Round ‘em Up: Thursday

Burke Badenhop shut down the Brewers.  That’s how bad we are right now.

• In-Between Hops runs down many numbers about the Brewers.  Like, it has been 14 games since J.J. Hardy has hit a home run.  7 games since Prince Fielder has driven in a run.  Stats like that.  Give it a look!
• Jim Powell has a little rundown of the game last night in Florida.  It’s not a pleasant read, just because I already know the outcome.
• No Brewers starter other than Ben Sheets has won a game since April 5th.  That is pathetic.  Here are the stats, courtesy of The Brew Town Beat.
• Ned Yost keeps track of how many relief appearances a pitcher has.  He does not want them to get overworked.  What a concept Ned!  You know…ESPN and sites like that also keep track of it for you.
• Jim Powell has an audio interview with Corey Hart.
• Ken Rosenthal says that the Milwaukee Brewers still have hope that their bats will turn around this season.  It’s nice that someone from outside the Brewers organization is saying that, but my faith is seriously being tested right now.  It’s a good thing I’m not like a Cubs fan and leave my team when they’re down.
• Buster Olney from ESPN.com believes that the Brewers should consider trading Ben Sheets at the trade deadline to get some pitching talent for next season.  Agree, agree, agree!
• Remember Mel Stocker from last September?  Here’s a nice article about how he’s trying to make it to the big leagues again against all odds because of his small stature.

Minor League Boxscores: Wednesday

Nashville Sounds (12-20), 4.5 GB

Game Over	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	2	1	1	3	0	0	3	0	0		10	13	1
Tucson	0	3	0	1	0	0	0	2	0		6	12	2

LHP Chris Narveson - (W, 2-4) 5.0 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K - 4.50 ERA
CF Hernan Iribarren - 2-6, 2B, 2 runs - .276 BA
LF Steve Sollmann - 3-4, 3B, BB, 2 runs - .200 BA
RF Brendan Katin - 1-4, HR (5), 3 RBI - .256 BA
SS Adam Heether - 1-3, HR (2), RBI, 2 BB - .264 BA

Huntsville Stars (23-10), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Mobile	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0		3	9	1
Huntsville	0	0	0	0	3	1	1	2	X		7	11	0

LHP David Welch - (W, 4-1) 6.2 IP, 8 hits, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - 4.12 ERA
1B Michael Brantley - 2-4, 2 1B - .356 BA
LF Cole Gillespie - 2-4, 2B, 3 runs - .267 BA
2B Michael Bell - 1-2, HR (3), RBI - .265 BA

Brevard County Manatees (18-16), 2.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Tampa	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0		2	6	1
Brevard County	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1		1	6	0

RHP Donovan Hand - (L, 3-2) 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K - 2.44 ERA
3B Taylor Green - 2-4, 2 1B - .322 BA
1B Stephen Chapman - 1-4, HR (6), RBI - .246 BA

West Virginia Power (12-20), 7.5 GB

Did not play.

Brewing up another road loss

The Brewers treated fans to a standard game this season.  The offense scuffles, and Dave Bush implodes in the sixth inning for a Milwaukee loss.

Dave rejoined the rotation today, and he gave us a “Dave Bush special” against the Fish.  The offense showed signs of life in the top of the sixth inning.  Rickie Weeks clobbered a 430ft+ home run to climb back to a one-run deficit.  The hitting continued with Mike Cameron socking an opposite field single to follow.  The Crew was unable to scrape together another run in the top of the sixth, but the offense began to awaken.

Bush then trots out onto the mound to keep the deficit at one.  The momentum had clearly swung into Milwaukee’s favor.  Dave simply needed to maintain that momentum by getting out of the inning unscathed.  Instead, the right-hander gives up a two-run bomb to Jorge Cantu and a solo shot to Dan Uggla.  I’m glad Dave Bush knows what maintaining momentum means for the team.

The offense was unable to muster up another run in the remainder of the game.  I am not implying that Dave Bush was the cause of our inept offensive attack tonight, but he certainly deflated the team in the bottom of the sixth when he increased Florida’s lead to four runs.

Also during the sixth inning, Bill Hall stepped up to the plate with a 3-2 count, two outs, and two men on base.  He battled nicely to get the count full after falling behind.  I felt a big hit was coming for the Crew.  Bill simply needed to get on base.  Someone forgot to tell Bill that.  Instead of taking ball four, which was a fastball in the dirt, Hall swung for the fences and stranded two runners.  Ryan Braun also swung out of his shoes during the sixth with two strikes against him.  Apparently, the whole “shorten up with two strikes” comment did not apply in this situation.

Yes, the offense is struggling.  Players are pressing.  They are trying to break out of the slump with one big swing.  Hall, Braun, and Prince Fielder are all trying to hit a home run with every swing.  They are not trying to take it to the opposite field.  Hall’s head is coming off the ball before the bat is even through the strike zone.  In short, the offense needs to settle down and pound out a few singles before the big flies come. 

Records:  Brewers (16-17); Marlins (19-14)

Hero of the Game:  Rickie Weeks

This is not because Rickie hit an absolute bomb in the top of the sixth inning.  He’s done that four other times this season.  What Rickie has not done consistently this season is stay back on the ball and deliver it to center field with power.  That changed today.  Rickie smoked a line drive to center field today.  It looked to be a double until Alfredo Amezaga made the second of his two great catches in the outfield.  Weeks appeared to be much more comfortable at the plate this evening than he has in a long time.  Perhaps this is a sign that he is about to break out of his slump?  See…I’m still trying to be optimistic…

Goat of the Game:  Dave Bush

Read my little rant above to find out.  Hint: the bottom of the sixth inning.

On Tap

Carlos Villanueva will try to get the Brewers off this five game losing streak tomorrow in the series finale against the Fish.  The Brewers will go up against Mark Hendrickson.  I just want a win.  Please….

Looking towards the future (pt. 2)

After the article I wrote concerning the future of the Brewers franchise, I decided to take the discussion a step further.  How about projecting a lineup for 2011?

I thought about a 2012 prognostication, but the team would lose far too many players to free agency at that point.  The lineup would essentially be a crap shoot.  2011 is much more within reason.  Plus, it far enough away that it can give Brewers fans something to look for down the road.

Here is what your starting lineup in 2011 could look like:

Catcher: Angel Salome

• I hate to break it to you, but Jason Kendall will not be with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011.  With that said, Angel is the best catching prospect in the farm system right now.  He is only 22 years old, and the backstop can flat rake.  In 2006, his last full season, Angel hit 10 home runs and drove in 85 runs, while still batting a cool .292.  He followed that up with a .318 batting average last season before getting suspended for performance enhancing drugs.  He has a big arm and a big bat, but the defensive and game management skills are lacking a bit.  If Angel can continue to hit around .300 in the minors, however, Milwaukee will be able to overlook his defensive shortcomings and give him a call to the bigs.

  Jonathan Lucroy is also a strong possibility for this category, but Angel’s offensive skills trump Lucroy.  Jonathan is not a stalwart behind the plate either, but he is improving drastically.  Do not count out Jonathan Lucroy for the starting catcher role in 2011, but you can expect Angel Salome to be donning the gear for Milwaukee.

First Base: Prince Fielder

• Prince will be starting at first base for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011.  Does anybody honestly expect anything different here?  He may actually not be in Milwaukee for all of 2011.  When he is, however, Prince will play.  No questions asked.

Second Base:  Rickie Weeks

• The Milwaukee Brewers seem committed to giving Rickie every chance to succeed at second base.  He is a prolific run scorer (as discussed in Wednesday’s Round ‘em Up), but he is mediocre defensively and strikes out too much.  If Rickie’s struggles do not subside either in 2008 or 2009, the Brewers may decide to trade him.

  The problem is that the Crew does not have anyone to step in and fill Rickie’s shoes.  Hernan Iribarren did play second base before getting moved to the outfield.  I expect that defensive change to be permanent though.  One player that has been receiving some hype has been the newly-drafted, Eric Farris.  I have not seen him play, but all reports say that he is extremely solid in all aspects of his game.  He may be someone to look out for at second base.  Besides that, Milwaukee has no one on the horizon.  Rickie seems to have second locked up fairly securely unless Doug Melvin goes out-of-system to find a replacement.

Shortstop: Alcides Escobar

• Doug Melvin, Ned Yost, Gord Ash, and everyone important in the Brewers organization love this kid.  His glove work is superb at short.  His arm is more like a cannon shooting the ball to first base.  Spring Training in 2008 saw Alcides make a handfull of highlight-caliber plays look incredibly easy.  He has struggled defensively a bit to start the season in Huntsville (7 errors), but history points to those numbers being an aberration.  Offensively, the slick-fielding Alcides does not offer any power or plate discipline, but his batting average has been solid every season.  In 2007, he batted a combined .306 in both Brevard and Huntsville.

  Because of the love fest surrounding Escobar, I do not see J.J. Hardy playing shortstop for the Brewers in 2011.  Hardy will be free agency-eligible at this point in his career, but I believe Hardy will probably be traded before the Brewers lose him to free agency.  Unless he can prove that last year’s power-output and offensive prowess is the norm rather than a one-year wonder, the light will dim on Hardy’s time in Milwaukee by 2011.

Third Base: Mat Gamel

• Bill Hall looks to have found a home at third base in 2008.  Unfortunately, the emergence of Mat Gamel the past couple of seasons will prompt the Brewers not to pick up Hall’s team option in 2011.  Hall may even be traded in 2009/2010 if Gamel can improve his defense enough to get the starting job early.

  Speaking of Gamel’s defense, it is almost epically bad.  Last season, Gamel had 53 errors at third base and finished with a .826 fielding percentage at the hot corner.  That’s right, 53 errors.  And you thought Ryan Braun was bad at third base.  Nobody questions Mat’s ability to hit.  He flat out mashes the baseball.  In pitcher-friendly Brevard County last year, he hit 9 home runs, drove in 60 runs, and posted a .300 batting average.  This season, Mat is putting up video game numbers.  He’s hitting .372/.438/.628 with 5 home runs and 27 RBI through 32 games.  With those numbers, a big league job at third calls his name if he can improve his fielding percentage to something like .880.  That’s how gifted he is at the plate.

  Taylor Green could give Mat a run for his money, however.  The Player of the Year in 2007 for the Brewers organization, Taylor combines hitting for average with fine defensive play.  His power is nothing special and would need to improve to warrant a big league job, but he is still one to watch.  If the Brewers are truly in a pinch, they could consider moving Green to second base to replace Rickie Weeks in 2011 or 2012.

Left Field: Ryan Braun

• Ryan Braun is the left fielder of the future for Milwaukee.  That is evidenced by Matt LaPorta switching to right field.  If the Brewers were going to make room for LaPorta by moving Ryan, LaPorta would still be playing left in the minors.  That is not the case.  You do the math.

Center Field: Corey Hart

• Corey could stay at right field, and Ryan Braun could move to center field.  That is certainly a possibility.  I do not foresee that happening, however.  Hart has better speed than Braun and has more experience in the outfield.  His tall, lanky frame could lead to much better coverage in center.  The big, accurate arm that Hart sports in right would immediately become elite if placed in center field.  The offensive output from center field would also immediately become far above average if Hart is placed in center, but Braun would provide that offensive boost as well.  I favor Hart for center field because his instincts are far better in the field than Braun’s, but that is expected since Ryan has never played the outfield before 2008.

  Tony Gwynn Jr. is an intriguing possibility in center.  He provides a left-handed bat that could fit very well in the lead-off spot, and his defense is top-notch.  Gwynn does need to prove he can handle the bat a bit better before I could consider starting him over Braun or Hart in center field.  In fact, even if he does start to produce more at the plate, it would still be hart to start him over Braun or Hart.  A trade could be in Gwynn’s future.  Hernan Iribarren has transitioned nicely to center field.  Hernan is more of a bench player, however.  I cannot see him wiggling his way into a starting role if LaPorta, Hart, Braun, and Gwynn are all candidates for outfield spots.  Finally, Darren Ford could be a possibility if he can improve his offense in the minors.  His speed is ridiculous and causes opposing teams fits on the basepaths.  I suspect he will not be able to make the big league squad in 2011.  That does not mean you all should not keep an eye on him though.

Right Field: Matt LaPorta

• .342/.436/.721, 10 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 36 RBI in 31 games.  Do I need to say anything else?  He can rake and will be in the big leagues before 2011.  The knock on LaPorta has been his defense, but he has not made an error in the field in his professional career.  In fact, LaPorta has four outfield assists thus far in 2008.  So much for the critics that said he could not play in the outfield.

#1 Starter: Yovani Gallardo

• If Yo can bounce back from tearing his ACL and still be the same pitcher, he will be the ace of the rotation in 2011.  The Brewers simply cannot afford to pay Ben Sheets what he will demand.  Nor should they want to with all the concerns about him and injuries.

#2 Starter: Manny Parra

• Manny has spun his wheels to start the 2008 season.  Posting a 5.86 ERA in six starts thus far, Brewers fans are beginning to question all the hype surrounding Parra.  Yes, he is struggling big time in the majors to start the year, but do not question his ability.  His command is normally solid (it has certainly not been in 2008), and he has four legitimate big league pitches.  The low-to-mid 90s fastball, big curveball, splitter, and change-up give him four pitches to play with at any point in the count.  Manny will be in the rotation in 2011, do not worry.

#3 Starter: Jeremy Jeffress

• Jeremy is currently serving his 50-game suspension for marijuana use.  The good news is that it will keep the hard-throwing Jeffress to a reasonable pitch count this season.  If he can keep away from the drugs, Jeremy will make the big leagues in 2009 or 2010.  His fastball can touch 100 mph.  The offspeed pitches do need some work, but he has systematically worked his way through the Brewers system thus far.  I do not expect that trend to change.  Jeremy Jeffress has a special arm, and it will be in the starting rotation in 2011.

#4 Starter: Carlos Villanueva

• Carlos is not dominant.  He is, however, smart on the mound.  His change-up is devastating to opposing batters.  It makes his high-80s fastball seem much faster.  Carlos has shown savvy on the mound beyond his years last season, and he looks to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter.  The beginning of the 2008 season has not treated Villanueva kindly, but I look for him to bounce back in the next couple weeks.  Carlos belongs in the starting rotation.

#5 Starter: Steve Hammond

• This prediction is a little more difficult to back up with evidence.  The big lefty dominated minor league hitters in his first two seasons, but Steve took a big step back in 2007 in Huntsville.  The new season looks to have rejuvenated Hammond, and he appears to have found his old form.  In 39.1 innings pitched, Steve has 45 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA.  I simply believe that Steve has found his old form, his true form, and will continue to progress in Huntsville and Nashville.  He may simply be a personal favorite, but I see Steve at the back-end of the rotation to start 2011.  His high strikeout rate and the fact that he is a lefty gives that prediction some validity.

  Zach Braddock could also make a run at the starting rotation in 2011.  He has already received a promotion to Brevard County in this young season.  In 2007, as a 19-year old, Zach started nine games and posted a 1.15 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 47 innings.  That is a sick number of strikeouts for a 19-year old.  He did have some arm troubles last season, so the team shut him down.  Thus far in 2008, Zach has been limited in his innings, but he does have 16 strikeouts in 9 innings pitched.  He could be something special.

Closer: Omar Aguilar

• Omar has a 0.55 ERA in 16.1 innings out of the bullpen for Brevard County.  With 10 saves already in this young season, Omar has shot up the prospect charts in the Milwaukee organization.  His fastball reportedly has touched triple digits, and his offspeed pitches are improving.  The Brewers are obviously grooming him to be a closer in the big league bullpen.  I expect a promotion to Huntsville in the next month if Aguilar keeps this fine pitching up.

  Luis Pena will make a strong case for himself in 2011.  The fastball-slider reliever has quickly become a personal favorite of Ned Yost.  Luis has a blistering fastball, and his slider is improving immensely.  Some thought he had a shot to make the big league ‘pen in 2008, and he may get a call-up in September.  He has struggled to start the season, but I look for him to improve in the coming months.

  Rob Bryson is also a candidate.  The 20-year old had a 2.67 ERA with 70 Ks in 54 innings last season.  He has not found so much success with West Virginia this year, but his strikeout rate has remained fantastic.  The control seems to have left him a bit in 2008, as evidenced by his 8 walks thus far in 2008.  Compare that to 12 walks all of 2007.  Rob is not necessarily a darkhorse for the closer’s job either.  Tom Haudricourt has him penned in as the closer for Milwaukee in a couple years.

As you can see, the Brewers have a wealth of internal options in the coming seasons.  This year’s draft will also replenish the farm system with quality talent, with many of the first picks most likely being pitchers.  These prognostications obviously do not include anyone outside the organization, so it is foolish to believe that this is how the roster will look in 2011.  With that said, this roster does not look all that bad.  Brewers fans certainly have bright seasons to look forward to in the coming years.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

I don’t really have anything to say that hasn’t already been said, so let’s jump right into it.

• One of the most refreshing pieces of the day comes from Anthony Witrado from the Milwaukee JS.  Like all Brewers fans, I am sick of hearing people say that it’s “early” and the bats will come around.  BrewersNation regular, Kyle, had a very astute post yesterday.  What if the Brewers are simply not a very good hitting team?  It looks like Witrado is also sick of excuses.  Ryan Braun even dropped a four-letter word to express his frustrations.  Of course, Ned is busy saying that everything is fine.  Really Ned?  You think getting two-hit by Scott Olsen is a good thing?  Best rethink that one.
• In-Between Hops has a nice article that addresses Ned Yost.  Is his job safe this season?  If the Brewers keep scuffling in the coming weeks, I believe that Ned may be pushed out the door rather quickly.
• Rickie Weeks is perhaps the most frustrating player on the team right now.  He is striking out a lot for a lead-off hitter.  At the same time, however, he’s also near the league lead in runs scored.  I agree with Ned Yost on this one.  Rickie is valuable at the top of the batting order, even if he is not getting on base as much as he should.  When he is getting on base, there is a pretty good chance that he will score.  In fact, I just did a quick calculation.  Rickie has been on base 44 times this season, and he has scored 28 runs.  That is a 64% conversion rate.  Not too shabby.
• The Southern League named Matt LaPorta the Player of the Week for the second time this season.  Matt had a 1.802 OPS this week.  That’s so good, it almost doesn’t make sense.  He also hit his 10th home run of 2008 last night.
• Dayn Perry says that Eric Gagne is one of the worst free agent signings of the winter.
• Tom Haudricourt actually took the time to write an article that proves that the Brewers win more games when Prince Fielder plays well.  I personally could have told you that without writing an article about it.  That is like saying the Brewers score more runs than normal, they win more games.  Tom writes many, many great articles.  Unfortunately, he waisted his time writing this one.
• Dugout Central has an article that runs down the best players that never made it to the 400-home run plateau.  Robin Yount and Paul Molitor made the list to represent the Milwaukee Brewers.  I appreciate that Molitor made the article.  He was a great player.
• SportsBubbler has named Cole Gillespie the Brewers Prospect of the Week.  They admit that Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta had better weeks, but they wanted to give someone else a little time in the sun.  Make sure you take a look at the numbers Mark DiFelice is putting up in Triple-A.  He may be someone the Brewers take a look at in the coming weeks.  That 25/0 K/BB rate is just nasty.
• David Pinto wrote a very interesting article about a potential power shift from the AL to the NL starting this season.  The NL is outscoring the AL by quite a bit to start the season, and Pinto believes this stems from the youth movement gaining momentum in the NL.  The NL has consistently gotten younger in the past few years, and the AL has gotten older.  Pinto asserts that this trend could continue and mark a monumental power shift in Major League Baseball.

Minor League Boxscores: Wednesday

Nashville Sounds (11-20), 4.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Nashville	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	2		4	10	0
Tucson	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		1	6	0

RHP Jeff Weaver - (W, 1-1) 7.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K - 3.75 ERA
RHP Luis Pena - (S, 3) 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K - 7.15 ERA
RF Brendan Katin - 1-4, HR (4), 2 RBI - .256
CF Hernan Iribarren - 3-5, 3 1B, run - .272 BA
3B Russell Branyan - 2-4, 2B - .364 BA

Huntsville Stars (22-10), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Mobile	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	3		6	12	1
Huntsville	0	0	0	0	1	7	2	0	X		10	17	1

LHP Derek Miller - (W, 3-1) 6.0 IP, 9 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K - 2.45 ERA
RF Matt LaPorta - 3-5, HR (10), 3 RBI - .342 BA
3B Mat Gamel - 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI, run - .372 BA
CF Michael Brantley - 3-4, 3 1B, 2 RBI, BB, run - .351 BA
C Angel Salome - 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 3 runs - .356 BA

Brevard County Manatees (17-15), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Brevard County	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0		2	8	0
Clearwater	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	X		3	6	0

RHP Josh Butler - ND, 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K - 4.50 ERA
LHP Bobby Bramhall - (L, 0-3) 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K - 3.28 ERA
CF Darren Ford - 1-3, HR (2), RBI, BB, 2 runs - .230 BA
RF Lorenzo Cain - 3-4, 2 2B, RBI - .260 BA

West Virginia Power (12-20), 7.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
West Virginia	0	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0		3	8	1
Delmarva	0	1	1	0	0	0	3	0	X		5	11	1

RHP Roque Mercedes - ND, 5.0 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K - 6.12 ERA
3B Zelous Wheeler - 2-3, 2 2B, RBI, run - .306 BA
DH Jonathan Lucroy - 2-4, 2B, run - .307 BA
LF Kurt Crowell - 3-4, 3 1B, 2 RBI - .217 BA

Olsen keeps Brewers bats quiet

Scott Olsen silenced the Milwaukee Brewers tonight.  He was one strike shy of completing his first complete game shutout in over two seasons.  (Read: The Brewers offense stunk again.)

Watching the game, I did not believe that he threw the ball all that well today.  His fastball missed up in the zone, but the Brewers cut right through it.  His change-up was good though.  The big lefty will throw it on any count, and Milwaukee looked lost all night.

Jeff Suppan pitched okay, at best.  Trying to throw a lot of off-speed pitches to try to get the free-swinging Marlins to chase, his pitch count got high early in the game.  After five innings of work, Soup left the game with 108 pitches.  He only gave up three runs in those five innings, but the bullpen could have used another day off.  Instead, four relievers came in to finish off the game.

The good news is that the relievers threw the ball well.  David Riske and Mitch Stetter struck out two batters in an inning of work a piece.  It was particularly nice to see Riske bounce back after several tough outings in the past couple of weeks.  Remember that he struggled last season as well, when he posted a sub-3.00 ERA for the season.

I don’t know what to say about the Brewers offense anymore.  They looked utterly lost today at the plate.  The team as a whole is pressing far too hard right now, and bad pitches are being swung at with regularity.  Rickie Weeks is trying to be a power threat at the top of the line-up, and the team simply needs him to get on base.  Ryan Braun swings at every pitch two feet near the strike zone.  The only player that looked good at the plate tonight was Jason Kendall.  No, he did not get a hit, but Kendall did walk twice, equaling the amount of hits all day by the Crew.  These offensive struggles are beginning to appear to be more than a slump.  There is something severely wrong here.  What?  I do not know…

Records: Brewers (16-16); Marlins (18-14)

Hero of the Game: Jason Kendall

I am giving Kendall this award because he got on base more than any other Brewer today.  His two walks equaled the amount of hits total by the Crew in the entire game.  It is not a good thing that Jason is the hero of this evening’s game.  I just wanted to be clear on that point.

Goat of the Game: The entire offensive unit.

Someone needs to figure out what is going on here.  Someone needs to do it now.  I am tired of hearing that it is a slump and the team will break out of it soon.  I tried that optimism…and what did I get?  I got two measly hits for an entire game.  I am utterly befuddled right now.

On Tap

Dave Bush will enter the rotation again tomorrow night for Game 2 against the Florida Marlins.  He looks to jumpstart the Brewers and get them back to their winning ways against RHP Burke Badenhop.  The game will start at 6:10pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: Tuesday

Good afternoon everyone.  Now I knew that my post yesterday about trading Prince Fielder was going to ruffle a few feathers, but I did not expect to get a nice profanity-laden reply.  Fans have this glorified picture of a Milwaukee Brewers that can pay Prince Fielder $15M+ per year and still field a competitive team around him.  We just do not have the payroll.  It sucks.  I would love to see Prince in a Brewers uniform for the next 10 years.  At some point, however, you have to realize that long-term contracts cripple small market teams.  Our farm system is how we got to where we are now.  It would be naive to believe that we can maintain this level of success and not replenish the system.  Anyway, I digress.  Here’s what I have for you today:

• At the risk of sounding like a broken record…the Brewers offense neeeeeeds to get going!  Ned Yost and the players are trying to deflect the questions and say all the right things, but it is obvious that the team is frustrated.  It seems that the offense is very, very close to breaking out.  I’ve been saying that for about three weeks now though.  I do not even know what to believe anymore.
• Doug Melvin says that Eric Gagne is not going to be moved from the closer spot just yet.  Gagne is not producing, but he has not been nearly as bad as everyone has made him out to be.  His stuff is a lot better now than it was at the beginning of the season.  We do not want another Derrick Turnbow here.  How about the fans give Eric some support?  Success follows confidence, after all.
• Jerry Crasnick from ESPN.com believes that Milwaukee will not be able to overcome their pitching issues to win the division.
• Brewerfan.net recaps April 2008 in the minor leagues.  Mat Gamel and Matt LaPorta are co-Players of the month, and Omar Aguilar is the pitcher of the month.  Omar Aguilar is nasty, in case you have not noticed.  The article also has a great round-table discussion about various newsworthy stories in the Brewers organization.
• Dugout Central has the solution for the Milwaukee Brewers.  They should trade for Huston Street from the Oakland A’s.  The Brewers would have to give up Mat Gamel, Cole Gillespie, and Gabe Kapler to get the young closer.  The positive aspect of this trade is that Street still has two years of arbitration left before becoming a free agent.  He would thus not be a “rental player.”  I would not make this trade, however, as Street has battled arm injuries in the past year.  It’s probably not a good idea to get rid of your second best prospect for someone that has had injury problems.  Not to mention that Billy Beane would probably ask for more than Gamel, Gillespie, and Kapler.
• Remember Nelson Cruz?  The Brewers traded him to Texas in the Carlos Lee deal a couple years back.  Nelson has become the quintessential AAAA player, one that mashes in Triple-A, but cannot find success in the bigs.  WIth that said, his numbers in 2008 down in Triple-A have been ridiculous.  He’s batting .375/.520/.781 with 11 home runs.  Those are video game numbers right there.

Minor League Boxscores: Tuesday

Nashville Sounds (10-20), 5.5 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Salt Lake	0	1	0	2	0	1	0	0	1		5	12	1
Nashville	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0		1	7	0

LHP Lindsay Gulin - (L, 0-3) 5.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K - 4.19 ERA
1B Brad Nelson - 1-4, 2B - .317 BA
SS Ozzie Chavez - 1-3, 1B, RBI - .217 BA

Huntsville Stars (21-10), — GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Mobile	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0	2		6	11	2
Huntsville	1	1	0	0	1	4	0	1	X		8	16	1

LHP Steve Hammond - (W, 4-1) 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K - 3.20 ERA
CF Michael Brantley - 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, SB 2 (9) - .336 BA
SS Alcides Escobar - 3-5, 3 1B, RBI, SB (4) - .272 BA
C Angel Salome - 3-3, 3 1B, 3 RBI, 3 runs - .327 BA

Brevard County Manatees (17-14), 3.0 GB

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Brevard County	0	0	1	0	0	5	0	0	0		6	6	1
Clearwater	0	1	2	0	0	0	2	2	X		7	15	2

RHP Mike McClendon - (L, 2-2) 4.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K - 6.37 ERA
DH Darren Ford - 0-4, BB, SB 5 (19) - .227 BA
C Anderson de la Rosa - 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI - .344 BA
1B Kenneth Holmberg - 2-4, 2 1B, 2 RBI, run - .270 BA

West Virginia Power (12-19), 6.0 GB

Final