Round ‘em Up: Saturday

Thank goodness the Crew came back with a nice win yesterday.  Milwaukee could not afford a hangover after the horrendous collapse on Thursday.  Dave Bush looks to build a little winning streak tonight against Paul Maholm and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• Tom Haudricourt says that the Brewers are still actively pursuing C.C. Sabathia.  The latest rumor is that Doug Melvin is offering Matt LaPorta/Taylor Green/Lorenzo Cain as a package to try to get last year’s AL Cy Young award winner to Milwaukee by Tuesday.  This is quite a bit to be giving up for a 2 or 3 month rental, but it could very well push the Brewers over the top.
• The Brew Town Beat fully expects Sabathia to be in Milwaukee by Tuesday.  I’m not totally sure that will happen, but Doug Melvin could perhaps get it done if he so chooses.  Brew Town also says that Melvin should also trade for Brian Fuentes.  I do agree that the bullpen needs another quality arm, but it needs to be one that can be controlled past the 2008 season.  That is not Fuentes.  Besides, Fuentes has not been pitching well at all the past couple weeks.  I’ve read that scouts have not seen an “out pitch” from Fuentes lately.  None of his pitches are moving much.  That is not who I want to trade a valuable prospect for this season.
• Between the Green Pillars says that Ned Yost managed scared yesterday afternoon.  Because he used Carlos Villanueva for 3.1 innings, which makes him unavailable for the next three or four days.  The article argues that Yost should have used a different pitcher in the eighth and ninth, but he was too scared to do so because of Thursday’s collapse.  I do agree with his point that Milwaukee is now without a long man in the ‘pen because of yesterday.  You want to know what is interesting?  If C.C. Sabathia makes it into Milwaukee’s rotation, either Dave Bush or Seth McClung becomes the long man.  That would work out pretty nicely.
• The Baseball Analysts continued their All-Star team from Triple-A.  Brad Nelson makes it in the outfield for the Brewers.  Nelson could be a nice addition to the team in September.
• The Yost Infection asks Milwaukee’s play-by-play announcers to please stop celebrating J.J. Hardy’s defense.  It is not more than average because of his terrible zone rating.  I personally think the zone rating stuff is a little overrated.  J.J. is a rock at shortstop.  He doesn’t make plays?  In the last road trip, he flipped a ball with his glove to Rickie to start a double play, he made a diving stop in the hole, and his throws are always perfect.  Doesn’t make plays, huh?
• Florida Today has an article about how difficult it is to hit home runs down in Brevard County because of this winds.  That is why you have to take the low power numbers from the likes of Lorenzo Cain and Taylor Green with a grain of salt.
• The Charleston Daily Mail says that Milwaukee Brewers most likely will not renew their contract with the West Virginia Power next season.  Rumor has it that the Crew wants to sign the local Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton, WI to their Class-A affiliate.  I would absolutely love that, as I currently live in Appleton.  I would be a regular at the games, if that would happen.
• Huntsville infielder Michael Garciaparra does not regret his move to play professional baseball over taking his scholarship to Tennessee.

Lack of defense and control dooms Brewers

This morning I was feeling rather calm concerning the Brewers.  After tonight’s game, however, I have been reminded about what this team lacks.

You simply cannot win games with stupid mental errors.  Ryan Braun needs to learn to hit the cut-off man.  I understand he’s trying to preserve the lead, but the margin for error is so small.  You have to play the percentages at that point.  He did show off his arm on that play, however.  Corey Hart has got to stay in front of the ball in the outfield.  The cardinal rule in the outfield is to keep the ball in front of you at all costs.  He cost the Brewers a run in the ninth inning.  Bill Hall needs to get out in the field further when Mike Cameron is up against the wall.  He cost the Brewers another run.  A lack of concentration on the defensive side of the ball cost the Brewers tonight.

What to do about it?  Bill Hall cannot play second base.  Three errors in two games at the position is not going to cut it.  With that said, Joe Dillon looked solid at second today.  I can forgive Ryan Braun for making an aggressive play.  He’s inexperienced in the field, and he let his emotions get the better of him.  The coaches will sit him down and explain the situation.  He will make the right choice the next time.  Corey Hart, on the other hand, has no excuse.  Overrunning the ball and then trying to lazily reach down to pick up the ball is inexcusable.

Jeff Suppan threw the ball quite well today.  His solid outing was overshadowed by the length of the game and the dramatics near the end, but seven innings of two-run ball is impressive.  Soup has been a rock in the rotation this season.  He’s truly earning his money thus far in 2008.

The relievers, however, struggled mightily.  Carlos Villanueva did not have his usual control on the mound, leaving the ball up in the strike zone for the Twins to slap all over the field.  He just hasn’t had his “A” stuff in his last couple outings.  Fans shouldn’t be worried, however.  The young right-hander has been the model of consistency in the bullpen the last couple seasons.  He will bounce back.

Julian Tavarez, on the other hand, hasn’t shown any consistency since being signed.  The movement on his pitches is phenomenal, but the control has been notably absent.  In his 1.1 innings of work, he gave up four hits and three walks.  The veteran worked from behind the whole night.  He’s not cutting it on the mound.  If he wants to get the ball in important situations, throwing strikes is key.

Amidst all the frustration that ended the night, fans at the ballpark tonight were treated to a dandy.  In the ninth inning, the Brewers trailed by one with two outs.  Russell Branyan gets the call to pinch hit.  He has one job at the plate: Tie the game.  On a fastball middle-in from Twins closer Joe Nathan, Russell absolutely clobbered a solo home run to tie the game at four a piece.  All looked right for the Crew going into extra innings.

Things even looked better when Prince Fielder connected on a high fastball in the bottom of the 11th.  The towering shot appeared to clear the wall just over the fingertips of Carlos Gomez, but the umps ruled it a triple.  Boos rained in from around Miller Park, and Ned Yost came out on the field to argue the call.  After seeing the replay, however, it was clear the ball bounced off the inside corner of the wall and back into the field of play.  The umpires made the right call.  A game of inches indeed.

Yost went back into the dugout and play resumed, but Milwaukee was unable to plate Prince home from third.  Mike Cameron swung at a ball way off the plate and hit a dribbler to the pitcher’s mound.  The momentum shifted to the Minnesota Twins, and they never looked back.  A rough, rough game for the Crew tonight.  They should have won the game multiple times.

Records: Brewers (35-33); Twins (34-35)

Hero of the Game: Russell Branyan

Russell had the touch for late-inning heroics today.  After sitting on the bench the entire game, the Brewers’ skipper called on him with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth against Joe Nathan.  Russell didn’t get cheated in his at-bat.  He absolutely killed a Nathan fastball into right-center field.  How clutch can you be?

This will be immensely unpopular, I’m sure, but Russell needs more playing time.  He has been better than advertised defensively at third base, and he’s seeing the ball incredibly well.  I understand he has not hit lefties well this year in the big leagues, but he had pretty good success in the minors.  You can say it was the minors all you want, but everyone said that before he got called up too.  Look how that turned out.  Give the guy a chance.  Bill Hall has sure proven he doesn’t deserve regular playing time.

Goat of the Game: Corey Hart

Yes, Julian Tavarez pitched horrendously.  This “award” has to go to Corey this evening though.  Besides the costly error in the ninth inning that made everyone’s collective heart sink in their stomachs, the Brewers lead-off hitter went 0-6 with two strikeouts.  Corey has been one of the most consistent players this season, so I will cut him some slack.  The young right-fielder should take this loss personally, however.  That error in right was pathetic and just a lack of concentration.

On Tap

Brewers right-hander Seth McClung will battle fellow right-hander Scott Baker tomorrow at Miller Park.  The Crew will hope not to get swept by the Minnesota Twins.  The contest will begin at 1:05pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: Monday

UPDATE 06-09-08 3:35pm - Rickie Weeks finished his examination on his knee in Milwaukee.  The doctored diagnosed the Brewers second baseman with a “sprained left knee.”  He is listed as day-to-day.

After the past couple years when Rickie has been injured, however, I highly doubt he will be back within the week.  I hope I am wrong.  Weeks doesn’t have a track record of bouncing back quickly from injuries.

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UPDATE 06-09-08 1:55pm – It seems the Brewers are not interested in Brian Roberts after all.

Tom Haudricourt spoke with Doug Melvin this afternoon, and Melvin refuted Ken Rosenthal’s claim. The Brewers did have scouts at the Baltimore games, but no specialist scout had been assigned to Roberts. The scouts attended the games as a part of standard protocol. There is apparently nothing special about the scouts being at the game.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have an off-day today, but are traveling to Houston to take on the Astros tomorrow. Monday’s Round ‘em Up is always much more fun, as all the bloggers are out in full force after the weekend. It still means that the weekends are slow.

• Second baseman Rickie Weeks is on his way to Milwaukee to get his injured knee examined by the team doctors. He had his knee buckled by a hard slide while he was trying to turn two over the weekend. Hopefully this is not as bad as it sounds…because it could turn into a Yovani Gallardo type of situation.
• Mike Cameron has been seeing the bench a little more lately. He’s been struggling mightily at the plate, and Gabe Kapler has been the model of production in the early months. I suspect Cameron will be back in the lineup tomorrow, but Tom Haudricourt says he will probably not be in the two-hole. You know the saying, “How many licks does it take to get to the inside of a tootsie pop?” This situation is more like, “How much has to go wrong before Ned Yost admits he’s wrong?” Perhaps nobody will know…
• Chuckie Hacks says that Salomon Torres and Carlos Villanueva should be the 7th through 9th inning tandem from here on out. I’m sorry, but I thought we discussed this whole “set formula” thing. Not a fan.
• Jeff Suppan is finally pitching like he’s worth the money the Brewers signed him for last off-season. It is nice to see Soup grinding out some tough starts and just plain producing for the Crew.
• Here’s another diary entry from Matt LaPorta, courtesy of Baseball Digest Daily.
• The Jay from Brew Crew Ball has a nice graphic up about the Brewers bullpen. They are not overused, but they do throw a lot of pitches. I do appreciate the category that has Milwaukee without Turnbow as its own team. How true that is.
• This is something I have not heard until today. Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in Baltimore second-baseman Brian Roberts. The Crew has had scouts at the past couple Orioles games. Rosenthal suggests that a Rickie Weeks-Brian Roberts trade would be unfair for Milwaukee. If Weeks’ knee gets better in the coming week or so and the Brewers could pull off this trade without giving up anything but Rickie Weeks, you pull the trigger. No questions asked.
• Jim Powell writes about the Brewers and their lack of momentum on the road. Their road woes sicken me.
• Speaking of Jim Powell, he has an interview with Brewers first-round pick, Brett Lawrie. Here’s the audio stream.
• In-Between Hops suggests that Carlos Villanueva is the closer for the future for the Milwaukee Brewers. I agree that he’s been spectacular out of the bullpen this season, but Carlos will have to prove his worth over a full season before I would hand over the 9th inning duties to him for good.
• As BrewersNation reader Aaron pointed out, the Brewers could take a look at RHP Sidney Ponson. His ERA seems to be misleading, as batters are getting good wood on the ball consistently. I don’t think Milwaukee is a team that goes the “troubled player” route.
• SS Matt Cline was demoted to West Virginia this week. He has responded, however, giving the slumping Power a nice little jolt.

Brewers squeak past Rockies to avoid sweep

The Milwaukee Brewers never make it look easy on the road, do they?

The pitching staff wiggled off hooks left and right, but managed to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field.  Jeff Suppan struggled mightily with his command early in the contest, but he settled down a bit in the third through fifth innings.  The veteran was not sharp.  He did keep the Brewers in the game today, and that’s all you can ask for from the pitching staff.

In the sixth inning, Ned Yost called on Carlos Villanueva to get the final two outs after Soup scuffled to start the frame.  The former starter did it on one pitch, getting Ian Stewart to ground into a double play.

The Brewers got in trouble again in the seventh inning.  Joe Dillon, who had a great day at the plate, bobbled the ball and committed a costly error on a relatively easy double play ball.  The inning should have been over right there.  Carlos gutted out the rest of the inning without giving up a run.  He struck out Todd Helton on a questionable called third strike and got Garrett Atkins to ground out to short.  After Friday’s game, I think Ned Yost rethought about taking out Villanueva in a pinch.  Yost stuck with the young right-hander, and Carlos showed Brewers fans why he’s so valuable in the ‘pen.

The day didn’t get any easier in the eight, however.  Left-handed specialist Brian Shouse gave up a base hit to Brad Hawpe, who got to second on a careless error by Gabe Kapler.  Ned Yost then called on Salomon Torres to get the final 5 outs of the game.  The veteran closer happily obliged, and the Crew avoided the sweep.

Joe Dillon got the start for the injured Rickie Weeks today.  He responded well, getting on base four times – three walks and a hustle double.  Bill Hall still looks lost against right-handed pitching, and Prince Fielder swung out of his shoes all day.  The offense had very little plate discipline after the first couple innings, and their offense struggled because of it.

The Crew had 13 runners left on base today.  That cannot happen on the road.  The only reason the Brewers won today’s game is because the Rockies were worse with runners in scoring position.  Colorado left 20 runners on base.  It was an ugly game all around.

After losing Friday and Saturday to the Rockies, the series unbeaten streak ends at five.  It should still be going after Friday night’s game, but you can argue that Milwaukee should not have won tonight  The Brewers will take what they can get and travel to Houston to take on the Astros on Tuesday.

Records: Brewers (33-30); Rockies (24-39)

Hero of the Game: Carlos Villanueva

The young-right hander was thrown into the fire in the sixth inning, but he responded by getting two outs with one pitch.  Things looked good in the seventh until Joe Dillon botched the easy double-play ball with one out.  The inning should have been over right there.  Carlos beared down and got the Brewers out of the inning without surrendering a run.  If Salomon Torres was not pitching so well in the closer’s role, I think I would begin to support the idea of giving Carlos a shot.  Villanueva is a very, very valuable part of the bullpen.  Ned Yost should think about keeping the young man there all season.

Goat of the Game: Bill Hall

I know Bill got the job done in the field and got a base hit in the first inning to score a run, but he was a big reason the Brewers couldn’t tack on any runs in the late innings.  He continues to take defensive swings against right-handed pitching, and I’m beginning to think that Russell Branyan should have pinch hit for Billy in the seventh inning.  Bill left four runners on base in the last three innings.  Others did too, but Bill looked terrible doing it.

On Tap

The Brewers have a day off tomorrow.  They will travel to Houston to take on the Astros.  Right-hander Seth McClung will face the Astros’ ace, RHP Roy Oswalt.  The Brewers will attempt to not get swept in Houston for the second time this season.

Bullpen blows up as Brewers fall to struggling Rockies

This loss stings a little more than the rest of them.

The Milwaukee Brewers continued their losing ways on the road yesterday, dropping the opening game of the series with Colorado 6-4. All looked fantastic for the majority of the game, too.

Right-hander Ben Sheets was not dominate by any stretch of the imagination. He did, however, get through six innings with only one run allowed. That’s what an ace does for his team. Even when he does not have his best stuff, Benny still puts zeros up on the board to keep Milwaukee in the game.

Milwaukee was more than in the game though. In fact, going into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Crew was up 4-1. Russell Branyan and J.J. Hardy both hit home runs in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie at the time, and Jason Kendall snuck a triple down the right field line to score Hardy in the seventh to stretch the lead to 4-1.

Carlos Villanueva looked brilliant in the bottom of the seventh, and I waited for Villy to trot out the mound in the eighth to shut down the Rockies again. That was not the case, however. Ned Yost called on Guillermo Mota for the eighth inning.

That backfired on Ned extremely fast. Mota fell behind in the count early and often to the Colorado hitters. He gave up back-to-back singles to Jonathan Herrera and Ryan Spilborghs. The hot-hitting Todd Helton then smoked a double off the center field wall. Mota then falls behind in the count again and serves up a game-tying triple to Garrett Atkins. Needless to say, Brewers fans were falling all over themselves they were so upset.

Brian Shouse then came in the game to try and escape the jam. It didn’t work so well for Brian. On the first pitch he through, Brad Hawpe tattooed a curveball for a two-run homer. Rockies up 6-4.

After getting the wind knocked out of their sails in the bottom of the eighth, the Crew was unable to put anything together in the ninth inning. Brewers dropped their first game in their last seven, and not surprisingly came on the road. Tough, tough way to lose a game.

I don’t normally question Ned’s pitching changes, as hindsight is an unfair and unprofessional way to criticize a manager. Ned’s management of the bullpen needs to be addressed, however. After last night’s game, the Brewers manager said that he went to Mota in the eighth because he’s been Milwaukee’s eighth inning pitcher for the majority of the year. Why change now?

Besides the closer’s position, do relievers really need to have assigned roles? Did Ned not specifically say at the beginning of the year that the bullpen was stacked with quality arms, so he would mix-and-match roles with who was throwing the ball well? There has not been a reliever pitching any better than Carlos Villanueva. Using that philosophy, it would have been a no-brainer to leave Carlos in the game.

Ned’s response is that he would have left Carlos in the game, but it was a save situation. Therefore, Ned must follow his prescribed plan that has Guillermo Mota pitching in the eighth and Salomon Torres in the ninth. I don’t know why it needs to be that way, but apparently it does.

I understand that relievers want to know their roles. I understand that if Mota cruised through the eighth, we wouldn’t be having this conversation this morning. You know what though? Mota did blow up. The Brewers did lose the momentum they gained at home this past week and a half. This is a loss that can really take the wind out of a team’s sails.

It is true that Carlos could have done the exact same thing as Mota. All signs pointed to an easy bottom of the eighth for the former starter, however. You stick with the hot hand in the bullpen, Ned. I thought Yost was beginning to understand that concept when he started Gabe Kapler in center (who had an RBI single in the first, by the way). Apparently not. Save the closer’s role, relievers do not need assigned roles in the bullpen. A win does not need to be formulaic. Why go to an unknown entity in Mota when you have visual proof that Carlos is throwing the ball exceedingly well? I just don’t understand.

Records: Brewers (32-29); Rockies (23-38 )

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

J.J. had a solid game all around today. He scored two of the Brewers four runs yesterday. The power has returned a bit for the Brewers shortstop, as Hardy hit another home run. He also scored on Jason Kendall’s triple in the seventh inning. The Brewers need J.J. to keep hitting if they want to be more consistent on offense. With that said, Milwaukee didn’t lose last night’s game because of a lack of hitting.

Goat of the Game: Guillermo Mota

In the eighth inning of a road game, with a 4-1 lead, Mota gave up four earned runs without recording an out. You have to pound the strike zone when leading a close game. The former Met failed to do that the entire inning. He fell behind hitters consistently, and the Rockies made him pay. Throw strikes, Guillermo.

On Tap

After yesterday’s brutal loss, Milwaukee will trot RHP Dave Bush to the mound to take on LHP Greg Reynolds. Game two of the series will start at 7:05pm CT. The Brewers need to win this game. They do not want to start another losing trend on this road series.

Round ‘em Up: Saturday

It’s a beautiful day, and the Brewers won last night.  Therefore, I’m in a fantastic mood this morning.  Let’s take a look at what the blogosphere has to say today:

• Backtracking a bit, Jim Powell has some reflections about the Brewers-Braves series.  He especially liked the sequence when Brian McCann got a strike called on him while he was out of the box arguing with the home plate umpire.  I loved that.  McCann had no reason to complain about that pitch, as the home plate ump gave him four chances to step in the batter’s box to hit.  He refused, so he lost his chance to swing.
• In-Between Hops is still ranting about Prince Fielder and his lack of home runs in 2008.  At least he is no longer blaming it on the lack of meat.  Prince is not hitting home runs at the same rate this season because he is pulling off the ball a lot more.  Pitchers are busting him inside, and he’s not been able to extend his arms.  Hopefully, he’ll be able to adjust.
• Ned Yost is holding true to his new rule for relievers – no more than three days in a row.  Since Eric Gagne and David Riske got injured presumably from pitching too often, Ned is trying to protect his bullpen.  Really Ned?  It took you three years to figure out that probably wasn’t a good idea?  And people say you should be fired…
• Milwaukee’s young stud, Yovani Gallardo, is cautious about trying to pitch again in 2008.  As he should be.  Don’t try to rush yourself back, Yo.  Get yourself reading for 2009.  Brewers fans will patiently wait.
• The Brewers strike out a lot.  That’s not surprising.  You know what else isn’t surprising?  Ned Yost isn’t concerned about it.  Of course he’s not.  Just like it’s still early.
• A sports economist says that Mark Attanasio and the new Milwaukee Brewers are building their franchise in the correct way economically.  Bud Selig and his regime did not build it.  Well, Mark Attanasio cares more than Bud Selig did about the Brewers.  That usually makes a big difference in the outcome.
• Al’s Ramblings notes that the Milwaukee Brewers have the 5th best bullpen ERA if you discount Derrick Turnbow’s numbers.  The starting rotation is actually 5th in innings pitched too, despite the short outings compiled by Manny Parra, Carlos Villanueva, and Seth McClung.  Ben Sheets is probably a big part of that.
• The Brew Town Beat writes a nice piece on Carlos Villanueva.  In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, Carlos has been flat-out nasty in the ‘pen.  He has yet to give up a run, and he’s striking out far more than he did in the starting rotation.  Perhaps there is something to this Carlos as closer talk.  Not that Salomon Torres should be replaced anytime soon.  He’s been great.
• Minor League Ball has a 2008 mock draft going on right now.  In the first round, the Brewers selected RHP Shooter Hunt from Tulane.  He’s a very raw prospect, especially for a collegiate pitcher, and he’s an injury concern right now.  I wouldn’t choose him with the #16 pick, but that’s just me.
• The St. Louis Cardinals have sent OF Chris Duncan to Triple-A to get his swing figured out.  With his power, I thought the Cardinals would give him a little more time to sort things out before dumping him to the minors.  The team called up OF Joe Mather, who has been tearing up Triple-A.
• RHP Franklyn German refused an outright assignment to the minors after being DFA’d by the Texas Rangers.  With a 2.08 ERA, the Brewers might be wise to give him a look.  He would be a huge risk for Milwaukee, however.  His ERA is stellar, but his WHIP is 1.431.  The right-hander walks far too many batters, but he is definitely worth a look at only 28-years old.  With that said, I don’t think the Brewers do anything with Franklyn.  The bullpen has been solid lately.

Homers give Parra plenty of support against Astros

The Brewers remember all too well the drubbing they got the last time the team played the Houston Astros.  It marked the beginning of a 6-game losing streak on the road.  Manny Parra made sure it didn’t happen again.

The inconsistent lefty showed great stuff last night, regularly hitting 93-94mph on his fastball.  His four walks were a bit misleading, as his command was much sharper overall.  It’s amazing what a little confidence can do for a pitcher.

Perhaps it was Houston’s Miguel Tejada that knocked some confidence into the young pitcher.  In the first inning, Miggy hit a laser-like line drive that hit Parra in the stomach.  Milwaukee stared another injury in the face, but Manny showed resiliency and pitched another five innings of one-run ball after the first.

The offense jumped on the opposing starter, Brandon Backe, early in the game.  Mike Cameron and Ryan Braun hit back-to-back jacks in the bottom of the first inning.  That was all the support the Brewers pitching staff needed to win the game.  It was a nice change for the Brewer faithful.  The team has not won too many games that weren’t nailbiters.

Speaking of Ryan Braun, he has been playing with an inner-ear infection.  Reports say that Ryan is experiencing dizziness and a lack of hearing in his right ear.  After a 4-4 performance last night, however, I think Ryan should keep that infection around for a while longer.  Just kidding, Ryan.  Get better soon!  Just keep the bat hot…

Carlos Villanueva looked superb in the bullpen again last night, going two strong, scoreless innings and striking out two Astros.  The young right-hander may have found a niche for himself in the bullpen.  Yost will have to make certain he doesn’t get worn down in August like he did last season.  Lessons learned, Ned…lessons learned…

The big fella accounted for the other home run Milwaukee hit during the game.  Prince Fielder hit an absolute laser beam over the right field wall for a two-run homer.  It was nice to see Prince get back in the home run column, but I would especially like to see him hit an opposite field home run sometime soon.  When Prince got on his power binges last season, he consistently took the ball the opposite way.  He hasn’t done that in 2008 yet.

Records: Brewers (27-28); Astros (30-26)

Hero of the Game: Manny Parra

This award could have gone to Ryan Braun quite easily, but the offense was unneeded today, as Manny gave Ned Yost and the Brewers a very strong outing tonight.  His pitch count was extremely reasonable tonight, which was a nice change for Manny.  He only had 87 pitches through six innings.  50 of those were strikes.  Last night’s outing gives Manny something to build upon.  His consistency needs to improve if the Brewers are going to make a run for the division in the coming months.  All signs point skyward for Manny, but he showed how quickly things can turn around last weekend in Washington.

Goat of the Game: Corey Hart

Sorry Corey.  You went 0-4.  Rickie Weeks went 0-3, but got hit by a pitch, stole a base, and scored a run.  Russell Branyan at least walked once.  You took the collar.  Get ‘em next time, kid.

On Tap

RHP Ben Sheets will face RHP Brian Moehler tomorrow night in Miller Park.  The Brewers look to secure a series victory against the Houston Astros.  The first pitch will go out at 6:05pm CT.

Brewers eke out a win in extra innings

Prince Fielder, Gabe Kapler, Carlos Villanueva, and Salomon Torres may have saved Ned Yost his job for the time being.  They were the instrumental players in the extra frames and led the Brewers to a victory over the Washington Nationals 4-3.

Prince served an opposite-field double over the head of Ryan Langerhans.  I wasn’t completely sure what happened next was the correct move, as Corey Hart sacrifice bunted Prince to third.  If he would have done this earlier in the count, it would have made plenty of sense.  A 3-1 count though?  You have to let the best clutch hitter on the Brewers do some damage there.

The move appeared to be the incorrect one, as big Russell Branyan struck out for the fourth time of the game to follow Corey.  Gabe Kapler picked up his teammates, however, and laced the first pitch he saw into center to score Prince.  Milwaukee had a chance to add to that one run lead, but Rickie Weeks grounded out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Salomon Torres then came in and shut the door relatively easily on the Nats.  It was very nice to see a Brewers closer breeze through in inning.  Perhaps Ned has found someone he can trust at the back-end of the bullpen.  Torres sure looked good this afternoon.

I cannot tell you how impressed I was with Carlos Villanueva today.  After struggling in the rotation and getting flak from every Brewers fan and their mother, Carlos came into the game in the ninth inning and struck out the side to send the game into extras.  He then set the Nats down 1-2-3 again in the bottom of the 10th to prolong the game.  In that inning, the young man struck out the first two batters before getting Christian Guzman to ground out to Craig Counsell.  Carlos was sharp today.  Perhaps there is something to the closing idea that The Brew Town Beat has thrown out for the past couple weeks.

The Brewers were down early after Ben Sheets gave up a first inning home run to Christian Guzman on a hanging curveball.  Benny pitched fairly well today, going six innings and striking out six.  He could have gone more, as the Brewers’ ace only had 86 pitches.  The Brewers needed offense though, so Ned pulled Benny in the top of the seventh in favor of Joe Dillon.  Joe reached on an error.

Overall, this was a good win for the Brewers.  They split the series with the Nationals, and the team went 4-6 on the road trip.  After getting swept by the Boston Red Sox, I cannot complain.  I have no way of proving this, but my gut tells me that the Brewers saved Ned’s job today with this extra innings win.  Gord Ash, Doug Melvin, and Mark Attanasio were on hand today.  They were no doubt scouting the skipper to see how he handled himself.  So far, so good for Ned.

Records: Brewers (24-27); Nationals (22-30)

Hero of the Game: Gabe Kapler

Gabe saved the Brewers today with his RBI-single in the top of the 11th.  After sitting on the bench all day, he steps into the batters box and lines a first-pitch fastball into center to score Prince Fielder.  It turned out to be the winning run.  One of the most difficult aspects of baseball is being a pinch-hitter, and most batters take a pitch or two to get comfortable in the box.  Not Gabe.  Not today.  He manned up and roped one to center.  I’ll consider today’s win a Memorial Day present.

Goat of the Game: Russell Branyan

It’s tough to give Russell the Goat after being so excited about his being called up yesterday, but he definitely deserves the award.  After a very nice performance in yesterday’s game, Russell struck out four times tonight.  The big one came in the top of the eleventh, as he only needed a sacrifice fly to get Prince home.  Instead, Russell swung at the first three pitches and quickly got sent back to the dugout.  Rough outing for Branyan today.

On Tap

Milwaukee will head home tonight and start a tough homestand tomorrow against the Atlanta Braves.  The struggling Dave Bush will looked to straighten himself out against the veteran Tim Hudson.  The game will start at 6:05pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: Sunday

Writing the Round ‘em Up in the morning is a lot more pleasant after a win. The Brewers sites are a lot more pleasant to read, and I don’t have to relive the loss thirty times each morning. Not too much has been written on the Brewers this morning, however. That’s probably due to the people that are wasting gas and traveling this weekend.

• This post made my entire night last night. Russell Branyan has been called up from Nashville and will start tonight against the right-handed Tim Redding. To make room for the veteran, Tony Gwynn Jr. got sent down to Triple-A. The young man needs to play every day.Russell is not going to come into Milwaukee and hit .400 against righties, but I can almost guarantee you that he’ll succeed more than Bill Hall against right-handed pitching. It’s nice to see Doug Melvin taking steps towards improving the team. You can only say “it’s early” for so long before time comes to adjust the lineup. I am happy this morning.
• Tom Haudricourt says that Derrick Turnbow is not going anywhere, despite his downright awful numbers in Triple-A. It’s to the point that I don’t really care now. Jeff Weaver, however, has the option to be released from his contract in a couple weeks if he does not make the big league squad. If he continues pitching the way he has, Jeff may be searching for another team soon.
• After spouting off about the Brewers yesterday, The Brew Town Beat is markedly happier today. Seth McClung has infused them with a bit of hope as well. Russell Branyan is another reason to put a smile on your face this morning, Brewers fans. The article also mentions that Carlos Villanueva should get an opportunity in the closer’s role. Disagree. Carlos does not have the stuff to be a closer. His change-up is not good enough right now to be the Trever Hoffman-type closer. And I completely disagree with the comment on Salomon Torres struggling. If Bill Hall wouldn’t have forced him to get five outs last night, he wouldn’t have had to throw many pitches. In fact, Torres almost got two saves in one night…
• Dugout Central mentions that the Milwaukee Brewers have had eight straight seasons with a losing record on the road. In past years, the Brewers were under .500 on the road because they were a bad team. Now, I blame Ned Yost. If you cannot get your players energized to play for you on the road, you are not doing your job as manager.
• As mentioned yesterday, RHP Donovan Hand was promoted to Huntsville yesterday after dominating high Class-A ball with Brevard County. Here’s a nice article on Donovan.  He credits his fine pitching this year to his hard-breaking slider he worked on this off-season. Before 2008, Donovan got by with a fastball and a change-up. He needed that third pitch.It’s crazy to think that Donovan has been promoted three times already in his minor league career, and he was only drafted in June. He was still pitching in college at this point last season. Impressive.

Post of the Day:

After talking about Mat Gamel and his defensive improvements at third base, The Huntsville Times wrote a very, very nice article about Gamel. You cannot help but like the guy after reading this article. He’s taking his defensive trouble’s personally. He wants to prove everyone wrong about his defensive capabilities. His coaches say that his throws have gotten much more consistent this year, but he has still made 11 errors this season. It’s not great, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The other aspect of the article I very much enjoyed was Gamel’s humility. He didn’t tell his girlfriend he was a star prospect in the Brewers system until after she came home to meet his parents. He didn’t tell anyone about being considered for a call up to the big leagues to play DH against Boston. The third baseman is too concerned with becoming a complete baseball player. That starts on the defensive end.

Great article.

Bush Gets Bashed, Pirates Avoid Sweep

Having secured the first road-series win against the Pirates since 2006 the brooms were out, but another rough outing by Dave Bush left the home team Bucs off the hook.  The embattled starter, switching spots with Jeff Suppan in the rotation, gave up six runs between the fourth and fifth innings to blow open a close game.  Final score: Pirates 8, Brewers 4.

Stranding runners was a huge problem for the Crew last night again as they left 14 runners on base.  Cory Hart had a solo shot in the fourth inning to give the Brewers a 1-0, but the lead was short lived as a flawless Bush imploded.

Pirates pitcher Tom Gorzelanny had a high pitch count early in the game, but the Brewers continued to get him out of jams as they couldn’t capitalize.

Bush had back-to-back massive collapses in the fourth and fifth innings, surrendering a two-run shot to Jason Bay and five total hits for four runs.  The fifth was just as bad at the hot-hitting Nate McLouth got his third hit of the evening (4-for-4 for the night), a throwing error by Prince Fielder, and a Xavier Nady solo homer scored runs for the Bucs.

The Brewers comeback came short as Gabe Kapler scored Bill Hall on a RBI pinch-hit single in the sixth and Joe Dillon also scored JJ Hardy on a pitch-hit RBI single in the seventh. Rickie Weeks hit another homer to save face for the Brewers in the eight.  More stranded runners in both theses innings were bad news for the Brew Crew.

The game was pushed out of reach by a seventh in two run tally by the Pirates against Brewer’s reliever Zach Johnson whose bad seventh was softened by a 1-2-3 eighth.

Records: Brewers (22-25), Pirates (22-25)

Hero of the Game: Dave Bush, Innings 1 through 3

Bush was lights out for the first three innings giving up only one hit and retiring eight straight after giving up that hit.  The defense backed him up solidly, too.  Bush sprayed a variety of ground outs and flyouts to his teammates providing effective cover for a struggling offense in the final game of the series. Like a abused wife in a Lifetime Channel movie I was thinking this time would be different, but…

Goat of the Game:  Dave Bush, Innings 4 and 5

He just never fails to disappoint.  Just when all was well in the world, Bush drops a bomb on us.  These two innings were a disaster.  Whatever Bush has early in games he certainly throws it all away later in games.  The pitches that were outs innings 1 through 3 were dropping for hits all over the field.  I can’t say right now, but Villanueva versus Bush is like choosing between the lesser of two evils because Bush has now given up 10 homers compared to V-Dub’s 12.

On Tap:  Jeff Suppan (2-3) opens the series against the Washington National’s Odalis Perez (1-4) in DC.  The Brewers hope to win the road series against the struggling Nats in order to save face on this troublesome road trip and start next week’s home stand on the right foot (ha! stand! foot! hilarious!).  First pitch: 6:05pm.

By: Dan Wiersema

Round ‘Em Up Thursday

Twenty cent rise in gas prices in the last 24 hours got you down?  Here are some of the Milwaukee Brewers stories floating around the Inter-Web today.  Maybe that will pick up your spirits…

First off, congrats to the work horse Ben Sheets for his fantastic outing last night. It was even more amazing that after the fourth inning (he had five by then) he didn’t have a single strikeout until the final batter.  Taking 11 hits last night and only allowing one run to score (which was a homer) is a credit to Sheets and a solid defense behind him. P.S. Nice catch Mike Cameron!

* Worried about Eric Gagne?  Yeah, me too… I haven’t slept at all since he blew our first shutout since April. Just in case you were hoping the you might never see him again.  Your chances just got a little bit better in the short-term.  The J-S is reporting that Gagne and his sore shoulder will keep him sidelined “indefinitely”.” Gagne has been experiencing “tightness and inflammation” since his duty against the Pirates on Tuesday.  Ironically those are the same words I would use to describe myself when Gagne gets on the mound and then follows with blowing up.

* The Junkball Blues has a bunch of stat break downs of what is the best battling line-up approach for the Brewers.  Its kinda cool that you can see hitting, power, and patience.  For that last one I don’t know if we can even field a line-up! Ha! Get it? Because we have no patience and strike out a lot! Funny!

* Fox Sports Dayn Perry looks at the red-hot Chicago Cubs and decides there is no freakin’ way that these guys can keep up the torrid hitting, pitching, and defense.  He says that its the pitching that will eventually fall off. Works for me. I don’t care how they fall apart as long as they do.

* Is the Brewers’ front office racist?  Brewers Bar thinks is might be a possibility in considering why Braun got a contract before Fielder.  I’ve got to be honest and in no way, shape, or form, did this thought even consider forming itself in my head.  Where do people get stories like this?  Must have gone to the Badger Blogger School of Journalism.

* Is Eric Gagne Fidel Castro?  Bugs & Cranks makes the case that the low-profile of the Cuban dictator of the last ten years matches up with the rising profile of Gagne.  Makes sense to me.

* V-Dub (aka Carlos Villanueva) is cool with heading to the ‘pen.  He’s just glad that he’s not rooming with Turnbow in Triple A.

* Any finally, Brew Crew Pub grades Doug Melvin over the last couple of years.  Tough teacher!

This is the first time for me doing the Round ‘Em Up so please feel free to link to any stories I might have missed today.  Thanks!

By: Dan Wiersema

Randy Wolf to Milwaukee?

The collective wheels have fallen off for the San Diego Padres early this season.  Already over ten games back in May, GM Kevin Towers hinted he may be gearing up for a firesale this summer.  The LA Times mentions that Randy Wolf could be a good fit for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Let’s take a look and see if this is true.

Randy Wolf has a relatively reasonable contract for San Diego to trade.  He’s signed only for 2008, and the veteran is a relative bargain at $4.75M.  Money would not be an issue for the Brewers, especially since Mark Attanasio has said that he is willing to ante up the cash to bolster the starting rotation.  That part checks out rather well for Milwaukee.

How about Randy’s 5.05 ERA?  Would the Brewers want to give up someone like CF Tony Gwynn Jr. for those numbers?  It is early in the season, but Randy’s ERA has been consistently on the rise in the past couple years.  Last season, Randy posted a 4.73 ERA with a 1.451 WHIP, both worse than the league average.  Not exactly the ideal numbers to be placing in the rotation to give it a kick start.

Add in the fact that Wolf has been an injury waiting to happen the past few years, it seems that Milwaukee would be foolish to court Wolf.  Starting in the 2005 season, Randy has only had 13 games started, 12 GS, and 18 GS, respectively.  The Brewers have an injury liability in Ben Sheets heading the rotation.  Melvin would be foolish to attempt to bolster the rotation with an injury risk.  The team cannot trade its future for an unknown entity that is only a rental.

If Randy Wolf is not the answer, who is?

I don’t believe there is anyone worthwhile on the trading block that will be semi-affordable for Milwaukee.  The answer has to be in-house.  Carlos’ 6.43 ERA and 12 home runs allowed are not working in the rotation. Ned Yost and Doug Melvin want to put Villy in the ‘pen to get his control issues and confidence worked out.  Who are the internal options?

RHP Seth McClung

Seth is getting the ball this Saturday, so he is obviously the #1 choice to round out the rotation.  Brewers coaches have been raving about the mechanical changes Seth has made in the past week or so, and they believe he is ready to produce in the rotation.

Those mechanical changes better be big changes, as his numbers as a starter have been atrocious.  The big guy started for two seasons in Tampa Bay, posting a 6.59 and a 6.29 ERA, respectively.  Those numbers would scare anyone away.  Even more concerning, his BB:K ratios in those seasons were 62:92 and 68:59.  I’m not a stat-head, but you do not need to be a rocket scientist or a mathematician to understand those numbers are less than ideal.

With that said, Seth has a great arm.  He has a blistering fastball and a curve that he has been throwing for strikes lately.  Two pitches will not be enough to get through a major league lineup two or three times, however.  The team says that Seth has developed a pretty good change-up this season, but I have not seen it much in game action.

Seth McClung is an interesting option, but his past numbers do not look promising.  His control issues will most likely not translate well to the starting rotation, as he still has a 13:20 BB:K ratio.  Those mechanical changes must be pretty darn good ones.  Still, I do not believe Seth is the answer.  He has been effective from the bullpen, however.  I’d keep him there after Saturday unless he really impresses.

RHP Jeff Weaver

The Milwaukee Brewers signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league deal to deepen the starting rotation.  He is more of an innings-eater type of pitcher.  In 2004 and 2005, Jeff logged over 220.0 innings pitched, but his innings total has gone down in the past couple years.  In 2006, he had 31 games started, but he only had 172.0 innings pitched.  That is a significant decrease in only three fewer starts.  Jeff is clearly not as effective as he once was.

The past two seasons, Jeff has posted a 5.76 ERA and a 6.20 ERA, respectively.  I’m not sure if the Brewers want to be relying on someone with those numbers.  Especially since he appears to not have improved too much this season.  Through four starts, Jeff has an unimpressive 6.35 ERA.  I have to believe that Milwaukee will be looking elsewhere to fill the void in the starting rotation.

LHP Zach Jackson

Once one of the top pitching prospects in the system after being acquired from Toronto in the Lyle Overbay trade, Zach has struggled to consistently succeed in either the big leagues or Triple-A.  Last season, Zach limped in with a 4.46 ERA in Nashville, which suggests that the lefty is not ready for another shot in the bigs as a starter.

With that said, Zach Jackson looks to have found a niche in the bullpen.  In his last two relief appearances, the southpaw has not allowed a run in 4.2 innings of work.  His walk rate has dropped dramatically, and his strikeout rate has remained solid.  He’s been impressive enough out of the ‘pen for Milwaukee to call him up to serve as the second lefty and compliment to Brian Shouse.  The Brewers are no longer looking at Zach as a potential starter.  I believe he may settle in the pen as a long reliever, left-handed specialist type of pitcher….not a starter.

LHP Chris Narveson

Chris broke on the scene during Spring Training and almost pitched his way onto the team as a non-roster invite.  The former St. Louis Cardinal unveiled his new cut-fastball, and he commanded it beautifully on his way to a high strikeout rate.  Ned Yost came home from Arizona impressed with Chris.  Perhaps he’s the one to fill the rotation.

Chris’ 3.94 ERA suggests that he does deserve a shot in the big leagues.  He is consistently striking out about six batters per nine innings, which is impressive for a left-hander.  The problem is the WHIP.  It is at an uncharacteristically high 1.42.  His career average WHIP is 1.28, and he had a 1.18 with St. Louis in 2006.  He is walking almost four and a half batters per nine innings and giving up bunches of hits.  I suspect that his WHIP will come down a bit, and the Brewers will be tempted to give him a chance in the bigs.  He may have the best chance in the long run, but his control is not where it needs to be to help immediately.  Doug Melvin needs to look elsewhere.

RHP Mark DiFelice

The Brewers recently called up 31-year old journeyman, Mark DiFelice to fill the spot vacated by Mitch Stetter in the bullpen.  DiFelice has been toiling in the minor leagues the past 11 seasons, never getting a big league call-up.  His blood pressure must have been incredibly high when he made his debut in a Brewers uniform at Fenway Park.  He had a very uninspired outing, giving up three runs in an inning of work.  I’m not going to condemn Mark for this outing, however.  Most other Brewers pitchers struggled in that series, and it was his first outing.  I’ll cut him a little slack.

Looking at his career numbers in the minors, I believe that Mark is the pitcher that best fits the back-end of the rotation for MIlwaukee.  In Nashville this season, his control has been impeccable…to the tune of a 1:28 BB:K ratio.  Not too shabby.  In his 11 seasons as a minor league pitcher, Mark has averaged a 3.54 ERA.  That is far and away better than anyone else in this discussion.  The Brewers need someone that can log some innings and control the baseball.  Last season in Nashville, Mark averaged six innings per outing.  I think Brewers fans would gladly take that after watching Villanueva, Parra, and Bush struggle to get past the fifth.

It is quite the long-shot, I must admit, but Mark DiFelice appears to have the best chance to succeed at the back-end of the rotation.  His debut in Boston was atrocious, but I believe the Brewers have him working from the bullpen so he can get acclimated to the big leagues before giving him a shot in the rotation.  If Seth McClung falters Saturday, look for DiFelice to get the call the following time through the rotation.

After analyzing Milwaukee’s internal options, I realize that there is not much to hang your hat on.  DiFelice, Narveson, or McClung could work out and be a surprise, but they easily could flounder in the starting rotation.  Unless the Brewers can hit a hot streak, however, it would be unwise for Melvin to go outside the organization to find a replacement.  Milwaukee does not need a rental player to get them above .500.  If the Brewers are going to trade future pieces away, they must be in the race.  It is only a quarter of the way through the season, but the Brewers are not in the position to be “buyers.”  Let’s hope Seth McClung can pitch successfully on Saturday and give the team and starting rotation a boost.  If not, however, the team does have internal options better and cheaper than the likes of Randy Wolf and his 5.05 ERA.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

Brewers fans went to bed happy last night after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2.  We will have to see if they can make it two in a row tonight.  Ben Sheets is on the mound, so I think the Crew has a good shot.  Benny might feel like he has a little something to prove after last week’s debacle in the seventh against the Dodgers.

BrewersNation reader BJ noted an article on the possibility of Randy Wolf being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers.  I originally was going to include the article in the Round ‘em Up, but after BJ’s question…I thought I would give it its own post.  I’ll write on that later tonight.

• So…Ned Yost is not happy about the false report of his being fired yesterday.  I mean really displeased.  The Brewers manager let a bunch of four-letter words fly as he went through a tirade on the blog posting.  I think he has a right to be upset about the way the post was handled…especially by Tom Haudricourt and the Milwaukee JS.  For more on that…go here.

  While Ned got rightfully upset about the situation on Monday, his comments simply left me a little empty and quite upset.  Why have Brewers fans never seen Yost get this riled up before?  Why does he play this stoic, confident manager that is certain everything will turn out alright if he has this mean-streak in him?  Why not try to spur on his players by getting upset and admitting that maybe…just maybe…it isn’t early and things aren’t “okay”?  The stoic facade that Yost has been putting up the past couple months has obviously not been working, and yesterday’s comments gave Brewers fans a glimpse of what could be.

  After getting upset about the blog reports, Ned reverted back to his old self.  He’s not worried about the comments made by Ryan Braun because all teams lose confidence when they are losing.  Great, Ned…just act like everything is fine and nothing is wrong.  Perhaps Brewers fans would feel better if you treated your job and the team’s success with the same passion.  You may feel as passionately inwardly, but it certainly does not show in the media and in the dugout.

• The other big development yesterday was Seth McClung transitioning to the starting rotation, while Carlos Villanueva will search for more consistency and success in the bullpen.  In last night’s telecast, Brain Anderson raved about McClung’s mechanical adjustment and the development of his change-up.  It’s nice to hear those things, but I will have to see it before I believe it.
• Remember when Salomon Torres thought about retiring because of his dysfunctional relationship with the Pittsburgh organization.  He tries not to talk about it to the media, but his disrespect for the management is clearly still there.
• The Milwaukee Brewers struggle at PNC Park.  It is not a secret.  No Brewers fan has been able to understand how the team can have a losing record against the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC, but it has been the overwhelming trend.  Jim Powell takes a look at the struggles.  Yesterday’s win is not a signifier that the curse is gone, but it is a start.
• The Brew Town Beat reacts to Eric Gagne’s struggles yesterday before being removed because of shoulder “stiffness.”  They believe that most or all of his success can be attributed to steriods of HGH.  I enjoy much of the writing that happens over at that site, but I believe that is a cop-out answer and a gross oversimplification.  HGH may have helped Gagne get a few miles per hour on his fastball.  I will grant them that.  HGH does not, however, improve your mentality on the mound.  It does not improve your release point and improve your control.  Sure, you can argue that HGH improves your stuff, so you trust it more.  That’s a valid point.  I would just hesitate to believe that Gagne got his reputation as “Game Over” because he had a few more mphs on his fastball.  His change-up was also better, and he had a better curveball when he was with Los Angeles.  HGH doesn’t help that.
• Beyond the Boxscore analyzes the strength of schedule for the NL Central.  The Brewers have had by far the most difficult schedule in the Central to this point.  Through the rest of the season, the Crew will have about 50% of their games against opponents with a sub-.500 record.  The moral of the post: Do not count out the Brewers yet.
• SportsBubbler names SS Alcides Escobar the Prospect of the Week.  Alcides has improved his plate discipline and power numbers in the past couple weeks, which greatly augments his status as an elite prospect.  The other name to look at is RHP Luis Pena.  Could he be a Brewer in the near future?
• LHP Sam Narron recently got called up to Triple-A Nashville, and he has continued rolling through hitters.  Sam went six innings, only giving up two earned runs.  His manager said that Sam didn’t have his best stuff, which is extremely encouraging for the young man.  The southpaw has increased his strikeout total a bit, but his value lies in his ability to induce the groundball.  Keep an eye on Sam.
• Here’s a nice article on RHP Patrick Ryan.  He’s quietly been having a productive season as a reliever in Double-A Huntsville.  The right-hander is being overshadowed by Omar Aguilar, but a call to Triple-A is not out of the question later in the season.

Ten Optimistic Things To Think About

It’s been a couple rough weeks for Brewers Nation (not this site, the fans) with the double sweep in Houston and Florida, the surprising losses at home against the Dodgers, and another sweep in Boston. Trolling through the comments section on sites around the web, one would think that its time to start propping ourselves on the ledge of the US Bank Building in Milwaukee and strongly consider jumping.

As Jim wrote, it’s no fun heading into Pittsburgh looking up at the Pirates in the standings. Being what it is us Brewers’ fans need some lifting up, and I thought I’d put together a post to life the spirits of the Brewers faithful. No calling for Yost’s head or Week’s bat here. The following is ten reasons to still be optimistic about your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers.

* This is not the 2004 Brewers

Granted the Brewers are sitting in last place for the first time since 2004, but this team is certainly not those Brewers. In 2004, the only reliable pitcher on the staff was Ben Sheets and of course he got injured again. Lyle Overbay starred for the offense. These 2008 Brewers are more experienced and talented that the former squad that had a decent season through the All-Star break and then suffered a terrible collapse to finish 67-94.

Of course I could make the comparison that this Brewers squad is not one of many other terrible Brewers teams, but that’s not the point. The point is that rather than looking at the 2004 season as the beginning of something positive we should be looking at the 2008 season as a continuation of the franchise’s growth. Many expected 2008 to be the breakout season for the Brew Crew, but that may or may not be the case.

Either way, compared to four years ago, this year’s team in infinitely more talented. They will not rely on single players to carry the team. People like Jeff Suppan in the rotation and other young (and improving pitchers) will back up Sheets and while Overbay is gone, there are no solo stars on this year’s team. A Prince Fielder is not alone or a Ryan Braun is not alone or a Corey Hart is not alone. The fact that I listed three players (any could more) shows that this offense is not alone in talent like teams of old.

* Its only ¼ way through the season

I’m a teacher so there are not many students that I give up on after just one quarter of the school year. One of the best things that the Brewers have going for them that, at this point, the season is still young. After about 40 games in we are certainly not the perfect position, but certainly not in the worst position either.

Anyone that was also a fan last year knows that strong or weak starts to the season have little bearing on the end result of a season. The Cubs played absolutely wonderful post All-Star break and the Colorado Rockies played out of their minds to close the 2007 season. With almost 120 games to play and any number of combinations of risings and fallings of the various NL Central teams, this Brewers team is by no means finished. The squad has all of the tools to be competitive. The only thing needed is consistency.

* Corey Hart

Speaking of consistency I hear that Milwaukee right fielder Corey Hart is legally changing his name to Corey Consistency. Mr. Consistency has been that and more for the Brewers. If 2008 was supposed to by Rickie Weeks’ breakout season, Hart may have stolen his thunder. Currently batting nearly .300 and getting extra-base hits like they’re going out of style, Corey has been the rock in the Brew Crew’s line up of struggling hitters.

* Braun is on a tear (no sophomore slump)

If you asked me earlier in the season if I was worried that Braun was being crushed under the weight of expectations for his second Major League Season you may have gotten a “yes” out of me, but after a slow start the $45 million dollar man has shown that he will probably avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. His batting average is soaring in the three-hole of the lineup and he is making big time pitchers look like chumps. At this pace he could add a MVP trophy next to the Rookie of the Year one.

* Melvin is on the case

Which is why it’s so important that Doug Melvin nailed Braun down to that eight-year, $45 million contract. Some Brewers fans are concerned that his off-season bullpen moves are not ironing out, but no one can doubt that this GM is trying to establish long-term success while balancing short-term expectations. The Mike Cameron move showed that right now we want success, but Melvin is clearly trying to establish success alongside development with Braun the future of left and possible Hart, Gwynn (although unlikely) and LaPorta being groomed for the outfield.

Melvin is working on signing such players as JJ Hardy, Prince Fielder, and Hart to long-term deals and getting vocal people like Braun to sign first and encourage others to follow suit is the right steps to take.

* Attanasio has got the big bucks and a small ego

All of which wouldn’t be possible except for the support and checkbook of Daddy Warbucks, Mark Attanasio. Time and time again Mr. Attanasio has not only spoken of building a long-term contender, but he has put his money where his mouth is. He has even made comments that said, if need be, he would shell out some money to strengthen the rotation this year.

Attanasio bought the Milwaukee Brewers not just so he could have a play-thing, but because he saw potential in the massive amount of talent the Brewers have and its incredible fanbase. This is not a Steinbrenner owner with fingerprints all over the management decisions. Attanasio is active without being overbearing.

* The young arms will improve

Pitchers like Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra take a lot of flack because they don’t hold up quite so well the third time through the order, but often times that blurs the fact that these pitchers (along with the injured Gallardo) have great stuff. Part of being a young pitcher is that there is a massive learning curve and just like Fielder has to adjust to not being pitched inside as much these young pitchers are talented and smart enough to recognize that they must (and will) improve to become more dominant as the season goes on.

It’s easier for offenses to focus their lenses on these pitchers because they are studying one player, but our guys have to study countless batters for each game and re-work their pitch selection and delivery to go deeper into games. They will.

* Kendall is not Estrada

So it’s important that a man like Jason Kendall is behind the plate instead of Johnny Estrada. Kendall brings much more talent offensively and defensively than the embattled 2007 catcher Estrada. A hot beginning of 2008 and some great clutch hitting thus far has made Kendall’s 9-hole batting an essential part of many Brewers offensive outbursts. Offensively, Kendall is sniffing around .300 as a career hitter, walks a lot, and strikes out few and far in between. A far cry from the painful hitting of Estrada (who I swear to God only got hits with 2 out and no one on). After playing runner-up to Estrada as the worst defensive catcher in baseball last year, the 12-year veteran has pushed his caught stealing percentage is above 30 percent.

Even more important than the offense/defense numbers is that an experienced catcher that molds well with his pitching staff. This is why I worry less about our young pitchers, because Kendall knows how to call a

game and given his work ethic he will only work harder to improve these kids.

* The defense is stronger

Of course I started writing this part before the six errors in Boston, but I’ve made the point in a previous column that the defense is far and away better than it was last season. Numbers show that they are near the bottom in errors and tops in fielding percentage. Moving Braun away from the hot corner and signing Mike Cameron have been well-documented. Are they perfect? Hell no. But improvement is always a step in the right direction. The point above about Kendall is just one more area of less concern with the 2008 Brewers.

* There’s always next year

This one isn’t so much about the 2008 season (obviously, because I’m saying next year…), but Brewers’ fans need to keep everything in perspective. Expectations were and continue to be massively high for this season. Those expectations may cost someone who shall remain nameless his job and maybe even result in a few Brewers finding new homes, but most sane people realize that harnessing young talent is an on-going process. Melvin and the ownership are working on securing these young lads for the long-term, but not everything works out as quickly as the fan base expects.

Whether or not this season is a wash doesn’t mean all is lost. These are not the Florida Marlins which, in the past, have assembled one year teams and then dissembled them. Teams like the Brewers are being built for the long-term. It has been 26 years since the Brewers have sniffed the post-season so as much as it pains me each year to say it… there’s always next year if this one doesn’t work out.

By: Dan Wiersema

Big Bats Can’t Save Brewers

Despite home runs from JJ Hardy, Prince Fielder, and another two-shot performance from Ryan Braun the Milwaukee Brewers continued their struggles on the road and was swept for the third consecutive away series against the defending World Series champions, Boston Red Sox.  The final score was 11-7.

Carlos Villanueva lasted only four innings and was charged with the loss.  It was a teeter-totter affair that saw the Brewers take a first inning lead, surrender it in the third, regained it in the fourth, then threw it all away in the bottom half of that same inning.

After going 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position yesterday the Brewers weren’t much more successful bringing men home (only two stranded today with RISP).  The only problem was that not many were getting on base to come home.  The four homers by the Brew Crew were supported by only two other hits against Boston ace Josh Beckett.  Beckett gave up only one walk while striking out nine Brewers.

The loss, combined with the Cincinnati Reds win, dropped the Brewers to LAST place in the NL Central for the first time since 2004 and they now are seven games back from the Cubs.

Records: Brewers (20-24); Red Sox (27-19)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

Even though he secured his massive contract earlier this week, Braun is showing no signs of letting up with the heavy hitting.  Braun hit two home runs over the Green Monster today.  It was his third multi-homer game of the year and he now has 13 HRs on the season. A sacrifice hit in the eight inning meant that Braun batted in four of Milwaukee’s seven runs.

One more reason that Braun gets the nod today is his post-game comments about the expectations game for the Brewers in Boston this weekend.  The left fielder spoke with Tom Haudricourt after the game and was less than pleased with the Brewers’ mindset against the Red Sox.  Following up his comments from last week about getting tired of waiting for the bats to warm up shows that Braun wants to be a big part of the team’s future not only on the field, but off of it.  This continues to reinforce my arguement from last week that Ned Yost is not getting the most out of his players and the frustration is clearly showing for people like Braun.

I’d like to also say that Prince Fielder should be considered the runner up in this category for getting off the shined and connecting for his sixth homer of the season.  He also had a hell of a series going 5-for-12.  He may not have as many home runs as last season (pitchers aren’t throwing him inside anymore…he has to adjust), but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t still producing with small ball.

Goat of the Game: Mark DiFelice

Final line for his relief performance… one inning pitched, five hits, and three earned runs, including one huge home run to David Ortiz.  ERA: 27.00.  Welcome to the big leagues kid.

On Tap

The Brewers have a travel day-off tomorrow before facing Pittsburgh at PNC Park on Tuesday.  Manny Parra faces Paul Maholm.  The Pirates home park has not been kind to the Brewers of late (despite them never being all that good).  The Brewers absolute have to come home from the road series against Pittsburgh and Washington with wins or Yost is gone.

By: Dan

Sheets shelled in seventh

Ben Sheets was the model of efficiency through six innings. The Brewers ace had his best stuff, keeping the ball down and pitching to contact to keep his pitch count low. He was locked in a scoreless dual with Dodgers starter, Chad Billingsley.

Then came the seventh inning. Andruw Jones clobbered a shoulder-high fastball out of the park, and Jeff Kent followed by depositing a belt-high curveball over the fence. The Dodgers then added insult to injury when the relatively powerless catcher, Greg Bennett, hit a three-run bomb on another belt-high curveball. Why did Sheets struggle? His pitches were belt-high. Big league hitters will not miss those.

The offense reverted back to its listless ways today. Ryan Braun hit a home run in the eighth inning, but the Crew only managed two hits prior to the seventh inning. One of those was by Ben Sheets. It’s not a positive situation when Benny is providing half of your offense. Something needs to be done with this offense. I’ll think about stuff and write an article this weekend.

Records: Brewers (20-21); Dodgers (21-19)

Hero of the Game: Brian Shouse

This is only because he prevented the game from becoming a laugher in the ninth inning, cleaning up Mitch Stetter’s mess. Stetter walked the bases loaded. Shouse got out of it unscathed, however.

Goat of the Game: Ben Sheets

I feel bad giving Ben the goat because he pitched a great game until the seventh inning. Still, there is a reason the game is nine innings long. I am willing to look past this game as an aberration. Sheets had good command until the seventh, walking no one. Perhaps he got a little fatigued later in the game and started to get the ball up. Yes, I’m grasping for straws here. There is no way he was tired…his pitch count was under 80 pitches to start the seventh. I don’t know what happened.

Links

Because I missed the Round ‘em Up for the day, I decided to include some links here. To all that were concerned about tomorrow’s NL Central Review, there will be one tomorrow…don’t worry.

• David Riske got placed on the 15-day DL today with a hyper-extended right elbow. Tom Haudricourt also says that there is a bone chip or a bone spur that may need to be cleaned out. David will be out for a while.
• Right-hander Mark DiFelice has been called up to fill Riske’s spot in the ‘pen. DiFelice started for Triple-A Nashville and was 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA. He had only one walk in 23 innings and struck out 28 strikeouts. How’s that for a BB:K ratio?!
• ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark is reporting that the Brewers made a major push for Julian Tavarez this week. After Boston released him this week, I thought the Brewers may make a play for him. I just didn’t realize it would be considered a major play. The Brewers would rather keep Jeff Weaver in the mix and pay him less anyway.
• Between the Green Pillars wonders whether or not Carlos Villanueva should be moved to the bullpen. I understand the logic, and it could be interesting. In fact, I believe they might do that once June approaches. They will want to get Jeff Weaver up in the big leagues before they lose him because of the opt-out in his contract.
• Is it time to move Rickie Weeks down in the order? No. He may not be hitting much, but he does get on base. When he does get on base, he scores. Plus, who else do you want to put at the lead-off spot? Mike Cameron? Yesterday should show you how that would work out…and please do not tell me Corey Hart. He is the only protection that Prince Fielder has right now.

Round ‘em Up: Friday

The Brewers are mired in a six-game slide.  This stretch may mark the lowest part of the season, even though it is early in 2008.  Starters are not going deep into games, and the offense is obviously not producing a lick.  The Crew will look to turn it around against the Cardinals this weekend.  Thank goodness we’re back at home…

• Prince Fielder, Corey Hart, and Jason Kendall were all absent from the Brewers lineup last night.  Was it a shake-up to get the offense going?  Ned Yost says no.  It was simply a scheduled day off for some of the starters.  The team will play 29 out of the next 30 days, and Yost felt like he needed to get his players some rest.
• The Sports Bubbler has a preview of the Brewers-Cardinals series.  Let me give you a little hint: the bats and the arms need to start producing.
• The Yost Infection believes it is time to give Ned Yost the boot.  I agree with the article in the fact that the team’s struggles are certainly not the manager’s fault.  That does not mean that the team could use a little shake-up at the top.  Personally, I believed that the signing of Ted Simmons meant that Ned was going to have a short leash in 2008.  If the team cannot turn it around on the homestand, Yost may be on his way out.
• It appears that Derrick Turnbow will be on his way to Triple-A Nashville.  The distinct possibility of a trade is dwindling quickly, and Derrick will most likely not forfeit his $3.2M contract.  Hopefully, Derrick will be able to fix his control problems in the minors.  Perhaps he needs a little time in Nashville to get back his appreciation for the game.  Perhaps he simply needs to be away from booing fans in Milwaukee.  Either way, a change is needed.
• Michael Hunt also believes that Ned Yost is in danger of getting the boot.
• The Junkball Blues analyzes the last handfull of starts by Brewers starters.  There have been no quality starts since Yovani Gallardo’s start against the Cubs at Wrigley.  I honestly believed that the starting pitching had a chance to be a strength for the Crew this season.  Apparently, that is not the case.  Jeff Suppan and Manny Parra need to step it up specifically.
• In one of the most interesting articles of the day, The Brew Town Beat contends that it is time for a change at the closer’s spot.  Who would replace Eric Gagne?  Guillermo Mota?  David Riske?  Nope, none of the above.  Try Carlos Villanueva.  I have personally not examined his splits, but Brew Town asserts that Carlos is most effective early in his starts.  This is not a persuasive argument, as Manny Parra is also most effective in the first three innings as well.  In fact, so is David Bush.  Gagne is not the reason the Brewers are losing games.  There is no need for a change.
• Beyond the Boxscore compares Matt LaPorta to Ryan Braun.  That is not a bad comparison at all for the former Florida Gator.  The article goes on to say that LaPorta will most likely play right field for the Crew, while Corey Hart moves to center, and Braun stays in left.  Hmmm…where have you heard that before?  Oh yes, I said that just a couple days ago.  It’s funny how people write that stuff like they thought of it first.  (Yes, I do realize that I was not the first to come up with that too.)
• Mark Rogers, a former first-round pick for the Crew, is experiencing more pain in his shoulder.  I believe he should be re-named Mark Prior Jr.
• How about some good news for the day?  Doug Davis has been declared “cancer-free.” Doug had been battling thyroid cancer and had surgery a few weeks ago.  That is fantastic news for the ex-Brewer.  Let’s hope that he gets back on the mound very quickly and that the cancer is indeed gone for good.
• Another ex-Brewer, Richie Sexon, charged the mound last night against the Texas Rangers.  Richie charged after Kason Gabbard threw a ball up and in on the big righty.  This is a rather humorous video, as the ball was not very close to Richie’s head.  Plus, he apparently needed to throw his helmet at Gabbard instead of using his 6′8″ frame to pummel him.  Lame.
• Here is a nice article about John Axford.  The Brewers gave the young pitcher another chance after the New York Yankees released him after last season.
• It is largely accepted that the Milwaukee Brewers will be taking a pitcher in the first round of the 2008 First Year Player draft.  Minor League Ball has a rundown of some of the likely pitchers to be taken early in the draft.  One of these pitchers is likely to be a Brewer in a couple months.  My money is on LHP Christian Friedrich from Eastern Kentucky University.  Just a prediction though.

Home runs bury Brewers

Games like this are difficult to deal with. Everything looked great going into the fifth inning. Carlos Villanueva threw the ball beautifully to start the game, mixing speeds and striking out Astro batters. The Crew hitters jumped on Roy Oswalt early to take a 4-0 lead. I was incredibly happy at that point.

Even after the fifth inning, everything looked to be okay. Carlos did not allow a base-runner for 3 2/3 innings, but Hunter Pence ended Carlos’ shutout with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the fifth. The Crew entered the sixth inning with a 4-2 lead.

Then the proverbial sh…stuff hit the fan. Villanueva gave up back-to-back-to-back shots to Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman, and Carlos Lee. Hunter Pence added his second home run of the game later in the 8th inning off David Riske. That’s a lot of home runs in the second half of the game. It’s tough to handle.

There is some good news in the carnage, however. The big boppers, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, look to be getting hot at the plate. Braun hit a two-run homer in the first inning. You know Ryan is starting to feel it at the dish when he begins to take pitches to the opposite field with power. He’s a special hitter like that. Prince went 3-4 with a double off Oswalt. Prince is also starting to take outside pitches to the opposite field. I know the Brewers lost today, but the offense appears to be getting on track.

More evidence for that comes from Corey Hart and Bill Hall. Between the two of them, they had five walks. If Corey and Bill can get on base with regularity like this, the team will naturally score more runs.  That is, they will score more runs in that situation if J.J. Hardy can actually knock in some runs with any consistency.  I do not mean to single him out, but this has been a little ridiculous lately.  He needs to take the ball to the opposite field more.  He needs to drive the ball more.  It’s easier said than done though.

Records: Brewers (16-13); Astros (14-16)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

Ryan continues to heat up at the plate, as he has raised his average up to .283 in the past week or so.  I said it before, but he is starting to drive the ball to all fields.  Pitchers cannot pitch around Braun when he gets this hot because Prince Fielder is still behind him.  Braun is returning to his Rookie of the Year form, and the Brewers need that on this road trip.  The Crew needs to hit a little better with a runners in scoring position.  By a little better, I mean a lot better.

Goat of the Game: Carlos Villanueva

Carlos was throwing the ball well early in the game, but it did not last.  He gave up the lead on back-to-back-to-back jacks.  That classifies as a Goat of the Game if I have ever seen it.  Carlos has thrown the ball well in the past couple starts before this, so I would tend to think that his breakdown is an aberration rather than the rule.  His fastball-changeup combination begins to get less effective as the game wears on, but it should not lead to that many home runs.  He simply let the ball get up in the zone.  Carlos will bounce back.  He proved that last season.

On Tap

Manny Parra will battle Brandon Backe in Game 2 of the series tomorrow night at 6:05pm CT.  Manny needs to step it up tomorrow.  The Crew needs a win.

Brewers drop second straight to Reds

The Milwaukee Brewers needed to end the homestand on a high note.  Unfortunately, they were unable to do so because Aaron Harang had different ideas.  He pitched extremely well through eight innings, only giving up one earned run while striking out three.

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch any of this game, so I would only be giving my reactions to the boxscore.  From what I hear, Carlos Villanueva looked very solid until the seventh inning.  He did not even allow a hit until the fifth inning.  His line would have been worse, but Brian Shouse came on in the seventh to strand two runners and got Carlos out of a big jam.

Jason Kendall looks to have kept his hot bat rolling, going 2-3 with two singles today.  That is great to see.  Too bad his two hits accounted for 40% of the Brewers offensive output today.  Again, I did not watch the game, but it looks as if Brewers hitters kept up the trend so far this year of swinging early and often in counts.  Harang only had 99 pitches through eight innings and certainly could have finished the game.

Records: Brewers (6-3); Reds (6-4)

I do not feel as if I can accurately give an account of who was the “Hero of the Game” or the “Goat of the Game.”  I’ll open it to you all.  Who do you think was the Hero and the Goat?

On Tap

The Milwaukee Brewers will make their way to Shea Stadium in New York to face the New York Mets for a three game series this weekend.  Manny Parra will take the mound tomorrow against right-hander Nelson Figueroa.  The game is scheduled to start at 6:10pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: Thursday

Your Milwaukee Brewers fell out of first place last night with a loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Let’s hope that Carlos Villanueva can pitch a gem today and get the Crew a series win before heading out of town. Plus, maybe the Pittsburgh Pirates can actually beat the Chicago Cubs in extras today because we all know it will go to extras for the third game in a row.

• Here are the starting lineups for today. I’m not one to normally criticize Yost’s lineups, but I agree with Tom Haudricourt on this one. Are we really going to have Gabe Gross start ahead of Gabe Kapler simply because the stats say he should? The theoretical stats, that is. Because if you looked at the actual stats, you would see that Gross is hitting .091 and Kapler is hitting .412. You’re right though, Ned. Gabe makes much more since here.
• I had a sneaking hunch that Tony Gwynn Jr. was going to be put on the DL. His “tight hamstring” seemed to be a little more than that. Today, Tony was put on the 15-day DL. Who got called up? Triple-A center fielder, Hernan Iribarren. Hernan has been fairly impressive in Nashville thus far. I thought that Laynce Nix was going to be called up, but I remembered that he would be out of options then. He’d have to clear waivers after Tony came back.In addition to Tony getting put on the DL, Yovani Gallardo will join the team today. He will not be taken off the 15-day DL yet, but it will be nice to have Yo back in the clubhouse. Perhaps he will be the one to personally tell Dave Bush that he may be heading to the bullpen. Probably not, but I would like that.
• Between the Green Pillars takes a look at Eric Gagne. Gagne may have blown the save, but he did not throw the ball poorly. As of right now, I’m sticking with my stance that he will be just fine in the closer’s role. But I do have the right to change my mind and be seething mad at Eric if he blows a save during today’s game.
• Prince Fielder will be wearing #42 to honor Jackie Robinson. Wouldn’t it be better if anyone on the Brewers could wear it if they wanted to?
• The Hardball Times says that Mat Gamel is one of the minor league hitters to watch in 2008. It is a very good analysis of his swing and his improvement in the last three years. It even has video of his swings from 2006 and 2007 for you to compare and analyze. I like it.
• The Sports Bubbler takes a look at Rickie Weeks and how he obviously makes the team immensely better when he is right. Nothing groundbreaking, but give it a look anyway.
• Continuing with the Sports Bubbler, they continue their look at prospects in Milwaukee’s system that have something to prove. Today’s category is defense. Who needs to improve their glove to improve their stock as a prospect? Obviously Mat Gamel and Brent Brewer fall into that category right away. They also add Matt LaPorta to that list. I’m not sure if I necessarily agree with that, as Matt has been okay in left field. He does not need to be a Gold Glover with that bat he has. He just needs to be average. I think he is on track to hit that benchmark this season.

Brewers romp in home opener

Home sweet home. The Milwaukee Brewers’ offense came alive in a big way today, helping the Crew to a 13-4 clobbering of the San Francisco Giants.

Bill Hall is the story of the day. He parked two home runs into the bleachers and hit another single to end the day with six RBI. Many people have questioned Hall’s offensive abilities after last season. If Hall can have even half the game he had today consistently, he’ll be in the top echelon of offensive players in the National League. It’s only one game, but perhaps the move to third base is really helping his offense.

Rickie Weeks continued to impress today at the top of the batting order. He set the tone for the game in the first inning again today, singling against Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez to start the game. Rickie then swiped second base, and Prince Fielder brought him home with a ground ball that found its way through the shift. Weeks ended the day going 2-4 with two singles, an RBI, a walk, three runs scored, and a stolen base. Not a bad day for a lead-off hitter. It’s just amazing how impressive Milwaukee’s offense can be when Rickie is right.

I cannot tell you how impressed I was with Carlos Villanueva today. He came into a very adrenaline-packed Miller Park and stayed incredibly calm. Carlos changed speeds particularly well and had fairly good control for the most part. Not known for his strikeout capabilities, he struck out six Giants in five and a third today. His pitch count was a little high early in the game for my liking, but I’m really reaching for something negative to say here. Carlos Villanueva showed maturity beyond his years today. A tip of the cap to you, young man.

The rest of the Brewers offense came up big today as well, belting out 16 hits. It would take quite a bit of time for me to outline what the rest of the Crew did today at the plate, so I’m not going to talk about the rest too much. If you want to see how everyone else did, take a look at the boxscore. It is impressive. Prince Fielder looked much more comfortable at the plate today, going 3-4 with a double and two singles. It was very nice to see Prince looking like himself in the batter’s box today. Jason Kendall also kept his hot bat sizzling today.

Salomon Torres also scored a three-inning save today. Those are a bit silly, but it is so nice to have a reliever that can go more than one inning consistently.

Records: Brewers (3-1); Giants (1-3)

Hero of the Game: Bill Hall

How can someone who belted two homers and had six RBI not be the player of the game? Billy was flat-out impressive today at the plate, and he’s more than held his own at third base thus far this season. It is amazing what type of damage he can do when he does not try to overswing and trusts his ability to hit the ball with power. Did anybody else see Bill hit the ball to the opposite field today? I thought I was dreaming for a second. When Bill Hall is waiting back on the ball and allowing himself to hit the ball to right, he is a force in the lineup. I look forward to the next week or so to see if Bill can keep it up.

Goat of the Game: J.J. Hardy

It is hard to pick anyone to be the goat, but J.J. did go 0-4 with two strikeouts. I could have easily chosen Ryan Braun for this award as well, but J.J. is now batting .059 on the young season. It is only four games, yes, but he does have the tendency to go in prolonged offensive droughts. Let’s hope that J.J. can turn his luck around in the next two games of the series. If not, I expect we may see a Craig Counsell sighting at shortstop sometime soon.

On Tap

Manny Parra will toe the rubber against the San Francisco Giants in Game 2 of the series tomorrow. Parra will be facing off against right-hander Kevin Correia. The game will start at 12:05pm CT.

Round ‘em Up: OPENING DAY!

Happy Opening Day to everyone!!! The Milwaukee Brewers and Ben Sheets will take on the Chicago Cubs and Carlos Zambrano at 1:20 to start the season. I personally am a little sad that the Crew is battling the Cubs so often in the beginning of the season, as it would be more fun down the stretch. Plus, Chicago will not see Mike Cameron as often. Oh well, on to the Round ‘em Up for the day:

• The Milwaukee JS reports the Prince Fielder is expected to play today, even though he is still a bit under the weather. It does not explicitly say that in the article, but when it says that Prince is “feeling a little better,” it’s not too hard to figure out that he’s still sick. Still, Prince at 75% is better than 100% of Mike Rivera or Joe Dillon playing first base.The JS also runs down the final cuts and the Brewers final 25-man roster. I didn’t post it yesterday because I thought everyone already knew the roster, but I’ve gotten a few emails asking. Here you go.
• I have a plethora of predictions for you today.The Hardball Times predicts the winners in each division. The Brewers get a pretty good showing in these lists. The Reds also get some love here. Who knew?! The Baseball Savant has the Cincinnati Reds taking the division, while Milwaukee is stuck in second place. The best part (and by best, I mean funniest part) is that he has the Pittsburgh Pirates taking fourth in front of Houston and St. Louis. Oh, and that the youth of Milwaukee’s rotation makes it unreliable, but Cincinnati’s young pitchers are sure-fire studs. Good logic there.

  David Pinto from Baseball Musings has the Brewers winning the division by a good amount. He says that the young Brewers should continue to get better, and the starting rotation is not as bad as everyone thinks. Another interesting tidbit is that David believes that Milwaukee’s talent is so good that if they do not win the division, Ned Yost should be canned.

  John Sickels from Minor League Ball has many predictions for this upcoming season. Ryan Braun and Corey Hart will compete for the NL Batting Title. It is nice to see Corey getting some love in these previews. What else does John say? Your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers will be in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. John has the Crew losing in 5 games, but it still made my day. Actually, a Brewers win against the Cubs would make my day…

• John Donovan from SI.com has his 10 Fearless Predictions of the ‘08 season. Prediction number two: Ryan Braun will have a better season in ‘08 than he did in ‘07. That is a big prediction, but statistics say that it could definitely happen. Ryan has performed well this spring, and he will be in the bigs for a month longer than in ‘07. His stats can certainly improve. Will they? I doubt it. Not because of ability, but because pitchers will be much more careful with him. Ryan’s best friend this season could be Corey Hart. If Corey can provide protection behind Ryan this season, Braun could put up MVP caliber numbers.
• RealGM Baseball says that Carlos Villanueva was one of the 10 best pitchers of this spring. If Manny Parra wouldn’t have struggled in his final outing, he could have made that list as well.
• Do you need a stress reliever? Play Whack-A-Cub! See how many Cubs you can whack in 30 seconds. I got 41 Cubs in 30 seconds. Wonderful!
• Jeff Sackmann of Brew Crew Ball has an interview with a Cubs blogger. Normally I would have been appalled by this, but the blogger is not overly biased and is intelligent. Quite a refreshing thing for a Cubs fan, I must say.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

Sorry to have a late start on the Round ‘em Up this morning, but here’s what I have for you.

• Obviously, the release of Claudio Vargas is the big news of the day.

  Tom Haudricourt talks about how the move was surprising, even to Carlos Villanueva.  This move shows the team’s commitment to youth and talent.  The “win-now” mode has realized that talent will win out over experience.  I didn’t realize that Chris Narveson made such a push for a starting job.  It now looks like he and Zach Jackson will be the first two pitchers that will be called up in the event of an injury.  After Yovani Gallardo gets back on track, however, that list will change.  I’m still shocked the Brewers couldn’t get anything for Vargas.  Not even a Single-A player?

  The Yost Infection gives a little insight on the Vargas release.  It’s very funny.  The Yost Infection is always good for a good read and a good laugh.

• Tom Verducci from SI.com has an NL Central preview.  Not only does he have Chicago winning the division.  He says that they will win the division by more games than any other division winner.  Nothing like a slap in the face.  Tom, like everyone else, thinks that the Crew does not have the pitching to win the division.  My guess is that he counted Chris Capuano and Claudio Vargas into those pitching stats.  Oh, and he probably has Derrick Turnbow blowing 20 games, instead of dominating 85% of the time.  Standard SI bias, from what I’ve read this off-season.
• There has been much talk about J.J. Hardy and his bacterial infection.  J.J. has been cleared to play Opening Day.  Ned Yost thinks that he should be ready for March 31, but he’s still fairly weak after losing 10 pounds due to the illness.  All in all, J.J. will be fine, and we’ve gotten to see Alcides Escobar more this spring.  I personally enjoyed watching Alcides play more.  He’s a genius with the glove.
• The Baseball Analysts believe in Rickie Weeks and have picked the Brewers to win over 85 games this season.  Seems like a good choice to me.
• Dugout Central has 17 Bold Projections for the ‘08 season.  Shockingly, the first prediction is that Ben Sheets will be hurt, and Jeff Suppan is not a good pitcher.  Seems like someone doesn’t like the Brewers too much.
• The Sports Bubbler has a preview of the NL Central bullpens.  It’s nothing that new or shocking, but it does say that Chicago and Milwaukee have the best and deepest bullpens in the Central.  There are not many bold predictions though.
• I understand that Doug Melvin does not like trading within the division, but it is very difficult to think that the St. Louis Cardinals couldn’t have had any interest in Claudio Vargas.  After all, they did put six pitchers on the DL to start the season.  That’s a rough way to start the season.  Perhaps they couldn’t match up on a trade because the Cardinal’s farm system is depleted.

Round ‘em Up: Tuesday

The Boston Red Sox were able to fend off the Oakland A’s this morning in Japan to open up the regular season.  The Brewers haven’t started yet, but I still have a Round ‘em Up for you this morning:

• Tom Haudricourt wrote a blog post wondering the exact same thing as I posted last night.  Is Manny Parra ruining his chance at the starting rotation after his last two outings?   The question seems to be a little more difficult and complex than it first appears to be.  I still think Ned wants a lefty in his rotation, so I think Manny has a spot to start the year.  That may disappear when Yovani Gallardo comes back from the DL, however.
• Jerry Crasnick from ESPN.com gave a nickname to every major league team.  The Brewers nickname is “Dislocation Station.”  It may just be me, but that does not seem to be a positive thing.
• Baseball Digest Daily has an NL Central Preview.  They get it right this time though.  Milwaukee gets the nod as the first place team.  That always makes me happy to read.
• The SportsBubbler takes a look at the NL Central starting rotations.  Its a very interesting article, and it has the top of the Brewers rotation being Yovani Gallardo and Carlos Villanueva.  Color me skeptical, but I do not see Carlos leading the team in innings pitched if he starts the year in Triple-A Nashville.  The author is right though, Dave Bush does have another chance to make a big impression on Ned Yost and Doug Melvin to make a solid contribution to the middle of the rotation.

  It also has an interesting prediction that the most productive top of the rotation will be that of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  I completely agree that Ian Snell may be a stud this season, but Tom Gorzelanny has not proven anything to me yet.  He had a great season last year, but his peripheral stats are a little dangerous.  He may be like Zach Duke from last year and struggle after a successful breakout season.

Monday’s Round ‘em Up

I have today’s Round ‘em Up for you.  The final one before the regular season starts tomorrow in Japan.  Lets see what we have:

• Tom Haudricourt breaks down some of the roster decisions that Milwaukee will have to make.  Most of them I completely agree with, but I do wish that Carlos Villanueva could make the starting rotation.  I don’t know who he would replace though.  Claudio Vargas needs to be in the rotation because he has no options left.  I would say that he should be the long man in the pen, but Seth McClung seems to have that spot wrapped up.

  It will be interesting to see who gets bumped out when Yovani Gallardo gets back into the rotation.  I feel like Manny Parra may be the victim, as Ned Yost seems reluctant to send Dave Bush anywhere.  Ned does want a lefty in the rotation though, so I’m not completely sure what will happen.  If Manny pitches well for the first couple starts, he’ll be in the rotation when Yo comes back.

• Beyond the Boxscore thinks that Derrick Turnbow is one of the most unlucky pitchers in the bigs.  The stats say that his WHIP goes way up after runners get on base, and apparently that makes Derrick unlucky.  To me, that simply means that Derrick gets ungodly worse when a runner gets on first.  He’ll obviously have to work on that.
• Seamheads.com has an NL Central preview.  The problem?  They forgot to pick a winner.
• If you are interested, RealGM Baseball previews the Chicago Cubs.  Apparently, Kosuke Fukudome and Jon Lieber are going to make a very big difference.  In fact, they think that Fukudome should bat third.  I know the Cubs will be good, but it’s obvious that a Cubs fan wrote this.
• Are you confused about Chris Capuano’s injury?  Baseball Digest Daily breaks down the injury and explains what Chris will need to do to rehab his elbow.  It does not sound fun.

Round ‘em Up: Knuckleballs, Pitching Duel, Narveson

Sorry about the lack of a Round ‘em Up yesterday all.  I was swamped yesterday and just did not have much time to get to the computer.  Here are some of today’s reads:

• Squawking Baseball has a cool idea for an article.  They have an “over-under” projection for every team.  The Milwaukee Brewers are predicted to win over 84.5 games.  In fact, they predict “over” for pretty much every team…
• Remember R.A. Dickey?  He was a starter for Triple-A Nashville last season.  The Seattle Mariners liked the knuckleballer so much that they swiped him in the Rule 5 Draft this season.  Here’s ESPN.com writer Jim Caple with Dickey, and he’s trying to catch his knuckleball.  It’s quite humorous.
• Dugout Central has a March Madness bracket for baseball infielders.  It’s a little goofy in how it is set up, and it seems to be completely arbitrary.  Nonetheless, Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun match up in the first round.  The winner?  Ryan Braun.  The author then goes on to say that Ryan Braun will pass Alex Rodriguez sometime in the next couple years.  That’s quite the prediction, but I could see it.
• A couple days ago, I linked to The Baseball Analysts graph on starting pitching and how they categorized them.  It was very interesting stuff.  Today, they have the same categorizing system, but they focus on relief pitchers.  The Brewers have a couple relievers that check in on the list.

  Derrick Turnbow: Above-average strikeout and ground ball rates.  Now if we could just solve his walk problem, he’d be one of the best relievers in the league.
  Eric Gagne: Above-average strikeout rate, but below-average ground ball rate.  Exactly what the Brewers expected when getting Gagne.  He does need to get his change-up working, however.
  Carlos Villanueva: Above-average strikeout rate, below-average ground ball rate.
  Brian Shouse, Guillermo Mota, AND Chris Spurling (yes, that Chris Spurling): Below-average strikeout rates, but above-average ground ball rates.  It’s nice to see Guillermo in that category.
  David Riske: Below-average strikeout and ground ball rates.  This really surprised me, and it does worry me a bit.  He’ll have to get one of those up if he’s going to find success in Miller Park.  It’s not necessarily the most pitcher-friendly ballpark in the MLB.

• Chris Narveson has been brilliant this spring.  He’s only given up one run in 15 2/3 innings (0.57 ERA).  In years past, Chris would be pushing for a starting job, but the Brewers are just too deep now.  He did say that he understood that coming in though.

  With that said, he’s putting himself in position to be one of the first Triple-A call-ups if he continues pitching as well as he has.  His cut fastball has been his best pitch this spring, and coaches have been raving about his command with his offspeed stuff.  I have to say that I’ve been very impressed with Narveson.  He may even get a call to be the long man in the bullpen in a couple months.

• Tom Haudricourt handicaps the likelihood of each starter getting a job in the rotation.  Because of the injuries to Yovani Gallardo and Chris Capuano, the field has slipped to just four men to fill three spots.

  Tom has Claudio Vargas and Dave Bush as “locks” for the starting rotation.  Vargas’ lock comes mostly from the fact that he has no options left, so he needs to make the big league squad.  My response to that is that he could be the long man in the bullpen.  Manny Parra is slated to be the fifth man in the rotation, which was nice to see because he’s been absolutely dominant this spring.  That leaves Carlos Villanueva as the odd man out.  People may say he should go back to being a reliever, but Ned Yost said that Carlos is a starter.  The Brewers organization wants to treat him as a starter.  If he does not make the starting rotation, he will be sent back to Triple-A until he is needed.  I guess experience won out over performance after all.

Today’s Links: 3/11

Well, I’ve just finished rounding up some links for you all this morning.  There are a good amount today, but I’m going to cram them all into one post.  Enjoy!

•  Corey Hart is getting some love today in the blogging world.  John Sickels from Minor League Ball does a great write-up on Corey, tracking his career through the minor leagues and projecting where he’s going to go afterwards.  John does mention that Corey has been compared to many Hall of Famers.  Not a projection, he says…just something to think about.

  Baseball Digest Daily also did a little profile piece on Corey.  They say that most Brewers fans forgot about him during the year and focused on Braun and Fielder.  This may be true in some sense, but the true Brewers fan understands how vital Corey is to the Brewers’ success.  Give it a look.

• People around baseball are starting to notice Manny Parra.  We Brewers fans have been singing his praises since last year.
• Tom Haudricourt talks about how Jason Kendall has gotten much better at throwing runners out at second base.  Yost’s mechanical change must have helped Jason a lot, as he was downright awful last season with the A’s and Cubs.  I’d also like to point out that he’s handled the bat pretty well this spring too.

  Tom’s article also notes that Alcides Escobar has been incredibly impressive defensively at shortstop this spring.  Sveum says that he’s never seen a shortstop with as strong of an arm.  Does that assessment include Rafeal Furcal?  Alcides is proving that he’s big league ready in the defensive department.  He simply needs to work on his plate discipline and hit the weight room a bit more.

  Jon Heyman of SI.com also gets the nod for the obligatory “Jason Kendall sucks” link of the day.  I won’t even go into saying why I think Heyman’s wrong, but you can give it a read anyway.

• Adam McCalvy checks in with some news for us.  Lou Palmisano will undergo surgery on his knee to repair some torn cartilage.  I think everyone knew that was coming after his knee hadn’t been getting better.  The real interesting part of the article is that Ned Yost mentions that Lou is on track to be a big league player in a short time.  That kind of outright praise from Ned is not all that common.  Hopefully Lou gets better and back on the field in a few months.

  Adam also notes that Ryan Braun will be batting behind Prince Fielder this season.  Yost wants to make sure that pitchers do not pitch around Prince.  I like this idea.  It also let’s Ryan use his speed to his advantage when getting on the basepaths.  Last year, teams would just walk Prince if Ryan stole second.  They will not be able to do that this year.  Braun’s plate discipline and walk rate will have to increase this season to make this move work, however.  Yost said that he’ll pull the plug on the idea if Braun cannot draw more walks.

• The last couple reads are NL Central Previews.  Guess who is predicted to win them both?  Yep, the Chicago Cubs.  Way to think out of the box.

  Dugout Central and No Bias Baseball both have nice short previews of everyone on the Central.  The general consensus is that Milwaukee’s starting rotation will hold them back from improving on last year’s performance.  Really, though?  You really think that Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan can pitch that much worse than they did last year?  Capuano may physically not be able to pitch any worse, actually.  Add a full season of Yovani Gallardo, a healthy (at least to start the year) Ben Sheets, and perhaps Carlos Villanueva or Manny Parra, and I cannot see how the rotation can do much worse than last year.  Milwaukee’s rotation has a much, much higher upside than that of the Chicago Cubs, but most prognosticators don’t care too much about that.

  Oh, and Dugout Central picks Ryan Braun to be Milwaukee’s breakout player of the year.  NL Rookie of the Year and 30+ home runs without playing the first month isn’t good enough for you?

I’ve been getting more interest in the BrewersNation Fantasy Baseball League, but I need to know for sure if you are interested.  Email me at jimmyb1799@aol.com if you are interested, and I can give you the information you need.  There ARE still spots open, so you should email me to play!!!

Cameron sparks Brewers win

Batting

Mike Cameron hit his second home run for the Brewers this spring.  His homer came in the bottom of the first and sparked the rest of the scoring for the Crew.  Mike also walked later in the game, which is exactly what Yost wants to see from him.

Joe Dillon smacked a two-run bomb off Royals pitcher Chin-hui Tsao in the 8th inning.  He also added an RBI-single later in the game to finish 2-4 and a three-RBI night.  Not too bad at all.  Ryan Braun extended his hitting streak to five games.  Alcides Escobar, Melvin’s prized prospect, had a nice day, going 1-2 with two-RBI double in the 8th.  He’s only hitting .167 this spring, but perhaps this will help him turn it around.  Corey Hart finally broke out of his little slump today.  He only went 1-2, but it’s a start.  He needed to get out of his little funk.

Pitching

Jeff Suppan had a shaky day at the office today.  He gave up three hits in the first inning, but managed to only surrender one run.  He finished the day with 5 hits and 2 runs against him, along with 2 walks and a strike out.  Not exactly what Brewers fans want to see out of their $40M man.

The bullpen, however, pitched brilliantly.  They went six innings and did not give up a run.  David Riske pitched well today, giving up one hit and striking out one batter in an inning of work.  Randy Choate and Guillermo Mota continued their fine pitching today, as they both pitched a scoreless inning.  Both are yet to surrender a run this spring.  Choate could be challenging for a spot in the bullpen if he keeps this up.  Steve Bray and Jason Shiell also worked scoreless innings today.

Records: Brewers (6-4); Royals (5-5)

On Tap

Claudio Vargas will take the mound for Milwaukee tomorrow.  The Brewers get a rematch with the Seattle Mariners tomorrow.  The M’s will trot out Miguel Batista out to start.  Here’s hoping that the Brewers manage more than two hits this time.  The game will start at 3:05pm CT.  Remember to set your clocks ahead an hour tonight!

Player Profile: Carlos Villanueva

Carlos Villanueva played an intregal role for the 2007 Brewers. He started the season as a late-inning pitcher out of the bullpen, but he switched between that role and the starting rotation in the second half of the season. Carlos’ numbers suffered in July and August because of this bouncing around. He bounced back nicely in September when asked to hold down a position in the starting rotation. Carlos looks to compete for a spot in the starting rotation this spring.

‘07 Stat Line

8-5 W-L, 3.94 ERA, 114.3 IP, 53 BB, 99 K

Strengths

The biggest advantage for Carlos Villanueva is that he is a very smart pitcher. He knows how to change speeds very well and how to work to the hitter’s weaknesses. Without overpowering stuff (a la Chris Capuano), Carlos needs to have a mix of pitches and know when to throw them. The biggest difference between Villanueva and Capuano is that Villy has a legitimate third pitch. Cappy is working on his slider, but Carlos has a curveball that he can throw for strikes. That third pitch really helps him when he gets to the second or third time around the batting order.

Carlos strength as a pitcher also comes from his deceptive delivery and a very good change up. His pitching motion is very herky-jerky and is very much reliant on timing. If his timing gets off in his windup, he starts to lose control of the plate. His change up is a definite major league pitch. He can throw it in any count and to any hitter. Carlos is incredibly confident in it, and his unorthodox delivery helps with the deception of the pitch. It is difficult to see the ball coming out of his hand, so he naturally has the upper-hand in the battle.

Weaknesses

One thing that Carlos needs to work on is lowering his BB/9 IP. In 114.3 innings of work last year, he walked 53 batters. As I said above, this comes from losing his timing in his delivery, and he and Mike Maddux have been working on that so far this spring. His struggles can be shown in his outing yesterday, when he walked three batters in three innings on the mound. This is a cause for concern, and it would be great to see Carlos improve in that area.

Carlos also needs to be worried about fatigue this upcoming season. Even he admitted that his struggles down the stretch last season were because of mental fatigue and not physical shortcomings. It probably did not help matters that he did not have a set role in the pitching staff last season and that he is only going to be 24 years old this season, so things are looking up in that aspect of his game. It’s just something to note that he struggled with his mind game down the stretch, although he did pick it up immensely once settling in the starting rotation in September.

Arsenal

Carlos has a fastball, a change up, and a curveball. His fastball moves more than Capuano’s and is a bit faster. It settles in around 88-91 mph. His change up is clearly his best pitch, and he relies on that to get ahead of hitters and as his out pitch. His curveball is still a work in progress, but it is still developed enough that he is willing to throw it in game situations. He will need to keep working on that pitch to be a legitimate middle of the rotation starter, but he’s still young enough to develop that pitch.

Projections

ZiPS – 8-9 W-L, 4.46 ERA, 111 IP, 43 BB, 89 K
The Hardball Times – 6-6 W-L, 4.39 ERA, 106 IP, 44 BB, 86 K

Ned Yost has implied that Carlos has an inside track at spot in the starting rotation, so I think that these projections are on the low side for most of the peripheral numbers.  Carlos was so consistent at the end of last season, and I do not expect his ERA to be any higher than that.  Most of the runs scored on him were in July and August, when he went through a rough patch after being bounced around between the bullpen and the starting rotation.  The walk ratio seems to be very solid in these projects.  Carlos has not shown any reason to believe that he will improve in that aspect.  His strike out rates seem to be very solid in these projections as well.  I expect Carlos to start the year in the starting rotation, and I seem him thriving.  I do not know if he will be bumped out when Gallardo comes back, but I certainly hope not.  Carlos’ future is in the Brewers rotation.

Projected Stat Line: 10-6 W-L, 4.14 ERA, 153 IP, 68 BB, 129 K
Projected Season Rating (out of 10): 7.3

Brewers rally to beat Rangers

The Milwaukee Brewers spotted the Rangers a three run lead, but they managed to crawl their way back to win. The 9-8 win puts the Crew back over .500 for Spring Training.

Records: Brewers (5-4); Rangers (5-4)

Batting

Ryan Braun hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning, his second homer in as many days. Braun finished 1-2 with a walk for the day, bringing his Spring Training average to .353. Jason Kendall continued his hot hitting as well, going 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. He’s now hitting .412 for the spring. I certainly hope, and so do many Brewers fans, that Kendall will continue to produce this well in April.

Vinny Rottino gave the Brewers the lead for good with a go-head two-RBI single in the 8th inning. Vinny is going to make the backup catcher position a very difficult battle and decision for Ned Yost.

I reported yesterday that Corey Hart has struggled mightily in Spring Training thus far, and that did not change today. Corey went 0-3 with two strike outs. He’s now batting a measly .190 this spring.

Pitching

Chris Capuano got the start today, and everything seemed fine through two innings. He cruised along nicely until disaster struck in the third. Chris gave up six runs without recording a single out. His performance forced Yost to end his day early, and Luis Pena finished the inning for Cappy. This goes with the criticism leveled on Cappy today in my Player Profile. He does fine to start the game, but when batters have a chance to see him once or twice, they crush him.

Carlos Villanueva aslo got his work in today. His day was a bit mixed. He only gave up one run in three innings, striking out two batters, but he also gave up three hits and three walks. Those stats are a little worrisome, but it’s only three innings of his spring. He’ll bounce back. He was able to limit the damage against him, unlike Capuano earlier in the game.

Seth McClung recorded the save for the Brewers, striking out two in the 8th inning. Brian Shouse struggled a bit today. He only gave up one run, but surrendered three hits in one inning on the mound. Past performance on Shouse tells Brewers fans that he’ll come back again in a couple days and throw the ball well.

On Tap

Milwaukee stays in Phoenix to play the Kansas City Royals tomorrow at 2:05pm CT. Jeff Suppan is slated to get the start for the Crew. He looks to pitch a bit better than he did in his last outing, in which he gave up two runs in three innings.