Bye Vincent Rottino

Vinny from Racine (or Kenosha, I get'em mixed up) was traded to the Dodgers for Claudio Vargas. He should help the bleeding over the next 1/2 month...well....not stop it, but slow it so that we can live to see a September push....Okay, perhaps I'm losing my brain.

Vinny was due for a change of scenary anyways. Poor guy, he fermented in the minors for 5+ years. Which is normal, but he was blocked by Salome, Rivera, Kendall, and possibly even Lawrie.

Brewers Split!

Phew...that was close. Milwaukee won today by the score of 7 to 3. Nice.

-Yovanni Gallardo struck out 11 batters!

-Ryan Braun's hit-streak was snapped today. He went 0 for 4.

-Miller Park surpassed the 2MM mark for attendance thus far. They were 93% full on a Thursday afternoon...in the middle of a horrible slump. (source: Tom Haudricourts' tweet)

Both Prince Fielder (25) and Craig Counsell (I know, right?) homered for the struggling Crew. It was a nice win that will hopefully amount in to something more when Milwaukee boards a plane and heads down to San Diego to take on the Pads.

-Jeff Suppan on the 15-day DL....ouch. Yes, I know he blows right now...but they need him.

-Bill Hall sent to AAA-Nashville. This was broken by Rightfieldbleachers.com after the game.
He could very easily flip the switch and have everybody in Milwaukee loving him again. He's doing the right thing by paying his dues and taking the assignment. Get better Billy....

-JJ Hardy didn't play today....hmmm....I wonder? Same thing happened last week though, during the day game against Pittsburgh. Probably nothing. But with all the roster moves...you would have to guess something's bound to happen by tomorrow's deadline.

Trying to salvage a series-split today

Milwaukee lost Tuesday night to the rechid Nationals.

Thankfully, they pulled of a surprising, come-from-behind win against the worst team in baseball. I don't care at this point...I'm just happy they won. I will worry about the under-lying fact that they shouldn't even be sweating this team.

It all started the first-pitch being thrown out by Casey McGehee's special-needs son who suffers from Cerebal Palsey. The young boy walked out on to the field with his walker alongside Prince and Dad. He then made the toss to his with assistance from Prince Fielder. Pretty touching. I have 2 sons and I can only imagine how proud Casey was and how excited his son was. It brought the chills!

Call it what you want...but it might have been exactly what the Crew needed. A sort of emotional-lifter that didn't actually kick in until after they fell 4 runs behind.

It was Dad that came through to put the Brewers ahead, finally, with a 2-run pinch hit HR. It was a line-drive blast to Left-Center field. Oddly enough, I knew he was going to crush the ball. I just didn't think he would go yard.

On a day where most teams were wheeling and dealing, Milwaukee stood stationary. Thanks impart to them losing 16 of 23 games, you can't really blame Doug for sitting on his hands. Thankfully, they have one more game today to prove to Melvin that they are worth making a deal over.

-A Ryan Braun HR was overturned thanks impart to instant replay. That makes it 5 times where HR's were overturned involving the Crew, one one side or the other.

-Rumor has it that Milwaukee is targetting RHP Kevin Correia from the Padres. I can see why. Carlos Villanueva was announced as the starter for Sunday's game. If they land Correia, he can simpy switch uniforms and pitch for the Brewers. His ERA is nothing to write home to mom about at 4.75 and a 7-8 record. The only plus-side to Kevin is that he is only owed 250k more this season. Milwaukee wouldn't have to give up much for a "B" type player. Anyone is better than Villy.....and yes....Tim Dillard is far better than Carlos. MORE HERE on Correia.

-What about shipping JJ Hardy up to Boston....and getting Bucholz and Duncan in return? I'm game.

-Hardy plays-on as the rumors swirl...
The dude is finally starting to heat up...just a little too late. He will have, yet another, 20+ HR season. Not bad for a SS.

Crew gets smashed

Jeff Suppan's roller-coaster season continued last night. Oh who am I fooling....he sucks. His ERA has now climbed to over 5 and he gave up 10 runs last night....consisting of 2 grand slams to a "nobody" that plays for a horrible team.

Milwaukee has literally played themselves out of any sort of trade-picture over the span of ONE WEEK.

It's hard to think positive right now. I know, deep down, that they will heat up again. There's is just too much going wrong right now....thus making me think that they hit rock bottom last night. The sad part is that Melvin received no reassurance from the team about going out on a limb to make a trade. The Crew is more than one piece away from contending. They need to literally land 2 solid pitchers by Friday if they have any hope.

It will be interesting to see how Carlos Villanueva responds tonight. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that he will be lights-out tonight. The kid has struggled lately and he's always thought of himself as a "starter". Tonight is his chance. If he pitches well tonight, I would anticipate Villy landing a starting spot until Bush comes back....this of course...pending any sort of trade.

Look for Carlos to go 6 complete and giving up one run tonight. If he can even turn out 5 complete, that will be a success.

Crap Weekend

What a waste of a Brewers' weekend.

After losing 2 of 3 to the Braves the rumor mill is still turning. I guess being 3 or games out of first place at this time makes you wonder that Milwaukee in only "one hot streak away" from getting back in to the hunt.

With Dave Bush being placed on the DL and Tim Dillard being called up from AAA Nashville, you have to think Milwaukee's is throwing in the towel...

Think twice.

Milwaukee has Jarrod Washburn in their sights.....

That's swell and all. But if they give up Escobar or Hardy for this level of a player....I will be quite pissed.

Holliday to St Louis / Parra Factor

Matt Holliday has been traded to the St Louis Cardinals.

Crap. At this point can the Brewers even keep up with the Cards or the Cubs...or the Astros for that matter? Holliday and Lugo could be the needed shot in the arm for them. Although Holliday only has 11 HR's he is starting to heat up. Not to mention this:

SI.COM-
Holliday's career numbers at the Cardinals' home park: .385 AVG, .872 SLG, 1.350 OPS (highest at any park, min. 10 games).

Melvin....what's your move now?
_______________________________________________

Yes indeed, the Braves come to town for a weekend show down with it's old hometown. After a good ol' fashion butt kicking from Houston, I would expect to see the Braves ready to play tonight.

The underlying story is Manny Parra starting tonight. I would anticipate scouts from the Blue Jays to be in attendance. If Parra throws well, thus making it 3 straight-solid starts since being recalled from AAA-Nashville, I would guess that the Halladay rumors would explode.

Milwaukee is nipping at the heels of Philly in the quest for Doc Halladay. The Brewers certainly have the ingredients, as does Philly. Recent rumors involve:
- Parra, Gamel, and Escobar
-Parra & Gamel
-Parra, Hardy, and Gamel
-Parra, Hardy, and one or two "players to be named" from the ranks of A or AA.

Personally, I have to side with the latter if I were to choose. Anything else is over-compensating. JJ Hardy has the potential, but Milwaukee only gets to witness it in isolated bursts through out the season. Most notably last year in the playoffs where he was the ONLY Brewer to crank out some hits. This should not be forgotten.
Parra would be the toughest to see go. He has promise of being a #2 or #3 hurler in the rotation. His mental toughness is suspect, but he's young and should grow out of it.

Doc Halladay has been given a number of chances to voice any sort of displeasure with the idea of being traded to the Brewers. GM Riccardi has been rumored to have a list of teams that Doc would/would-not play for. As with any rumor, it's probably bs. But, he's not stupid and you can't tell me he's not excited to see who has a crush on him.

The serious contenders, from what I know, are Philly, Milwaukee, and LA. The Dodgers could surprise us all and swoop in with their solid corps of prospects at the minor league level. Possibly even throwing in a Furcal, which would be tough with his new contract.

Philly could also offer up rising-stars JA Happ and Kyle Drabeck, both of whom sound quite appealing.

Only time will tell.

The Onion

Selfless Jason Kendall Sacrifices Bunt,
Self For Good Of Team,
Advancement Of Runners

MILWAUKEE—In an act of selflessness not often seen amongst ego-driven American athletes, who typically look only to further their own personal agendas, hero Milwaukee Brewers player Jason Kendall placed a bunted ball back to the pitcher Tuesday with full knowledge that he himself would be eliminated from scoring contention for the duration of the contest's fifth inning. Receiving upon his return to the dugout a mere smattering of high fives from his ignorant teammates and but one hand-clap from the staff of coaching elders, Kendall was not properly greeted as a hero responsible for the very 90-foot advancement of teammates Mat Gamel and J.J. Hardy to second and third base respectively. Due to his undying devotion to the singular cause of winning, even at the cost of his own personal downfall, Jason Kendall is the greatest player to ever play the game of baseball.鱼

Off Day

Good News: Brewers are off today, Lopez gets to rest his hammie, and the Crew will try to forget the embarrassment they sufferred in Pittsburgh.

Bad News: Milwaukee still doesn't have a starting pitcher announced for next Tuesday's game....and the trade market is looking dimal, or that's what Doug Melvin will have you believe.

Milwaukee lost the the Pirates yesterday 8-7, thanks impart to Mitch Stetter giving up a walk-off HR. The Crew gave up 5 HR's in the game, 4 of which was given up by Soup.

The Houston Astros are now the hottest team in the NL Central. It's a log jam at the top, with St Louis have a 1 game lead over the Cubs and Astros. Milwaukee is 2 games back. Thankfully, Milwaukee has the easiest schedule of the 4 coming down the stretch. Does that mean anything? See: this past series.

The Brewers purchased a human being. Literally. They bought Brandon Kintzler from the St. Paul Saints (independent league). He was drafted by the Padres in 2004 and pitched only 2 seasons before leaving for Winnipeg in the Northern League (ind.). Milwaukee did the same thing last year at about this time when they purchased ___________ from the St. Paul Saints. I just can't remember his name.

Swell story on Brad Nelson, the ex-Brewer who is now playing in the Mariners' organization. It appears they are playing him at 1B more than any other position. I wish that guy luck. He went 0-24 (I think) and just didn't catch on. He is a beast though.

More and More smoke on Brewers being considered as a major player for Doc Hallady or Cliff Lee.

Crew Grinds Out A Win

Pretty boring game to watch, I'm not gonna lie. Braden Looper is turning out to be the ONLY bright spot in the rotation. With Yovannia struggling over his past 4-5 starts and Parra, finally, starting to come around...it's looking like Looper was one of the best off-season picks-ups for the Brewers.

His record improved to 9-4 and boy did he look impressive last night. Looper threw 7 shut-out innings and gave up only 4 hits. This is after his start last week where he had 3 hits at the plate. Loop-Dog is starting to look like the anchor of the rotation.

Prince Fielder, again, provided some insurance with an RBI-single in the 7th inning. Fielder went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's.

Craig Counsell started at 3B but then shifted to 2B after Felipe Lopez left with a sore hamstring. Hopefully it's nothing that a few days rest can't provide. With a day game today and an off-day on Thursday, Lopez should be ready to go for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Counsell went 3 for 4 on the night with a walk. Lopez went 1 for 4 with a walk as well.

Trevor Hoffman didn't look rusty at all. After a couple of days off, he was able to notch his 22nd save, while DiFelice and Stetter recorded holds.

-Milwaukee Brewers courted by City of Palms Ballpark in Arizona for a possible Spring Training site-change. Apparently the Brewers aren't happy with Maryvale Park? First I heard of this.
Why would a team want to move away from Phoenix to a more suburban training site?

Pirates finally snap losing streak to the Brewers

I wasn't able to catch most of the game last night. With rain-delay and the fact that I was dead tired prevented me from watching it past the 6th inning.

Here's what I know from today's paper.....

Milwaukee lost 8-5

Felipe Lopez reached base 5 times...but also got tagged out twice after making stupid baserunning decisions

Both teams cleared their benches in the 8th inning after Chris Smith beamed Jeff Karstens. Jason Kendall got in to it with Karstens and then with the Pittsburgh pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. After the game when Kendall was asked about the melay, he kept referring to him as "Dave Kerwin". The media even pointed out to him that his name was Joe Kerrigan....but he still referred to him as "Dave Kerwin". Hilarious. Kendall isn't one to be too cocky or arrogant. So for him to get in anyone's face seemed to tell you that he was sticking up for his young pitcher no matter what.

Both benches and bullpens quickly cleared but not much more than some screaming and shoving took place and nobody was ejected. Kendall got into a shouting match with Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan, whom Kendall repeatedly called by the wrong name after the game despite being told of his real name.
"I was OK until Dave Kerwin started yelling at me," said Kendall, who ignored the correction. "I'm not going to get yelled at. He started yelling at me and . . . I'm OK until someone starts yelling at me.
"I don't know why (he was yelling). Dave Kerwin? I don't know why."

-Mike Burns pretty much sucked last night. I guess you could blame the 2 hour rain delay, having to get all warmed up only to sit in the club house for 2 hours. Regardless, he lost the game for the Crew right away in the 1st inning. It didn't help in seeing JJ Hardy bobble yet-another routine grounder that could have been turned in to a double-play...instead, it scored a run and left the bases loaded.
He lasted a piss-poor 3 innings, giving up 6 runs on 6 hits (4 earned).

-The only good news about last night, in addition to Lopez, was Carlos Villanueva who bounced back from a horrible month. He last 3 innings and gave up only one mistake, which was a HR. He went 3 innings and gave up only 3 hits and a walk.

-So...it's looking like a win-one, lose-one type middle of the season. The Crew can't put together a win streak. The last one they had was when they swept the Indians more than a month ago!

-The rumor mill is running wild with talk of Halladay. I too have a feeling that Milwaukee is one of the few teams who have the ingredients to pull off a trade....no question about it. But the thing that could kill it all? Is Doc Halladay and his no-trade clause. It wasn't until yesterday did I feel that Milwaukee may not get him afterall. He wants a team who's a contender and trains in Florida so that he can be close to his home. Not to mention, I read a few months ago that he doesn't want to bat....so that's a strike against NL teams.

Rightfieldbleachers.com takes a pretty good look at it HERE. They mention JJ Hardy as part of the deal. Good points, but I don't see JJ and his piss-poor .229 batting average making much of an impact. Although those number are slowly starting to climb....and he has proven that he can hit 20+ HR's.....well.....

MLBtraderumors.com is the website that really plays with my emotions. In the 2+ years that I've been reading that site....they have broken my heart far too many times. Every time I read someting on there about the Crew...I get all gitty like a school boy....(wait, what?)....only to get crushed minutes later with one of their updates. HERE's the thread of updates to Roy Halladay.

Felipe Lopez traded to Milwaukee!

Great news today...despite the loss (thank McClunk). Felipe Lopez was traded to Milwaukee today! In return, Arizona gets a promising fielder in Cole Gillespie and Roque Mercedes (single-A).

With Casey McGehee knee-problems and Counsell playing much better in a platoon rotation....Melvin couldn't pass on the speedy lead-off hitter the Crew has been desperately seeking. In addition to his .301 average and 18 doubles, they also land a switch hitter. His OBP ranks him #2 in the NL at .372.

This will probably put McGehee in the outfield and Gerut will probably be on his way out. Casey has struggled at 3B and has been decent at 2B.

This is huge. It's just too bad Milwaukee couldn't land Doug Davis, who is now possibly looking at an extension in AZ. Melvin must know something that we don't in Bushs' DL stint. With Parra throwing well and Bush on the mend, I guess he may not go after a pitcher afterall.

In todays Phoenix newspaper, there was a story about possible trade rumors involving Lopez....gotta love the irony. He is getting paid 3.5MM this year on a one-year contract.

Parra impressive in win

Manny Parra (4-8) made his second start since being recalled from AAA-Nashville. Immediately, Parra struggled with his location and had to work out of a couple of jams in the 1st and 2nd innings. I don't know what catcher Mike Rivera said to Parra, but what ever it is, he listened.
Manny collected 6 strike outs and 3 walks, while giving up 1 run on 5 hits.

With Ryan Braun out of the line up due to a forearm bruise and sprained thumb, Milwaukee's bats came back to life. Craig Counsell hit his 3rd HR of the year and also added a double. He reached 1B 6 times.

JJ Hardy hit his 11th HR in the 8th inning. The only down side of that was that Trevor Hoffman wasn't used because it wasn't a "save" situation.

Cam and Hart also contributed with 2 hits a piece and 2 doubles.

-TH's breakdown the NL Central.

-Dave Bush will rest an extra 5 days.

-Jody Gerut really sucks. I mean, he's just bad. He's 1-17 and whiffed last night too. He is horrible. Makes you really kick yourself for hating on TG Jr. so much doesn't it?

-Great little interview between a Daytona, OH newspaper and Mr. Bob Uecker. It will be a sad day for Wisconsin when he retires. He makes summer. Well....and Usinger's sausage. I was listening to the game on the radio last night. Bob was talking to Cory Provus about back in the day when his good friend Johnny Bench used to his own television show for kids. It was aired in Ohio every Saturday morning. Bob said that Bench would do 1/2 the shows drunk.

-THIS GUY still thinks Prince Fielder is a vegan.

Halladay Rumors Heat Up

After the news broke Thursday that Dave Bush was going to stay on the DL, Milwaukee is now throwing their hat in the Halladay sweepstakes. Doug Melvin is hinting at the idea of possibly lifting the "untouchable" status on Gamel & Escobar.

If anything, please package Gamel and JJ Hardy. Keep Escobar.
Then again, JJ only has 1 more year left.

-Kosi likes the idea.

-Chicago Tribune comments on possible trade packages for Doc. At least they credit the Milwaukee Brewers as having the best farm system in the MLB.

-am620 out of Milwaukee chimes in on the JJ for Bedard/Washburn idea.

-Brewers got shut-out last night against Aroyo. Thanks impart to a minor league umpire who completely lost his mind.

Look mom, the other Brewers' can hit too!

Finally, Brewers' fans were able to catch a glimpse of Milwaukee's surrounding cast-members contribute! It was a pleasant experience watching last night's game.

JJ Hardy had two hits and 3 RBI's
Prince hit his 23rd HR
Jason Kendall had 2 hits and an RBI
Braun went 1 for 4 (ugh) w/ a walk (yea!)
Corey Hart also added 2 hits

So...this could be a good sign of things to come. JJ Hardy credited his good game to the All Star break....and finally being able to go fishing to clear his head.

Braden Looper pitched a solid 5 1/3 innings last night striking out 4, walking 5 (booo), and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits...which is below is ERA. He also had a career-night at the plate! Looper had 3 hits and an RBI. Prior to last night, dude had 3 hits the entire season.

-How is it that Jay Bruce was only batting .217 (if my memory serves me) with 18 HR's before he broke his wrist? That's insane. They are going to be a scary team to face next season. Joey Voto and Jay Bruce will have one more year of experience under their belts and Homer Bailey will probably turn-out to be a hell of a hurler. Throw in Brandon Phillips as the veteran-leader....viola! You have a decent team. Good rotation too!

-I mentioned yesterday, Dave Bush is still suffering from shoulder fatigue...could be a serious concern to the Brewers staff. Mike Burns will get Monday's nod. I like this idea. Let Burnsy pitch against the Pirates and earn another win. Hopefully the offense will be there to back him up.

-The Cubs won last night 6-2 against the piss poor Nats. I would anticipate them pulling off a 4-game sweep of the Nationals. If Milwaukee drops one against the Reds, we will have a tie for 2nd; depending on the Cardinals...it could be a three-way tie for first place.

Count Bush Out

Dave Bush will likely not be ready to start in Pittsburgh for his scheduled comeback off the DL. Apparently he's still suffering from shoulder fatigue.

Here's what I'm saying....

If Doug Melvin was truly looking at trading for a pitcher.....he wouldn't have shot himself in the foot by releasing this info before Monday's game.

I'm flip flopping more than a politician here....perhaps Doug Melvin isn't looking to deal?

Here we go!

Some guy named "Jervey" posted THIS link on a Brewers' story over on JSonline.com. It's a Seattle Mariner blog that draws a lot of hits, by the looks of it.

(Please Read the story that's linked)
Wouldn't this work for both sides? The author of this post raises some good points in Melvin trading JJ Hardy for Erik Bedard & Jarrod Washburn (La Crosse native, 34 years-old). The part I don't get is that Washburn & Bedard are both LHP's who would fill a pretty big void in their rotation. Apparently they have a decent pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith (AAA) and Brandon Morrow who could fill in. Not to mention Jack Z could find a pitcher in the off season. Both Bedard & Washburn are free agents at the end of the year....while JJ Hardy will be a free agent 2010-2011.

I don't know what to think about with this one. JJ is probably worth the highest he'll ever be, with Escobar waiting to get the call. Once that happens, all other teams will know that Melvin will give him up for much less, because he has to....in order to make room to bring up Escobar...which is inevitable. Why not do it now and start working on a long-term contract with Escobar RIGHT AWAY?!?!?! The likelihood of keep Bedard are slim....but Washbun is 34 and will be 35 in the off-season. That's not a spring chicken anymore. However, with pitchers, they can often last until their low-40's (age).

Milwaukee should do it. They need to move 1 one of 2 players in Corey Hart and JJ Hardy.

If this did happen....

1. Gallardo
2. Bedard
3. Looper
4. Washburn
5. Suppan/Bush

Playoffs...

1. Gallardo
2. Bedard
3. Looper / Suppan
4. Washburn

This looks good on paper.

Here's a Seattle Times post on other Mariners' targets. Jack Z and Melvin can surely work together and help improve each other's clubs.

-With news coming out of Huntsville this morning that Dave Bush got roughed up in last nights start, this deal seems to make more and more sense. We have no idea what Bush and Parra will be like the remainder of the season. Especially Parra. He's unproven this season and his mind could (yet again) start playing tricks on him. With him....it's all mental....something you can't fix easily. Mechanics is something that you simply hash out.

-Milwaukee will travel to Cincinnati today to take on the Reds in a division show-down. The Reds are in 4th place and 5 games behind the Cardinals.

Braden Looper (7-4, 4.92) will take to the mound versus (RHP) Homer Bailey (1-0, 5.16).

Brewers enter the (unofficial) second half 45-43

Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby last night, beating out ex-Brewer and one-time minor league teammate Nelson Cruz. Prince held 4 of the top 5 longest homerun marks too. Albert Pujols struggled early but the whaled the ball in the tie-breaker round. Fielder's longest just over 500'.

Loge Seats will be $5 for Milwaukee's game against the Padres, August 11-13th. Not bad! Princes' 23 HR's dropped the normal price of $28/ticket.

Tonight, Ryan Braun will start in RF. It appears the Charlie Manuel is going to put the aging Ibanez in LF to rest him more. What a joke. The biggest joke was Manuel selecting Jayson Werth to replace Kemp. That makes 3 OF for the Phillies.

Ryan Braun hit only .120 last week, just after griping about Melvin. Who cares, he's gonna have down weeks. Could it be his feud with Melvin? No.

Hoff was added to the All Star team for the National League. Isn't that a no-brainer? I mean, 20 of 22 saves?!?!?! All while missing one month of play.

Milwaukee will (in my opinion) call up Alcides Escobar within the next month. It appears he's waiting for that call.

Finally, Lorenzo Cain will begin his journey back from injury. He will make some rehab starts in Appleton this month and then rapidly make his way back up to Nashville. This is the future RF of the Brewers!

Milwaukee dropped their series with LA over this past weekend, 2-1. The loss brings Milwaukee's record to 44-42 on the year.

What about that dirty Sanchez guy from the Pirates?

Freddy Sanchez is being whored out by the Pirates right now and there are a couple of teams (allegedly) interested in him. Those teams being the Rockies and the Giants.

Apparently the Pirates are eyeing up Eric Young Jr. who is playing in AAA for the Rockies.

Wouldn't Sanchez be a nice pick-up for the rest of the season? With Weeks out and Casey McGehee unable to play 2B on a daily basis, Sanchez could be a nice lead-off option for the Crew. Granted, it would be tough for the Pirates to trade him to a division rival....but then again, it would be nice to unload his salary. He's set to make 8MM next year (6MM this year).

Another lovely idea. Dude's batting .316 this season (while battling injuries) and he earned the NL batting title in 2005.

Just an idea.....just saying....

Honestly...you give Piniero a complete game?!?!?!

Milwaukee got spanked today 5-1. Manny Parra was unstoppable, but again, the offense wasn't there to support their pitcher.

Maybe I have this whole thing wrong....perhaps Milwaukee does need a bat. Jody Gerut should change his name to Judy....just wanted to put that out there. He's been absolutely useless since coming over to Milwaukee. That trade Melvin pulled off is probably one of the worst trades since becoming the GM.


I'm just pissed. I have to vent.

Fielder had a double (golf clap ensues)
Cameron had a hit (more golf clapping)
Parra fanned 7 and lasted 7 scoreless innings.

HEY Braun! Where you at? Where's your big yapper now?

Brewers-Cardinals: rubber match today

Well, it's been bumpy ride the last couple of weeks. However, Milwaukee has still remained a game out of first place with last night's win over the Cardinals. Thanks impart to Prince Fielder who's hustle beat-out an infield hit, thus making way for the go-ahead run.

Tuesday's game was horrible. But let's face it....Wainwright is a Brewer killer. As a result, the Crew mustered together only a couple of hits and scored no runs. They stranded a butt load of base runners too.

Yovanni earned the loss and dropped to 8-6 on the year. Wainwright is now 9-5.

______________

In last night's game Jeff Suppan pitched another solid game against his old teammates. Granted, he did give up the only (4) runs of the game. But that's a given, Soup will always give up 3 to 4 runs and it's the offenses' job to get back in to it. The thing that sucks about that is....well....the offense has to do that every game. Jeff Suppan lasted 5 2/3 innings last night, striking out only 2 batters and walking 4. Is it just me...or are the Brewers' pitchers walks starting to rise again. I hope this isn't a returning problem. Yo had averaged a walk an inning on Tuesday.

Trevor Hoffman gave up a lead-off double, but still held on for his 19th save. Mitch Stetter also stranded an inherited base-runner...doing what he does best.

Mat Gamel blasted his 3 HR of the season, finally putting the Crew on the board. He also played some solid defense, aside from his one mess-up when he fielded that in-field hit and didn't toss it to 2B. He also made a premature decision in picking up a rolling bunt down the 3B line that may/could've rolled foul. But heh, the guy fielded some hard hitting grounders and made some key plays.

Ryan Braun went 2-4 with a double

Craig Counsell, who was the go-ahead run also tallied a clutch double.

-Manny Parra will start in today's game. To make room for him, Chris Narveson is being sent back down to Nashville. You can expect to see Mike Burns sent down when Dave Bush comes back next week Thursday in Cincy.

-Should Milwaukee make a run at Roy Halladay? In turn, giving up Escobar or Gamel along with another high-end prospect? Why not? With the Milwaukee Brewers, you need to live in the NOW....man. You can't constantly be looking 2-3 years down the road. You ride momentun when you're a "small market" team. Here's my spiel: Trade JJ Hardy and Brett Lawrie for Doc Halladay. Lawrie is young enough where the Blue Jays can mold him in to a whatever position they want. Toronto is in CANADA...where Lawrie is from. Stick with Escobar and bring him up in JJ's place. You could also platoon Counsell and Escobar until he gets the hang of it. If the Lawrie and Escobar aren't enough, why not explore other options in Salome? Kendall isn't going anywhere...anytime soon and Mike Rivera is a solid back-up who can step in to the starting role. Halladay in under contract through 2010 @ 14.25MM this season, and 15.25MM next season. Sheboygan Press says that Milwaukee could then unload him if he's too expensive for next year or keep him, thus putting Yo in his place at the #2 spot. Sounds good on paper. But is it worth giving up a JJ or Escobar? For me, I'm cool with JJ getting packaged.

-Cool story on how the Brewers have "invigorated" the Appleton's minor-league team.

-Great news! Another Cubbie is heading to the DL. Typically, I feel bad for those who are injured...but it's the Cub's. And I f$(*#(@'n hate the Cubs. Ryan Dempster has a tear in his wrist....which is quite similar to what Rickie Weeks endured....hmmmm. Trenie pointed that out on her Twitter page. Stupid Twitter....good for something finally!

-Bushy will start Friday up in Appleton for the Timber Rattlers, pitching 4 innings. Nice treat for the Baby Brewers.

Tidbits

HERE is a neat little story by Baseball America about future call-ups to look for in the second half of the season. Alcides Escobar is listed at #2. How long with Macha & Melvin give JJ to snap out of this slump? Granted, he's been hitting pretty decent as of late...but Hardy would make great trade-bait w/ Cory Hart.

This D-Bag predicts the Cubs to wake-up and take the NL Central.

Huntsville is at risk of losing their AA team in the Milwaukee farm system. Their attendance is near the bottom of the league and Gord Ash is threatening to move the team. Where to? Hmmm....

Lambeau Field and Miller Park rank in the top 10 for best fan "experience". Lambeau was first and Miller Park was 7th. Remember last a year ago or so, when Sports Illustrated ranked Miller Park the second-best place (behind Jacobs Field) to watch a MLB game?

Ryan Braun: Wisconsin's sport villain part deux

Well, it's safe to say that Doug Melvin was a bit pissed of with Ryan Braun's statements. Melvin did the right thing in sticking up for the front office and the rest of the team. Ryan Braun should close his mouth for now on. Don't be like Milton Bradley, Ozzie Guillen, and other players and coaches that through their own teammates under the bus.

Like I said, I believe Braun's frosted tips (hair) are starting to affect his brain.

Brewers inquire about Vazquez

ESPN is reporting that Melvin has called the Braves regarding coveted starting pitcher Javier Vazquez. T.H from JSonline counters this story by mentioning that there is no ideal match, because A. Escobar and Gamel are off limits.

Other ideas:

Buster mentions Corey Hart as a target of Atlanta's.

Hart for Vazquez? I love it. But it doesn't seem like Atlanta would come out even in this trade.

More HERE

Oh...and of course....Melvin denies that the two sides ever spoke...

HERE's another idea.....Halladay would be a great fit in Milwaukee....is this idea too far fetched?

Corey Hart's name has surfaced quite a bit in trade rumors. I would love it if Milwaukee could find a taker. Granted, he's only batting .250 or so, but he was an All Star last season and he WILL come out of this slump. Last time I checked, Atlanta was 2 games out and about to take on the Chicago Cubs. I forsee the Cubs winning this series, thus leaving Atlanta to play Colorado before the AS break. At that time, in the NL East the Braves will appear to be out of it for the time being, thus making them sellers. Of course, Hart would have to be packaged with a "player to be named later" or a second-rate prospect like Vinny Rottino.

If Hart were to leave, McGehee would then move to the OF on a permanent basis. Casey isn't the best infielder and would do better in rightfield. Gamel would then start everyday at 3B and Hall would then have to platoon with Counsell at 2B (ugh, not appealing). Gerut and Frank could then be used as outfield warm-up tossers in-between innings.

Brewers escape Chicago....with one win

What an ugly, pathetic series to listen to over the radio. Having been up north since Thursday morning, I was able to avoid watching this train wreck of a series.

Where to begin. Well, for starters the Milwaukee Brewers were out played in ever facet of the series. From coaching to pitching to fielding to hitting. Milwaukee looked awful. Aside from it's kickass performance on Saturday, the Crew looked overmatched in every way.

Ryan Braun put it best.....Milwaukee needs to add another pitcher. Imagine, if the Milwaukee would add one left-handed pitcher....Manny Para would be sent to the pen and could make spot starts for the remainder of the season. Bush would be back (after the AS break) and suddenly the rotation would be back to "average", which may just be enough in the competitive NL Central. Let's face it, Chicago has the best rotation, but their bats are all jacked up right now. I do fear the day that they come alive and match the level of skill that their starters are shelling out.

No need to write more on this mess of a weekend. Let's just say this...Milwaukee came one bad call away from potentially splitting the series. Had the joke of a call (ball thrown by DeFelice) been called a strike, I wouldn't be surprised if Milwaukee escaped with a win. Wishful thinking though.

Fun game to watch

I had a good time watching the Crew pull a fast-one on the Mets. Granted, I was worried when I saw Mike Burns (1-1) give up a 2-run shot to David Wright in the first inning. However, after that low point Burns was spot-on and rocked through 6 and 2/3 innings to earn his first career win! He gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, only 1 walk and 2 k's.

The most entertaining moment of the night was a 3-run double that Ryan Braun had. He lifted a shot in to leftfield, out of Gary Sheffield's (boooo) reach. The bases cleared and Braun rounded 3B when he noticed that the ball dropped out of the Schneider's hands at home plate. He decided to retreat to 3B when he saw Johan Santana throwing the ball. It sailed over the covering 3B and Braun trotted in for a 3-rbi double (inside the park, but it was an error). This is the second time in one week where a Brewer scored on his own hit (Corey Hart did previously).

Prince Fielder launched his 20th HR of the season.

Hart and Hardy are really starting to come out of their slumps. It's been mainly JJ Hardy who's been tested the most in the 2009 season. He started off in April with a .156 average, and then .333 in May. He then dipped again and is now hitting .313 over the past 12 games. MORE on JJ heating up.

Mike Cameron continues his month-long slump. This is to be expected, same thing happened last year. He's good for it.

-Mat Gamel looks like he's heading back down to Nashville. He's been on the bench the past 5 out of 6 games. Mainly due to left-handed batters. Casey McGehee has been making this decision a no-brainer for Melvin and Ash.

24th Round Pick Peter Fatse is on the up and up, now playing with the T-Rats after a brief stint in rookie ball.

Looks like Cleveland and Milwaukee are working out a deal....should be a steal for Milwaukee!