to be a little miffed that McClung, a lefty with very few AB collected not only his first, but 2nd major league hits of him. I was a little worried about McClung early in this game, but he only gave up 3 in 6 innings and the Crew now has guaranteed 2 out of 3 against a legit team.
Monday, 6.2 Beat a Legit, 4-3 over Arizona 30-28
I wanted to see a good performance against a legitimate team and some .500 ball on the road. The Brewers took a step in the right direction by beating 1st place Arizona. Suppan pitched well for 7 innings, a 2nd consecutive strong start by him and Fielder makes the D-backs pay for the lefty-lefty matchup by knocking a go ahead HR in the 8th off reliever Doug Slaten.
Sunday, 6.1, WAY TO GO F-TROOP, Beat Houston 10-1, 29-28 7 GAMES BACK CHICAGO
Chicago just keeps on winning. Thanks NL West for making Chi feel so at home on their roadtrip. PATHETIC.
Yost gave some guys a rest today and had Dillon and Kapler in 1-2 slot, and they promptely make first two outs. "GREAAAAAAT!" I'm thinking, then Shawn Chacon gets rocked, gives up 4, and lasts only 1 inning. Rivera, Counsel, Kapler end up going 6-12 with 5 RBI. Counsel had a 2 run double in first and in the fourth, Dillon was hit by a pitch and then tripled home by Kapler. That's they type of work I LIKE to see out of the top of the order. I know why Yost is keeping Weeks in the 1 spot, but Cameron in the 2 hole is just making it too easy for the pitchers to get into the heart of the lineup with no one on. These are the big innings I was expecting to see more of from this lineup. In the 4th, 12 hitters to the plate, 6 runs, including jacks by Braun and Branyan. I have to hand it to Braun, he's making a difference in this lineup.
Bush did give up solo shot to Loretta in 1st (seems to be a trend) and I was really feeling sick to my stomach. Seriously, when Loretta takes you yard, you can't feel confident in your stuff. However hen then pitches 7 innings with no walks and Ks 5. In the last 7 games, starters have 6 quality starts and a 2.47 ERA. The Cre is over .500 for the first time since May 13th.
Saturday, 5.31, SO CLOSE! Beat Houston 4-1
Sheets wanted that CG bad and apparently, it was obvious. Kendall said he wasn't going to get between Yost and Sheets in the 9th when Yost yanked him for Torres after 2 outs. But Sheets was well over his pitch count and had just walked Lance Berkman (that guy is raking now, probably best to walk him), his first walk in 4 starts. Torres game in and earned a save on 2 pitches and the Brewers are now 28-28. Fielder hit another dinger, which was obscured by the Herculian shot that Branyan hit to the 3rd deck. Approximately 465 feet and the third longest in Miller history. Too bad the piss poor FSN cam op couldn't follow it. "Zoom OUT ASSHOLE if you can't follow it!" Glad I'm not directing Brewer games, I would probably flip out in the control room every inning.
Friday, 5.30, Back in the win column agains Houston, 5-1
Another gem from the rotation was needed to wash the bad taste of McClung out of our mouths. Manny Parra, who took a Miguel Tejada liner to the stomach in the 2nd went 6 innings and gave up 1 earned to beat Brandon Backe. He's able to keep Tejada, Berkman and Carlos Lee to 3-12 with no Rs or RBI. Cameron and Braun went back to back, however, it was the 2nd game in a row where Cam had 3 Ks. Someone wants to win the Jose Hernandez ahievement award. Fielder also chipped in with a HR, which he hit like a little leaguer playing Home Run Derby, seriously, he swung so far out of his shoes that he nearly toppled over in the box. Braunie, who was battling an inner ear infection was 4-4.
Thursday, 5.29, Streak is over, 8-1 loss to Atlanta
Maybe the McClung starter experiment was too good to be true. In 4⅔, he gave up 6 earned on 6 walks and 8 hits. His counterpart, who hadn't allowed a run in 10 innings over 2 previous starts, had a major hand in stifling the heart of the Crew lineup. Cam, Fielder and Braun were 2-12 and the linup totaled 12 Ks. The lone run was scored on a Branyan HR.
Wednesday, 5.28, my favorite score 1-0 over Atlanta
This is how baseball was meant to be played, little scoring, good pitching and a LIBERAL strike zone. Both Suppan and JoJo Reyes were benefiting from the big box, but the moment I most wished I had MLB Extra Innings to see was when (Brian?) McCann, the catcher for Atlanta, so upset with the strike zone that he stepped out of the box to complain, cost himself a strike when home plate umpire told Soup to go ahead and deliver. In all, there were 10 combined called third strikes.
None of that fine pitching would have meant anything unless the Brewers could find a way to make Reyes look mortal rather than Bob Freakin' Feller. It happened when Hardy drew a leadoff walk in the 9th and Cox quickly pulled him (that's quite a hook). After moving to third, Hardy scored on a Weeks triple and the Crew had their first 1-0 win since Sep. of 2006. It was also the first 3 game win streak since May 11th through 13th. Torres now has 4 saves and is looking like the new closer.
Tuesday, 5.27, come from behind to beat Atlanta 3-2
Bill Hall, who complained earlier in the day about being "soft" platooned with Branyan (read between the lines Hall, soft platoon is a nice way of saying, "You couldn't hit a righty if he was placing it on a tee, so I have to do something to show you that no one is guaranteed a spot in this lineup") came through with a pinch hit single on an 0-2 count (wow, hitting for contact on 2 strikes, what a concept), moved to second on a Weeks sacrafice (another missing concept for this team), then stole 3B. That set the stage for Cameron to win the game with a sac fly, good for two
guys who have barely been hitting their weight lately. I will say this in Hall's defense, if Yost is going to bench Hall for hitting near the Mendoza line, he has other candidates on the team as well, (COUGH!, Hall-- Cameron!).
All this went to benefit Bushy who managed to avoid the big inning and pitch 7 innings, give up 2 earned and only walk 1. Newly acquired Julian Tavarez and Salomon Torres were sharp out of the pen to help the Crew beat a game started by Tim Hudson.
5.26.2008
Brewers beat Washington 4-3 in 11
Now 24-27
I can't get too excited about a split with Washington. The team has nowhere near the talent of the Crew, yet, in terms of record, the Nationals are playing no worse than the Crew. Sheet's had his second gutsy start in a row, which is a euphimism for him seeming to struggle because the offense sputtered on various scoring chances and he had to work out of a few jams. His routine for giving up Taters in the 1st, then locking it down happened again when Christian Guzman took him yard. But he left after only giving up 2, I don't know what more the bats could ask for. You also couldn't ask for more from the pen. Shouse looked good striking out the side before giving up a game tying bomb and Villanueva struck out 5 in a row. They did their work in my opinion. Who didn't do his work was Russel Branyan, still suffering from "Contact-itis" with 4 Ks. Kapler gets a pinch hit RBI in the 11th and Torres works 1-2-3 to win it.
Although the bullpen did an acceptable job today, management of the bullpen still seems to be a trouble for Yost. Yesterday, Mota gave up the winning run on a wild pitch after working into a 2nd inning for a 2nd consecutive day. Tim Dillard, Mike DeFelice and Zach Jackson, have all been called up from Nashville to try and stop the bleeding, and so far, only DeFelice seems to be a clinker. But it seems like if Yost doesn't use them in just the right way, the whole bullpen falls apart for a week. Of course, Prince and Brauny dumping some 8 run games on a few teams would help the bullpen also. More help will be coming when Julian Tavarez joins the pen after passing his physical, but Melvin should not have had to resort to these measures. Signing Gagne, a washed up closer and releasing Vargas seem like pretty dumb moves right now. Vargas pitched a fine game for the Mets in Colorado Saturday and guess what, Dana Eveland has a sub-3 ERA and 4 wins for the A's. I hate it when former Brewers succeed, especially when it's pitchers like Eveland and Davis who I thought were finished anyway.
Saturday, the Brewers got a surprising performance out of McClung in his new role as Starter (Villy sent to the pen) but hit the wall around 5 innings, which doesn't surprise me. If Yost plans long term for McClung to be a starter, I hope he can at least work himself into a 7 inning pitcher.
Now 24-27
I can't get too excited about a split with Washington. The team has nowhere near the talent of the Crew, yet, in terms of record, the Nationals are playing no worse than the Crew. Sheet's had his second gutsy start in a row, which is a euphimism for him seeming to struggle because the offense sputtered on various scoring chances and he had to work out of a few jams. His routine for giving up Taters in the 1st, then locking it down happened again when Christian Guzman took him yard. But he left after only giving up 2, I don't know what more the bats could ask for. You also couldn't ask for more from the pen. Shouse looked good striking out the side before giving up a game tying bomb and Villanueva struck out 5 in a row. They did their work in my opinion. Who didn't do his work was Russel Branyan, still suffering from "Contact-itis" with 4 Ks. Kapler gets a pinch hit RBI in the 11th and Torres works 1-2-3 to win it.
Although the bullpen did an acceptable job today, management of the bullpen still seems to be a trouble for Yost. Yesterday, Mota gave up the winning run on a wild pitch after working into a 2nd inning for a 2nd consecutive day. Tim Dillard, Mike DeFelice and Zach Jackson, have all been called up from Nashville to try and stop the bleeding, and so far, only DeFelice seems to be a clinker. But it seems like if Yost doesn't use them in just the right way, the whole bullpen falls apart for a week. Of course, Prince and Brauny dumping some 8 run games on a few teams would help the bullpen also. More help will be coming when Julian Tavarez joins the pen after passing his physical, but Melvin should not have had to resort to these measures. Signing Gagne, a washed up closer and releasing Vargas seem like pretty dumb moves right now. Vargas pitched a fine game for the Mets in Colorado Saturday and guess what, Dana Eveland has a sub-3 ERA and 4 wins for the A's. I hate it when former Brewers succeed, especially when it's pitchers like Eveland and Davis who I thought were finished anyway.
Saturday, the Brewers got a surprising performance out of McClung in his new role as Starter (Villy sent to the pen) but hit the wall around 5 innings, which doesn't surprise me. If Yost plans long term for McClung to be a starter, I hope he can at least work himself into a 7 inning pitcher.
5.24.2008
Loss at Washington 22-26, now 7.0GB
3 hits! That's all the Nationals managed against the Brewers last night. Except in the column that mattered (runs scored) the Nationals somehow ended up with 5 to the Brewers 1 thanks to a JJ Hardy E in the 6th. That hung 4 unearned on Jeff Suppan and gave the Crew their 7th loss in 9 games. The one good thing is that Shouse and Dillard came in and looked sharp.
In the "Thank god I'm out of Milwaukee" category, Doug Davis got a W last night in his first start since having his thyroid cancer treated. Other than feeling a little upset over another former Brewer succeeding, I'm happy for him. I'm also happy that the Diamondbacks understand jumping out to a 5 run lead before your pitcher even gets to the bump is a great lesson for the Brewers to learn from.
3 hits! That's all the Nationals managed against the Brewers last night. Except in the column that mattered (runs scored) the Nationals somehow ended up with 5 to the Brewers 1 thanks to a JJ Hardy E in the 6th. That hung 4 unearned on Jeff Suppan and gave the Crew their 7th loss in 9 games. The one good thing is that Shouse and Dillard came in and looked sharp.
In the "Thank god I'm out of Milwaukee" category, Doug Davis got a W last night in his first start since having his thyroid cancer treated. Other than feeling a little upset over another former Brewer succeeding, I'm happy for him. I'm also happy that the Diamondbacks understand jumping out to a 5 run lead before your pitcher even gets to the bump is a great lesson for the Brewers to learn from.
5.23.2008
Brewers lose at Pittsburgh 8-4, now 22-25, 6.0 games back
Unfortunately, as much as Ben Sheets was the streak "starter" on Wednesday, getting the Crew their second consecutive win, Dave Bush will now be seen as the streak "ender", blowing up in the 4th inning.
Eric Gagne was officially put on the DL today. Probably the best move considering they need the roster space for pitchers they don't have. Oh well, Tim Dillard was called up today. He was pitching pretty well in Nashville, so maybe this will be the start of something good.
As tough as this season might turn out to be, I still think it could be worse. A co-worker of mine, a life long Padre fan from San Diego, told me today he can't bare to be a fan through this dismal season and may defect to another team. I'm sure it was the 10 games under talking, but I know how he feels, 2002 did the same thing to me. Being a true fan is about sticking in there and knowing that suffering through a bad season is better than the artificial elation of jumping on a bandwagon.
Unfortunately, as much as Ben Sheets was the streak "starter" on Wednesday, getting the Crew their second consecutive win, Dave Bush will now be seen as the streak "ender", blowing up in the 4th inning.
Eric Gagne was officially put on the DL today. Probably the best move considering they need the roster space for pitchers they don't have. Oh well, Tim Dillard was called up today. He was pitching pretty well in Nashville, so maybe this will be the start of something good.
As tough as this season might turn out to be, I still think it could be worse. A co-worker of mine, a life long Padre fan from San Diego, told me today he can't bare to be a fan through this dismal season and may defect to another team. I'm sure it was the 10 games under talking, but I know how he feels, 2002 did the same thing to me. Being a true fan is about sticking in there and knowing that suffering through a bad season is better than the artificial elation of jumping on a bandwagon.
5.22.2008
Milwaukee wins in Pittsburgh 7-2 and 4-1. Now 22-24, 5½ games back.
A hangover of despair hung over my head on Tuesday, caused by 23 lonely Brewers stranded on the Fenway basepaths like the Carole Wright Gifts catalogs I have to discard every two weeks because the lady who had my PO Box before me is still on their mailing list. I wasn't any more optimistic about Tuesday's game at Pittsburgh. Even thought the Pirates were struggling themselves a few games under .500 with an anemic .240 team batting average (close to the Crews), the Steel City has never been kind to the Crew. When I finally checked in on the game and saw a 6 run lead, my hangover cleared like a cold morning and a hot cup of coffee. Parra was sharp in a short outing (5⅔ innings, 0ER, 4H, 6K) and Cameron was 3-4 with a jack to lead the Brewers on a 14 hit outburst. The blemish was a dicey outing by Gagne, who couldn't finish the game off. With a 7 run lead, he was unable to improve his standing in the eyes of skeptical Brewer fans. He walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a few runs on a dinger before Yost pulled him. Sore shoulder or not (Gagne was sent back to Milwaukee for an examine) I don't think Gagne will have any redeeming value to this team. Thank Bernie Brewer he's gone after this season.
Wednesday's game was all Sheets making it work with less than stellar stuff. He scattered 11 hits in a complete game win that put him at 4-0. During the latter innings, the "sign or don't sign" debate heated up on JSO. I think it's 50/50 as far as fans on either side of the debate, and I openly admitted on the blog that both sides have a strong argument. I think many of the anti-Sheets camp likes to predict Yovanni Gallardo as the "Ace of the Future", but do they consider that Gallardo has now suffered two injuries in the span of 3 months and will be out all season. Yes, Sheets is injury prone and will demand a lot of money this offseason, but I think a post season Brewer team has to have BOTH Sheets and Gallardo.
Additionally, Yost has decided to move Villy back to the bullpen and give McClung a shot at the rotation. I can't argue with Villy in the Bully, he was very successful there last year, but I wonder if McClungs stuff can last a few trips through a lineup? I also think any further struggles by Hall might make a callup of Branyan worth it, but I have a feeling his hot bat will freeze harder than his glove once he get's to the bigs. If anything, it may light a fire under Hall's butt.
A hangover of despair hung over my head on Tuesday, caused by 23 lonely Brewers stranded on the Fenway basepaths like the Carole Wright Gifts catalogs I have to discard every two weeks because the lady who had my PO Box before me is still on their mailing list. I wasn't any more optimistic about Tuesday's game at Pittsburgh. Even thought the Pirates were struggling themselves a few games under .500 with an anemic .240 team batting average (close to the Crews), the Steel City has never been kind to the Crew. When I finally checked in on the game and saw a 6 run lead, my hangover cleared like a cold morning and a hot cup of coffee. Parra was sharp in a short outing (5⅔ innings, 0ER, 4H, 6K) and Cameron was 3-4 with a jack to lead the Brewers on a 14 hit outburst. The blemish was a dicey outing by Gagne, who couldn't finish the game off. With a 7 run lead, he was unable to improve his standing in the eyes of skeptical Brewer fans. He walked the leadoff hitter and gave up a few runs on a dinger before Yost pulled him. Sore shoulder or not (Gagne was sent back to Milwaukee for an examine) I don't think Gagne will have any redeeming value to this team. Thank Bernie Brewer he's gone after this season.
Wednesday's game was all Sheets making it work with less than stellar stuff. He scattered 11 hits in a complete game win that put him at 4-0. During the latter innings, the "sign or don't sign" debate heated up on JSO. I think it's 50/50 as far as fans on either side of the debate, and I openly admitted on the blog that both sides have a strong argument. I think many of the anti-Sheets camp likes to predict Yovanni Gallardo as the "Ace of the Future", but do they consider that Gallardo has now suffered two injuries in the span of 3 months and will be out all season. Yes, Sheets is injury prone and will demand a lot of money this offseason, but I think a post season Brewer team has to have BOTH Sheets and Gallardo.
Additionally, Yost has decided to move Villy back to the bullpen and give McClung a shot at the rotation. I can't argue with Villy in the Bully, he was very successful there last year, but I wonder if McClungs stuff can last a few trips through a lineup? I also think any further struggles by Hall might make a callup of Branyan worth it, but I have a feeling his hot bat will freeze harder than his glove once he get's to the bigs. If anything, it may light a fire under Hall's butt.
5.18.2008
Swept in Boston
The story of this series of woe in Fenway may not be the Brewers inability to play on the same level as the defending World Champions, perhaps it is the words Ryan Braun had after today's game. In so many words, he said the players don't have a winning attitude. It seems like whenever the starting pitching battles, the offense waves the red flag, and vice versca. I have to keep telling myself, it's just a game and I love this team. But the manager needs to go. I've held out for as long as I could, but I have seen very little evidence that he can take the team to the next leve.
The story of this series of woe in Fenway may not be the Brewers inability to play on the same level as the defending World Champions, perhaps it is the words Ryan Braun had after today's game. In so many words, he said the players don't have a winning attitude. It seems like whenever the starting pitching battles, the offense waves the red flag, and vice versca. I have to keep telling myself, it's just a game and I love this team. But the manager needs to go. I've held out for as long as I could, but I have seen very little evidence that he can take the team to the next leve.
5.16.2008
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.
The Crew was washed out in Bah-stun today. I haven't blogged on the last two losses against the Dodgers at Miller. Wednesday looked good going into the 7th when the wheels fell off on a great start by Manny. They still had a lead in the 9th however, but Mota fell apart in the 9th. So much for my closer by committee.
Thursday was worse. A great start by Sheets, but in the 7th, he ran into BIG trouble. 6 runs just hung up on the board. An expolosion that should have been indicitive of the Brewer O.
The bigger news on Thursday was the signing of Braun to a 8 year deal (including this season). I think Braun has the talent to contribute to the Crew for a long time, but DAMN!, 8 years is a long time. This is the biggest contract in Crew history, but if Braun continues to play to his potential (and I think he will) it will be a bargain for the Crew. The question I have is, "What does Prince think of all this?"
The Crew was washed out in Bah-stun today. I haven't blogged on the last two losses against the Dodgers at Miller. Wednesday looked good going into the 7th when the wheels fell off on a great start by Manny. They still had a lead in the 9th however, but Mota fell apart in the 9th. So much for my closer by committee.
Thursday was worse. A great start by Sheets, but in the 7th, he ran into BIG trouble. 6 runs just hung up on the board. An expolosion that should have been indicitive of the Brewer O.
The bigger news on Thursday was the signing of Braun to a 8 year deal (including this season). I think Braun has the talent to contribute to the Crew for a long time, but DAMN!, 8 years is a long time. This is the biggest contract in Crew history, but if Braun continues to play to his potential (and I think he will) it will be a bargain for the Crew. The question I have is, "What does Prince think of all this?"
5.13.2008
Brewers beat Los Anglese 5-3, now 20-19
The last time I made a blog entry, the Brewers had lost their 5th in a row. I took a break, because the only things I could blog about were negatives. And while many people see blogs as a place to rant, I think excessive negativity in any venue can be detrimental.
A lot has happened in that time I took that break however. The Brewer's losing streak stretched to 6 games with another loss to the Marlins. Then a Rickie Weeks game ending, 2 run single capped a no-on 2 out rally off Jason Isringhausen on Friday night. Could that be a momentum builder? I held my breath and bit my tongue as the Crew wasted a decent outing by Sheets on Saturday and Eric Gagne blew it in the 9th. The next day I read Gagne wants out as closer. Apparently that's the only way Yost gets the message to try something new (see Fielder and Braun requesting to be flipped in the order). So with my thoughts of playoffs dwindeling, a gutsy performance by Suppan and two Braun Bombs on Sunday lead to another win. Monday (a 4 game set with the Cards) sees Dave Bush pitch his best game of the season, even igniting a rally by leading off with a double. Braun knocks another two out. Eric Gagne comes in in the 7th and pitches 2 innings? He makes it scary, but the Brewers win. Earlier on Monday, Gagne said he was ready to close again. As we'll see, maybe we shouldn't be so eager to put him in there.
Today the Brewers seemed to be having trouble putting anything together against Brady Penny. Corey runs into an out right before a Hall HR. Villy mixes 1-2-3 innings with innings where he get's hit, but somehow, they limit the damage to 3 runs and Braun makes Penney pay for walking the pitcher with a 2 run double. Gagne, however, can't retire the side in order and gets another "dicey" save.
The last time I made a blog entry, the Brewers had lost their 5th in a row. I took a break, because the only things I could blog about were negatives. And while many people see blogs as a place to rant, I think excessive negativity in any venue can be detrimental.
A lot has happened in that time I took that break however. The Brewer's losing streak stretched to 6 games with another loss to the Marlins. Then a Rickie Weeks game ending, 2 run single capped a no-on 2 out rally off Jason Isringhausen on Friday night. Could that be a momentum builder? I held my breath and bit my tongue as the Crew wasted a decent outing by Sheets on Saturday and Eric Gagne blew it in the 9th. The next day I read Gagne wants out as closer. Apparently that's the only way Yost gets the message to try something new (see Fielder and Braun requesting to be flipped in the order). So with my thoughts of playoffs dwindeling, a gutsy performance by Suppan and two Braun Bombs on Sunday lead to another win. Monday (a 4 game set with the Cards) sees Dave Bush pitch his best game of the season, even igniting a rally by leading off with a double. Braun knocks another two out. Eric Gagne comes in in the 7th and pitches 2 innings? He makes it scary, but the Brewers win. Earlier on Monday, Gagne said he was ready to close again. As we'll see, maybe we shouldn't be so eager to put him in there.
Today the Brewers seemed to be having trouble putting anything together against Brady Penny. Corey runs into an out right before a Hall HR. Villy mixes 1-2-3 innings with innings where he get's hit, but somehow, they limit the damage to 3 runs and Braun makes Penney pay for walking the pitcher with a 2 run double. Gagne, however, can't retire the side in order and gets another "dicey" save.
5.08.2008
Brewers lose 6-2 at Florida
Now 16-17
Burk [?] Badenhop was the recipient tonight of the Brewers lackluster offense. I commented to some co-workers that if I was a Rotissirie geek, I would merely stack my team with pitchers who were about to face the Brewers.
Talked to my father about the Crew tonight. He's been hearing the complaints about Yost and thoughts of Simmons taking over. And once again, people are pointing to '82 as an instance where firing your manager mid-season worked. While I may agree that Yost needs to turn this team around to save his job, I disagree that a team automatically does better with a new manager. That '82 team was a veteran team that needed the hands off approach of Harvey Kuene instead of the micro-managing style of Buck Rodgers. This team is young, they need a veteran manager... maybe not a first time manager.
The reason for firing Yost during the season should be because you, as a GM or owner, decide that this guy isn't doing the job, and rather than leave a "dead man walking", you toss him to the curb and HOPE that new blood invigorates the team enough to get fans back to the park. Then in the off season, you address your GM situation and do a hard target search for a good manager.
And I'm starting to think Melvin has to worry as well. The Brewers have put some good talent together, but perhaps Melvin tries to hard to continue with "scrap heap" projects rather than making tough decisions on the progress/ potential of our players. Maybe you can't worry that trading Rickie Weeks for a pitcher is a long term mistake?
Either way, I'm starting to think I'll be able to get a Sheets jersey really cheap by the time I visit Milwaukee this summer.
Now 16-17
Burk [?] Badenhop was the recipient tonight of the Brewers lackluster offense. I commented to some co-workers that if I was a Rotissirie geek, I would merely stack my team with pitchers who were about to face the Brewers.
Talked to my father about the Crew tonight. He's been hearing the complaints about Yost and thoughts of Simmons taking over. And once again, people are pointing to '82 as an instance where firing your manager mid-season worked. While I may agree that Yost needs to turn this team around to save his job, I disagree that a team automatically does better with a new manager. That '82 team was a veteran team that needed the hands off approach of Harvey Kuene instead of the micro-managing style of Buck Rodgers. This team is young, they need a veteran manager... maybe not a first time manager.
The reason for firing Yost during the season should be because you, as a GM or owner, decide that this guy isn't doing the job, and rather than leave a "dead man walking", you toss him to the curb and HOPE that new blood invigorates the team enough to get fans back to the park. Then in the off season, you address your GM situation and do a hard target search for a good manager.
And I'm starting to think Melvin has to worry as well. The Brewers have put some good talent together, but perhaps Melvin tries to hard to continue with "scrap heap" projects rather than making tough decisions on the progress/ potential of our players. Maybe you can't worry that trading Rickie Weeks for a pitcher is a long term mistake?
Either way, I'm starting to think I'll be able to get a Sheets jersey really cheap by the time I visit Milwaukee this summer.
5.06.2008
Game 32: 3-0 Loss to Florida. Brewers now 16-16
I listened to barely a third of the game, went to JSO to get the just of it. What I thought when I saw that row of 0's on the linescore is that, "this looks familiar". A beatable lefthander in Scott Olsen makes the Brewers lineup look pathetic again. Hall came up with the basesloaded and two out in the 9th, swung at the first pitch and lined out. Suppan takes the collar in a game where giving up 3 wins should get you a W. It's hard for me NOT to be upset with Yost. Even Melvin has me wondering. Did he get too high on his own press? Thinking that he could pull magic from every risk, gamble and reclamation project out there? Did success in non-standard aquisitions keep him from wisely managing the personel? Perhaps more should have been done to improve the offense then look for bargains and stick with "guys with potential". I'm asking way too many questions for my liking. I'll sum up by saying Yost shouldn't make it through the season if this team doesn't make a drastic turn around and Melvin should be choosing his moves wisely. Dealing Sheets at the deadline now seems wiser and wiser a move, not because Sheets is a liability, but because the Crew could be out of it.
In positive Brewer notes, an article in the JSO highlighted a study by Bill James that the '82 Brewers infield was tied with the '76 Reds as the best infield since 1934.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=747811
I listened to barely a third of the game, went to JSO to get the just of it. What I thought when I saw that row of 0's on the linescore is that, "this looks familiar". A beatable lefthander in Scott Olsen makes the Brewers lineup look pathetic again. Hall came up with the basesloaded and two out in the 9th, swung at the first pitch and lined out. Suppan takes the collar in a game where giving up 3 wins should get you a W. It's hard for me NOT to be upset with Yost. Even Melvin has me wondering. Did he get too high on his own press? Thinking that he could pull magic from every risk, gamble and reclamation project out there? Did success in non-standard aquisitions keep him from wisely managing the personel? Perhaps more should have been done to improve the offense then look for bargains and stick with "guys with potential". I'm asking way too many questions for my liking. I'll sum up by saying Yost shouldn't make it through the season if this team doesn't make a drastic turn around and Melvin should be choosing his moves wisely. Dealing Sheets at the deadline now seems wiser and wiser a move, not because Sheets is a liability, but because the Crew could be out of it.
In positive Brewer notes, an article in the JSO highlighted a study by Bill James that the '82 Brewers infield was tied with the '76 Reds as the best infield since 1934.
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=747811
Game 31- Loss at Houston 16-15
Gagne walks in the tying run. Hunter Pence wins it with a HR in the 12th. That was the Astros first extra inning game. That was the Brewers bajillion. NO Brewer's runs scored after the 4th. Sheets outing wasted.
I keep telling myself to stay optimistic. That the talent will get this team over the hump, but 20 years of Brewer disappointment are hard to deny. I really don't know if Yost will still be managing this team when I visit Milwaukee this summer. If this play continues, Yost has to be fired, at least after the season. And Melvin may not be far behind. All that money in the bullpen could come back to bite him in the ass.
Gagne walks in the tying run. Hunter Pence wins it with a HR in the 12th. That was the Astros first extra inning game. That was the Brewers bajillion. NO Brewer's runs scored after the 4th. Sheets outing wasted.
I keep telling myself to stay optimistic. That the talent will get this team over the hump, but 20 years of Brewer disappointment are hard to deny. I really don't know if Yost will still be managing this team when I visit Milwaukee this summer. If this play continues, Yost has to be fired, at least after the season. And Melvin may not be far behind. All that money in the bullpen could come back to bite him in the ass.
5.04.2008
Game 30- L Houston 16-13
Listless. That is the best way I can describe the Brewers play lately. Rickie Weeks leadoff HR had all the spark of an Estelle Getty strip tease. I really think this team is so novice that they think losing Gallardo for the season is the end of any hope as they know it. Parra didn't pitch great, but once again, that lineup HAS to do better than 2 runs. Numerous scoring chances wasted. As I mentioned, the Weeks HR, which apparently almost took out the train at Minute Maid, should have been an offensive wakeup, but no. However, the Brandon Backe HR was apparently a wake up for the 'Stros. Good for Cecil Cooper I say. Yo or no Yo, Melvin and Attanasio need to start asking for better results. This team is uninspired and has never put together a consistent season where they met expectations. In 2005 they sort of overachieved, but since then, they have had a team good enough to win the division... and nothing. Am I pissed, hell yes! Offensively the Brewers are about as impressive as a "mountain" in Wisconsin. Pick it up Crew, if you care about Yost's job, pick it up.
Listless. That is the best way I can describe the Brewers play lately. Rickie Weeks leadoff HR had all the spark of an Estelle Getty strip tease. I really think this team is so novice that they think losing Gallardo for the season is the end of any hope as they know it. Parra didn't pitch great, but once again, that lineup HAS to do better than 2 runs. Numerous scoring chances wasted. As I mentioned, the Weeks HR, which apparently almost took out the train at Minute Maid, should have been an offensive wakeup, but no. However, the Brandon Backe HR was apparently a wake up for the 'Stros. Good for Cecil Cooper I say. Yo or no Yo, Melvin and Attanasio need to start asking for better results. This team is uninspired and has never put together a consistent season where they met expectations. In 2005 they sort of overachieved, but since then, they have had a team good enough to win the division... and nothing. Am I pissed, hell yes! Offensively the Brewers are about as impressive as a "mountain" in Wisconsin. Pick it up Crew, if you care about Yost's job, pick it up.
5.02.2008
Game 29- L Houston 16-13
I think the biggest hurt came today when, during a lull in REI's Anniversary Sale, I decided to check Brewers.com for a start time of tonights game. There was the headline I really didn't think I would see. Gallardo had a torn ACL. All I had to see was that all CAPS "ACL" and I knew the whole story from that. He would be gone the rest of the season and the Crew now has a major hole in it's rotation. Tonight's come from ahead loss almost seems a footnote to that news. From the way Gallardo's fall was described, I guess it should be no surprise it was is ACL. But obviously the fact that he pitched another inning on it led most Brewer fans to believe the Brewers dodged a bullet. I think what this means for the Brewers is they will have to make an acquisition at some point in the season for a top line pitcher. If Melvin has any brains, he's already got a list of young talent the Brewers would be willing to part at the trade deadline to get the Brewers over the hump... if they are still in the race.
I think the biggest hurt came today when, during a lull in REI's Anniversary Sale, I decided to check Brewers.com for a start time of tonights game. There was the headline I really didn't think I would see. Gallardo had a torn ACL. All I had to see was that all CAPS "ACL" and I knew the whole story from that. He would be gone the rest of the season and the Crew now has a major hole in it's rotation. Tonight's come from ahead loss almost seems a footnote to that news. From the way Gallardo's fall was described, I guess it should be no surprise it was is ACL. But obviously the fact that he pitched another inning on it led most Brewer fans to believe the Brewers dodged a bullet. I think what this means for the Brewers is they will have to make an acquisition at some point in the season for a top line pitcher. If Melvin has any brains, he's already got a list of young talent the Brewers would be willing to part at the trade deadline to get the Brewers over the hump... if they are still in the race.
Game 28- W Chicago (N) 16-12 1.4 GB
I had a feeling through most of this game that it wasn't going to happen. I listened to the entire game at home while dicking around on the new computer, but wasn't sure I could sit through another loss. Outs on the basepaths, Giovanni Soto killing the Crew and runners left on base were frustrating me. Then Gallardo went down in a collision near first base. I didn't see it, but it sounded bad. Yet another reason why I thought this team would be doomed to be the Brewers for the rest of my life. But Gallardo not only stayed in there, but pitched another inning. Zambrano and Marmol kept the lineup handcuffed for most of the day, but thankfully, Kerry Wood is still the Cubs closer. Braun was able to get things going with 3RBI and a HR. He palayed a critical part in the 9th with a 2 run double and Gagne, after walking the leadoff man, shut things down. Shouse apparently got the win for doing nothing more than picking a man off first. Crew has now won 4 of 6 at Wrigley.
I had a feeling through most of this game that it wasn't going to happen. I listened to the entire game at home while dicking around on the new computer, but wasn't sure I could sit through another loss. Outs on the basepaths, Giovanni Soto killing the Crew and runners left on base were frustrating me. Then Gallardo went down in a collision near first base. I didn't see it, but it sounded bad. Yet another reason why I thought this team would be doomed to be the Brewers for the rest of my life. But Gallardo not only stayed in there, but pitched another inning. Zambrano and Marmol kept the lineup handcuffed for most of the day, but thankfully, Kerry Wood is still the Cubs closer. Braun was able to get things going with 3RBI and a HR. He palayed a critical part in the 9th with a 2 run double and Gagne, after walking the leadoff man, shut things down. Shouse apparently got the win for doing nothing more than picking a man off first. Crew has now won 4 of 6 at Wrigley.
5.01.2008
Game 27- Milwaukee 5- Chicago (N) 19
15-12 2.0 GB
If there was one bright spot in this sound beatdown, it's that perhaps now, the Brewers can deffinitively say Turnbow is shot. 6 runs in 2/3 of mop up duty?! It's time for the Crew and Turnbow to part ways and use that roster spot for someone mildly effective. Yes, he wasn't the only pitcher that got rocked, but I can't deny now that he just isn't reliable and will probably never regain his '06 form.
This is one of those games where Suppan shouldn't feel to down about. I think all the pitchers deserve a mulligan after the way they have pitched. Yes the Cubs hung 8 earned over 3 1/3, but the offense has been letting this whole pitching staff down. Maybe the hitters were reminded that getting 6 runs in the first can go a long way towards getting even a half assed pitcher like Dempster a win.
15-12 2.0 GB
If there was one bright spot in this sound beatdown, it's that perhaps now, the Brewers can deffinitively say Turnbow is shot. 6 runs in 2/3 of mop up duty?! It's time for the Crew and Turnbow to part ways and use that roster spot for someone mildly effective. Yes, he wasn't the only pitcher that got rocked, but I can't deny now that he just isn't reliable and will probably never regain his '06 form.
This is one of those games where Suppan shouldn't feel to down about. I think all the pitchers deserve a mulligan after the way they have pitched. Yes the Cubs hung 8 earned over 3 1/3, but the offense has been letting this whole pitching staff down. Maybe the hitters were reminded that getting 6 runs in the first can go a long way towards getting even a half assed pitcher like Dempster a win.
4.29.2008
Game 26- Milwaukee 10 Chicago (N) 7
15-11 1.0 GB
Yes, I went through a 7 game lay off. Apparently, so did the Brewers bats. Goose eggs, doughnuts, manholes. That's what Brewer line scores were reminding me of. The series against the Giants was the only one where the lineup really seemed to click. And the drain on the bullpen in all those close, extra inning games was really starting to show. I have to hand it to the bullpen, they kept the Crew around in those games. I don't know how a lineup like the Crew's can go so long without a nice 4 run win, apparently a while. Tonight wasn't a 4 run win, but it was a double digit run total, something this team needs to have more of.
On a night when Sheets was rusty after an 11 game layoff (7 walks), the bats, fired up by the return of Cameron, came alive and lit the Cubs up for 10 runs. Sheets got lit up like a Polish church, but a W is a W. Listened to the 3rd when the Brewers took a lead and then the Cubs came back to tie it up and the HP ump left for "sickness". Then got busy at work and turned on the bottom of the 8th on to hear Gagne make it interesting.
To follow up on something that happened on the "Work Imposed Hiatus", I was actually disappointed to see Bush go down. He still is a decent pitcher and Parra may not be as ready as everyone thought. It may not have hurt to send him down to Nashville to get some focus. While the Brewers are at it, they need to get the memo to Braun to focus. He looked a little better tonight, taking some pitches for once, but you can tell why there is such a phrase as "Sophomore Slump". He must be pressing.
15-11 1.0 GB
Yes, I went through a 7 game lay off. Apparently, so did the Brewers bats. Goose eggs, doughnuts, manholes. That's what Brewer line scores were reminding me of. The series against the Giants was the only one where the lineup really seemed to click. And the drain on the bullpen in all those close, extra inning games was really starting to show. I have to hand it to the bullpen, they kept the Crew around in those games. I don't know how a lineup like the Crew's can go so long without a nice 4 run win, apparently a while. Tonight wasn't a 4 run win, but it was a double digit run total, something this team needs to have more of.
On a night when Sheets was rusty after an 11 game layoff (7 walks), the bats, fired up by the return of Cameron, came alive and lit the Cubs up for 10 runs. Sheets got lit up like a Polish church, but a W is a W. Listened to the 3rd when the Brewers took a lead and then the Cubs came back to tie it up and the HP ump left for "sickness". Then got busy at work and turned on the bottom of the 8th on to hear Gagne make it interesting.
To follow up on something that happened on the "Work Imposed Hiatus", I was actually disappointed to see Bush go down. He still is a decent pitcher and Parra may not be as ready as everyone thought. It may not have hurt to send him down to Nashville to get some focus. While the Brewers are at it, they need to get the memo to Braun to focus. He looked a little better tonight, taking some pitches for once, but you can tell why there is such a phrase as "Sophomore Slump". He must be pressing.
4.20.2008
Games 17 & 18: Milwaukee v Cincinnatti: OK, How Many Different Ways Can I Spell Cincinnati
The credit for this roadtrip has to go to the bullpen. Yes, I realized Gagne blew another one today, but I hang that on Yost. 4 straight appearances is too much for even a young stud. Gagne was bound to groove one.
Saturday's win was great because it sealed up a winning road trip (5-4) and was a needed boost for a team that was probably wondering what was going on with Sheets. Plus, I like it when Suppan puts in a good performance. My only request is that he could have gone a little deeper in the game to save the bullpen.
Another plus, the team is at 7 errors on the season. Happy with that defense. Encarnacion boots that ball in the 10th to open the door for the Crew. Last year the Crew is the team making that play. Although last year the crew has CoCo closing games.
Sunday should also be noted for the return of YO! He looked good, went 8 innings, which should have helped the bullpen out, except the game had to go to extra innings. So much for resting the bullpen.
I think the Crew have 5 days left before Cameron rejoins the club. The offense needs him. Gwynn feels good down in Nashville. With the way Weeks is whiffing away in the leadoff spot, I think Yost should try a combo of Gwynn or Cameron in the leadoff spot and send Weeks to watch some Jose Hernandez video. "See, that's what NOT to do!"
The credit for this roadtrip has to go to the bullpen. Yes, I realized Gagne blew another one today, but I hang that on Yost. 4 straight appearances is too much for even a young stud. Gagne was bound to groove one.
Saturday's win was great because it sealed up a winning road trip (5-4) and was a needed boost for a team that was probably wondering what was going on with Sheets. Plus, I like it when Suppan puts in a good performance. My only request is that he could have gone a little deeper in the game to save the bullpen.
Another plus, the team is at 7 errors on the season. Happy with that defense. Encarnacion boots that ball in the 10th to open the door for the Crew. Last year the Crew is the team making that play. Although last year the crew has CoCo closing games.
Sunday should also be noted for the return of YO! He looked good, went 8 innings, which should have helped the bullpen out, except the game had to go to extra innings. So much for resting the bullpen.
I think the Crew have 5 days left before Cameron rejoins the club. The offense needs him. Gwynn feels good down in Nashville. With the way Weeks is whiffing away in the leadoff spot, I think Yost should try a combo of Gwynn or Cameron in the leadoff spot and send Weeks to watch some Jose Hernandez video. "See, that's what NOT to do!"
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