I find myself saying this over and over again but here it is again, it has been a while since I wrote a blog post. I'm trying my best to keep posting, I really am. But this post is dealing with how the Brewers finally appear to be getting back on track right before the season ends. Twice in the past couple weeks the Brewers had a chance to put the Cardinals away for the season and twice they lost the series to the red birds and followed up the second series losing three out of four to the Phillies and just like that the Cardinals were back in the picture. However, after this weekend sweep of the Reds the Brewers now have a six and a half game lead and their magic number for clinching the division is four.
The thing I really liked about this series against the Reds was that the starting pitching was great but also that the offense finally appears to be back. The Brewers put up 24 runs this series and only gave up five. Seeing the offense get back to its old wall-banging ways is always nice to see, but when you combine that explosive offense with shutdown pitching it makes you feel better about this team. When the Brewers were struggling a couple of weeks ago it was the offense that didn't show up, the pitching was still there. When you are thinking about how this team could perform in the playoffs you want the pitching to be sharp and the offense just good enough to get those key runs that are needed to win the game.
Now here is the part I'm still worried about. I know the Brewers can beat teams like the Reds. Its very nice to see the pitching staff hold down a potent lineup like the Reds' but I'm still concerned about how the offense will handle a stronger pitching staff. In the two series against the Cardinals and the series against the Phillies, the offense was limited and seemed to be missing that clutch hit that they needed in most of the games. In the playoffs the games will be closer and the offense will have to be clutch because they won't be scoring ten runs a game, and seeing the team struggle with that against playoff worthy teams, well it worried me.
Although I know that the Brewers can beat up on these weaker teams it will be a great way to gain some momentum as they go into the playoffs. I don't want to get to far ahead of myself but with the magic number at three and series against the Cubs, Marlins and Pirates left in the season, I think its pretty safe to say that the Brewers will win the central. So hopefully the pitching will stay good and the offense will be coming out of these series smashing the ball like we all know they can, and we carry that into the playoffs and make some noise. Only nine games left on the season, and then the real fun starts....if we do make it that is.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
It's been a while...
It's been nearly a month since I last wrote a blog post. In that time the Brewers have won 20 games and have increased their division lead from 3.5 games to 10.5. The Brewers now hold the second best record in the NL and the third best record in all of baseball. So with all this winning going on why haven't I written anything? I couldn't think of anything to write, thats why. I don't want this blog to be me just bashing the team or me just praising the team. I couldn't think of any angle to write about and the reason was the Brewers were just playing so well there was nothing really to talk about except how well they have been playing...I hope that makes some sense.
And the thing is, I still don't have an angle to write about but its been waaaay to long since I've written a post so something had to come out. My lame attempt at an angle is about this upcoming series against the Cards. While we are still in the month of August and have a whole month of regular season baseball left to play, you would have to think this could be the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals, thus letting the Brewers cruise to the division title. This is the second last series against the Cardinals all year, and its at home where the Brewers are 50-16. If the Brewers take at least two out of three this series, that puts their lead for the division at 12.5 games with only the month of September left in the season. With the way this team has been playing and especially the way they have played at home, you have to like the chances of the Brewers taking two out of three or even getting the sweep.
This team has put up impressive numbers so far this season. Braun and Fielder are the best one-two combo in all of baseball. Axford has 40 saves this season, the pitching has been outstanding, especially the starting pitching with Grienke being perfect at Miller Park this season, and the team's offensive, which has been good all year will only get better once Weeks gets back from his injury. I just don't know what to say, this team has been playing damn near perfect baseball the month of August. So this series against the Cardinals could be a big one. If the Brewers sweep they will pretty much secure the division. If the Cardinals sweep they put themselves back into the race, but with the way the Brewers are playing this month you have to think there is no way the Brewers lose this series.
So I"m already starting to repeat myself and I still don't have a solid angle to write about, so I'm going to end this thing before it gets real ugly. Hopefully I can come up with something creative to write about next time, I know the two of you reading this are waiting patiently.
And the thing is, I still don't have an angle to write about but its been waaaay to long since I've written a post so something had to come out. My lame attempt at an angle is about this upcoming series against the Cards. While we are still in the month of August and have a whole month of regular season baseball left to play, you would have to think this could be the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals, thus letting the Brewers cruise to the division title. This is the second last series against the Cardinals all year, and its at home where the Brewers are 50-16. If the Brewers take at least two out of three this series, that puts their lead for the division at 12.5 games with only the month of September left in the season. With the way this team has been playing and especially the way they have played at home, you have to like the chances of the Brewers taking two out of three or even getting the sweep.
This team has put up impressive numbers so far this season. Braun and Fielder are the best one-two combo in all of baseball. Axford has 40 saves this season, the pitching has been outstanding, especially the starting pitching with Grienke being perfect at Miller Park this season, and the team's offensive, which has been good all year will only get better once Weeks gets back from his injury. I just don't know what to say, this team has been playing damn near perfect baseball the month of August. So this series against the Cardinals could be a big one. If the Brewers sweep they will pretty much secure the division. If the Cardinals sweep they put themselves back into the race, but with the way the Brewers are playing this month you have to think there is no way the Brewers lose this series.
So I"m already starting to repeat myself and I still don't have a solid angle to write about, so I'm going to end this thing before it gets real ugly. Hopefully I can come up with something creative to write about next time, I know the two of you reading this are waiting patiently.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The "Big Inning"
This blog post is dedicated to a specific part of the offensive side of baseball and one that helped the Brewers greatly tonight. The "Big Inning" is something that teams want every night and when a team gets a it they can either secure the game, blow a game open, or take the lead and give a team momentum. Tonight the Brewers used the "Big Inning" to take the lead and used their pitching and defense to hold onto the win. The "Big Inning" usually contains three parts to it. Those parts are as follows:
1. The Start - The start to the "Big Inning" is just what the name implies. It can be two singles, a single and a stolen base, a double with a walk, etc. Basically its any form of consecutive batters of offense that gets a rally going.
2. The Turning Point - This is the part where the possible rally inning gives signs of the "Big Inning." This usually means bases loaded with no outs with a big hitter coming up, usually someone in the top part of your order. Its at this point that any hit will score multiple runs and still leave you with room for more.
3. The Big Blow - The final aspect to the "Big Inning" is the big blow. This is the hit that drives in runs and will ultimately end the "Big Inning" but will be what you need to pur that five or six spot in the score column for the inning.
The Brewers used every aspect described above during their five-run inning.
The Brewers entered the bottom of the fifth down 2-0 and Carpenter was shutting down the Brewers offense but that was all about to change. The inning began with Betancourt getting a single up the middle, followed by McGehee getting a single of his own. Then Lucroy gets a rbi single with a ball that bounces over Freese and just like that the Brewers have a start to the "Big Inning." Next came the turning point.
With runners at first and third and Zack Greinke at the plate you were expecting a bunt, possibly a safety squeeze but what happened was even better. It was a bunt by Greinke, and a good one at that. The ball rolled up the third base side and both the catcher, Yadier Molina and third baseman Freese were charing the ball. There was some indecision between the two and by the time Molina picked up the ball there was not enough time to throw out Greinke going to first. So the Brewers had bases loaded, no outs and the top of the lineup coming up. This is a perfect example of a turning point for a "Big Inning."
Corey Hart hit a single to center field to score one run making the score 2-2, bases loaded and still no outs in the inning. Then came the big blow and it came from Nyjer Morgan. Morgan ripped a hanging curveball that was a deep fly ball that kept slicing away from center fielder John Jay and landed on the warning track, scoring two runs with ease and because of Hart's speed he was able to score from first. And just like that the Brewers had a 5-2 lead. A lead they would hold on to, add an insurance run and eventually secure the win, final score 6-2.
So that was a breakdown of the Brewers use of the "Big Inning" tonight against the Cardinals. Not only did the win put them on the right track to start the month of August but it also increased their lead in the central to 3.5 games. Hopefully the Brewers have more "Big Innings" this season and if all goes well we could be having some "Big Innings" in the postseason.
1. The Start - The start to the "Big Inning" is just what the name implies. It can be two singles, a single and a stolen base, a double with a walk, etc. Basically its any form of consecutive batters of offense that gets a rally going.
2. The Turning Point - This is the part where the possible rally inning gives signs of the "Big Inning." This usually means bases loaded with no outs with a big hitter coming up, usually someone in the top part of your order. Its at this point that any hit will score multiple runs and still leave you with room for more.
3. The Big Blow - The final aspect to the "Big Inning" is the big blow. This is the hit that drives in runs and will ultimately end the "Big Inning" but will be what you need to pur that five or six spot in the score column for the inning.
The Brewers used every aspect described above during their five-run inning.
The Brewers entered the bottom of the fifth down 2-0 and Carpenter was shutting down the Brewers offense but that was all about to change. The inning began with Betancourt getting a single up the middle, followed by McGehee getting a single of his own. Then Lucroy gets a rbi single with a ball that bounces over Freese and just like that the Brewers have a start to the "Big Inning." Next came the turning point.
With runners at first and third and Zack Greinke at the plate you were expecting a bunt, possibly a safety squeeze but what happened was even better. It was a bunt by Greinke, and a good one at that. The ball rolled up the third base side and both the catcher, Yadier Molina and third baseman Freese were charing the ball. There was some indecision between the two and by the time Molina picked up the ball there was not enough time to throw out Greinke going to first. So the Brewers had bases loaded, no outs and the top of the lineup coming up. This is a perfect example of a turning point for a "Big Inning."
Corey Hart hit a single to center field to score one run making the score 2-2, bases loaded and still no outs in the inning. Then came the big blow and it came from Nyjer Morgan. Morgan ripped a hanging curveball that was a deep fly ball that kept slicing away from center fielder John Jay and landed on the warning track, scoring two runs with ease and because of Hart's speed he was able to score from first. And just like that the Brewers had a 5-2 lead. A lead they would hold on to, add an insurance run and eventually secure the win, final score 6-2.
So that was a breakdown of the Brewers use of the "Big Inning" tonight against the Cardinals. Not only did the win put them on the right track to start the month of August but it also increased their lead in the central to 3.5 games. Hopefully the Brewers have more "Big Innings" this season and if all goes well we could be having some "Big Innings" in the postseason.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Live blog Brewers vs. Cubs
So I've decided to give this another shot. I tried doing this on opening day but as you can read in my opening day post I had some problems and it didn't turn out so why not try again now? This style of a blog post is an idea I'm borrowing (aka: stealing) from my favorite sports writer Bill Simmons. This is not that important of a game for the Brewers but it is the start of a very important stretch for them. This game starts a string of 18 consecutive games against division opponents for the Crew and the first nine are at home which is good news, so a win tonight could put us on the right path to a successful homestand which could give the Brewers sole possession of first and possibly give them some breathing room from the Cardinals and Pirates(man it feels weird to say that). So here it is, hopefully this will be as good as I want it to.
7:03 P.M. - Stat flashes up on the pre-game show. Ryan Dempster is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA s his last five starts against the Brewers. This could be ugly...
7:06 - Dempster's career stats against Brewers. 15-3, 2.50 ERA. Is it too late to go back on this?
7:09 - Narveson has had pretty good success against the Cubs though so hopefully this pitching even outs. With that said the game will probably be seven to six by the third inning.
7:11 - Narveson's first pitch is hit for a single by Jeff Baker. That didn't take long, hopefully Narveson doesn't have one of his first inning melt-downs that he seems to have from time to time.
7:14 - Aramis Ramirez hits a 2-run homer on the first pitch. The first inning will always be Narveson's downfall.
7:19 - Corey Hart rips an 0-2 pitch for a double at the exact same time I open my first beer. This has to mean something.
7:21 - After two pathetic bunt attempts, Morgan strikesout on a pitch way out of the zone. Probably one of the worst at bats by a Brewer not named Yuniesky Betancourt all season.
7:24 - Braun's bat shatters in spectacular fashion and somehow finds room down the line for a double which scores Hart. 2-1 Cubs.
7:27 - Putting Weeks in the five spot has been one of the better things that Roenicke has done this season. He can produce so much more in this spot as compared to the leadoff spot.
7:28 - I can't stand hearing Cubs fans cheering when the game is at Miller Park. It makes me sick. I hate the Cubs.
7:30 - Casey McGehee hits an opposite field bullet that scores Braun and Fielder scores all the way from first. This of course happens just seconds after Brain Anderson says McGehee has some of his best moments against the Cubs. 3-2 Brewers.
7:38 - After a two-out triple, Narveson gets Dempter to pop up to Weeks to end the inning. Nice bounce back inning by Narveson who, if he follows his usual pattern, will surrender runs in the first and then go the next five or six innings allowing maybe two more baserunners. It will happen, just wait.
7:44 - Nice to see Miller Park pretty full on a Tuesday night. Looks like Milwaukee is getting swept up in Brewer fever! I can't believe I just typed that.
7:47 - To the hot girl that seems to be sitting in the front row of each Brewer's homegame, please give me your phone number. I won't actually call you but I will at least be able to brag to my friends. Lets make this happen.
7:55 - The Brewers are going to have a Craig Counsell bobble head day. I mean I like the guy, but is this really necessary?
7:58 - Narveson continues to baffle these Cubs hitters with his changeup. Its nice to see him continue to go to it and continue to get hitters out with it. Still looking for that perfect inning from Narveson but he has yet to give up any more runs so I am content with it so far. Still 3-2 Brewers after 2 and 1/2.
8:01- Nyjer Morgan strikes out on three pitches again. Is he even here to play today? Both of these at bats have looked half-assed.
8:05 - I have to say that Fielder's beard makes him look even more intimidating. Its not Brian Wilson level but its still pretty impressive. Its a shame it didn't help him avoid grounding into that inning-ending double play just now.
8:07 - I can't believe I'm saying this but I kind of wish that when I was watching MLB.TV they would have commercials. The dead silence is just so strange to me.
8:08- Brewers announcers say if they Brewers hold on to the lead it will be there 23rd come from behind victory of the season. It is currently the top of the 4th inning. To soon guys.
8:10 - CC Sabathia is currently perfect through six innings against the Mariners.
8:11 - Hey! Narveson finally has a clean inning. Three up, three down.
8:13 - MLB.com has a picture of Brian Wilson shaking Barrack Obama's hand while the team visited the white house. It could be one of the better pictures I have seen in my entire life.
8:16 - Betancourt has been hot since the all-star break, right around the same time I said I don't want to see him playing anymore. He must read my blog....On a related note he just got a hit and extends his hit streak to eight games.
8:18 - CC loses the perfect game and no hitter.
8:19 - An error by Bird in center gives runners at second and third with two outs for Narveson.....
8:21- ....who proceeds to ground out. No damage done but at least the pitcher spot is cleared for the next Brewer's at bat.
8:31 - Starlin Castro gets a swinging bunt and the Cubs fans cheer as if he just hit a grand slam. God I hate the Cubs.
8:34 - Ramirez flies out to the wall for a loud out number three. Narveson escapes with no runs given up. He's looked solid so far tonight but his pitch count is getting up there, currently 73. It would be nice to see the offense give him some extra runs so he has some more breathing room to continue pitching.
8:37 - Beer and baseball go hand-in-hand. Its the way god intended it to be. I'm sure you can find it in the bible somewhere.
8:39- Nyjer Morgan's great night continues. He just flew out to right on the first pitch. So far thats three at bats, seven pitches seen, two strikeouts and a flyout. I love Morgan but he is just not having a good night.
8:40- Dempter catches a ball that would have seriously taken his head off. Brewers do nothing. Still lead 3-2 after five innings of play.
8:42 - After watching the replay of the catch, that ball would have hit Dempster clearly on the side of the head. Could have been a very ugly situation.
8:47 - Narveson struggling with command and Kameron Loe is working in the bullpen. This game could get ugly very very fast.
8:48 - Bases loaded, no outs and Soriano coming up to bat. Time for another beer.
8:48 - Oh great, Loe coming in. Time for two beers possibly a third.
8:53 - Soriano grounds out to third but for some reason McGehee doesn't step on third and instead just throws home. So bases loaded and now one out.
8:54 - Sweet jesus! Double play! Cubs blow bases loaded, no outs opportunity!
8:56 - Texting conversation between my cousin and I, where we both are sure the end of the world is coming after Loe made an appearance without giving up any runs. It could be very well a sign of the apocalypse.
8:58 - I think this game will be a good blueprint for how the bullpen will be managed for the rest of the season. Loe in ground ball situations, Saiton/Hawkins for the 7th, K-rod for the 8th and Axford for the 9th. I like the sound of that.
9:11 - I still can't believe that the PIrates are in first place in the N.L. Central. Nobody saw that one coming, and if you say you did you are lying.
9:13 - It looks like Aramis Ramirez is always trying to hit home runs. He just about fell over after taking a swing that looked like he was trying to hit a home run and blow his shoulder out all with the same swing.
9:16 - Hawkins breaks Ramirez's bat and Prince catches the ball in foul territory. Brewers still up 3-2 after seven.
9:18 - I've resorted to opening Itunes and playing parts of songs to kill the time for commercial breaks. Seriously the dead silence during commercial breaks is driving me insane.
9:20 - A Craig Counsell sighting!
9:24 - I am still patiently awaiting the day where Corey Hart can lay off a slider low and away. Thats back-to-back he just swung and missed at in this at bat and probably the fourth time it has happened this game.
9:27 - K-rod is making his Miller Park debut. Although they didn't show it, I will assume he got a good hand from the Miller Park crowd. I'm just going to go ahead and say he did because I want to believe the Brewers fans were smart enough to applaud the new comer who will help us greatly for this pennant chase.
9:32 - K-rod goes 1-2-3 with two strikeouts and leaves to a standing ovation from the Brewer fans at Miller Park. If there is one way to be instantly liked by a fanbase like the Brewers its to perform when you are called upon. I have a good feeling K-rod will become a quick fan favorite in Milwaukee.
9:35 - It just fully dawned on me that nobody has scored since the first inning and the Brewers haven't really had any other chances to score since the first. This game should end fast before our luck runs out.
9:37 - Its really nice to see Braun play well again. He seems to be fully over that leg injury that was slowing him down these past couple of weeks.
9:45 - Brewers threaten but fail to add any more runs. Time for the Ax man to shut the door.
9:47 - Axford had a voting contest at the beginning of the season to see what song will play when he comes out to close and somehow this didn't win. If your going to be sporting a mustache like that all season how do you not use this song? In my never ending debate on what song would be my closer song I have finally come to a decision, and it has to be the theme from "The Good the Bad and the Ugly." Make it happen Axford!
9:49 - Number of times the TV crew has mentioned that McGehee used to play for the Cubs is up to five. I should have looked to place some bets on this.
9:57 - Strikes him out!! Axord gets the save! It wasn't a clean one but its his 25th consecutive save, which ties a franchise record. Brewers win 3-2 and improve to 55-49 and will remain a half game out of first because the Cardinals won tonight and the Pirates are still tied but a win is a win and hopefully this is the start of a winning streak.
Well there you have it. Hopefully that was enjoyable to read. I did my best to add in interesting comments but it was hard, seeing as the only runs scored where in the first inning. Like I said earlier, hopefully this is the start of a nice winning streak for the Brewers who could use this homestand to take first and possibly create some space between them and the Cardinals and Pirates. Seriously, it is so strange to say, "create space between them and the Pirates," I may never get over it.
7:03 P.M. - Stat flashes up on the pre-game show. Ryan Dempster is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA s his last five starts against the Brewers. This could be ugly...
7:06 - Dempster's career stats against Brewers. 15-3, 2.50 ERA. Is it too late to go back on this?
7:09 - Narveson has had pretty good success against the Cubs though so hopefully this pitching even outs. With that said the game will probably be seven to six by the third inning.
7:11 - Narveson's first pitch is hit for a single by Jeff Baker. That didn't take long, hopefully Narveson doesn't have one of his first inning melt-downs that he seems to have from time to time.
7:14 - Aramis Ramirez hits a 2-run homer on the first pitch. The first inning will always be Narveson's downfall.
7:19 - Corey Hart rips an 0-2 pitch for a double at the exact same time I open my first beer. This has to mean something.
7:21 - After two pathetic bunt attempts, Morgan strikesout on a pitch way out of the zone. Probably one of the worst at bats by a Brewer not named Yuniesky Betancourt all season.
7:24 - Braun's bat shatters in spectacular fashion and somehow finds room down the line for a double which scores Hart. 2-1 Cubs.
7:27 - Putting Weeks in the five spot has been one of the better things that Roenicke has done this season. He can produce so much more in this spot as compared to the leadoff spot.
7:28 - I can't stand hearing Cubs fans cheering when the game is at Miller Park. It makes me sick. I hate the Cubs.
7:30 - Casey McGehee hits an opposite field bullet that scores Braun and Fielder scores all the way from first. This of course happens just seconds after Brain Anderson says McGehee has some of his best moments against the Cubs. 3-2 Brewers.
7:38 - After a two-out triple, Narveson gets Dempter to pop up to Weeks to end the inning. Nice bounce back inning by Narveson who, if he follows his usual pattern, will surrender runs in the first and then go the next five or six innings allowing maybe two more baserunners. It will happen, just wait.
7:44 - Nice to see Miller Park pretty full on a Tuesday night. Looks like Milwaukee is getting swept up in Brewer fever! I can't believe I just typed that.
7:47 - To the hot girl that seems to be sitting in the front row of each Brewer's homegame, please give me your phone number. I won't actually call you but I will at least be able to brag to my friends. Lets make this happen.
7:55 - The Brewers are going to have a Craig Counsell bobble head day. I mean I like the guy, but is this really necessary?
7:58 - Narveson continues to baffle these Cubs hitters with his changeup. Its nice to see him continue to go to it and continue to get hitters out with it. Still looking for that perfect inning from Narveson but he has yet to give up any more runs so I am content with it so far. Still 3-2 Brewers after 2 and 1/2.
8:01- Nyjer Morgan strikes out on three pitches again. Is he even here to play today? Both of these at bats have looked half-assed.
8:05 - I have to say that Fielder's beard makes him look even more intimidating. Its not Brian Wilson level but its still pretty impressive. Its a shame it didn't help him avoid grounding into that inning-ending double play just now.
8:07 - I can't believe I'm saying this but I kind of wish that when I was watching MLB.TV they would have commercials. The dead silence is just so strange to me.
8:08- Brewers announcers say if they Brewers hold on to the lead it will be there 23rd come from behind victory of the season. It is currently the top of the 4th inning. To soon guys.
8:10 - CC Sabathia is currently perfect through six innings against the Mariners.
8:11 - Hey! Narveson finally has a clean inning. Three up, three down.
8:13 - MLB.com has a picture of Brian Wilson shaking Barrack Obama's hand while the team visited the white house. It could be one of the better pictures I have seen in my entire life.
8:16 - Betancourt has been hot since the all-star break, right around the same time I said I don't want to see him playing anymore. He must read my blog....On a related note he just got a hit and extends his hit streak to eight games.
8:18 - CC loses the perfect game and no hitter.
8:19 - An error by Bird in center gives runners at second and third with two outs for Narveson.....
8:21- ....who proceeds to ground out. No damage done but at least the pitcher spot is cleared for the next Brewer's at bat.
8:31 - Starlin Castro gets a swinging bunt and the Cubs fans cheer as if he just hit a grand slam. God I hate the Cubs.
8:34 - Ramirez flies out to the wall for a loud out number three. Narveson escapes with no runs given up. He's looked solid so far tonight but his pitch count is getting up there, currently 73. It would be nice to see the offense give him some extra runs so he has some more breathing room to continue pitching.
8:37 - Beer and baseball go hand-in-hand. Its the way god intended it to be. I'm sure you can find it in the bible somewhere.
8:39- Nyjer Morgan's great night continues. He just flew out to right on the first pitch. So far thats three at bats, seven pitches seen, two strikeouts and a flyout. I love Morgan but he is just not having a good night.
8:40- Dempter catches a ball that would have seriously taken his head off. Brewers do nothing. Still lead 3-2 after five innings of play.
8:42 - After watching the replay of the catch, that ball would have hit Dempster clearly on the side of the head. Could have been a very ugly situation.
8:47 - Narveson struggling with command and Kameron Loe is working in the bullpen. This game could get ugly very very fast.
8:48 - Bases loaded, no outs and Soriano coming up to bat. Time for another beer.
8:48 - Oh great, Loe coming in. Time for two beers possibly a third.
8:53 - Soriano grounds out to third but for some reason McGehee doesn't step on third and instead just throws home. So bases loaded and now one out.
8:54 - Sweet jesus! Double play! Cubs blow bases loaded, no outs opportunity!
8:56 - Texting conversation between my cousin and I, where we both are sure the end of the world is coming after Loe made an appearance without giving up any runs. It could be very well a sign of the apocalypse.
8:58 - I think this game will be a good blueprint for how the bullpen will be managed for the rest of the season. Loe in ground ball situations, Saiton/Hawkins for the 7th, K-rod for the 8th and Axford for the 9th. I like the sound of that.
9:11 - I still can't believe that the PIrates are in first place in the N.L. Central. Nobody saw that one coming, and if you say you did you are lying.
9:13 - It looks like Aramis Ramirez is always trying to hit home runs. He just about fell over after taking a swing that looked like he was trying to hit a home run and blow his shoulder out all with the same swing.
9:16 - Hawkins breaks Ramirez's bat and Prince catches the ball in foul territory. Brewers still up 3-2 after seven.
9:18 - I've resorted to opening Itunes and playing parts of songs to kill the time for commercial breaks. Seriously the dead silence during commercial breaks is driving me insane.
9:20 - A Craig Counsell sighting!
9:24 - I am still patiently awaiting the day where Corey Hart can lay off a slider low and away. Thats back-to-back he just swung and missed at in this at bat and probably the fourth time it has happened this game.
9:27 - K-rod is making his Miller Park debut. Although they didn't show it, I will assume he got a good hand from the Miller Park crowd. I'm just going to go ahead and say he did because I want to believe the Brewers fans were smart enough to applaud the new comer who will help us greatly for this pennant chase.
9:32 - K-rod goes 1-2-3 with two strikeouts and leaves to a standing ovation from the Brewer fans at Miller Park. If there is one way to be instantly liked by a fanbase like the Brewers its to perform when you are called upon. I have a good feeling K-rod will become a quick fan favorite in Milwaukee.
9:35 - It just fully dawned on me that nobody has scored since the first inning and the Brewers haven't really had any other chances to score since the first. This game should end fast before our luck runs out.
9:37 - Its really nice to see Braun play well again. He seems to be fully over that leg injury that was slowing him down these past couple of weeks.
9:45 - Brewers threaten but fail to add any more runs. Time for the Ax man to shut the door.
9:47 - Axford had a voting contest at the beginning of the season to see what song will play when he comes out to close and somehow this didn't win. If your going to be sporting a mustache like that all season how do you not use this song? In my never ending debate on what song would be my closer song I have finally come to a decision, and it has to be the theme from "The Good the Bad and the Ugly." Make it happen Axford!
9:49 - Number of times the TV crew has mentioned that McGehee used to play for the Cubs is up to five. I should have looked to place some bets on this.
9:57 - Strikes him out!! Axord gets the save! It wasn't a clean one but its his 25th consecutive save, which ties a franchise record. Brewers win 3-2 and improve to 55-49 and will remain a half game out of first because the Cardinals won tonight and the Pirates are still tied but a win is a win and hopefully this is the start of a winning streak.
Well there you have it. Hopefully that was enjoyable to read. I did my best to add in interesting comments but it was hard, seeing as the only runs scored where in the first inning. Like I said earlier, hopefully this is the start of a nice winning streak for the Brewers who could use this homestand to take first and possibly create some space between them and the Cardinals and Pirates. Seriously, it is so strange to say, "create space between them and the Pirates," I may never get over it.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
First half thoughts
So we are officially half-way through the season and the Brewers are tied for first place in the NL Central, have three starters in the All-Star game, (well technically only two because of Braun's injury, but he did get voted in) and two players in the homerun derby. I thought I would take this time to reflect back on the first half of the season and give my predictions of where this team will go in the second half of the season.
Overall this team has played very well. Minus a few players who constantly seem to underperform, the team has been solid all around. The rocky start the Brewers faced turned into a fantastic month of May which included back to back sweeps of the Rockies and Nationals. That hot streak of baseball continued until early June until the Brewers reached interleague play which they struggled with but they came out of interleague and won four ouf of the last seven including two walk-off winners against the Reds and former Brewer, Francisco Cordero. So I'm going to go ahead and give different aspects of the teams grades, much like I did earlier in the season and go a little more in-depth with the grades. So here they are, you grades for the first half of the Brewers 2011 season.
Starting Pitching - B
I wanted to go more in-depth in this grading post than I did in my one earlier in the season so I decided to split up the pitching staff. Overall the starters have been good but not great. At times they do just enough to get the job done and thats all I can really ask for but there are times where we should be seeing more from them, especially Zack Greinke. Zack has been good in his starts but he isn't the ace we had hoped we would get when we traded for him. He gives up a lot of hits and runs but is able to keep his team in the game and he continues to rack up a ton of strikeouts. Still it would be nice to see him go seven scoreless innings one of these starts. Gallardo has become much more consistent but he still has those starts where he has absolutely nothing going for him. Marcum has been the most consistent but he has dealt with a hip injury that has prevented him from having very successful starts his last couple times out, but he should be back on track after the break. Wolf is a bend but don't break pitcher and I would say he is 50/50 in that sense. He is hot some starts, then garbage some others and the same can be said for Narveson. But overall they are getting the job done, I would just hope for some more consistency from them as a whole but other than that not much to complain about so far into the season.
Bullpen - C
This was always the Brewers biggest weakness this season and it continues to be the only real flaw so far this season. Axford and Hawkins are the only ones that seem to be able to get outs consistently. Axford has really come on after his rough start to the season and its great to see. The rest of the bullpen is another story. Loe and Estrada continue to give me headaches every time they go out. Braddock can't seem to get lefties out at a consistant pace, which is the main reason he is on the team. Saito just came off the DL so he gets a pass but overall the bullpen has been very disappointing. The addition of K-rod (just announced tonight) should help greatly, meaning we should have the 8th and 9th locked down and Hawkins could have the 7th, meaning we should have the end of each game on lockdown. But as for the first half, the bullpen was very disappointing.
Infield - B
This one was very hard to judge. Fielder and Weeks are great, heck they made the all-star team, but the other side of the infield is bad. McGehee is really struggling this year and although he is doing better as of late he is still slacking on the offensive side of the ball, and then there is Betancourt. I can not continue to sit and watch Brewers games with this guy on the field. When he was announced in the trade we were told he could hit but couldn't play defense. Well so far this year he can't hit and plays ok defense. While he has made some good plays this year he is pretty much useless when it comes to hitting. I am about to tear my hair out if I have to watch another one of his infamous, one pitch pop-up at bats. He never seems to come up with a clutch hit or even work the count! He continues to get out on weak ground balls and pop ups early in the count. Its driving me up the wall watching him do this game after game. As much as those two struggle, Weeks and Fielder are carrying the team. Fielder is having a MVP season and Weeks continues to impress me even more as the year goes on. McGehee should get back on track and Weeks and Fielder show no signs of slowing down so the infield should improve on offense. Defensively they have been fine but there is always room for improvement in that department, and that goes for the whole team.
Outfield - A
The only aspect of this team that continues to not only pass, but exceed my expectations is the outfield. They play defense well, anchored by speedy center fielders Gomez and Nyjer Morgan. They hit the ball great with Braun and Hart and even our bench outfielders like Kotsay continue to produce. There isn't much I can say about the outfield. Braun is doing well, minus his injury this last week, Hart is continuing his offensive pace he set last year and Nyjer Morgan has been one of the better pick ups the Brewers have made in the past couple seasons. The guy continues to get clutch hits, do all the little things right, and play great defense. This is clearly the best part of the team when it comes to each aspect of the game and it should continue in the second half of the season.
Overall grade - B+
This team did a good job of keeping around while everybody was hurt and now that everyone is healthy they are making their run for the division. Although they struggled through interleague play the Brewers have held their ground and continue to sit on top of the division or very close to it. The second half of the season should see the Brewers making their move to not only take the lead but hold it and eventually make the playoffs as the National League Central Champions. This team shows signs of greatness throughout the season and if they can find some consistent play from their best players, they could easily win six games in a row without breaking a sweat. It should be a very fun second half to the season and will hopefully contain great things for the team and us as fans.
Overall this team has played very well. Minus a few players who constantly seem to underperform, the team has been solid all around. The rocky start the Brewers faced turned into a fantastic month of May which included back to back sweeps of the Rockies and Nationals. That hot streak of baseball continued until early June until the Brewers reached interleague play which they struggled with but they came out of interleague and won four ouf of the last seven including two walk-off winners against the Reds and former Brewer, Francisco Cordero. So I'm going to go ahead and give different aspects of the teams grades, much like I did earlier in the season and go a little more in-depth with the grades. So here they are, you grades for the first half of the Brewers 2011 season.
Starting Pitching - B
I wanted to go more in-depth in this grading post than I did in my one earlier in the season so I decided to split up the pitching staff. Overall the starters have been good but not great. At times they do just enough to get the job done and thats all I can really ask for but there are times where we should be seeing more from them, especially Zack Greinke. Zack has been good in his starts but he isn't the ace we had hoped we would get when we traded for him. He gives up a lot of hits and runs but is able to keep his team in the game and he continues to rack up a ton of strikeouts. Still it would be nice to see him go seven scoreless innings one of these starts. Gallardo has become much more consistent but he still has those starts where he has absolutely nothing going for him. Marcum has been the most consistent but he has dealt with a hip injury that has prevented him from having very successful starts his last couple times out, but he should be back on track after the break. Wolf is a bend but don't break pitcher and I would say he is 50/50 in that sense. He is hot some starts, then garbage some others and the same can be said for Narveson. But overall they are getting the job done, I would just hope for some more consistency from them as a whole but other than that not much to complain about so far into the season.
Bullpen - C
This was always the Brewers biggest weakness this season and it continues to be the only real flaw so far this season. Axford and Hawkins are the only ones that seem to be able to get outs consistently. Axford has really come on after his rough start to the season and its great to see. The rest of the bullpen is another story. Loe and Estrada continue to give me headaches every time they go out. Braddock can't seem to get lefties out at a consistant pace, which is the main reason he is on the team. Saito just came off the DL so he gets a pass but overall the bullpen has been very disappointing. The addition of K-rod (just announced tonight) should help greatly, meaning we should have the 8th and 9th locked down and Hawkins could have the 7th, meaning we should have the end of each game on lockdown. But as for the first half, the bullpen was very disappointing.
Infield - B
This one was very hard to judge. Fielder and Weeks are great, heck they made the all-star team, but the other side of the infield is bad. McGehee is really struggling this year and although he is doing better as of late he is still slacking on the offensive side of the ball, and then there is Betancourt. I can not continue to sit and watch Brewers games with this guy on the field. When he was announced in the trade we were told he could hit but couldn't play defense. Well so far this year he can't hit and plays ok defense. While he has made some good plays this year he is pretty much useless when it comes to hitting. I am about to tear my hair out if I have to watch another one of his infamous, one pitch pop-up at bats. He never seems to come up with a clutch hit or even work the count! He continues to get out on weak ground balls and pop ups early in the count. Its driving me up the wall watching him do this game after game. As much as those two struggle, Weeks and Fielder are carrying the team. Fielder is having a MVP season and Weeks continues to impress me even more as the year goes on. McGehee should get back on track and Weeks and Fielder show no signs of slowing down so the infield should improve on offense. Defensively they have been fine but there is always room for improvement in that department, and that goes for the whole team.
Outfield - A
The only aspect of this team that continues to not only pass, but exceed my expectations is the outfield. They play defense well, anchored by speedy center fielders Gomez and Nyjer Morgan. They hit the ball great with Braun and Hart and even our bench outfielders like Kotsay continue to produce. There isn't much I can say about the outfield. Braun is doing well, minus his injury this last week, Hart is continuing his offensive pace he set last year and Nyjer Morgan has been one of the better pick ups the Brewers have made in the past couple seasons. The guy continues to get clutch hits, do all the little things right, and play great defense. This is clearly the best part of the team when it comes to each aspect of the game and it should continue in the second half of the season.
Overall grade - B+
This team did a good job of keeping around while everybody was hurt and now that everyone is healthy they are making their run for the division. Although they struggled through interleague play the Brewers have held their ground and continue to sit on top of the division or very close to it. The second half of the season should see the Brewers making their move to not only take the lead but hold it and eventually make the playoffs as the National League Central Champions. This team shows signs of greatness throughout the season and if they can find some consistent play from their best players, they could easily win six games in a row without breaking a sweat. It should be a very fun second half to the season and will hopefully contain great things for the team and us as fans.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Damn Yankees and my never ending man-crush on CC Sabathia
As I watched the Brewers flail at another CC Sabathia changeup I had flash backs to the 2008 season and thought to myself, "man wouldn't it be great to still have CC?" After his magnificent run with the team for that half a season in 2008 I wanted him in a Brewers uniform for life. But everybody knew he was a goner. The Yankees had missed the playoffs the previous year and they didn't want it to happen again so they did what they do best, they spent money and offered CC a contract the Brewers couldn't even dream of giving a single player.
So as I was watching the game, the crew of FSN kept cutting to highlights of the 2008 season. CC's almost no-hitter and the final game of the season. Seeing those replays still gives me chills. It was the best moment of my life when it comes to being a Brewer fan and I will never forget that summer. That season in itself deserves its own blog post but it was hard not to think about it while watching CC pitch again.
Now I'm not one to hate on the Yankees just because they spend a lot of money and they constantly win because of it. But for some reason I was getting infuriated watching the games. It didn't help that the Brewers were not playing well all series and a sweep was the worst thing that could have happened, because at the same time the Cardinals were sweeping the Orioles and the Brewers three game lead in the division was gone in the blink of an eye. The thing that was killing me the most was that the Yankees were doing all the little things right. They get a guy on base, he steals, the next hitter gets him to third, and then the next guy drives him in, and then of course hits pile up and Nick Swisher hits a three-run homerun, Nick Swisher hit a fucking homerun, of course he did, only his 10th on the year.
I started to look for reasons to hate the Yankees, stupid A-rod, even though he did close to nothing this series, stupid Teixeira, who hit his 300th career homerun, that dumb stadium that little leaguers could seemingly hit homeruns out of. Anything I could think of became reasons for me to hate the Yankees in that moment. And then CC came back out on the mound.
Suddenly the hate I was feeling towards the Yankees was gone. Weeks pops up, Gomez grounds out and then Braun gets a hit, extending his hitting streak to 20 games. This hit knocks CC out of the game with a high pitch count. No runs and 13 strikeouts over seven and two-thirds innings. As CC walked back to the dugout amongst a standing ovation from the Yankee fans I realized something. I could never hate CC, never in my life. Even though he is wearing pinstripes and probably will be for the rest of his career, nothing he does will make me hate him, not after what he did for the Brewers, the city of Milwaukee and me. He may be a Yankee but I will always remember him like this.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
3 up and 3 up
I know its been a very long time but since only two people read this blog I don't think most people really mind I haven't written in a while. I need an angle to write about and haven't really come up with one and still don't really have one but I don't really want to go to sleep at the moment so here it is.
This team is really good, much better than our record shows even though we are in first place. These past couple series, minus this sweep, have been really hard to watch as we were losing to teams we should have beat, except the Red Sox. The bullpen continues to be shaky minus Axford and the offense explodes one night and then gets three hits the next. With that being said, I am very happy with where we are in the season right now. Coming fresh off this sweep and the Cardinals getting swept we now have a three game lead in the division and interleague play is almost done, three against the Yanks in New York and then three again against the Twins but in Minneapolis.
The best thing about this sweep was how everybody was not only playing great but everybody was clutch. On Friday, Prince hits the go ahead double, Loe cruises through the 8th and Axford the same in the 9th for a good win that was much needed. Offense keeps rolling into game two and the Brewers blow out the Twins 11-1. Then game three we have clutch hitting again, Narveson pitches great and Loe and Axford finish off the game.
For as hard as I have been on the team they have really come around since that terrible start. The thing they have given me as a fan so far this season is hope. Although the play is still inconsistent, when they are playing like they should they look almost unbeatable, and thats what you want to see from your team.
From this sweep the Brewers have three games in New York which should be very interesting, I think the Brewers can do some damage there and hopefully leave with two wins. The Brewers should be able to handle the Twins in their stadium like they did this weekend but you never know, but we should be able to get two out of three. Then we have three games against the Diamondbacks who have been playing well and then finally four games against the Reds and then the All-Star break. I think this stretch will be tough but the Brewers should be able to handle it and they could be going into the All-Star break with some good momentum.
PS: Please ignore any grammar or spelling mistakes, I typed this up very quickly and was mostly just to get another post up. I need to let my two readers know that I'm still here.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
First place!
Between the combination of school and work I haven't been able to write a post in what seems like forever. There is also the fact that I couldn't think of anything to write about. I've realized that when your team is playing better there isn't a whole lot to say that wouldn't be constantly repeating yourself. The Brewers have been the best team since May 8th with a record of 24-8 and are firing on all cylinders. I wanted to come up with an angle for a blog post but just couldn't figure one out. Then the Cardinals came into town.
I dislike the Cardinals, you could say borderline hatred. I don't like Pujols, I don't like LaRussa, I just have no love at all for anybody in that organization, except maybe John Jay, only because his name is cool. I love when the Brewers beat the Cardinals and I love it even more when we sweep them putting us in first place.
Yes thats right, the Brewers are in first place. I can't say it enough. We are in first place. Ok, ok its only a half-game lead but its still something to be happy about. The weekend series could not have started any better.
The Brewers blew out the Cards in game 1, 8-0 backed behind a great outing by Narveson, who really needed it. A 5-3 win in game 2, and a comeback win in game 3 gave the Brewers the sweep and sole possession of first place.
The starting pitching has been great these past couple weeks, the bullpen has been mostly solid and the offense has been better than I could have ever hoped, mostly led by Prince Fielder.
Prince is just playing on another level right now and its fun to watch. Every at-bat he has this past week you have to sit and watch because you just know he can blast a homerun at any second. When Prince and Braun are playing well the offense seems to follow and Prince is just on fire right now so everybody is following suit.
The Brewers won't have much time to celebrate being in first place as there schedule is incredibly hard these next couple weeks. Four games at Chicago, three games in Fenway, three games against the Rays followed by three against the Twins at home. Then they end the month with three games in New York against the Yankees and start July with three games in Minnesota. I would be scared out of my mind if the Brewers weren't playing as well as they are now and even so I'm still nervous. The last time the Brewers went into Fenway they were blown out and the Red Sox are also white hot right now. The Brewers never seem to play the Twins well at all and the Yankees are well...the Yankees. It will be interesting to see how the Brewers stack against some of the AL's best teams and hopefully we come out on top. It could be a long couple of weeks but I don't really care right now. We are in fist place and looking to keep it that way.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Marcum trade paying off for Brewers so far
It has been a while since I posted something and I was really struggling to come up with something. I was going to say something about the Brewers great play but the series loss to the Reds made me rethink that. They are playing well but I didn't want to just write about that. The Brewers made some big moves this offseason and the one that seems to be paying off the most right now is Shawn Marcum.
Who would have thought that the guy who only tops out at 89 miles per hour on his fastball would be the most consistent pitcher for the Brewers so far this season? He doesn't have the most wins, that belongs to Gallardo who is on a hot streak of his own but with Marcum on the mound you know what you are going to get each start. He has only pitched under six innings once this season and that was the first start of the year. He strikes guys out, gets the outs when he needs them and keeps the team in the game, exactly what you want from your starter.
He leads all Brewer starting pitching in ERA with a 2.78. He leads all starters in innings pitched with 77 and two-thirds. He as the most strikeouts and the least walks not counting Greinke. The production from Marcum has been outstanding so far this season and there doesn't seem to be any signs of it slowing down.
The thing with Marcum is he uses his off-speed stuff and he is so good at it that it gets really fun to watch. You can see the hitters getting frustrated as they continue to swing and miss at pitches that usually hover around the low 80's for speed. All of his pitches have movement and he has near perfect control of all his pitches all the time. His outing against the Reds strong lineup was impressive as until the 7th inning he had given up only 1 hit. He ended up only giving up two runs on five hits and added seven strikeouts. It was a shame the bullpen couldn't hold onto the win for him.
I was expecting Marcum to do well when we made the trade for him this offseason but I have been impressed and I think he has exceeded those expectations so far this year. For what the Brewers gave up for him you have to be impressed with what we have gotten back. Its been a good start for Marcum and hopefully his strong pitching continues later into the season.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The turn around series
Finally a sweep for the Brewers worth taking note of, sorry Pirates' fans but the Brewers have had there number and I expect the Brewers to sweep the Pirates when they play them now. But a sweep of the Rockies was not expected but is very much enjoyed by me and Brewer fans everywhere. Not only was it three wins while the Reds lost three games but it puts us above .500 and the Brewers did it in ways that we aren't really used to seeing so far this season. On Friday the Brewers picked themselves up multiple times to come back and win in extra innings. Saturday they backed a great pitching performance with just enough offense to win and did the same on Sunday. The thing to note is that in every game the Brewers were outhit by the Rockies, meaning the Brewers got clutch hits, something that has bee lacking so far this season and it all started Friday night.
Friday nights game was special for me because I was there and it was possibly the best Brewer game I have seen in my life. It started with Greinke getting the start and he pitched well. Four runs over six innings with eight strikeouts. Not bad but he departed with the team losing. Casey McGehee hit a clutch homerun in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game up at four. The score stayed tied at four until the top of the 13th when the Rockies took a one run lead. The Brewers answered with another clutch homerun from Yuniesky Betancourt to tie it up. The Rockies once again took the lead in the top of the 14th and in the bottom of the 14th Prince Fielder crushed a homerun that may or may not have landed yet. This game was great to watch because it showed the fight the Brewers had in them. It's tough to hang in there for that long of a game and for them to fall behind twice in extra innings and still pull out the win is a great sign. They had great work out of the bullpen and great defense to go with the clutch offense. It was a great game all around for the whole team and it was one you circle on the calendar and say, "this could be a turnaround game."
Since the Brewers used so many pitchers Friday night they needed a nice long outing from starter Shawn Marcum and thats exactly what they got. Marcum shut down the Rockies offense. He gave up only four hits over eight innings, striking out eight batters as well. The offense did just enough to get the win and once again the Brewers play good all around baseball to secure the win.
The Brewers did more of the same on Sunday. It takes a good pitching performance and clutch hitting to win a game while only collecting two hits, and thats what the Brewers did today. Wolf goes seven strong, Loe gets the 8th, and Axford shuts the door. Braun hits a triple and scores on an error and thats all they needed.
This sweep is more than just three wins for the Brewers. Like I said in the beginning this isn't against the Pirates, this is against a team that will contend for a division title. It's a great sign to see the Brewers sweep the Rockies this weekend and do it in the manner in which they did. They won't always be able to out score their opponents so you need to win games on pitching and clutch hitting and thats what the Brewers did, especially concerning Friday's game. This series can be a key part of the season and could be the series that finally gets the Brewers on an extended winning streak. The Brewers showed a lot of heart and determination this weekend and it's a fun thing to watch. They never gave up and they continued to work hard to win all these games. The Brewers have some good competition coming up on their schedule so continued play of this caliber would help them a long way.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The case of Carlos Gomez
When you ask Milwaukee Brewer fans what they think of Carlos Gomez you will probably get a look of disgust or a rolling of the eyes. Everybody knew coming in that Gomez had great speed, played great defense but he had a really hard time getting on base and he struck out a lot. Well Gomez has played just as advertised since coming to Milwaukee and it has caused some Brewer fans to become upset as many were hoping his play would improve.
Due to injury to Nyjer Morgan, Gomez has had to play more often and his name in the lineup every day is something many Brewer fans don't want to see. He is currently batting .228 with a .288 on base percentage. This would be a problem if he was buried deep in the batting order but it makes it worst that he bats second in the lineup. A guy who only has a .288 on base percentage is batting before Braun, Fielder, and McGehee. For those three to drive in runs they need guys on base and Gomez isn't doing that. Gomez should be bumped down in the lineup, thats for sure but where do you put him? The answer I think is 8th. If Gomez does get on base in the 8th spot he could steal and then have the pitcher bunt him over. That gives the top of the order a chance to score and easy run with Gomez on either second or third. It would be perfect for Gomez as he should get some decent pitches to hit, especially if he leads off an inning and it can also help with his patience because usually pitchers will try to go around the 8th place hitter to get the pitcher, but that might change if a guy with speed like Gomez is batting the 8th spot. Overall I think batting 8th would be perfect for Gomez.
Gomez offense is clearly something that needs to work on but there are two reasons why he plays every day. His speed and his defense. Gomez can seemingly cover every inch of the outfield when he is out there. There are only a couple of plays where he wasn't able to race down a fly ball in the outfield. I have become so use to seeing Gomez make every play out in center field I actually become shocked when he doesn't make a play. Something that goes hand in hand with Gomez's defense is his speed. Gomez is one of the fastest players I have every seen. I recall one instance in a game where he hit a bloop single and he sprinted out of the box and somehow managed to turn it into a double. He can stretch any hit into extra bases and can score from first on a hit to the wall. The times he does get on base he becomes a constant worry for the other team because he can steal anytime and even if he doesn't he can score from any base on a hit to the wall.
So the argument here is wether or not to keep Gomez in the lineup. On a team that prides itself on offense Gomez is a black hole of sorts that doesn't get on base enough. His defense has helped the team on numerous occasions and his speed gives other teams headaches on the base paths, but he doesn't get on base enough to make use of that speed. I think what the Brewers need to do is move Gomez down in the lineup where he won't have as much pressure to get on base as he doesn't currently batting second. Although many Brewer fans don't want to see Gomez playing everyday I think we need to keep him out there. His defense is too much to just throw away. There was a play the other day with Kotsay in centerfield and at first I didn't realize it wasn't Gomez out there. As soon as the ball was heading his way I thought, "this is an out" but then I realized it wasn't Gomez and Kotsay didn't get the out, something that Gomez would have done with ease. I don't think Gomez will improve his offense drastically but I think it will improve if he gets bumped down in the lineup but his defense is something this team needs out in centerfield. As painful as Gomez at bats are to watch we will have to continue to watch them and I won't be as mad as long as he continues to make plays great plays in centerfield.
UPDATE: I originally wrote this blog post Monday afternoon but didn't get a chance to finish it up and by the time I did Ron Roenicke had already made a move. On Tuesday Roenicke moved Hart into the second spot in the lineup and bumped down Gomez to the 8th spot. Instead of just trashing the whole post I decided to just add this part in. Hopefully this move pays off for the Brewers and Gomez can do better on offense. If not, Nyjer Morgan should be back soon enough...
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The continued woes of the Brewers bullpen
After a bad start by Wolf it didn't look like the Brewers were in line for a sweep of the Padres this afternoon, but a comeback by the offense gave the Brewers the lead in the sixth inning it was up to the bullpen to hold on to the lead. Now earlier in the game Sergio Mitre pitched great to keep the Brewers in the game but once again the end of the game is where the bullpen fell apart.
In the 8th inning Kameron Loe came in and blew the game and it was bad but he had help from Stetter. Stetter came in to try and get the lefty Brad Hawpe out but failed to do so giving up a hit. So they went to Loe who lately has been really struggling to have successful outings. He proceeded to give up back to back singles, got an out via a sac bunt then gave up a walk and a hit. He was then pulled so young Mike McClendon who gave up a home run and gave up two runs on his own. Stetter's final line O innings pitched, 1 hit and one run. Loe's final line, 1/3 innings pitched, three hits and four runs. McClendon rounded off the game with one and two thirds innings pitched, 5 hits and 3 runs.
This is a problem that needs to be addressed because this isn't the first time this has happened. It didn't help that Wolf had a terrible outing forcing the bullpen, who have already worked a lot in this season, to pitch a lot of innings but this is still no excuse for such a poor performance. Loe in particular has not looked sharp really at all this season. But lately he struggles to have clean outings. His last outing was good, only one run but it was an amazing play by Betancourt that saved Loe. Today he could only get one out, and that was on a sacrifice bunt. This can't continue to happen and it is a problem that needs to be addressed. We need somebody to come in the 8th and get outs that we can trust. I can no longer trust Loe and I think a majority of fans would agree with that. This one hurt because the sweep was there for us to take and it would have been a good one to have. Loe was great last year but if he continues to struggle the Brewers need to make a change, but its not just Loe, the whole bullpen needs to step their game up.
Not much else to add on this, I'm upset over the loss so this was a quick reaction post but there are hints of truth to it. The bullpen needs to be able to get outs without giving up runs and thats something that doesn't seem to be happening a lot lately.
On a side note congrats to Prince Fielder on hitting his 200th career homerun today. It was a clutch shot that tied the game at the time. Here's hoping Prince hits a bunch more and that they all happen in a Brewer's jersey...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Once again Gallardo gets it done.
It had all the makings of a no-hitter. Great pitching, great defense. You could just feel it. It was in the fifth inning when I really began to notice the work Yovani Gallardo was doing. Right after Mark Kotsay made a jumping catch to end the fifth that not only kept the no-hitter going but also kept the Brewers in the lead. Oh how the game could have changed if Kotsay didn't catch the ball but baseball is a game of inches and Kotsay timed his jump just right to catch that ball. That's when it clicked in my head, Yovani Gallardo could seriously throw a no-hitter today.
A day after almost getting no-hit themselves it only seemed like some type of poetic justice that the Brewers do it to the Cardinals. But just like how the Cardinals fell short last night, Gallardo came up just short of history, but still gave the Brewers exactly what they needed today.
You can see a pattern forming in this Brewers season. Whenever the Brewers are in a major slump its Yovani Gallardo bailing them out with a much needed clutch pitching performance. It happened earlier in the season when the Brewers dropped the first four games of the season and it happened again today when they were currently on a seven game losing streak. Gallardo was on a pretty bad streak of his own and needed this just as much as the team needed him to do it. Once again Gallardo stepped up and shut down the Cardinals and although his no-hitter was broken up in the eighth, he still pitched amazing. The offense did its part adding an additional three runs in the top of the ninth to give Axford more breathing room to close out the game.
The thing with Gallardo was he looked like a whole new pitcher today, at least he looked more like classic Gallardo. With his new look pant legs rolled up he seemed to have more confidence. He attacked hitters, worked ahead in the count, sped up his pace and looked dominant and it showed. You knew that Gallardo wouldn't stay in the funk he was in for a very long time and this is a great sign for Brewer fans. It looks like Gallardo is back.
In a related note Justin Verlander threw a no-hitter and thanks to the powers of the internet I was able to watch it. I heard of Verlander's work when he finished his sixth inning still perfect so using the picture and picture ability of MLB.TV I began watching the game along with the Brewer game. As the game began to near its end my roommate started up his laptop and we began watching both games full screen at the same time. The Brewer game ended and Verlander was only two outs away from his second no-hitter. This is why I love being a fan in this day and age. With MLB.TV I am able to watch any game I want, and being the die-hard baseball fan I am I will not miss a chance to watch history. The only thing that would have made this event any cooler was if Gallardo threw a no-hitter as well because the games would have ended within five minutes of each other. I guess there is always next time.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Grades for Brewers after 1 month
Even though a month into the season is still not a large sample size to make large assumptions it is enough to see the patterns and signs of how the team will be. So I am going to go over some aspects of the team and give them a grade and explain why they got the grade they did.
Offense - A
There isn't much you can say wrong about the offense so far this season. Braun is tied for the league lead in home runs and Fielder is second in the league in rbi's. There are some bad spots in the lineup right now, mostly Gomez and Betancourt but they both have had good games on there own to help out the team. The bench has stepped up with Nyjer Morgan coming up big until he got hurt and Mark Kotsay holding down the right field spot until Corey Hart was able to come back. Everybody said the Brewers would have a good offense and they are proving everybody right so far this year and there is no reason to question why it will stop.
Starting pitching - B
Nothing about this team has been more up and down than the starting pitching. Just look at how the seasons have gone for each starter. Yovani Gallardo started out so good, threw a complete game shutout and hasn't pitched well since. Shawn Marcum started off shaky but has since found his grove and has seem to settle in and has pitched well. Randy Wolf started the season off horrible but has since been outstanding. Chris Narveson started off as dominating as one could but has struggled his last couple outings. It's been a very strange month for starting pitching and one that is tough to watch at times. Everybody hits slumps but you only want one pitcher to be in one and you don't want one of them to be your ace. Gallardo will get back on the winning track, he is too good to struggle for long. Narveson should be able to get back to the form he was in, in those first couple starts and Wolf and Marcum should be able to pitch like they are now. Also with the addition of Greinke the rotation should really improve and it also gives everybody a normal rotation instead of the sometimes four sometimes five-man rotations we have used so far this season.
Bullpen - B-
I was going to break this up into two different sections for the front end of the rotation and back end of the rotation but just went with the one lump group. The front end of the bullpen is very hit or miss. Sergo Mitre can get outs but has also had just terrible outings. Sean Green can't seem to have an outing without giving up runs anymore. Mitch Stetter continues to be up and down. Marco Estrada has been clutch with his spot starts and he hopefully continues his great work out of the bullpen, he deserves to stay on the team. The back end of the bullpen has done better but still has its fair shares of mess ups. Latroy Hawkins has looked sharp since his return which is a nice site. Kameron Loe has been good but still has outings were he can't seem to do anything right. Axford has been much more consistant in the closers role since the start of the season which is always good to see. Bullpens can be a very fickle thing on a baseball team, you just need guys you can count on and honestly right now I don't think the Brewers have that. I still get nervous when Axford is on the mound, Loe has struggled more this year and my confidence is shaken in him a little. I think our best guy out of the pen right now is Estrada and who knows if that will even be his role for the team once Greinke comes back, although I really hope thats what it is. Like starting pitching guys will hit slumps but you only want a couple of them at a time and right now it seems some guys still need to find their grove.
Overall team grade - B
The Brewers have stuck around .500 even with all the injuries through this first month and thats good but now we are in May and the team is almost fully healthy. Greinke makes his first start on Wednesday and all others injured in spring training are back. The offense has been good this year and have only been shutdown a couple of times and there is nothing that should slow down the offense and it should get better once Lucroy and Hart regain their offense after coming off of injuries. The starting rotation is kind of shaky right now but Gallardo should get back on pace and Narveson should do the same as well. The bullpen continues to give me concerns but Axford has regained his stuff and its only a matter of time till the other guys start getting back to their old selves. I have to sound like a broken record, but thats just how the season has gone so far, but the team should be getting better and start winning more. It should be fun to watch.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Brewers going in circles
It seems that in this point in the season the Brewers can do nothing to escape the .500 mark. They win one, then lose one. Win two then lose 2. Its a cycle that is neither bad but it does get frustrating to watch. After the Brewers took two of three from the Astros they had a good chance to do the same to the Reds today but lost in 10 innings. I could sit here and try and explain why this keeps happening but there isn't much to say and I really just don't know, so here are some thoughts from the games these past 2 series.
- It's nice to see John Axford get back on track. He seems to have regained his stuff and thats good news for the Brewers. His curveball has looked particularly nasty his past couple outings and hopefully this is a trend that continues.
- The offense seems to be going along just nicely which is always nice to see. Braun leads the league in home runs. Prince leads the league in RBI's. This is something we need to have happen. The Brewers scored 24 runs in 3 games against the Astros and 14 in three games against a good pitching staff in Cincinnati.
- The middle relief for the Brewers seems to be struggling at this point. Sean Green can't seem to have an outing without giving up a run. Sergio Mitre has been very hit or miss so far this season. Mitch Stetter is the same, he looks real sharp one outing and then flat the next.
- Yovani Gallardo continues to struggle since his shutout against the Braves. It's very strange to watch because Gallardo looked so good in the beginning of the season and now he can't seem to pitch as good as he can. I'm not sure what it is but it almost seems like he is afraid to go after guys. He continues to appear to try and get guys to chase every pitch instead of just going right after them. Hopefully he can get back on track and be back to how he pitched in his first two starts of the year.
- One reason why I love Wisconsin sports teams so much is the fans, and Brewers fans are some of the best. The day after Braun signed his big extension he got two standing ovations during the game. When Corey Hart came to pinch hit on Tuesday night he got a standing ovation from the crowd. Its nice to see the fans cheer on these guys when they deserve it.
- Even though the Brewers continue to stick around .500 they should finally be getting fully healthy. Hart is back, Weeks and McGehee didn't suffer serious injuries with their hands, Greinke will make one more rehab start and should be back with the team, Hawkins is back and playing and Nyjer Morgan should be back soon also. Once this team gets fully healthy they should be able to get some win streaks going.
There was one game in these two series that I really wanted to go in depth with though and that was Tuesday nights game against the Reds. It was right after we lost 9-6 the previous night and we had Marco Estrada stepping in taking the start. He could not have pitched any better. He pretty much shut down the high powered Reds offense only giving up two hits over seven innings. One of his hits was a two-run home run but he still pitched very well and it was a much needed outing. He deserved to get the win but at least the team won the game. Estrada gave way to Loe who shut down the 8th and Axford closed it out for the save.
The offense was clutch even if it was a little thin. Fielder hit a homer in the second inning to give the Brewers the lead and then Braun homered in the 4h to tie it up. Weeks hit the go-ahead home run in the 8th which was enough to give the Brewers the win.
These are the games I like to see, the whole team clicking. The offense may have been light but it was clutch and thats what you need in a pitchers dual. I can't say enough about how Estrada did that game, he was amazing, and the bullpen did their part at the end. It was such a good game of baseball I just had to point it out. I hope to see more games like this from the Brewers.
With the Brewers getting fully healthy soon they should become a team that can bust out win streaks with ease. They hung around .500 with all the injuries which is what most fans were hoping for and now they should be in prime position to start winning more. It's time we stop hanging around .500.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
An off day with something to talk about
I was considering writing a blog about off days and how much they stink. You get so used to your team playing every day its strange on days when they don't play, I don't really know what to do with myself, but the Brewers decided to give the fans something to talk about on this off day.
The Brewers extension on Ryan Braun's contract will keep him with the team through 2020 and we have the option of keeping him one more season after that. He will be 36 when the contract is over so it appears that Braun will be a Brewer his whole career, something that I absolutely love.
When the Brewers gave Braun his original contract I was extremely happy. It as a nice long contract that would keep him with the team for a long time and then he would most likely get a big deal from a big market team and leave, but now it appears he will never leave. This is something you don't see much in baseball anymore, especially with a guy who has talent like Braun and especially staying with a small market team all his career. The fact that year in and year out the only constant will be Braun in a Brewer uniform is a very comforting fact. I could sit here and recite his numbers to you but that is something you already know. Braun is an amazing talent and someone the Brewers needed to keep, not just for his skill set but also to make a face for the franchise. All signs point to Prince leaving after this year and who knows what happens from there, but one thing is that Braun will always be out there on the field.
Another reason I love this move is that Braun has allowed some money to be deferred so that the club can remain competitive, these were his own words. He wants his contract but more importantly he wants to win. This is what I love about Braun, he may run his mouth some times but he gets it done on the field. He is a leader and now will become the face of the franchise. He will get his money but he wants to make sure his team is winning and you just don't see that that much in baseball anymore and its a refreshing site and its nice to know he wants to stay and play here.
Now you can look at it, like where do the Brewers go from here? Braun's deal is more back loaded meaning there could be room in the Brewers budget for one more big free agent....Prince? I know there isn't much hope on that but as a fan I can come up with these crazy ideas in my head. It's nice to see the Brewers make these moves locking up the core guys like Braun, Weeks, Hart,and I for one will love seeing Braun on that field every opening day until 2020.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
One step forward, one step back
It's been a while since I have had a chance to update this blog but now when I look at it not much has changed. The Brewers are still .500 but they are higher up in the standings, tonight's games results pending, but not much has changed.
The road trip started off well, with the Brewers easily winning against the Pirates, which has been the norm the past couple seasons. With three games against the Nationals coming up you would believe the Brewers were ready to continue the winning but it was not to be.
The Brewers had a nice rally to tie the game up in the top of the ninth in game one against the Nationals but two errors cost us the game in the bottom of the 10th. Then the Brewers just collapsed the last two games. I didn't get a chance to watch those final two games and I don't really care to, I saw all I really needed to see in the box score. Getting swept by the Nationals is not a thing you want to see. I don't know what happened to the team in that series, but they got outplayed by a team they should have easily won two games out of three against. After getting swept I wasn't looking forward to playing the Phillies.
Game one was against Joe Blanton, a game the Brewers needed, especially because their next two games were against Halladay and Lee. The Brewers took game one but it didn't come easy. Axford blew the save in the top of the 9th and the Brewers took the lead for good with a 3-run 12th inning. The next game was probably the biggest surprise of the Brewers' young season. The Brewers roughed up Halladay and ended his night in the 6th inning. The Brewers won the game 9-0. The Brewers did the same to Cliff Lee, forcing him out after only 6 innings of work but were not able to hold onto the lead and lost 4-3.
So the Brewers took care of business against the Pirates, looked really bad against the Nationals, and looked real good against the Phillies. A 4-4 road trip is never bad but it should have been much better.
Wolf has looked stellar in his past two starts and so did Marcum. Narveson was back on track in the finale against the Phillies, he only made one mistake, the 3-run homer. The bullpen, minus those National games has continued to get the outs when it needed and the offense is still chugging along. We get a nice six game home stand against the Astros and Reds and hopefully the Brewers can duplicate the success they had in their last home stand.
The Brewers also look good on the injury front. Hawkins has rejoined the team and will be removed from the DL on Friday it sounds. Greinke pitched a rehab start in single A and looked good, his return should be soon, and Hart took batting practice and continues to feel good so he should hopefully return soon as well.
Hopefully the Brewers can get on a winning streak and let the injured guys return and give the club a big boost and we can finally get above .500 and stay there.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Home cooking gets Brewers back on track
They were 0-3. They looked flat, life-less, however you want to put it. They looked bad, but they were coming home and one could hope that could be all they needed to get back on track.
It started with the home opener. Things were looking good, taking a lead into the 8th inning but Takeshi Saito gave up two solo home runs and the Brewers lose the game to start the season 0-4. It was another painful loss that made you think horrible thoughts about the team. Maybe we hyped them too much? What if they aren't that good? Then came Gallardo.
Just when the team seemed to be at its lowest Gallardo rose to the challenge and turned in the best performance of his career. A two hit shutout of the Atlanta Braves gave the Brewers the first win of the year. The masterful performance from Gallardo seemed to boost the teams confidence and it carried over into the next game.
The next game Prince Fielder came alive and carried the team offensively going three for four and driving in three runs to lead the Brewers. Marco Estrada looked good minus a three-run home run given up to Jason Heyward. The bullpen shut down the rest of the game and the Brewers had their first winning streak of the season and looked to win their first series of the season with a win the next day.
In the finale against the Braves, Shaun Marcum found his groove for the most part and the Brewers scrapped together just enough runs to pull out the win. The key sequence from this game came from the newest Brewer, Nyjer Morgan. He doubled, then stole third, and scored on an infield grounder by colliding with Braves catcher Brian McCann, knocking the ball out of his glove. This sequence sums up pretty much everything Morgan has done for the team so far. The guy can hit, plan and simple. His speed is unbelievable, he is a real exciting player to watch and has already won over a good majority of Brewer fans with his play. I look forward to seeing more from him this season and hope he can continue this level of play.
Wolf got the start in game one against the Cubs and although the defense was not spot on behind him he still struggled with location and it cost him. Although it is very hard to be successful when you need to acquire extra outs, its his job as a pitcher to put that behind him and get outs, and he was not able to do that. Wolf has had a rough start to the year but we saw how good he can get in the second half of last year and hopefully that Randy Wolf will show up soon because he has looked pretty bad in his two starts this year.
The bad taste left by Wolf's start was quickly washed away the next day with Narveson's fantastic outing. With all the hype around Greinke, Marcum, and Gallardo, Narveson got overlooked by many but you could tell he was beginning to fully figure out the major league level and it has shown this year. After his 7 shut out innings, complimented with 9 strikeouts, one shy of a career high, which came against the Cubs as well, he has started the season with 13 scoreless innings. He looked fantastic in this game, mixing all his pitches well, getting the big outs to escape jams when he needed to and had the strikeout pitch working all night. Fielder did his part yet again with three doubles and four rbi's. It was an all around fantastic game and the Brewers were set up to win back to back series.
In the finale of the series and the home stand, the Brewers found themselves back in "wall-banger" mode hitting three different two-run home runs, and they all came at clutch times. It was obvious right from the get-go that Gallardo did not have his best stuff. He struggled with location, gave up easy pitches to get hit and just didn't look like he had the same pitch quality he had in his shut out. The Brewers fell down 2-0 going into the bottom of the first but Fielder tied it up with a two-out two-run homer to tie it up at 2. In the third the Brewers found themselves down 4-2 but Braun tied it up with his own two-run home run. Then came the biggest one of the game. Finding themselves down 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Casey McGehee hit a pinch-hit two-out two-run home run to give the Brewers the lead. Axford came in and closed the door and the Brewers found themselves back at .500 and heading out on the road after a 5-2 home stand.
This was the team we knew we had. The offense stepped up big. The pitching looked great, minus Wolf. The bullpen stepped up when we needed it for the most part, and it all came together to form a fantastic home stand. Fielder exploded this week hitting .440 with 11 rbi's in the seven games. Narveson continued to shine, and Nyjer Morgan made his case for why he deserves to start every day. With a road trip that contains six out of nine games against the Pirates and Nationals you have to think this hot play will continue and could possibly evolve into an extended winning streak. I stated this team was better than their 0-4 start and they showed it. Now they just need to continue it.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Gallardo gets the Brewers into the win column
No 0-5 start for the Brewers this year! It only took a two hit shutout by Yovani Gallardo to do it as well. Although the Brewers should have blown out the Braves tonight a win is a win and we don't have to see that big fat zero where our wins should be. And of course it was another gem from Yovani Gallardo.
It's been real fun to watch Gallardo grow as a pitcher. At times he gets to fine and his pitch count is in the 70's after three innings. Other times guys can't touch him and he strikes out every batter. But today was different. He was dominating, but not in the way were used to seeing him. He got quick outs, kept guys off balance getting them to ground out. He got double plays the couple times he needed them. It was impressive to watch, and it was desperately needed.
For as rough as the season was to start this is the kind of win that you really want. A dominating pitching performance. The offense couldn't do much but it did just enough to get the win. Gallardo was at his best and one run, which was him, was all he needed. When you look at what went wrong the first four games you say pitching, defense, and slow offense. Well we looked good on defense, great on pitching and the offense still could use some work but it did just enough.
Another thing to note with Gallardo's shutout is this could be the signs of big things to come. He looked good on opening day and he looked great tonight. We have seen Gallardo win a game by himself before but hopefully this trend of starts he has had so far this year is what we will see the rest of the season.
I really don't know where I'm going with this and I'm pretty tired so I'm going to end this. Just know this, it was amazing seeing Gallardo pitch how he did this night and I hope we get to see a lot more of it this season. The Brewers are finally in the win column and this is a win that can propel a team. Lets hope it does just that.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Rough Opening Weekend for Brewers
After coming into the start of the season my hopes were high. Not only were the Brewers set up to be a good team, they started the season against last years division champs, the Cincinnati Reds. It would be a way to gauge our team and see how we stacked up against them. Well it turns out, not to well.
The Brewers should have won the opener but Axford blew the game in the 9th. Marcum had location problems and walked 5 guys in his start, something he never does, and the offense was shut down by Travis Wood. The finale was just bad pitching all around, nobody could get the Reds batters out. As long as the season is, there is still plenty of time to forget about this and come back and be the great team that I know they can be. But like I said earlier it was a way to see how we stack up against last years champs and we got swept and in that final game we looked flat, no energy, not a lot of effort.
Its about the roughest way a team could start the season. It wasn't all bad though. Even though Marcum struggled with command he was really getting into a groove near the end of his start and looked like he found his stuff. He ended with 7 strikeouts and I look to him to have a much better start next time. The offense looked decent these games, but there were too many solo home runs. The difference between the Reds and the Brewers this series when it came to offense was all the Brewers home runs were solo shots where as the Reds always seemed to have one to two guys on base when they hit their home runs.
The defense was going to be an issue and it has already shown up multiple times this series. McGehee's play on Thursday hurt the team, Weeks had an error on Saturday that cost us runs, and Betancourt had an error today that cost us. The old cliche is "defense wins championships." While you need other aspects to win in baseball, defense is huge and we can't be having mistakes like this in every game. It will improve over time (hopefully) but its something that will hurt us bad if it doesn't improve.
It pains me to talk about this series so I'm going to talk about something I really liked from this series. Rickie Weeks started out opening day and the finale in the same way, with a lead off homerun. He already has two home runs and 4 rbi's on the young season. If he remains healthy he looks like he is going to have a monster season and could be very key for the Brewers the rest of the season. Braun also has two home runs on the season, which is a good sign, because we need everybody clicking offensively.
Although there were somethings the Brewers need to improve on, and quick, there were still positive signs this weekend. Getting to come back to Miller Park should help these guys out and they should play much better this week against the Braves and Cubs, at least I hope. It's a young season but we are still waiting on a fully healthy team and this team will play better. It could be worse as well. The Rays got swept and had to put Evan Longoria on the DL. The Red Sox spent all offseason acquiring big name free agents and are 0-3.
A slow start doesn't doom your team, it just means you have to work harder to improve your play and get to the level you need to. That is what this team will do, it will get better.
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Opening day reactions and my beef with G-mail.
So during the opening day game against the Cincinnati Reds I had a nice running blog going on. I stole this idea from my favorite sports writer Bill Simmons, and it was going pretty good. During the end of the sixth inning I checked my school email and because my school email is a G-mail account it logged me out of my account linked to my blog without telling me. So i continued to write the running blog only to discover that after the game everything I typed after the sixth inning was not saved. So not only did I have to deal with the gut punching loss but also the loss of the last half of my work. Oh well, here is a reaction to the game.
Right up until the 9th inning everything was looking good. Weeks and Gomez hit back to back homers to start a season for the first time in MLB since the 69 Reds. Gallardo had a solid start, the bullpen was doing well, minus the home run given up by Loe, the offense was looking great and the defense was holding up. It looked like we were going to win this game easy and start the season off on a great note. Then the 9th inning happened.
The inning started with a first pitch shot by Brandon Phillips that Braun played perfectly off the hall and held Phillips to a single. No real nerves yet, but not the start you hope for.
Joey Votto was next and walked on 5 pitches. Still not worried, but then came the key play.
Scott Rolen grounds to third and McGehee tries to tag Phillps going to third. He misses the tag and can't throw out Rolen at third and everybody is safe, loading the bases with no outs. I can what McGehee was trying to do but in that situation you go for the standard double play. You have a 3-run lead in the 9th, just get those 2 outs. Needless to say I am very worried now.
Axford gets Jay Bruce to strike out after a long at bat. One out bases still loaded. Deep exhale, but not out of it yet.
Johnny Gomes flies out on the first pitch which took a jumping catch by Gomez to get the out. Run scores by a sacrifice fly but still 2 outs and a 2 run lead, only one more out to go, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Axford starts out Ramon Hernandez with a slider for a strike, good start.....
Axford throws a high fastball and it gets hit out of the park for a walk off 3-run home run. Dammit.
Everything the Brewers had going for them seemed to go against them in the 9th. They had played good defense the whole game but McGehee's mistake hurt. The pitching was good but Axford looked flat. He struggled with location and relied very heavily on his fastball. He only threw two sliders and one curveball the whole inning.
I don't want to jump to any rash conclusions as it is only one game but its not a way you want to start a season. The whole team looked really good up until the 9th inning and then the meltdown began. I'm not sure what was with Axford but he just looked flat. It could be nerves being opening day or the fact he didn't pitch much during spring but its something that needs to be resolved fast because we need him to be locked in all year. Also you don't want to be blowing games to division opponents, especially the Reds who will be the main contender for the division title.
Still got 161 to play, lets just hope we don't have many more like this one.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Brewers 2011 season predictions
When the clock hit zero and the Packers were officially crowned Super Bowl champions, I was jumping up and down and cheering as loud as possible. When the excitement settled down I thought to myself, now its the Brewer's turn. And after the moves this off-season you have to think it could be a possibility. With the trades for Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum the Brewers take a "win now" attitude that hasn't been seen since the 2008 trade for CC Sabathia. So the hype for the Brewers is growing as the season gets closer and its time I weigh in and give my say on how I think this Brewer season will play out.
I think the only way the Brewers make the playoffs is if they take the division. I think the wildcard will come from the NL East because the Phillies and Braves are just too good for both of them to not get a playoff spot. So the Brewers will have to take the division, something I feel is definitely within there reach. There are a couple reasons I think we will win the division.
Reason #1
New look team
Last year it was pretty obvious where the issues lied with the Brewers. The worst pitching staff in the major league won't win you many games and definitely won't get you into the playoffs. So Brewers GM Doug Melvin went to work this off-season making sure we wouldn't go back-to-back years with the worst pitching staff in the league. Melvin also went out and got a new manager and there isn't much you can say about Ron Roenicke until the actual games start but he seems to be doing well through the spring and hopefully that success carries over.
Reason #2
Injuries
Injuries
The St. Louis Cardinals are a very good team, even without Adam Wainwright, but his injury could potentially help the Brewers because he is a such a good pitcher and with him gone it means the Cardinals have a hole in their rotation that might not be filled. You also can't forget about the Albert Pujols contract situation that might affect the Cardinals. The Cubs are still trying to fully figure out their roster as they just cut Carlos Silva but it appears they have already found his replacement from within. The Reds may be without Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey to start the year. Although not all these injuries will last the whole season, it could give the Brewers the extra wins they need to give them a fast start and hopefully hold onto the lead of the division, although the Brewers are facing strong injury concerns of their own. (more on that later)
Reason #3
The Offense
Prince Fielder had a down year last season and he still put up decent numbers. Casey McGehee and Corey Hart had great seasons last year and although Hart will most likely miss the start of the season, there is no reason to believe that both of these guys can't do it again. If those two can continue to produce, Fielder gets back on track, and Braun stays the course he has set, the Brewers could possibly have four 100 rbi hitters in their lineup. Rickie Weeks is finally becoming a consistent offensive threat. Jonatha Lucroy should have a better offensive year, once he gets healthy. The two main holes are center field where we will wait to see if Carlos Gomez will finally figure out offense and at shortstop with Yuniesky Betancourt. While it remains to be seen if everybody can replicate last years offensive numbers, if they can the Brewers will have one of the most fearsome offensives in the entire league, which will help out the new pitching staff.
So those are the key reasons I think the Brewers will succeed this season but there are also some reasons why I think they might not make the playoffs.
Reason #1
Injuries
This is a huge one. Injuries can kill any teams season (see 2010-2011 Milwaukee Bucks). It also doesn't ease the tension when your prized off-season moves are the ones getting hurt. Greinke hurt his ribs and will miss the first couple of weeks. Marcum has shoulder tightness and although it sounds like he won't miss any regular season time, it's always a thing to worry about when a pitcher has any issues with a shoulder. Corey Hart will miss time with a rib injury. Lucroy will miss the start of the season, along with Latroy Hawkins. Just as injuries across the NL Central can help the Brewers they have to worry about their own injury concerns. Hopefully everybody heals fast.
Reason #2
The Bullpen
The bullpen was very strong last year but I am concerned about it this year. All those guys had to pitch a lot of innings last year and they might not have as much energy this year as a result from the workload last season. Although there doesn't seem to be concern for the bullpen, they improved with trades in the off-season, bullpens can change from year to year. Hopefully the good pitching from the bullpen continues but I'm not so sold on all the pitchers the Brewers will have come out of there to try and preserve the lead.
So when you break it down I only have a couple issues I'm concerned with, with this years team, but they are big ones. The injuries are something that needs to be a concern all year, especially after so many players got hurt in spring training. With that being said, its no reason to panic....yet.
The Brewers have everything they need to win the division. Good pitching, good hitting, good enough defense. So the Brewers have, on paper a team to take the division. Do I think they will actually do it? Yes, yes I do. Its here in print, the Brewers will be the 2011 NL Central Champs.
Here are my other picks around the league and playoff picks.
AL East: Boston NL East: Philadelphia
AL Central: Chicago NL Central: MilwaukeeAL West: Texas NL West: San Fransisco
AL Wildcard: New York NL Wildcard: Atlanta
Boston over Chicago Philadelphia over Milwaukee
New York over Texas San Fransisco over Atlanta
Boston over New York Philadelphia over San Fransisco
New York over Texas San Fransisco over Atlanta
Boston over New York Philadelphia over San Fransisco
World Series: Philadelphia over Boston
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