TEAM WISCONSIN: A bush league blog that discusses news, rumors, and BS regarding the Milwaukee Brewers.
Monday, May 31, 2010
21-28: Corey Hart Comes Up Big
I was unable to watch/listen most of the game on Saturday. I was able to see John Axford earn his 2nd save of his career. Corey Hart had a grand-slam (first of his career) and a 2-run homer.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
20-28: Yovanni out-duels Johan
Yovanni pitched his first shut-out of his career last night in a stunning pitchers duel that resulted Johan being yanked in the 9th inning. Jerry Manuel, the Mets skipper, decided to pull his ace after throwing 8 scoreless frames and limiting the Crew to only 3 hits. For some oddball reason, Manuel thought some pitcher that sounds like Yoshi would fair better. Boy was he wrong.
Corey Hart hit a towering shot to Right-Center field to win the game.
Ken Macha & Rick Peterson finally grew a set of balls and allowed Yo to throw over 110 pitches (120). He struck out 7, gave up 8 hits, and walked one. No doubt, this was his best outing of his career (he's only 24).
The middle of the line-up tallied a hit each.
Corey Hart's HR made me forget about his stupid female portrait (tatoo) on his right arm. I realize this may have some sort of significance to him. But man is that a bad tat.
*Chris Capuano was called up from AAA last night. He hasn't pi
tched in a big league game sine 2007. My guess is that they'll use him in the bull pen. We all knew a decision had to be made soon. Milwaukee had to either call him-up or let him walk to another team.
*Edmounds returns Monday
*Ken Macha had an A's team that was 18-32 before they turned it around and finished with 88 wins. Still....with this pitching staff, it's a long shot that will turn it around. I will believe it when they get to .500 anyways.
Corey Hart hit a towering shot to Right-Center field to win the game.
Ken Macha & Rick Peterson finally grew a set of balls and allowed Yo to throw over 110 pitches (120). He struck out 7, gave up 8 hits, and walked one. No doubt, this was his best outing of his career (he's only 24).
The middle of the line-up tallied a hit each.
Corey Hart's HR made me forget about his stupid female portrait (tatoo) on his right arm. I realize this may have some sort of significance to him. But man is that a bad tat.
*Chris Capuano was called up from AAA last night. He hasn't pi
tched in a big league game sine 2007. My guess is that they'll use him in the bull pen. We all knew a decision had to be made soon. Milwaukee had to either call him-up or let him walk to another team.
*Edmounds returns Monday
*Ken Macha had an A's team that was 18-32 before they turned it around and finished with 88 wins. Still....with this pitching staff, it's a long shot that will turn it around. I will believe it when they get to .500 anyways.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
19-28: Lindstrom wins game for Crew!
The Crew won a series at home! Hooray!
This, what I say, is true. Matt Lindstrom walked-in the winning run when Rickie Weeks was walked (full count) in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Sadly enough, the Brewers big 2 (Prince & Braun) were unable to deliver in the clutch. Both had a chance to win the game with RISP, but failed miserably. Fielder hit a moon shot to RF, only to have Hunter Pence pull it in on the warning track. Unbelievable. The magic has been missing for these two and their storied game-winning heroics.
*Rickie Weeks is starting to heat-up again. He went 2 for 3 and drove in a run.
*Carlos Gomez delivered in the clutch big time today! He drove in the tying run in the 9th. He had 2 hits (for 5) and 2 RBI.
*Casey McGehee had the best performance of the day by going 3 for 5, while driving in a run.
*Braun & Fielder both went o'fer....unreal.
Dave Bush made-right with Milwaukee's fans by tossing 5 solid innings. Granted, it's pathetic that he can only last that long on 102 pitches. I think I saw he had 32 pitches in the 1st inning. How does that happen? Anyways, Bushy did look good in 4 of the 5 innings; he gave up his customary couple of runs in the 1st inning and then stopped the bleeding after that.
Well, let's take a look at Mr. Bush and figure this out. Granted, I'm no expert in identifying problematic pattern....
So far in 2010 Bush has a 10.80 ERA in 9 games! 12 runs, 10 earned and 0 HR's. So, you will see from my findings below that he's at least keeping the damn ball in the park....but his ERA is insanely high.
Dave Bush, in 2009, gave up 17 Runs (all earned) total in the first inning and a 7.29 ERA
but was horrible in the 4th, 5th, and 7th innings (ERA around 9.00 in those innings alone). He also gave up 5 HR's in his 1st innings.
His 2008 campaign's 1st inning performance was as follows....
In 29 games he gave up 26 Runs (24 earned) with a 7.45 ERA. The third innings was his best with a 2.17 ERA in 29 Games. The 14 games where he lasted 7 innings, his ERA was excellent (1.50 ERA). Bush also gave up 8 HR's total in his 1st inning appearances. That's horrible.
2007 resulted in Bush having 31 appearances with a 8.13 ERA and 28 Runs (all 28 earned). He also gave up 4 HR's and 14 doubles.
It's a no-brainer that Bush is relaxed and at his best in innings 3-5.
What does this mean? Well, Dave Bush is horrible in the 1st inning. Anyone can see that.
This, what I say, is true. Matt Lindstrom walked-in the winning run when Rickie Weeks was walked (full count) in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Sadly enough, the Brewers big 2 (Prince & Braun) were unable to deliver in the clutch. Both had a chance to win the game with RISP, but failed miserably. Fielder hit a moon shot to RF, only to have Hunter Pence pull it in on the warning track. Unbelievable. The magic has been missing for these two and their storied game-winning heroics.
*Rickie Weeks is starting to heat-up again. He went 2 for 3 and drove in a run.
*Carlos Gomez delivered in the clutch big time today! He drove in the tying run in the 9th. He had 2 hits (for 5) and 2 RBI.
*Casey McGehee had the best performance of the day by going 3 for 5, while driving in a run.
*Braun & Fielder both went o'fer....unreal.
Dave Bush made-right with Milwaukee's fans by tossing 5 solid innings. Granted, it's pathetic that he can only last that long on 102 pitches. I think I saw he had 32 pitches in the 1st inning. How does that happen? Anyways, Bushy did look good in 4 of the 5 innings; he gave up his customary couple of runs in the 1st inning and then stopped the bleeding after that.
Well, let's take a look at Mr. Bush and figure this out. Granted, I'm no expert in identifying problematic pattern....
So far in 2010 Bush has a 10.80 ERA in 9 games! 12 runs, 10 earned and 0 HR's. So, you will see from my findings below that he's at least keeping the damn ball in the park....but his ERA is insanely high.
Dave Bush, in 2009, gave up 17 Runs (all earned) total in the first inning and a 7.29 ERA
but was horrible in the 4th, 5th, and 7th innings (ERA around 9.00 in those innings alone). He also gave up 5 HR's in his 1st innings.
His 2008 campaign's 1st inning performance was as follows....
In 29 games he gave up 26 Runs (24 earned) with a 7.45 ERA. The third innings was his best with a 2.17 ERA in 29 Games. The 14 games where he lasted 7 innings, his ERA was excellent (1.50 ERA). Bush also gave up 8 HR's total in his 1st inning appearances. That's horrible.
2007 resulted in Bush having 31 appearances with a 8.13 ERA and 28 Runs (all 28 earned). He also gave up 4 HR's and 14 doubles.
It's a no-brainer that Bush is relaxed and at his best in innings 3-5.
What does this mean? Well, Dave Bush is horrible in the 1st inning. Anyone can see that.
18-28:Oswalt destroys Crews' batters
What a boring, dreadful game last night. This is what we are going to have to live with this summer. Milwaukee's bats go silent once they meet a solid pitcher like Roy.
Nothing like watching Prince Fielder get out due to a lightly hit pop-up....especially after Ryan Braun starts off with a smashing double. Unbelievable. Prince is nothing like the clutch hitter he once was. NOTHING like it.
Chris Narveson was tossed aside like a rag doll by the pathetic offense that is the Astros. He gave up 4 earned runs, 8 hits, and had only 2 K's. His ERA is now 5.53 on the year.
To make matters worse, Greg Zaun is out for the year (so it appears). This makes me sick. The guy finally gets to be the starting pitcher of a team....and the back-up catcher has a season ending injury. As for now, Melvin is content with George and Lucroy rotating starts, with Jorge getting the majority of the starts. Doesn't look like he'll be hitting the market looking for a replacement anytime soon. I say just go with what you got. This is a lost season.
Nothing like watching Prince Fielder get out due to a lightly hit pop-up....especially after Ryan Braun starts off with a smashing double. Unbelievable. Prince is nothing like the clutch hitter he once was. NOTHING like it.
Chris Narveson was tossed aside like a rag doll by the pathetic offense that is the Astros. He gave up 4 earned runs, 8 hits, and had only 2 K's. His ERA is now 5.53 on the year.
To make matters worse, Greg Zaun is out for the year (so it appears). This makes me sick. The guy finally gets to be the starting pitcher of a team....and the back-up catcher has a season ending injury. As for now, Melvin is content with George and Lucroy rotating starts, with Jorge getting the majority of the starts. Doesn't look like he'll be hitting the market looking for a replacement anytime soon. I say just go with what you got. This is a lost season.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
News bit
Milwaukee has some decisions to make on Kameron Loe and Chris Capuano. It would be a win-win situation if they just cut ties with Jeff Suppan and Claudio Vargas, as the story mentions. But Suppan could still be called upon this season if Doug Davis doesn't bounce back soon.
The Crew is bringing back Jeff Bennett. You may remember him from his prior stint in Milwaukee as the reliever who wore a straight billed-hat and looked like someone who would love to wear Tap-Out apparel to a night club.
Nothing too big here. He was released the Rays a couple of weeks ago.
The Crew is bringing back Jeff Bennett. You may remember him from his prior stint in Milwaukee as the reliever who wore a straight billed-hat and looked like someone who would love to wear Tap-Out apparel to a night club.
Nothing too big here. He was released the Rays a couple of weeks ago.
18-27: Randy Wolf finally delivers
Randy Wolf looked excellent last night, albeit against a horrible offense in the Houston Astros. Hell, Jeff Suppan could probably shine against this horrific offense. Regardless, Wolf looked extra sharp last night going 7 complete innings , giving up 4 hits while evening his record to 4-4. In fact he even looked a little wound-up; there were a number of times where he and rookie-catcher Jonathon Lucroy had to meet at the mound in order to go over the game plan. Lucroy was making his first career-start, so one can only imagine the nerves he had catching for a veteran in Wolf. There were a couple of times where there was disconnect between the two and Lucroy would screw-up the location of a breaking ball or slider. A couple of them cost Wolf some strikes. It should be noted that Randy Wolf tossed 103 pitches (that's 3 over a 100!).
-Carlos Villenueva recorded a scoreless frame as well.
-Todd Coffey did look decent up until the 2nd out of the 9th inning, giving up 1 earned run on two hits and costing the Crew a shut-out.
Offensively, the Brewers looked sharp. Rickie Weeks snapped out of his 6-51 drought by going yard for his 6th of the season. He had two hits on the evening.
Ryan Braun hit, what appeared to be, his longest HR in Miller Park. It was a 2-run blast.
-Ken Macha used the word poppycock yesterday.....he just earned some points back from me...
-Doug Davis had a set-back and probably will have to stay on the DL longer than the 15 days.
-Carlos Villenueva recorded a scoreless frame as well.
-Todd Coffey did look decent up until the 2nd out of the 9th inning, giving up 1 earned run on two hits and costing the Crew a shut-out.
Offensively, the Brewers looked sharp. Rickie Weeks snapped out of his 6-51 drought by going yard for his 6th of the season. He had two hits on the evening.
Ryan Braun hit, what appeared to be, his longest HR in Miller Park. It was a 2-run blast.
-Ken Macha used the word poppycock yesterday.....he just earned some points back from me...
-Doug Davis had a set-back and probably will have to stay on the DL longer than the 15 days.
Monday, May 24, 2010
17-27: Crew salvages series
Not much to be said here. The Crew won.
Prince & Corey Hart went yard
Kattaras is looking spiffy while he fills in for Zaun.
Rickie Weeks sucks
Rickie Weeks is now 6 for 55 and he's batting .236 in the lead-off. It's time to rotate him out of there and put Carlos Gomez at the top with his .289 batting average. Although Weeks has a slightly better OBP.
Prince & Corey Hart went yard
Kattaras is looking spiffy while he fills in for Zaun.
Rickie Weeks sucks
Rickie Weeks is now 6 for 55 and he's batting .236 in the lead-off. It's time to rotate him out of there and put Carlos Gomez at the top with his .289 batting average. Although Weeks has a slightly better OBP.
16-27: Villy can't seal the deal
There is no such thing as a moral victory....only in little league does that occur.
16-26: Brewers lose 15-4....are you kidding me Dave Bush?
People need to realize that David Bush is a slightly-below average pitcher disguised as a slightly-above pitcher. Despite his 3 or 4 quality starts leading up to Friday's horror show.
The ump should be punished for the way he handled the first inning argument with Dave Bush.
The ump should be punished for the way he handled the first inning argument with Dave Bush.
Friday, May 21, 2010
16-25: The AX MAN COMMETH
John Axford shined for the Brewers last night only days after getting the call-up to the bigs. The man that sports the 70's handle bar 'stache has been most-excellent over the past couple of games.
He has been the anchor in the bullpen that Macha needs right now. So far so good. Last night he tossed 2 scoreless innings after relieve Chris Narveson. The Narv Dog looked pretty decent, aside from the first two innings of work (3 earned runs on 7 hits in 6 innings of work).
So far in his 3 appearances, the Mustache Bronco has a 2.25 ERA with 5 Strike-outs and he has only give up 1 hit; all in 4 innings of work.
A bit premature to hail this man as the crutch for the weak and pathetic bullpen? Perhaps...but right now we're pulling for some sort of sign to get the team out of this hell hole of a mess.
Ryan Braun & Prince Fielder were flip-flopped last night for the first time ever! That didn't work too well....considering that Prince had one hit on a weak-ass infield hit (almost an error on Cedanno) and Ryan Braun went o'fer.
Rickie Weeks is 5 for 42 over the past 10 games.
He went o'fer last night. Not good, considering that he's our lead-off.
Hart had a triple last night and Kotteras added a double.
-Michael Hunt feels as though Melvin is in the middle of a rough patch, but he's still a good GM.
I agree. As fans, we only point out the failures and perhaps one or two highlights/success stories (CC Sabathia, Trevor Hoffman (2009), Gabe Kapler, Craig Counsell etc....). His victories far out-weigh the failures. It just so happens that the failures take up half of Milwaukee's payroll this season (Hall, Suppan, Hart, Hoff 2010, Riske, Hawkins).
The Crew only had 3 players on the bench in last night's game. Geruts' wife was in labor. It looked bleak when Zaun went down with an injury....and now he's heading to the DL. So...as I mentioned last night, Jonathon Lucroy is getting the call-up!
Speaking of roster debacles....Minnesota has their own....
JJ Hardy won't be back in time for the weekend series against his old team and friends. As a result, the team is strapped in finding viable options for roster changes. They just sent down Matt Tolbert to AAA, and he has to stay down there for 10 days. Their other option, prospect Luke Hughes in on the DL and they don't need another 3B in Danny Valencia.
But we will see Carlos Gomez on display! I am expected great things from this kid over the weekend. He has a lot to prove. Hopefully he doesn't play angry, he plays smart. It will be Willis Randolphs' job to keep him in check. Both teams are skidding, although Milwaukee's is far more severe....compared to Minnesota's 3 game losing streak.
Dave Bush vs Blackburn tonight.
He has been the anchor in the bullpen that Macha needs right now. So far so good. Last night he tossed 2 scoreless innings after relieve Chris Narveson. The Narv Dog looked pretty decent, aside from the first two innings of work (3 earned runs on 7 hits in 6 innings of work).
So far in his 3 appearances, the Mustache Bronco has a 2.25 ERA with 5 Strike-outs and he has only give up 1 hit; all in 4 innings of work.
A bit premature to hail this man as the crutch for the weak and pathetic bullpen? Perhaps...but right now we're pulling for some sort of sign to get the team out of this hell hole of a mess.
Ryan Braun & Prince Fielder were flip-flopped last night for the first time ever! That didn't work too well....considering that Prince had one hit on a weak-ass infield hit (almost an error on Cedanno) and Ryan Braun went o'fer.
Rickie Weeks is 5 for 42 over the past 10 games.
He went o'fer last night. Not good, considering that he's our lead-off.
Hart had a triple last night and Kotteras added a double.
-Michael Hunt feels as though Melvin is in the middle of a rough patch, but he's still a good GM.
I agree. As fans, we only point out the failures and perhaps one or two highlights/success stories (CC Sabathia, Trevor Hoffman (2009), Gabe Kapler, Craig Counsell etc....). His victories far out-weigh the failures. It just so happens that the failures take up half of Milwaukee's payroll this season (Hall, Suppan, Hart, Hoff 2010, Riske, Hawkins).
The Crew only had 3 players on the bench in last night's game. Geruts' wife was in labor. It looked bleak when Zaun went down with an injury....and now he's heading to the DL. So...as I mentioned last night, Jonathon Lucroy is getting the call-up!
Speaking of roster debacles....Minnesota has their own....
JJ Hardy won't be back in time for the weekend series against his old team and friends. As a result, the team is strapped in finding viable options for roster changes. They just sent down Matt Tolbert to AAA, and he has to stay down there for 10 days. Their other option, prospect Luke Hughes in on the DL and they don't need another 3B in Danny Valencia.
But we will see Carlos Gomez on display! I am expected great things from this kid over the weekend. He has a lot to prove. Hopefully he doesn't play angry, he plays smart. It will be Willis Randolphs' job to keep him in check. Both teams are skidding, although Milwaukee's is far more severe....compared to Minnesota's 3 game losing streak.
Dave Bush vs Blackburn tonight.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
CREW SNAPS LOSING STREAK!
I will write about it tomorrow....
but for now.....
Jonathon Lucroy is going to be called up to the bigs! Greg Zaun is heading to the DL. I can't wait to watch him play.
but for now.....
Jonathon Lucroy is going to be called up to the bigs! Greg Zaun is heading to the DL. I can't wait to watch him play.
15-25: Wolf pretty much sucks.....
It appears that Randy Wolf is jealous of how bad Jeff Suppan sucks....so he figures that he'll join him. I mean....you sign a huge contract for Milwaukee and then you pretty much suck it up.
*see Suppan, Hawkins, Hoffman (aside from 2009), and Doug Davis
This quote pretty much sums it up....
Read Rand Wolfs’ quote from today’s Milwaukee paper…..classic!
In four starts this month, Wolf is 1-3 with a 7.66 ERA. In 22 1/3 innings over that span, he surrendered 29 hits and 15 walks for a 1.97 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). Overall, he fell to 3-4 with a 5.10 ERA and willingly accepted blame for the defeat.
“I’m concerned about the fact that I suck,” said Wolf, who allowed 10 hits, five walks and all six runs before departing with one out in the seventh. “I’m not going to candy coat it. How many (walks) did I have today? Five? That’s horrible. I need to be more aggressive and pitch to contact.
-Meanwhile, Doug Melvin gave Ken Macha a vote of confidence this morning on AM620. Please let this be the final straw....if they get swept in the Twin Cities and the Macha is still our manager...I will dis-own the Crew...okay, maybe not that far...but I will be saddened.
*see Suppan, Hawkins, Hoffman (aside from 2009), and Doug Davis
This quote pretty much sums it up....
Read Rand Wolfs’ quote from today’s Milwaukee paper…..classic!
In four starts this month, Wolf is 1-3 with a 7.66 ERA. In 22 1/3 innings over that span, he surrendered 29 hits and 15 walks for a 1.97 WHIP (walks and hits per inning). Overall, he fell to 3-4 with a 5.10 ERA and willingly accepted blame for the defeat.
“I’m concerned about the fact that I suck,” said Wolf, who allowed 10 hits, five walks and all six runs before departing with one out in the seventh. “I’m not going to candy coat it. How many (walks) did I have today? Five? That’s horrible. I need to be more aggressive and pitch to contact.
-Meanwhile, Doug Melvin gave Ken Macha a vote of confidence this morning on AM620. Please let this be the final straw....if they get swept in the Twin Cities and the Macha is still our manager...I will dis-own the Crew...okay, maybe not that far...but I will be saddened.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
No where to go but up
Right? I mean, can they possibly extend the losing streak to 9 or 10 games? God I hope not. Honestly. This has to be the perverbial 'bottoming out' that drug addicts talk about when referring to their low points.
Well, Trevor Hoffman is going to just hand over the closer-role. You would think that his 19 earn run average would be enough for him to sulk up his pride and hand the ball over to Carlos Villenueva or even Todd Coffey. Instead...he had THIS to say. It's obvious, the new generation of players that are in the mid 20's aren't fooled by his pitches. For some reason, he can't snap out of this funk.
Michael Hunt discuss the idea of firing Macha, not because of his personality....but because of his personnel decisions. I'm sorry, but his personality isn't a match here in Milwaukee. I couldn't help but yell out loud "Get thrown out Kenny! Do it for your team and show them you're pissed" during Monday's game with Cincinnatti when Alcides Escobar was thrown out at home. He jumped right in front of the ump and I thought for sure he would tell him to "throw me out, right now, please".....but there was no such luck. Instead, he putzed back to the dug out the and the Crew ended up losing. He's the ass-opposite of Lou Panella and Bobby Cox. He's certainly not a mood-changing type of guy who will motivate the masses.
Personally, I say can his ass. Give the duties to Sveum or Randolph. This isn't rocket science here people. Granted, this is a little different than the time when Melvin canned Ned Yost....but look how they responded. They need to do something here....and I would imagine that firing Rick Peterson is out of the question. Bio-metrics my ass.
Randy Wolf, who's looking like the Jeff Suppan Project 2.0, takes to the mound tonight. HERE is the starting lineup for tonight.
Lastly, Carlos Gomez went 1 for 3 in his first rehab game for the TRats. He also had a stolen base. He will join the team in Minneapolis for the Twins series. Thankfully. Mat Gammel was supposed to play in Brevard County yesterday, but was scratched due to illness. What a flop.
Well, Trevor Hoffman is going to just hand over the closer-role. You would think that his 19 earn run average would be enough for him to sulk up his pride and hand the ball over to Carlos Villenueva or even Todd Coffey. Instead...he had THIS to say. It's obvious, the new generation of players that are in the mid 20's aren't fooled by his pitches. For some reason, he can't snap out of this funk.
Michael Hunt discuss the idea of firing Macha, not because of his personality....but because of his personnel decisions. I'm sorry, but his personality isn't a match here in Milwaukee. I couldn't help but yell out loud "Get thrown out Kenny! Do it for your team and show them you're pissed" during Monday's game with Cincinnatti when Alcides Escobar was thrown out at home. He jumped right in front of the ump and I thought for sure he would tell him to "throw me out, right now, please".....but there was no such luck. Instead, he putzed back to the dug out the and the Crew ended up losing. He's the ass-opposite of Lou Panella and Bobby Cox. He's certainly not a mood-changing type of guy who will motivate the masses.
Personally, I say can his ass. Give the duties to Sveum or Randolph. This isn't rocket science here people. Granted, this is a little different than the time when Melvin canned Ned Yost....but look how they responded. They need to do something here....and I would imagine that firing Rick Peterson is out of the question. Bio-metrics my ass.
Randy Wolf, who's looking like the Jeff Suppan Project 2.0, takes to the mound tonight. HERE is the starting lineup for tonight.
Lastly, Carlos Gomez went 1 for 3 in his first rehab game for the TRats. He also had a stolen base. He will join the team in Minneapolis for the Twins series. Thankfully. Mat Gammel was supposed to play in Brevard County yesterday, but was scratched due to illness. What a flop.
15-24: Trevor Hoffman's blazing 83 MPH fastball doesn't seal the deal....crazy huh?
Brewers lost in dramatic fashion yesterday and have now been swept in 3 straight series.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
15-23: Coffery blows an excellent game
Todd Coffey gave up 5 runs in the 7th inning including a 3-run HR by Jonny Gomes. Unbelievable.
Milwaukee is now 8 games below .500 in the NL Central, a season-high and 7 games behind the leading Reds. I would imagine that by the time Milwaukee flies out of town later this afternoon the Reds will have swept the Brewers and the Crew will be 8 games out 1st place....I say "could" because they might be able to get the bats going today. They are long overdue now and Prince/Braun and Company should wake up soon...one would think.
The bullpen is horrific, yet they still aren't as bad at the Diamonbacks...so count your blessings.
**Marco Estrada was called-up from AAA Nashville just now (9:20am)
Corey Hart is starting to hit again, finally. His average is up to .287 and he went yard again last night for his 7th of the season. Very quietly Hart is working his way back up to 2008 (pre All Star break) and nobody is really taking notice. Hart went 3 for 4 last night.
Zaun & Escobar each had two hits. The latter had a triple (5th of the season) while Zuan added a double.
Rickie Weeks went 0-5 last night. He's not batting .250 on the year. Not exactly what you need in the lead-off spot.
Manny Parra will make a spot-start today. He has won 11 games for Milwaukee since last year. What does it matter? Especially when Milwaukee's starting pitchers have a pitch count so high that they are forced to be taken out of the game in the 6th inning. Remember the good ol' days when we could count on Ben Sheets for complete games every-so-often? Especially on opening day? Man.....
Parra of course is filling in for Doug Davis....who has been horrible this season....just horrible.
Carlos Gomez will make a rehab start today in Appleton for the T-rats. It will be nice to get him back.
Milwaukee is now 8 games below .500 in the NL Central, a season-high and 7 games behind the leading Reds. I would imagine that by the time Milwaukee flies out of town later this afternoon the Reds will have swept the Brewers and the Crew will be 8 games out 1st place....I say "could" because they might be able to get the bats going today. They are long overdue now and Prince/Braun and Company should wake up soon...one would think.
The bullpen is horrific, yet they still aren't as bad at the Diamonbacks...so count your blessings.
**Marco Estrada was called-up from AAA Nashville just now (9:20am)
Corey Hart is starting to hit again, finally. His average is up to .287 and he went yard again last night for his 7th of the season. Very quietly Hart is working his way back up to 2008 (pre All Star break) and nobody is really taking notice. Hart went 3 for 4 last night.
Zaun & Escobar each had two hits. The latter had a triple (5th of the season) while Zuan added a double.
Rickie Weeks went 0-5 last night. He's not batting .250 on the year. Not exactly what you need in the lead-off spot.
Manny Parra will make a spot-start today. He has won 11 games for Milwaukee since last year. What does it matter? Especially when Milwaukee's starting pitchers have a pitch count so high that they are forced to be taken out of the game in the 6th inning. Remember the good ol' days when we could count on Ben Sheets for complete games every-so-often? Especially on opening day? Man.....
Parra of course is filling in for Doug Davis....who has been horrible this season....just horrible.
Carlos Gomez will make a rehab start today in Appleton for the T-rats. It will be nice to get him back.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Digging deep for good news....
In attempt to make this cold-cloudy morning bearable, I have decided to dig deep in to "Google News" links to see what heart-fuzzy news is out there for the Crew....if any......
-Since Prince Fielder is off to below average start (slugging percentage was cut in half, so far), it's nice to see Casey McGehee rise to the occasion. I briefly discussed his play in yesterday's post (for the hundreds that read it). Since taking over as a regular starter, in wake of Rickie Weeks' injury, Casey has now played a "full season". JSOnline took a close look at his numbers as a starter and they are quite impressive:
Games-148
At-bats-479
Runs-77
Hits-147
Doubles-29
*Home runs-23
*Runs batted in-98
Walks-51
*Batting average-.307
On-base percentage-.371
*Slugging percentage-.516
On-base + slugging-.887
*indicates he "really kicks ass"
I will be the first to admit that I thought Casey McGehee was going to be a choke this year. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a class-act and he's breath of fresh air when you look at "prospects" like Matt Gamel, Mat LaPorta (gone), Michael Brantley (gone), Nelson Cruz (gone)...get my drift? To sum this all up, I just have to say 3 words:
THANK YOU CUBS
...for pulling the plug on him so soon.
Milwaukee's schedule is about to get a lot tougher. The Crew is ending their short home stand with a 3-game series against the Philly's. Randy Wolf takes to the mounds tonight against the grizzly veteran, Jamie Moyer. Moyer is coming off his latest feat....a complete game shut-out (3 hitter)...and the oldest pitcher to do so in MLB history! Very impressive.
Now back to the schedule....Milwaukee flies out to Cincy for a quick 2-game series in the Queen City and then the very next day heads over to Pittsburgh for another 2-game series...then they hop on the plane again and head over to enemy territory in the Twin Cities for the next chapter in the storied Twins-Brewers rivalry. Lucky for the Crew, they then return home to face the woeful Astros (although they just swept the Cards).
-Chris Capuano "sparkled" once again in his latest outing down in the farm. Last night was his first AAA appearance and he didn't disappoint. He tossed 8 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and 2 passes while striking out 5. This was his best showing since making his comeback this spring. It appears that Capuano is ahead of schedule as most analysts and the coaching staff thought he would be ready sometime in the 2nd half of the season. I still don't see him cracking the rotation this season.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
NED YOST SIGHTING
Well, ol' man Ned found his way back in to the BIGS. He was announced as the new manager of the Kansas City Royals today.
15-19: Brewers get their ass kicked once again; swept
Milwaukee was outscored 28-7 at Miller Park by the pathetic Braves. Milwaukee is now 4 games below .500 and their bullpen is stressed beyond belief.
Despite an excellent outting by Yovanni Gallardo (6 innings, 2 earned runs), the Brewers bullpen was rocked from the get-go and quickly handed the game over to the surging Braves.
Manny Parra (0-2) and Carlos Villenueva gave up 2 runs each while Trevor Hoffman really stunk it up by forking up 3 to ultimately put the game out of reach.
Prince Fielder was 1-4
Inglett went 0-1, he was the lone pinch hitter
Casey McGehee had 2 hits, one being a double, and added an RBI.
Rookie phenom Jason Heyward recorded his first stolen base.
-Melvin, Ash, and Macha are going over their options to fill in the hole caused by LaTroy Hawkins. Apparently he won't be back on May 22nd (eligible to come off DL), so that means the Crew has to call-up someone soon. Melvin's scouts have argued that Nashville has the best bullpen in (AAA). So the options there are Axford, Dillard (again?), and my top pick in Zach Braddock.
*With LaTroy, Hoffman, Riske, and Suppan in the bullpen....I would venture to say that Milwaukee has one of the most expensive bullpens in the BIGS....and it's the worst. Todd Coffey is the ONLY reliver that's playing well.
Madison.com's Tom Oates points out the obvious; Yovanni Gallardo's pitch count is a chronic problem. The kid can bring it, flat out. But what's the use when your ace can only last 6 innings and his pitch count reaches 100? He has to minimize his walks, and that will happen over time......which unfortunately is something the suds city doesn't have. Yesterday afternoon Yovanni exited with a pitch count of 108.
We all know Prince Fielder has yet to break out of his 1+ month slump. Adam McCalvy wisely mentions that idea of Casey McGehee evolving in to a protection role for Prince Fielder. Much like Matt Holliday is for Albert Puhols, Casey could be be for Prince. The second year 3B is off to a scroching hot start and should be a front runner for the All Star game. The Crew could have a devastating 1-2-3 punch in Braun Fielder McGehee.
A couple more reason why I will always love Bob Uecker. When he retires, which I would imagine it not being too far away, summer just won't be the same with out him. Read the last story between Uecker and Howard Cosell when they were doing a game in Minneapolis. Hurry back Bob!
Despite an excellent outting by Yovanni Gallardo (6 innings, 2 earned runs), the Brewers bullpen was rocked from the get-go and quickly handed the game over to the surging Braves.
Manny Parra (0-2) and Carlos Villenueva gave up 2 runs each while Trevor Hoffman really stunk it up by forking up 3 to ultimately put the game out of reach.
Prince Fielder was 1-4
Inglett went 0-1, he was the lone pinch hitter
Casey McGehee had 2 hits, one being a double, and added an RBI.
Rookie phenom Jason Heyward recorded his first stolen base.
-Melvin, Ash, and Macha are going over their options to fill in the hole caused by LaTroy Hawkins. Apparently he won't be back on May 22nd (eligible to come off DL), so that means the Crew has to call-up someone soon. Melvin's scouts have argued that Nashville has the best bullpen in (AAA). So the options there are Axford, Dillard (again?), and my top pick in Zach Braddock.
*With LaTroy, Hoffman, Riske, and Suppan in the bullpen....I would venture to say that Milwaukee has one of the most expensive bullpens in the BIGS....and it's the worst. Todd Coffey is the ONLY reliver that's playing well.
Madison.com's Tom Oates points out the obvious; Yovanni Gallardo's pitch count is a chronic problem. The kid can bring it, flat out. But what's the use when your ace can only last 6 innings and his pitch count reaches 100? He has to minimize his walks, and that will happen over time......which unfortunately is something the suds city doesn't have. Yesterday afternoon Yovanni exited with a pitch count of 108.
We all know Prince Fielder has yet to break out of his 1+ month slump. Adam McCalvy wisely mentions that idea of Casey McGehee evolving in to a protection role for Prince Fielder. Much like Matt Holliday is for Albert Puhols, Casey could be be for Prince. The second year 3B is off to a scroching hot start and should be a front runner for the All Star game. The Crew could have a devastating 1-2-3 punch in Braun Fielder McGehee.
A couple more reason why I will always love Bob Uecker. When he retires, which I would imagine it not being too far away, summer just won't be the same with out him. Read the last story between Uecker and Howard Cosell when they were doing a game in Minneapolis. Hurry back Bob!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
15-18: Brewers get their ass kicked....again
I'm not even going to there.....because I'm sick of saying it.
"Dave Bush actually pitched a good game; he only gave up 3 runs in 6 innings".
Well then, that's 3 runs too many. Once again, the Brewers were slapped around Miller Park by an inferior Braves team. Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. The pitching is horrible. There I said it. The pitching is god awful and it's a shame that there is that much offensive skill on the team and they can't even have a .500 record.
The bullpen imploded again last night, as did Dave Bush (1-3). The 14th ranked (offensively) Atlanta Braves just put up 19 runs in two nights. The Braves had 5 hitters who had 2-hits a piece. Likewise, 5 different Braves hit doubles.
Mitch Stetter opened the flood gates when he relieved Dave Bush in the 6th inning and quickly gave up 3 earned runs. Then to top it off, Carlos Villenueva gave up 4 himself (including a solo shot). Unreal. Then to really top things off, Jeff Suppan gave up a run just to say "F-you Milwaukee".
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. This bull pen is a complete mess and they are over-used. Michael Hunt, although not really digging deep with his latest commentary, points out the obvious; Milwaukee needs a pitcher to go 7 or 8 innings. That's unheard of right now, especially with the pitch count that Petersen has in place for Yovanni Gallardo. This bio-metrics crap is full of smoke and it's certainly not working.
Prince Fielder is not good this season, that's a no-brainer. He will snap out of it, but good God when will that be?!?! Now more than ever, Prince has to step up and produce while Braun is out. Instead, he goes 0-3.
At this rate, it will be interesting to see what happens come July. If Milwaukee doesn't play a couple of games over .500 by that time, well, we all know what's going to happen.
Finally, Milwaukee is honoring the Braves of the past at Miller Park. Looks pretty damn cool. Now those guys were winners!
JJ Hardy is heading to the DL. Pretty weird how he and Carlos Gomez go on it at the same time (almost, one day apart). Hardy will be back on May 20th win the Twins welcome the Brewers in to town.
"Dave Bush actually pitched a good game; he only gave up 3 runs in 6 innings".
Well then, that's 3 runs too many. Once again, the Brewers were slapped around Miller Park by an inferior Braves team. Honestly, I don't know what to think anymore. The pitching is horrible. There I said it. The pitching is god awful and it's a shame that there is that much offensive skill on the team and they can't even have a .500 record.
The bullpen imploded again last night, as did Dave Bush (1-3). The 14th ranked (offensively) Atlanta Braves just put up 19 runs in two nights. The Braves had 5 hitters who had 2-hits a piece. Likewise, 5 different Braves hit doubles.
Mitch Stetter opened the flood gates when he relieved Dave Bush in the 6th inning and quickly gave up 3 earned runs. Then to top it off, Carlos Villenueva gave up 4 himself (including a solo shot). Unreal. Then to really top things off, Jeff Suppan gave up a run just to say "F-you Milwaukee".
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. This bull pen is a complete mess and they are over-used. Michael Hunt, although not really digging deep with his latest commentary, points out the obvious; Milwaukee needs a pitcher to go 7 or 8 innings. That's unheard of right now, especially with the pitch count that Petersen has in place for Yovanni Gallardo. This bio-metrics crap is full of smoke and it's certainly not working.
Prince Fielder is not good this season, that's a no-brainer. He will snap out of it, but good God when will that be?!?! Now more than ever, Prince has to step up and produce while Braun is out. Instead, he goes 0-3.
At this rate, it will be interesting to see what happens come July. If Milwaukee doesn't play a couple of games over .500 by that time, well, we all know what's going to happen.
Finally, Milwaukee is honoring the Braves of the past at Miller Park. Looks pretty damn cool. Now those guys were winners!
JJ Hardy is heading to the DL. Pretty weird how he and Carlos Gomez go on it at the same time (almost, one day apart). Hardy will be back on May 20th win the Twins welcome the Brewers in to town.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
15-17: Bad News Monday
Not only did the Milwaukee Brewers get their ass kicked last night in grand fashion 8-2 thus worsening their home record to 4-9; they also found that Carlos Gomez is going on the 15 day DL. On the bright side, they back-dated the sting to May 6th when the injury occurred.....he will be back just in time for the series in Minneapolis. Adam Stern has been called up from Nashville to fill-in. Stern has prior big league experience with Boston and Baltimore; he is tearing it up right now in Nashville batting .349 on the season.
The crappy part about last night was that Doug Davis pitched a damn good game. Really, he did; tossing a no-hitter in to the 5th inning. Could Doug Davis really be the 3rd pitcher to pitch a no-no by only the 2nd month of the season?...........no.........The wheels fell of shortly there-after and the Crew dropped to 6-4 in May. Davis threw 5.2 innings giving up only 3 hits. However, those 3 hits resulted in 6 runs (3 earned) be given up and a Doug Davis-like 6 walks. Needless to say, he imploded. But he did show some confidence in the early going and had excellent command of his pitches. Hell, he struck out one fool with a 65 MPH meat hook.
This home stand has to be the stint to right the Brewers' ship so to speak. If they can fend of the feisty Eastern Division teams (Atlanta & Philly), they could inch further away from .500 and try to nip at the heels of the Cardinals (long shot, I know).
Casey McGehee went yard for the 7th time this season. This guy is beating the snot out of the ball and playing some decent defence. He and Braunie should make the All-Star team....just sayin'....Prince Fielder could be another lock, even with his slow start. If Chris Narveson wins his next two starts...he could be a vote-in. Please keep in mind....this is all being shot out my arse and holds no weight...especially the Narv Dog.
Milwaukee's bullpen didn't do it's part in stopping the bleeding last night. Both Parra and Vargas gave up earned runs. Claudio Vargas is NOT pitching like he did in the later part of 2009 when he rejoined the Crew. His ERA has now swelled to 5.65, however he has recorded 14 k's already on the season. So in a way he has improved slightly in one area.
-Rickie Weeks showed us glimpses of his 2006-2007 defensive skills by earning 2 errors last night. Awesome.
-Milwaukee's pinch-hitters went o'fer.
-Joe Inglett started in RF for Corey Hart and he hit a double, I like this player a lot.
-Prince Fielder had 2 hits
-Ryan Braun was taken out of the game shortly after being beamed by Tommy Hanson (3-2).
Jair Jurrjens (RHP) of the Braves has been on the 15 day-DL. He tweaked his hammie while sprinting before last nights game, resulting in a set-back to his recovery. Odd. Apparently he re-aggrivated the very same injury that placed him on the list....or....of course, it's something much more serious.
Speaking of injured Braves....Chipper Jones is back on the DL as well, he pissed off an old injury as well in last night's game (groin).
Cappy Update!
The crappy part about last night was that Doug Davis pitched a damn good game. Really, he did; tossing a no-hitter in to the 5th inning. Could Doug Davis really be the 3rd pitcher to pitch a no-no by only the 2nd month of the season?...........no.........The wheels fell of shortly there-after and the Crew dropped to 6-4 in May. Davis threw 5.2 innings giving up only 3 hits. However, those 3 hits resulted in 6 runs (3 earned) be given up and a Doug Davis-like 6 walks. Needless to say, he imploded. But he did show some confidence in the early going and had excellent command of his pitches. Hell, he struck out one fool with a 65 MPH meat hook.
This home stand has to be the stint to right the Brewers' ship so to speak. If they can fend of the feisty Eastern Division teams (Atlanta & Philly), they could inch further away from .500 and try to nip at the heels of the Cardinals (long shot, I know).
Casey McGehee went yard for the 7th time this season. This guy is beating the snot out of the ball and playing some decent defence. He and Braunie should make the All-Star team....just sayin'....Prince Fielder could be another lock, even with his slow start. If Chris Narveson wins his next two starts...he could be a vote-in. Please keep in mind....this is all being shot out my arse and holds no weight...especially the Narv Dog.
Milwaukee's bullpen didn't do it's part in stopping the bleeding last night. Both Parra and Vargas gave up earned runs. Claudio Vargas is NOT pitching like he did in the later part of 2009 when he rejoined the Crew. His ERA has now swelled to 5.65, however he has recorded 14 k's already on the season. So in a way he has improved slightly in one area.
-Rickie Weeks showed us glimpses of his 2006-2007 defensive skills by earning 2 errors last night. Awesome.
-Milwaukee's pinch-hitters went o'fer.
-Joe Inglett started in RF for Corey Hart and he hit a double, I like this player a lot.
-Prince Fielder had 2 hits
-Ryan Braun was taken out of the game shortly after being beamed by Tommy Hanson (3-2).
Jair Jurrjens (RHP) of the Braves has been on the 15 day-DL. He tweaked his hammie while sprinting before last nights game, resulting in a set-back to his recovery. Odd. Apparently he re-aggrivated the very same injury that placed him on the list....or....of course, it's something much more serious.
Speaking of injured Braves....Chipper Jones is back on the DL as well, he pissed off an old injury as well in last night's game (groin).
Cappy Update!
Monday, May 10, 2010
15-16: Narv-Dog comes through....again; BREWERS SWEEP!
The unsuspecting bright spot in the rotation, other than Yo, has been Chris Narveson. The kid is calm and collective on that mound. It showed again yesterday when the Crew defeated the DBacks 6-1 in sweeping fashion.
Narveson (3-0) threw 5.2 innings giving up only one earned-run on a lowly 3 hits. He fanned 8 and walked 2. Impressive nonetheless. It's looking like Narv-Dog has his spot in the rotation all but locked up. Which means....Manny Parra and/or Jeff Suppan are going to be restricted to relief work until Randy Wolf comes down with a should injury...or...something like that.
The bullpen looks to be rebounding since arriving in LA (aside from the Hawkins EPIC failure of an outing). Yesterday the pen tossed 3.1 scoreless frames. The only moments of concern were Todd Coffey (hold 7) gave up 2 hits, as did Suppan in the bottom of the 9th. Thankfully, Suppan was able to turn a nice double-play to end the game. Mitch Stetter came back in grand fashion by earning his 3rd hold. Apparently he did some refiguring in his approach while down in the minors. He is now the ONLY true-lefty specialist in the bullpen. Manny Parra is more of a long-relief option.
It is clear that the Milwaukee bats have awoken from a giant slumber party that lasted most of April (aside from playing the Pirates) and a few days in May.
I, along with many other fans...including Bill Shroeder on FSWisconsin were highly pissed off when Greg Zaun had the green-light to swing on 3-0 pitch in the 6th inning with BASES LOADED. This really made me mad. For those that missed it.....Both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder struck out with the bases loaded. Greg Zaun came up to the plate and worked the count quickly. On a 3-0 pitch Zaun swung for the fence and ended with an in-field flyout. Unbelievable. Of course, Zaunie made it up to me by going yard!
Prince Fielder (4), Casey McGehee (6), and Greg Zaun (2) all homered yesterday.
McGehee had 3 runs-batted-in.
Rickie Weeks added two hits, one being a double.
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/ keeps a list of the longest hit hommers of the season.
Ryan Braun is 3rd with his 467 yard bomb and Rickie Weeks is 6th with a 459 bomber...both occurring over the weekend. Oddly enough, Marlon Byrd is ranked twice, once against the Brewers. Mark Reynolds is also listed twice while the DBacks are listed 3 times as the opponent...I would imagine all happening at their ballpark.
The Crew is 4-8 at home this season and 11-8 on the road...strange. Adam McCalvy points out in his blog that something has to change here....the Braves come to town with Tommy Hansen taking the mound tonight. They are a woeful 5-14 on the road.
Milwaukee returned home with a winning road trip after staring their series loss with the Padres in which they were shut out all 3 losses.
Zach Braddock has now pitched 13.1 scoreless innings over 8 games for (AAA) Nashville.
He has 23 SO's and only 6 walks with his opponents batting .098 against him. That's insane. If he keeps that business up Milwaukee will be forced to call him up much ealier than they originally planned. My guess is that they will also have some decision to make with Capuano who should be available for call-up in July. With LaTroy Hawkins coming back May 24th (off the DL), the Crew will have a plethora of relievers with no openings. My guess is that a trade will be happening. Manny Parra and possibly even Jeff Suppan (and his contract) could be targets for those who are in desperate need of a starting pitcher. Of course, I haven't even mentioned David Riske, who's status is not known to me, could also come back and Chris Capuano is just starting to get his mojo again. The latter is slated to get the call-up to AAA Nashville....so a lot can go wrong before the deadline. The question remains....what does Milwaukee do with the routine relievers they have in the pen now...when the up and coming stars in Nashville (who have a collective ERA of 4.31 or better)? Log jam.
Narveson (3-0) threw 5.2 innings giving up only one earned-run on a lowly 3 hits. He fanned 8 and walked 2. Impressive nonetheless. It's looking like Narv-Dog has his spot in the rotation all but locked up. Which means....Manny Parra and/or Jeff Suppan are going to be restricted to relief work until Randy Wolf comes down with a should injury...or...something like that.
The bullpen looks to be rebounding since arriving in LA (aside from the Hawkins EPIC failure of an outing). Yesterday the pen tossed 3.1 scoreless frames. The only moments of concern were Todd Coffey (hold 7) gave up 2 hits, as did Suppan in the bottom of the 9th. Thankfully, Suppan was able to turn a nice double-play to end the game. Mitch Stetter came back in grand fashion by earning his 3rd hold. Apparently he did some refiguring in his approach while down in the minors. He is now the ONLY true-lefty specialist in the bullpen. Manny Parra is more of a long-relief option.
It is clear that the Milwaukee bats have awoken from a giant slumber party that lasted most of April (aside from playing the Pirates) and a few days in May.
I, along with many other fans...including Bill Shroeder on FSWisconsin were highly pissed off when Greg Zaun had the green-light to swing on 3-0 pitch in the 6th inning with BASES LOADED. This really made me mad. For those that missed it.....Both Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder struck out with the bases loaded. Greg Zaun came up to the plate and worked the count quickly. On a 3-0 pitch Zaun swung for the fence and ended with an in-field flyout. Unbelievable. Of course, Zaunie made it up to me by going yard!
Prince Fielder (4), Casey McGehee (6), and Greg Zaun (2) all homered yesterday.
McGehee had 3 runs-batted-in.
Rickie Weeks added two hits, one being a double.
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/ keeps a list of the longest hit hommers of the season.
Ryan Braun is 3rd with his 467 yard bomb and Rickie Weeks is 6th with a 459 bomber...both occurring over the weekend. Oddly enough, Marlon Byrd is ranked twice, once against the Brewers. Mark Reynolds is also listed twice while the DBacks are listed 3 times as the opponent...I would imagine all happening at their ballpark.
The Crew is 4-8 at home this season and 11-8 on the road...strange. Adam McCalvy points out in his blog that something has to change here....the Braves come to town with Tommy Hansen taking the mound tonight. They are a woeful 5-14 on the road.
Milwaukee returned home with a winning road trip after staring their series loss with the Padres in which they were shut out all 3 losses.
Zach Braddock has now pitched 13.1 scoreless innings over 8 games for (AAA) Nashville.
He has 23 SO's and only 6 walks with his opponents batting .098 against him. That's insane. If he keeps that business up Milwaukee will be forced to call him up much ealier than they originally planned. My guess is that they will also have some decision to make with Capuano who should be available for call-up in July. With LaTroy Hawkins coming back May 24th (off the DL), the Crew will have a plethora of relievers with no openings. My guess is that a trade will be happening. Manny Parra and possibly even Jeff Suppan (and his contract) could be targets for those who are in desperate need of a starting pitcher. Of course, I haven't even mentioned David Riske, who's status is not known to me, could also come back and Chris Capuano is just starting to get his mojo again. The latter is slated to get the call-up to AAA Nashville....so a lot can go wrong before the deadline. The question remains....what does Milwaukee do with the routine relievers they have in the pen now...when the up and coming stars in Nashville (who have a collective ERA of 4.31 or better)? Log jam.
14-16: Doug Davis finally earns win; beating his old team
Jody Gerut hit for a cycle Saturday night, making him the first Brewer to reach the milestone since Chad Moeller (cringe) did back in 2004 and the second to do so since Robin Yount in 1991. He was certainly due. You might remember it was Gerut who made some comments to JSOnline about how he values himself. Back in Spring Training Gerut felt (feels) like he is worthy of a starting role; if not in Milwaukee than somewhere else. Gerut was off to a 1 for 21 against RHP's before Saturday night's milestone. There is nothing wrong with a play commenting about his confidence in his play. Remember now, it was Gerut that came on strong in August & September last year. If he plays like that (2009 campaign, end of season), he could be a huge contributer and even get more starts (switching out with Hart).
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
12-16: Hawkins=EPIC FAIL
Wow. Thank God I fell asleep before the bottom of the 9th, or I would have stayed up all night cursing the TV. The Brewers were facing the looming threat of being shut-out, yet again, on this 10 game road trip. The Dodgers' new hurler, John Ely, tossed 6.2 innings before exiting the game giving up only one earned run. This of course reminds everyone of last year when the Brewers couldn't hit the broadside of the barn when they faced a new pitcher. Ely gave up 4 hits, struck out 4 batters, and walked 3.
Jonathon Broxton was (finally) summoned for closing duties. He gave up 4 hits and 3 runs and handed Milwaukee a tied ball game.
This of course led to LaTroy Hawkins coming in and leaving a fastball over the plate for Ethier (league-leading 10th HR) to crush out of the ball park....a walk-off grand salami.
Hawkins has been a headcase, a human roller-coaster if you will since signing his 2 year contract. Despite having a solid opening week for Milwaukee, he has been sporadic at best. His velocity has dropped and he is no longer the clutch set-up man that he was in Houston.
Braun, Zaun, & Fielder each had two hits while Craig Counsell had an excellent pinch-hit single in the 9th.
Jeff Suppan pitched a stellar 2 innings in relief last night, giving up only a walk and striking out one Dodger.
Milwaukee needs to sweep in Arizona in order to return home with a winning record (3-4 thus far). HERE is a preview of the 3-game weekend match-up. Milwaukee's Yovannia Gallardo is going for his 4th straight win. He has not faced the Arizona DBacks since 2007, his rookie year! Hard to imagine how the schedule unfolded like that. It should be noted that the two times he faced AZ in 2007 he held them scoreless in 12 innings (total). He takes to the mound against RHP Edwin Jackson, who's a decent hurler but the wins haven't been rewarded to him for his above average performance.
Jonathon Broxton was (finally) summoned for closing duties. He gave up 4 hits and 3 runs and handed Milwaukee a tied ball game.
This of course led to LaTroy Hawkins coming in and leaving a fastball over the plate for Ethier (league-leading 10th HR) to crush out of the ball park....a walk-off grand salami.
Hawkins has been a headcase, a human roller-coaster if you will since signing his 2 year contract. Despite having a solid opening week for Milwaukee, he has been sporadic at best. His velocity has dropped and he is no longer the clutch set-up man that he was in Houston.
Braun, Zaun, & Fielder each had two hits while Craig Counsell had an excellent pinch-hit single in the 9th.
Jeff Suppan pitched a stellar 2 innings in relief last night, giving up only a walk and striking out one Dodger.
Milwaukee needs to sweep in Arizona in order to return home with a winning record (3-4 thus far). HERE is a preview of the 3-game weekend match-up. Milwaukee's Yovannia Gallardo is going for his 4th straight win. He has not faced the Arizona DBacks since 2007, his rookie year! Hard to imagine how the schedule unfolded like that. It should be noted that the two times he faced AZ in 2007 he held them scoreless in 12 innings (total). He takes to the mound against RHP Edwin Jackson, who's a decent hurler but the wins haven't been rewarded to him for his above average performance.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
12-15: Brewers go for sweep tonight!
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Milwaukee won it's first series in two weeks last night by defeating the LA Dodgers 11-3. The Crew has outscored the Dodgers 21-9 in the series so far. The Crew was led by Rickie Weeks (3 for 5, 3 RBI), while Braun & Fielder each contributed two hits.Doug Davis (1-3) earned his first win of the season. Besides the 1st inning (allowed 2 er's), he was pretty much spot on. This shouldn't be too big of a shocker considering DD usually throws fairly well at Dodger Stadium. Even better than DD was the bullpen; who tossed 3.2 scoreless innings. Although every reliever gave up a hit (Suppan gave up 2 hits). Villy and Coffey each recorded a hold and LaTroy Hawkins struck out 2, looking extra sharp. Over the past 3 or 4 appearances, Hawkins has almost made me forget his debacle in April....ALMOST.
Some bad news did come out of last night's game. Carlos Gomez injured his shoulder and wrist in the 9th inning while getting stuck in a pickle. He's getting tested today and they will decide if he can play. Gomez did contribute a hit last night and he's batting a steady .273 on the year so far.
JSOnline.com is running a poll, asking fans if they resent Melvin trading JJ Hardy for Gomez.
Anyone who hit "YES", should be slapped across the head (hard). Compare the numbers you moron. Granted, JJ is usually a little more durable as the season goes on, but with Gomez you just never know if he's going to "get it" and start producing like he's well capable of. So far this season, aside from a slow start, he's certainly on his way.
Alcides Escobar likes to hit triples. He has 4 on the season. The kid is going to be an excellent SS in the very near future.
Joe Torre and Bob Uecker text each other. LOL.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
11-15: Narv-Dog to the rescue
Milwaukee's new charter jet, Brewers One
Prince Fielder (3) and Greg Zaun (1) both went yard
Casey McGehee had a nice web gem moment when he fielded a sharp liner in the bottom of the 6th, thus resulting in Chris Narveson getting out of a jam (man on 2B). It could of easily scored a run.
Zaun has been quite solid at the plate since going 0 for 20-something back in April. He had 3 hits last night (including a double) 2 RBI's. Likewise with Carlos Gomez who also added 2 hits and is now batting .282 on the year.
Dodgers radio commentator, the legendary Vin Scully, had some kind words for Bob Uecker. With the passing of Erin Harwell, there aren't too many old school announcers left. I tuned in to MLBTV last night to watch Harwell's farewell speech that he made last September. It's like he knew that he was going to pass away in the very near future, the way he talked. Vin Scully and Uecker, in my opinion, are the last two legends left.
If you think Doug Melvin is even thinking about firing Macha.....you better think again. I don't see it happening. Granted, I would love to have his position eliminated. But look how much slack he gave Ned Yost. C'mon now.
News updates HERE
-Chris Capuano is going to make one more start in single-A before getting bumped up to Nashville.
-Jim Edmonds is ready to return to the lineup.
-The stadium in Nashville is okay, despite the mass flooding going on in the Tennessee.
-Milwaukee Brewers will have a new jet to travel in....well....I a newly named jet.
Chris Narveson improved his record to 2-0 on the season by throwing 6 complete innings last night in LA, giving up 3 runs (all earned) on 4 hits, 3 K's, and only 2 walks.
Prince Fielder (3) and Greg Zaun (1) both went yard
Casey McGehee had a nice web gem moment when he fielded a sharp liner in the bottom of the 6th, thus resulting in Chris Narveson getting out of a jam (man on 2B). It could of easily scored a run.
Zaun has been quite solid at the plate since going 0 for 20-something back in April. He had 3 hits last night (including a double) 2 RBI's. Likewise with Carlos Gomez who also added 2 hits and is now batting .282 on the year.
Dodgers radio commentator, the legendary Vin Scully, had some kind words for Bob Uecker. With the passing of Erin Harwell, there aren't too many old school announcers left. I tuned in to MLBTV last night to watch Harwell's farewell speech that he made last September. It's like he knew that he was going to pass away in the very near future, the way he talked. Vin Scully and Uecker, in my opinion, are the last two legends left.
If you think Doug Melvin is even thinking about firing Macha.....you better think again. I don't see it happening. Granted, I would love to have his position eliminated. But look how much slack he gave Ned Yost. C'mon now.
News updates HERE
-Chris Capuano is going to make one more start in single-A before getting bumped up to Nashville.
-Jim Edmonds is ready to return to the lineup.
-The stadium in Nashville is okay, despite the mass flooding going on in the Tennessee.
-Milwaukee Brewers will have a new jet to travel in....well....I a newly named jet.
-Eric Arnett had a good outing over in Appleton for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, before the rain came.
Monday, May 3, 2010
10-15: Randy Wolf gets rocked
Randy Wolf (2-2) got rocked yesterday afternoon in San Diego. Honestly, Tony Gwynn Jr. is a Brewer-Killer. The guy lights us up every time he's at-bat. It's like he's thinking, "Take this Melvin...you SOB.....how's CF working out for you now? You have two gimps out there, one being a senior citizen".
Okay, maybe not, but he has to be grinning. After all, Milwaukee is without Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds. My guess is that Joe Inglett and Jody Gerrut aren't the answer. As I said earlier, Edmonds may have to go on the DL. Gwynn had a two hit game again and an RBI for his new team.
Milwaukee was shut out 8-0 and their bats have gone silent yet again. The middle of the Brewers batting order all went o'fer (Bran, Fielder, McGehee).
Rickie Weeks went 0-5 and is now batting .252. I would call this a slump, considering that he's our lead-off hitter.
The only 3 Brewers to record a hit were those off the bench making spot starts. Craig Counsell is really heating up again, so it would be wise to have him play more at SS and 2B, even 3B. Rookie Alicides Escobar is only 1 for his 13 at-bats. Meanwhile, Counsell (started two straight games at SS) has been hitting a scorching .429 with a HR and 8 RBI's. He's looking like a good fantasy pick-up right about now.
The bullpen went back to their retched ways yesterday as well. Coffey and Parra both allowed earned runs, the latter giving up 2.
Milwaukee has the day off while they travel up the coastline to LA. Milwaukee will get their first look at Dodger hurler John Ely. Remember last season? Anytime the Brewers faced a new pitcher for the first time....they would lose. Let's hope this doesn't hold true on Thursday. They will also face Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley.
Okay, maybe not, but he has to be grinning. After all, Milwaukee is without Carlos Gomez and Jim Edmonds. My guess is that Joe Inglett and Jody Gerrut aren't the answer. As I said earlier, Edmonds may have to go on the DL. Gwynn had a two hit game again and an RBI for his new team.
Milwaukee was shut out 8-0 and their bats have gone silent yet again. The middle of the Brewers batting order all went o'fer (Bran, Fielder, McGehee).
Rickie Weeks went 0-5 and is now batting .252. I would call this a slump, considering that he's our lead-off hitter.
The only 3 Brewers to record a hit were those off the bench making spot starts. Craig Counsell is really heating up again, so it would be wise to have him play more at SS and 2B, even 3B. Rookie Alicides Escobar is only 1 for his 13 at-bats. Meanwhile, Counsell (started two straight games at SS) has been hitting a scorching .429 with a HR and 8 RBI's. He's looking like a good fantasy pick-up right about now.
The bullpen went back to their retched ways yesterday as well. Coffey and Parra both allowed earned runs, the latter giving up 2.
Milwaukee has the day off while they travel up the coastline to LA. Milwaukee will get their first look at Dodger hurler John Ely. Remember last season? Anytime the Brewers faced a new pitcher for the first time....they would lose. Let's hope this doesn't hold true on Thursday. They will also face Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley.
10-14: Yovanni rescues the Crew
Yovanni Gallardo single-handidly won the game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.
He threw 7 complete innings, giving up a single run, two walks, and 11 strike outs. In his last two (quality) starts, Yo has 21 strike outs in 13 innings. Impressive.
Yo also did it with his bat (yet again) by going yard with a solo shot.
As pointed out by Corey Provus during Sunday's game, Padres hurler Mat Latos had this to say about Yo's homer...
“I was behind 1-and-0 in the count and threw him a fastball,” said Padres starter Mat Latos. “He ambushed it and got lucky.”
Nice, it was all luck. Take a look at his batting stats Mr. Latos. Get educated.
He threw 7 complete innings, giving up a single run, two walks, and 11 strike outs. In his last two (quality) starts, Yo has 21 strike outs in 13 innings. Impressive.
Yo also did it with his bat (yet again) by going yard with a solo shot.
As pointed out by Corey Provus during Sunday's game, Padres hurler Mat Latos had this to say about Yo's homer...
“I was behind 1-and-0 in the count and threw him a fastball,” said Padres starter Mat Latos. “He ambushed it and got lucky.”
Nice, it was all luck. Take a look at his batting stats Mr. Latos. Get educated.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
9-14: Well, that makes 22 consecutive scoreless-innings
It is now safe to say that Milwaukee is a complete mess. Not only has the pitching been suspect, the offense is missing as well. Last night marked the 3rd time the Brewers were shut out (3-0) this season and the second in as many night.
Dave Bush tried his best to help his team last night. He went 7 complete innings (thank god) and limited the division leading Padres to 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 strikeouts. Carlos Villenueva also did his part by tossing 3 hitless (scoreless) innings, giving up only a walk in 3 innings of work. This was a well-needed boost for the bullpen. I will take any signs of life at this point, even in light of a loss.
Prince Fielder went o'fer again and is now 2 for 15 over the past 4 games. Awesome. Any day now Prince.....you can go ahead and snap out of this skid.
The only other performance at the plate that deserves to be mentioned is....well.....no one. Not one player had more than one hit last night.
Milwaukee is now without it's two CF's. Carlos Gomez tweaked his knee last night in the 1st or 2nd inning while trying to outrun a nicely placed bunt down the 3B line (was called out). He is going to have an MRI to see if it's serious, although he claims that it's nothing major. Then of course there is Jim Edmonds and his back. So this leaves the Crew with the star-studded gem otherwise known as Jody Gerut; who coincidentally went 0-3 last night. Pure awesomeness.
What makes this even more difficult is that Milwaukee will have to decide if it needs to stick one of the two (or both) on the DL. They have no room (thanks to log jam of shitty pitchers) to call somebody up without a roster move or a trip to the DL for Edmonds and/or Gomez.
Just when you thought you figured out Angle Salome (Catcher), he pulls a stunt like THIS. Honestly, this "prospect" is turning out to be a colossal bust, despite showing so much promise in 2007 & 2008. Thank goodness for Jonathon Lucroy.
The only good news for Milwaukee yesterday (Bucks got blown out) was Bob Uecker's successful heart surgery. I may sound corny, but this news felt like a win. Can't wait to have him return.
Dave Bush tried his best to help his team last night. He went 7 complete innings (thank god) and limited the division leading Padres to 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 strikeouts. Carlos Villenueva also did his part by tossing 3 hitless (scoreless) innings, giving up only a walk in 3 innings of work. This was a well-needed boost for the bullpen. I will take any signs of life at this point, even in light of a loss.
Prince Fielder went o'fer again and is now 2 for 15 over the past 4 games. Awesome. Any day now Prince.....you can go ahead and snap out of this skid.
The only other performance at the plate that deserves to be mentioned is....well.....no one. Not one player had more than one hit last night.
Milwaukee is now without it's two CF's. Carlos Gomez tweaked his knee last night in the 1st or 2nd inning while trying to outrun a nicely placed bunt down the 3B line (was called out). He is going to have an MRI to see if it's serious, although he claims that it's nothing major. Then of course there is Jim Edmonds and his back. So this leaves the Crew with the star-studded gem otherwise known as Jody Gerut; who coincidentally went 0-3 last night. Pure awesomeness.
What makes this even more difficult is that Milwaukee will have to decide if it needs to stick one of the two (or both) on the DL. They have no room (thanks to log jam of shitty pitchers) to call somebody up without a roster move or a trip to the DL for Edmonds and/or Gomez.
Just when you thought you figured out Angle Salome (Catcher), he pulls a stunt like THIS. Honestly, this "prospect" is turning out to be a colossal bust, despite showing so much promise in 2007 & 2008. Thank goodness for Jonathon Lucroy.
The only good news for Milwaukee yesterday (Bucks got blown out) was Bob Uecker's successful heart surgery. I may sound corny, but this news felt like a win. Can't wait to have him return.
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