29-25: Back on the road again...

  Brewer fans around the state were wondering what they were going to get out of their team when they departed from Mitchell Airport on Sunday night.  After all, Milwaukee has the best home record in all of baseball. 

 One has to cringe when they see it's Chris Narveson's turn to pitch.  I mean, yes...the man was solid in his first month of play.  However, it's been pretty damn rough as of late having only one 1 of his last 5 decisions.  Now I realize that he's our #5 starter, but that type of mentality is so 2009-2010 Milwaukee mentality.  If they expect to make it to October, Milwaukee needs to win by all means possible.

 Narveson lasted all but 4 innings before being yanked after giving up a 3 run homer to the ever surging Jay Bruce.  It was a horrible pitch that he left hanging right over the middle of the plate and Bruce exploited it.  Chris was even quoted as saying it was a stupid pitch.  Now I realize that it was 1 mistake...but come on.  You can't give up that one mistake to the hottest player in the National League at the present time (btw...that won't last).  Mitre came in to relieve Narv-Dog and he did perfectly fine, except for his infield did him no favors in the Little League / Bush League defensive throwing error that made the Brewers look like a bunch of kooks.  Lucroy threw high while trying to throw out Fred Lewis; the very-same Lewis who's hit drove in a run that would have only put the Reds on top 6-3.  Instead, they Reds tagged on another run due to the error.   Tim Dillard was excellent in the last two innings and he certainly did his part by not allowing a run and striking out 4.  He's looking good.

Prince Fielder went 3 for 4 with a double while Carlos Gomez hit his 4th dinger of the year (2 of which were in Cincy). 

Tonight, it will come down to Zack Greinke to win one back for the Crew.  It certainly seems attainable because the Reds are using a recent call-up in Chad Reineke from AAA Louisville (5-2, 2.52 ERA).  This is his first big league call-up since 2009.  Milwaukee does not fare well against first-time starters for Cincy.  It was either Travis Wood or Mike Leake that beat up on the Crew during their first start with the Reds. 

Reineke will be Cincinnati's 7th DIFFERENT starting pitcher in this 10 game-span.

So tonight's game is pretty big.  It's not a must-win; rather it's a game that will show Milwaukee if Zack Greinke can deliver and live up to the blockbuster trade that sent him north to Milwaukee this past off-season. 

*As I thought all along....Carlos Gomez & Nyjer Morgan are going to platoon in CF.

*ESPN's David Schoenfield believes the Brewers will win the NL Central.  Despite having a horrible bench and a "thin" bullpen, Milwaukee's pitching should outlast St Louis' starting 5.