Round ‘em Up: Thursday

UPDATE 07-10-08 1:55pm - Ned Yost says Milwaukee has no interest in releasing Guillermo Mota.  Oh good.

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Well, ladies and gentlemen. The Milwaukee Brewers pretended Glendon Rusch was the second coming of CC Sabathia last night. All the Brewers hitters (perhaps with the exception of Bill Hall) looked utterly lost against the left-hander. It’s not like he had an ERA of over 6 and a half coming into the game…

• Last night, Pete from Brewers Fanatics ran the first installment of The Brewers Blog Roundtable. Jared from Right Field Bleachers and myself took most of the questions, and we have a podcast for you all to listen to. As of right now, the Roundtable is going to be a sort of question-and-answer format. We are very open to making it a live call-in show if the audience is big enough. Until then, I will simply post the podcasts here for you to listen to.

  The first installment is a little rough, as Pete is getting used to the software. It was also our first run at the program, so it will get smoother down the line. It’s a pretty good product for the first try though. Enjoy.

  Brewers Blog Roundtable

• Tom Haudricourt says enough is enough with Guillermo Mota. He fully expects Mota to be designated for assignment today. I completely agree that he will be DFA’d, but it will probably not come until after today’s game. What if the Crew needs someone to handle mop-up time? Might as well get a few more innings out of Mota before cutting him loose.

  TH thinks Luis Pena will get the call to the big leagues. He struggled with his stuff to start the season, but has really turned it on as of late. Nashville’s closer has a 1.78 ERA in his last 30 1/3 innings. Not bad at all.

  I think that Doug Melvin and Ned Yost will go with big league experience at this point in the season, however. He may not have much, but Tim Dillard showed that he’s capable of handling himself on a big stage. It’s true that he lost his command a bit, but has been throwing the ball much better with the Sounds lately.

• In-Between Hops believes it may only take a trip to the DL to get Mota back on track. If only things were just that simple…
• The Brew Town Beat is absolutely ecstatic that Haudricourt is calling for Guillermo Mota’s head. Mota has been exceptionally awful over the past month and a half, and it is about time for Milwaukee to cut their losses and DFA the big guy.

  I also notice that Brew Town mentions me in their post when they criticize people for saying Mota has thrown good pitches like the pitch against Joe Mauer. I don’t shy away from criticism. That was a good pitch, and Mauer simply beat him. The problem is that Mota has not thrown many good pitches since that point. I did not defend him in the least bit against Arizona or last night. It was one game, and I stick by it. With that said, Mota’s time in Milwaukee has drawn to a close.

• Brew Crew Pub says something is missing from the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers. It is patience and a high on-base percentage. Agreed. I’m not sure Kenny Lofton is the best choice here. I would much rather send Rickie Weeks away from a high OBP second baseman like you’re suggesting. To my knowledge, Huntsville has not tried Alcides Escobar at second base.

  What would I suggest? This is clearly me in a dreamworld, but how about a package that sends Rickie Weeks, Brad Nelson, and Zach Braddock for Brian Roberts and George Sherrill? Both Roberts and Sherrill will be under Milwaukee’s control past the 2008 season, and it would provide the Brewers with a very solid arm in the bullpen and a bona fide lead-off hitter. The package would probably need another prospect though. Perhaps someone like a Alexandre Periard.

• Ned Yost does not want Ryan Braun to participate in the Home Run Derby. Milwaukee’s manager does not want Braun messing up his swing for the second half. I’m more worried about his sore hand at this point…
• Between the Green Pillars takes an excellent look at the Manny Parra situation. He is on pace to throw more innings than the Brewers organization originally wanted him to. History has shown that pitchers are at a higher risk for injury if they make a big jump in innings pitched like Parra is on pace to do. The author believes Milwaukee will not hold him back, as the CC Sabathia trade signifies that the team is all in for this season.

  I would agree with that, but I also do not fall in the camp that believes Parra’s innings should be limited this season. Younger pitchers coming out of high school do need to watch their innings, but Parra does not have a young arm. He has been slowed by injuries, yes, but he is not new to throwing on the mound. Older relievers that have never thrown many innings do just fine when stretching out their arms. In my opinion, Parra is certainly capable of going more than 163 innings. If he starts to experience a bit of “dead arm,” then Ned Yost should worry about it.

• Something tells me that Jason Kendall was a good pick-up this off-season.
• The Junkball Blues takes a look at what Chicago gave up to get Rich Harden compared to what Milwaukee gave up to get CC Sabathia. He concludes that Harden did cost a bit more than Sabathia, as he should.

  People keep overlooking the fact that Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Eric Patterson have all spent time in the big leagues. The Cleveland Indians did not get that from a single player from Milwaukee. Matt LaPorta may fizzle out before getting to the big leagues. After all, Nelson Cruz is still raking in Triple-A…

• The Cub Reporter says that Rich Harden may not be under Chicago’s control through the 2009 season like everyone believes. That would certainly change the dynamics of the trade completely. (Tip of the cap to Right Field Bleachers for this one.)
• Dugout Central says that Billy Beane is a dangerous GM to be making a deal with. He never loses a big trade. Most of the pitchers he loses end up fizzling out due to some sort of injury (Mark Mulder) or ineffectiveness (Barry Zito). I don’t know if I agree with the article when it says Tim Hudson has been mostly ineffective for two seasons. I definitely wouldn’t want that 3.16 ERA from this season or that 3.33 ERA from 2007. What a poor performance…

Did that just happen? Bullpen implodes in Arizona heat

So much for a winning road trip.

The Brewers seemed to be on cruise control going into the ninth inning against Arizona.  They led the game 5-0.  The bottom of the D’Backs order was coming up.  There was one problem though…

Ned Yost called on Guillermo Mota to finish out the game.  Mota has struggled quite a bit in the last month, and that trend didn’t end today.  After an infield single to Robbie Hammock, a walk to Chris Burke, and another infield single to Augie Ojeda, Yost pulled the right-hander in favor of Brian Shouse.

Mota threw almost exclusively fastballs again today.  His location was awful, as most of his pitches were up in the zone.  With that said, he didn’t deserve the fate he left with.  Two infield singles is not his fault.  He even threw a change-up this afternoon.  It was an awful, hanging change-up, but at least he threw it.

Enter Shouse.  Before the game, everyone sang his praises - and rightfully so.  Not tonight, however.  On the first pitch he threw, Chad Tracy shot a 3 RBI double to the right-center field gap.  3-5 Brewers.

Enter Salomon Torres.  I actually felt very comfortable with Salomon on the mound.  He has been perfect since taking over the closers role.  I guess I shouldn’t have felt so comfortable.  Torres gave up three straight base hits, and the Brewers lost the game.

Seven batters came to the plate and not one out was recorded.  The Brewers blew a 5-0 lead in the ninth inning.  That takes any momentum Milwaukee gained over the past week out of the sails.  Sometimes you can make yourself feel better by saying, “These things happen.”  Not today.  You should never blow a 5 run lead in the ninth inning.  Pathetic.

The horrendous ninth inning did overshadow some good things that happened today though.

• J.J. Hardy now has a 15-game hitting streak.  He looks fantastic at the plate, driving the ball to all fields with power.  The Brewers shortstop went 4-5 today with 2 doubles, a broken-bat home run, and a single to right field.  What’s more impressive is that he’s upped his batting average 32 points this road trip.  That’s hard to do in July.
• The home run Mike Cameron hit in the sixth inning truly was a home run.  When they originally showed the replay, I thought it the ball clearly went foul.  Then I found out the third base umpire said it hit the foul poll.  After looking at the replay again, you can see the ball switch directions in midair.  The ball could not have moved like it did without hitting something.  Home run.

  Cam also showcased his Gold Glove defense in center field today.  He made many difficult plays look routine in the field.  Manny Parra actually should dedicate his shutout outing to Cam, as Milwaukee’s center fielder saved him a couple runs.  To top it off, Cam has been looking much more comfortable at the plate.  When he’s right, that short stroke is a joy to watch.

• Manny Parra may have gone six innings of shutout ball, but he did not have his best stuff.  On one hand, it shows how much Manny has grown as a pitcher in the past couple months.  He is learning to limit the damage and keep the team in the game.  On the other hand, I would caution anyone from getting too excited about today’s outing.  The southpaw’s control was not there, and he started off too many innings with runners on base.  That will eventually come back to bite him.
• MLB Trade Rumors says the Brewers are willing to shop either J.J. Hardy or Rickie Weeks before the trade deadline.  It suggests that the Crew could go after A.J. Burnett, as Toronto is yearning for a talented shortstop.  J.J.’s trade value is incredibly high at this point in the season.  It also shows how strongly the team feels about Alcides Escobar down in Huntsville.  It wouldn’t even be an option for the team if Alcides was not major league ready.
• This may be a knee-jerk reaction on my part, but today’s game highlights the team’s need for pitching in the bullpen.  A top-flight starter would be nice, but Milwaukee needs someone to pitch the eighth inning.  Guillermo Mota certainly isn’t the answer at this point.  Eric Gagne pitched a 1-2-3 inning, but his velocity was down and looked uncomfortable on the mound.  I’m not ready to hand the ball to him.  David Riske should be the option down the road, but he’s still getting comfortable on the mound.

  Milwaukee need a quality arm in the back-end of the ‘pen that they can control for the next couple years.  The latest rumor is that Milwaukee has a trade in the works with Arizona.  That could be for someone like Tony Pena or Juan Cruz.  Either would be upgrades for the ‘pen.

Records: Brewers (46-39); Diamondbacks (43-43)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

Wow.  J.J. is scorching hot at the plate.  He was an over-the-shoulder catch away from a 5-5 game with 3 doubles, a home run, and an opposite-field single.  Hardy is showing why Milwaukee’s coaches rave so much about him.  The defense is still stellar - did you see that diving play and flip to Weeks? - and the bat can still produce.  Milwaukee’s shortstop may be pushing for a bench role in the All-Star Game.  It is unlikely, but he’s playing like an All-Star right now.

Goat of the Game: The bottom of the ninth inning.

Read above.  I’m too upset to recap it again.

On Tap

The Milwaukee Brewers return home for a long homestand before the All-Star break.  Ben Sheets will face the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Tom Gorzelanny, who looked much better in his last outing.  The Brewers ace will try to help fans forget about what happened this afternoon.  It will be hard to accomplish, however.

Round ‘em Up: Tuesday

There is not too much going on the web today.  At least, nothing of too much substance.  Everything is focused on the possible C.C. Sabathia trade to Milwaukee.  That is understandable, as that would be the biggest news that happened to Milwaukee baseball in quite a few years.

• (Hat tip to battlekow at Brew Crew Ball) A Cleveland Indians blog, Tribe Report, takes a look at what Milwaukee could give Cleveland to get the deal done.  They are focused on getting Prince Fielder.  I will never say never, but…I see very, very, very little chance of Doug Melvin trading Prince before the off-season.
• Doug Melvin talked to Tom Haudricourt about some trade possibilities.  The Brewers GM said that he is always keeping his ears open to trades.  It certainly does sound like Doug is pretty set on making a trade before the deadline.  He says he is not going to do anything stupid, however.  I guess he is saying that because of the Linebrink trade last season.  Let’s hope a Linebrink-esque trade doesn’t happen.
• Joe Morgan from ESPN says that Milwaukee should try to sign Ben Sheets this off-season.  Good.  I’m glad he’s incredibly informed.
• Jeff Sackmann from Brew Crew Ball takes a look at the first half of the season.  He concludes that Milwaukee is quite lucky to have 44 wins at this point.  I think the negative run differential is mostly due to the beginning of the season.  That will need to change though.
• Scout.com says Manny Parra is starting to figure things out on the mound.  That is good news for the Brewers, obviously.

Parra stops Minnesota’s win streak at 10

The winning formula this evening was early offense and Manny Parra on the mound.

The top of the order got it going early for the Crew against right-hander Livan Hernandez.  Rickie Weeks walked to start the game, J.J. Hardy drove a single up the middle, and Ryan Braun delivered an opposite field single to score Rickie for the first run of the game.

Livan Hernandez doesn’t throw hard, but he nibbles around the strike zone and understands how to pitch.  After Bill Hall smoked a double to the right-center gap off Livan - yes, a right-hander - the veteran pitcher shut down the Brewers.  His off-speed repertoire is immense, and he will throw any of those pitches on any count.  After giving up five runs in the first three innings, Livan settled down nicely.

The damage was done, however.

Manny Parra held the red-hot Minnesota Twins to zero runs on two hits in seven innings of solid work.  The rookie struggled with his command again today - see the four walks.  He did keep the Twins off-balance though.  He began to pound the zone much more after the third innings, and his pitch count benefited because of it.

While Manny couldn’t find the strike zone early in the game, his stuff impressed everyone.  His fastball came in at about 94-95 mph this evening, and his curveball had a pretty big bite to it.  Did I even see a slider/cut fastball too?  Perhaps he’s been working on that with Mike Maddux during his throwing sessions.

The play-by-play announcers for the Crew did hammer home an aspect of Manny’s wildness.  He always misses low in the zone, which limits his vulnerability to the long ball.  While that is a good point, walks do not benefit a pitcher.  Neither does a high pitch count.  His lack of control…even if it is down in the zone…has given Manny some fits this season.  I will admit that he has limited the damage though.  A guy with great stuff can do that.  If he can combine that great arsenal of pitches with the confidence to pound the strike zone, he and Yovani Gallardo could make a stellar top of the rotation.  That is too premature to think about that though.

I may simply be reading too much into one performance, but I’m a little concerned about David Riske.  Yes, he pitched a one-two-three inning this evening.  Part of that can be attributed to Mike Cameron’s fine sliding catch in the outfield, however.

What I am concerned with is that Riske’s unwillingness to throw anything but fastballs.  In the 12 pitches he threw against the Twins tonight, 11 of them were fastballs.  He did throw one change-up to Carlos Gomez, but that is it.  Why is this?  Isn’t his split finger pitch supposed to be his best pitch?  In fact, he has two split finger fastballs that he throws.  Where are they?  Is he saving them for a closer situation?

There are two possibilities.  One, tonight is a small sample size and David simply chose to throw fastballs tonight against the patient Twins lineup.  He was able to get ahead of the hitters this evening because most of the Twins will take a pitch or two before swing.  That, of course, excludes Delmon Young.  He swings at everything.  He actually makes Ryan Braun look patient at the plate.  A statistical anomaly could be the answer.

The other possibility is that Riske’s elbow is not 100%.  The split finger fastball would put the most strain on his elbow, which is why he could be avoiding the pitch.  Most pitchers are a little gun shy when coming back from an injury.  This could be something more, however.  Wait until David throws again, but keep an eye on his pitch selection.  If it is mostly fastballs again, something could be up.

Records: Brewers (44-36); Twins (44-37)

Hero of the Game: Manny Parra

Any time a Brewers pitcher goes seven innings of shutout ball, he will get the hero of the game.  Even though he fought his command a bit in the early going, Milwaukee’s rookie pitcher showed his plus stuff again and again.  He handcuffed Twins hitters all game, striking out six and only giving up two hits before leaving because of a high pitch count.  Ned Yost and Mike Maddux stuck with Manny through the growing pains early in the season, and Manny is making their patience well worth it.  The young left-hander is proving himself to be a bona fide major league pitcher.

Goat of the Game: Russell Branyan

Sorry Russell.  You went 0-3.  No other Brewers hitter did that today.  The walk doesn’t count either, as it was an intentional walk early in the game.  Shrug it off, big man.  Come back tomorrow and hit a bomb.

On Tap

Ben Sheets looks to secure a series victory tomorrow against RHP Kevin Slowey for the Minnesota Twins.  The Brewers ace has pitched brilliantly all season thus far.  Slowey will not make it easy for Milwaukee, however.  In their last meeting, the right-hander confused Brewers hitters all day.  Let’s hope the Crew can figure him out tomorrow.  The game starts at 1:10pm CT.

Prince’s Power Hour Propels

The big boys came out to play in the Milwaukee Brewers’ final game against American League opposition, the Baltimore Orioles. Home runs from Corey Hart, Bill Hall, and a pair from Prince Fielder bailed out an out-of-sorts Manny Parra. Sprinkle in some nice defensive plays and a season-tying high for double plays and the result was good 7-3 victory finishing off a 6-3 homestand for the Crew.

From the get-go it looked like Parra might set up Milwaukee for a long afternoon. His pitch locations were off and a tight zone from the home plate umpire wasn’t helping his cause. Parra walked six guys including four in the first three innings. Two of Baltimore’s three runs were walks that came around to score.

Rickie Weeks was back in the lineup today (and in the lead off spot in the order) and looked shaky early on. Jason Kendall caught Jay Payton off of first, but Weeks, attempting to get Payton out, dropped Kendall’s throw.

Fielder has also looked shoddy on defense recently (something that he had looked to improve this season. He misplayed a bunt single in the second inning failing to pick up the ball and get it to Parra at first base. Earlier in the season is looked as though Fielder was making big strides in his defensive play, but in the last few series he has made several mistakes on plays that should be outs.

If the defense has fallen, the offensive game of Fielder has shown brightly. Prince belted a double and two home runs today. Fielder was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. His monster, two run blast in the seventh gave the Crew some breathing room heading into the closing frames.

The secondary storyline of the game is the positive defensive plays that the Brewers made to back up the struggling Parra. Ryan Braun made two outstanding sliding catches (the one in the sixth was ESPN’s #5 “Web Gem” today) to rob Baltimore of base hits. The infield also turned five double plays on an Oriole team that has the grounded into the least amount of double plays in the American League (45). Weeks was strong on his DP turns (something that has been troubling… low throws to first) and made a fantastic play to end the seventh inning.

Guillermo Mota and David Riske both continue to struggle in relief appearances this afternoon issuing two walks apiece. A strikeout for Riske and two nice defensive plays by JJ Hardy and the already mentioned Weeks grab bailed out David. It took an appearance by Salomon Torres and a double play to get Mota off the hook in the ninth. Mark DiFelice had a good outing, going 1-2-3 in the sixth, but otherwise this bullpen is starting to worry. There are a bunch of bright spots (DiFelice, Torres, Shouse), but they can’t pitch everyday and allow the inconsistent guys to shake down games.

Records: Brewers (41-34), Orioles (38-36)

Hero of the Game: Prince Fielder

The Prince has been going on a power binge of late. He’s got five home runs in the last six games. For June all of his vitals are skyrocketing. Take a look at his May/June comparisons:

Stat May June

On Base Percentage .358 .432

Average .294 .343

Slugging: .450 .757

Promising stuff from the kid.

Goat of the Game: Davillermo RiskMota

What’s up with these guys? I know the zone was tight, Parra struggle with his stuff all night, but Riske and Mota’s inability to find a strike lately is looking Gagnesqe. I guess I’m particularly worried about Riske because I never was that high up on him since the beginning of the season. For the money we paid for him I feel like the Brewers haven’t gotten a lot of relief security.

A few good outings early in the season was marred by several rough outings before going on the DL. Since being activated from the DL two days ago, Riske has participated in the almost-loss on Thursday against Toronto and stunk it up today. These sorts of trouble should be worked out with a player before he comes back from his rehab stint in the minors. I know he blew threw the opposition in his one inning of work in Nashville, but there’s nothing wrong with playing it safe and seeing he’s all there.

On Tap:

The Crew hits the road to take on the Atlanta Braves. Jo-Jo Reyes (3-4, 4.05 ERA) is on the mound versus Ben Sheets (8-1, 2.74 ERA). Game time: 6:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Brewers ride homers in win

If anything is clear over the past couple weeks, it is the fact that the Brewers can still hit the long ball.

Everyone was concerned with the power outage in Miller Park for the first couple months, but that is no longer a problem.  Fans are again saying the Brewers are relying too much on the long ball.  My how things change…

Ryan Braun went deep twice, while Russell Branyan and Prince Fielder knocked a homer a piece.  Even Craig Counsell joined the homer barrage against the shell-shocked Toronto Blue Jays.  Yes, things got so bad for the Jays that the light-hitting Craig Counsell hit a home run.  The Brewers certainly knocked around Dustin McGowan and company tonight.

That is pretty much the whole story with the offense this evening, but Manny Parra should not get lost in translation.  He spun a gem through seven innings.

Working around four walks and four hits, the Brewers lefty held the Toronto Blue Jays scoreless before giving up the reins to the ‘pen to close the game out.  Most of his walks came early in the game, and he looked stronger as the game wore on.  That is the kind of night Manny can give Milwaukee consistently.  He definitely has the stuff to get the job done.  It appears as if he’s gaining the confidence too.

Mark DiFelice also looked good out of the pen.  The journeyman right-hander pitched two scoreless innings to close out the game.  It could have simply been that Toronto gave up at the end of the game, but Mark pounded the strike zone and genuinely looked good.  Someone doesn’t want to go back to Triple-A when David Riske comes back.

Records: Brewers (37-33); Blue Jays (35-37)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

What can you say about Ryan Braun?  He has been an absolute stud at the plate and better than advertised in left field.  When he centers on a ball like he did off Dustin McGowan, the ball has that special sound to it.  He’s a stud and there’s nothing else I can say about it.

Goat of the Game: Corey Hart

Corey is the “goat” because he went 0 for 3 and left a guy on base.  Not a bad night, but the worst of the Crew tonight.  It’s fine though, just don’t do it again Corey.

On Tap

RHP Ben Sheets will face RHP Shawn Marcum in Game 2 of the series tomorrow night at Miller Park.  The game will start at 7:05pm CT.

Power Propells Players

A few days ago a commentator on this blog wrote that he was concerned about right fielder Corey Hart’s lack of power so far this season.  Hopefully all of those concerns have been eliminated because it was the power bat of Hart that lead the Crew to a 10-6 win over the Houston Astros.

For as punchless as Milwaukee was last night, the opposite was true for the Crew against a far less capable Brandon Backe.  He tried to locate the same inside pitches that Roy Oswalt was throwing (with great success) the night before, but he was off all night.  The result was hit after hit for the Crew (12 in all) that found the 3rd base line or the stands.  The Brewers ended a five game losing streak at Houston’s “Juice Box.”

Hart, of course, wasn’t the only hero for the Brew Crew. His 3-for-5 night, with two home runs, a double, and four RBIs makes him our “hero,” but more on that later.  Manager Ned Yost’s line up moves, looking pretty poor in the opening game of the Houston series, played out with much more success.  JJ Hardy got on in the first inning with a double only to be replaced immediately by Ryan Braun with his RBI double.  It would set the tone for the evening.

Pitcher Manny Parra was looking strong through four innings before getting roughed up in the fifth, but his teammates bates were available to bail him out. After three consecutive wins and going deeper into the games, this start was a bit disappointing for Parra.  The bullpen was rested, though, and Carlos Villanueva and Mota (rebounding strongly from a rough Rockies game) proved to be solid. Mike Cameron, Russell Branyan, and Jason Kendall all provided timely home runs to create some breathing room for the Crew.

The trouble spot of the evening happened in the bottom of the fifth when shortstop Hardy appeared to re-injure his surgically repaired left shoulder and was replaced in the line up by Bill Hall.  Craig Counsell (the starter at second in Yost’s “soft platoon”) took over at SS and Hall fit in at second.

Despite this dark spot, Yost’s line up-shake up, in the absence of Rickie Weeks, proved to be very effective last night.  Hart was electric in the lead off spot and Branyan was equally up to the task of protecting Prince Fielder, although he hardly needed any protection after another tough evening.

Records:Brewers (34-31); Astros (33-33)

Hero of the Game: Corey Hart

In a night full of solid hitting, Hart was the brightest star.  The Brewers’ most consistent hitter was again amazing.  Despite his lack of power hitting, he has been just mashing the ball.  I was never concerned about the few homers as long as he kept on making solid and consistent contact with the ball.  Now the home run ball caught up with his base hit ball.  His only blemish was the missed diving catch late in the game. 

Goat of the Game: Prince Fielder

Fielder had an “oh-fer” game on Tuesday night and a 1-for-5 night yesterday.  As on Prince was just a week or so ago, he has slipped.  Prince has looked very comfortable at home, but shaky on the road and one might be able to connect the Brewers subsequent road woes to those struggles.  For the Crew to compete consistently on the road, Fielder has to be available too.  His defense has been pretty solid this year and his play last night as the cut off man cut another runner down on the bases (last night’s victim… Carlos Lee, whose out and prevented RBI was the difference for a while in a tight game).

On Tap: The Brewers will try and secure road series win with their ace on the mound.  Ben Sheets(6-1, 2.62 ERA) works against Brian Moelher (3-2, 3.76 ERA) in a matinee game with first pitch at 1:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Bullpen Blowup Bumps Brewers

A perfectly good start by Seth McClung was wrecked by the relief efforts of one Julian Tavarezin the seventh inning and some shoddy defensive plays proved to be the difference as Milwaukee fells to the Astros, 6-1.  Ned Yost shook up the line-up big time, but it proved to be a non-issue as the bats were pretty anemic.  Corey Hart was in the lead off spot, with JJ Hardy following him up, Russell Branyan was now protecting Prince Fielder in the fifth spot, Mike Cameron dropped to the six hole.  Bill Hall got the surprise start at second base for the injured Rickie Weeks.  I have to believe that was only because Hall is the Brewers second best hitter against Roy Oswalt (Hall has 15 hits against him, Jason Kendall is numero uno)

Oswalt turned (4-6, 5.38 ERA) in an above average performance to thwart the Brewers’ bats.  He tossed a season-high 10 strikeouts.  He was throwing a ridiculous amount of inside pitches last night. 

Oswalt’s strong night would have been a moot point if the Brewers would have held tight in the seventh inning.  Tavarez, who has been pretty darn good so far for the Crew, looked absolutely terrible.  Michael Bourn bunted on, Brad Ausmus got on and Bourn moved to third courtesy of Tavarez’s bungled throw to first.  Before you know it, the bases are loaded for Mr. Lance Berkman, the hottest hitter in the National League.  Berkman laces a two-strike pitch to center and what looks like out number three sails over Mike Cameron’s head.  Three runs are in and the slim hopes of the Crew pulling ahead faded into the night. Only a nice snag at the wall by Hart prevented further damage in the inning.

The Brewers again struggled with runners on base on the off-hand chance they got on.  A bright start in the first left new lead-off man Hart on third and that set the tone for the night.

Ryan Braun went deep for Milwaukee, but once again the bases were empty.  Lame…

Records:Brewers (33-31), Astros (33-32)

Hero of the Game: Lance Jerk-man

Berkman’s two-run shot off of McClung in the bottom of the first would have been enough to secure Houston’s win, but the punk had to go ahead an blow the whole game wide open.  Bases-loaded and he goes and drops a bases-clearing triple.  Stop being so good!

Goat of the Game:Julian Tavarez

It would be easy to label Cameron the “goat,” but I never take the easy route (ha!).  Cameron would have never been in the position if it wasn’t for some poor defensive plays by Tavarez.  The Crew could have made a play at Bourn’s bunt single, but Tavarez ran in the way of Kendall.  McClung had the good sense to get out of the way of Kendall earlier in the game, but Tavarez did not and Bourn was on base.  Follow that up with an absolutely awful throw to first by Tavarez that allowed Ausmus to get on base and put Bourn on third with no outs.  Frankly, Tavarez was on thin ice the whole inning getting lucky (especially with the weird wind-up that got Hunter Pence to strikeout).  His two-strike pitch to Berkman was RIGHT down the middle and the rest was history.

On Tap:Manny Parra (4-2, 4.83 ERA) faces off against Brandon Backe (4-6. 4.77 ERA).  Parra is a winner in his last three starts and looks to be pretty locked and loaded.  Backe, despite his record has pretty similar numbers to Parra so it should be a good match up.  Game time… 7:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

Parra Perfect, Bats Bash in Sweep

I’m working really hard on my alliteration so look out for more tongue-twisting headlines on the site. Moving on… the Brewers pulled out the brooms for the second consecutive home series and swept away the NL West leading Arizona Diamondback, 10-1. Manny Parra went seven innings (his longest outing of the season thus far) and the offense banged out 14 hits to cap what has been an amazing homestand for the Mil-town side.

Gabe Kapler started the game in centerfield and I can say that this was both a surprising move, yet totally appropriate. Mike Cameron, while solid defensively, has been a disaster at the plate. I saw the numbers before the game and he strikes out on average every 2.95 ABs (swear to God that it seems higher than that lately though). Manager Ned Yost, ever the loyal dog, usually sticks with his strugglers because he’s “not concerned with that,” but instead through us a welcome curve ball (which Cameron would have missed.. ha!) and put the ridiculously hot Kapler in the starting line-up.

Kapler started the scoring for the Brew Crew with a RBI double in the first and Parra would give up his only run in the third, but the scoring binge was reserved for the third and fourth innings when the Brewers smashed out nine hits and nine runs.

Corey Hart produced an in-the-park home run to score three (en route to a four RBI night)and Kapler was 4-for-5 (hit total tying a career high) on the evening. Parra was sharp as ever striking out eight, tying his career high. Oh, and Russell Branyan hit another homer run… big surprise there

Records: Brewers (32-28), Diamondbacks (32-28 )

Hero of the Game: Jim Skaalen

Let me paste the box score first, then I’ll comment.

Milwaukee	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Weeks, 2B	5	1	1	0	0	2	2	.209
Kapler, CF	5	2	4	1	0	0	0	.330
Braun, LF	4	2	2	2	1	0	2	.299
Fielder, 1B	3	2	1	1	1	2	2	.280
Hall, 3B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.228
Hart, C, RF	4	1	2	4	0	0	2	.290
Branyan, 3B-1B	4	1	2	1	0	1	0	.321
Kendall, C	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	.244
Counsell, SS	4	0	1	0	0	2	2	.236
Parra, P	3	1	1	0	0	1	1	.208
a-Dillon, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.286
Tavarez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Villanueva, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.143
Totals	36	10	14	10	2	8	11

If I were Skaalen I’d been pretty darn pleased with this. Every regular Brewer, with the exception of Jason Kendall dropped a hit on Arizona… even Parra got a double! This Brewers team has found something special recently, picking up 12 of their last 16 games winning five series and sweeping two since the disastrous Boston roadie.

Despite being near the top of the NL in strikeouts, looking like chumps at times to Randy Johnson last night, and registering 8 Ks this afternoon, the Brewers are benefiting from some awesome offensive production. Players like Hart and Ryan Braun have been on target for sometime, but Prince Fielder and JJ Hardy are now coming online. Add to the fact that guy like Kapler can pretty much produce automatically as a pinch hitter, sub fielder, or as a starting has to put a smile (or whatever he does) on Skaalen’s face.

Goat of the Game: Jason Kendall

Sorry, dude. You got the collar, you get the goat. Shhh…. I don’t want to hear anything about you getting that nice RBI sac fly to score Princey. Shhh… I don’t want to hear anything about your 42% caught-stealing percent. Shhh… no excuses that Cameron wasn’t in the line-up to strike out a lot and take the goat. It’s all yours tonight. Just don’t let it happen again.

On Tap: The Brewers hit ye ol’ dusty trail to Colorado where Ben Sheets (6-1, 2.71 ERA) will face off against the Rockies’ Ublado Jimenez (1-6. 5.37 ERA). Game time: 8.05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

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.

Round ‘em Up: Wednesday

I’m feeling well today after the Brewers pulled out an exciting, yet also frustrating, game against the Atlanta Braves.  The Crew will face a lefty in Jo-Jo Reyes today, so Bill Hall will be in the lineup.  Perhaps he’ll play with that same emotion he played with, especially since he said he hasn’t lately.  Interesting comment…

• After Russell Branyan’s call-up on Monday, MLB Trade Rumors says that Bill Hall could be one of a handfull of third baseman that could be had near the trade deadline.  That would be an interesting move for the Brewers to make, and I believe they will seriously consider it if the Brewers continue to scuffle.

  Anyone else notice Dallas McPherson on that list.  He would be an interesting player to have in Triple-A.  He’s young, been hampered by injuries, but he can flat out hit.  Doug Melvin won’t make the move, as the Marlins are notorious for demanding an arm and a leg.  It would be an intriguing move though.

• Speaking of trades, Eli from MLB Rumors says that Prince Fielder will not be moved this summer.  I hope he doesn’t believe he’s relaying some groundbreaking news here.  The Brewers are not moving their superstar when they still have control of him for another three years.  They might consider it once his salary reaches the $10M range, but not now.

  Eli also says that the Brewers may entertain trade proposals for Ben Sheets near the deadline if the Brewers cannot return to their winning ways.  Really?  I just don’t understand why he feels this is enlightening.  People have been saying this since the season began.  Before that even.

• Eli is just Brewers central today.  He also says that the Brewers are still probably interested in Huston Street.  First of all, Milwaukee is in no position to be buyers right now.  Milwaukee is playing worse than Oakland.  That trade makes no sense.  Secondly, Salomon Torres has handled the closer’s role just fine, thank you very much.  The Brewers will not be trading prospects for Street (who has a history of arm troubles, by the way).  Eli has lost a lot of credibility to me right now.
• Brewerfan.net has a 2008 Draft Preview up.  You all should definitely check this out.  Get to know some of the faces that may be a part of the Brewers farm system in just a couple months.
• Dugout Central names Ned Yost as one of the five managers who are most likely to get fired.  Duh.
• Brewers Fanatics has a little prospect information up about Jeremy Jeffress.  If you want a little more in-depth look at Jeremy, here’s a Prospect Profile of him that I did when I first created this site.  The site has come a long way, no?
• SportsBubbler.com names RHP Omar Aguilar the Prospect of the Week.  I agree that his fly-ball tendencies are a cause for concern, but Ben Sheets also is a fly-ball pitcher.  Benny’s doing just fine.  If Omar can spot his slider, the fly-balls will not matter so much.
• Tennessean.com has an article about Derrick Turnbow and how he’s trying to find his stuff down in Nashville.  Do you want to know why Derrick cannot make it in the big leagues anymore?  Look at what he had to say:

  “I felt like I was always one more bad game away from getting sent down or released,” Turnbow said. “Pitching under that kind of pressure doesn’t lead to good things.”

  If you cannot pitch under pressure, Derrick, I do not want you coming into tight games.  I do not want to rely on you to get an out with runners on base if you cannot deal with pressure.  That comment from Derrick just makes me sick.

• John Sickels has a round-up of the Top 50 pitching prospects and how they are doing.  He says that Manny Parra has been struggling with his command, which is why he has posted a 5.00+ ERA.  John still likes him for the long-term though.  Me too, John.  Me too.
• Here’s an article from Charleston, WV about OF Eric Fryer.  Eric came to WV as a catcher, but has played strictly in the outfield thus far.  He’s done everything the team has asked him to do, and he’s produced along the way in 2008.  You have to like a guy that will play wherever the manager wants him to play and still produce.

Bats continue to tease in Brewers win

UPDATE 05-20-08 11:55pm - I didn’t report on Eric Gagne leaving the game with the trainer, as no one seems to be worried about it.  More information is in, however.

Gagne is complaining of “stiffness” in his shoulder.  It is not pain.  It is not tightness.  It is stiffness, I guess.  I’m not sure if this is a cop-out on his part, or there is really something wrong.  I will know more tomorrow, and I, of course, will pass it your way.

——————————————————————————-

After pounding out 14 hits and scoring 7 runs, the Milwaukee Brewers look to be on the verge of breaking out of its offensive slump. This is one of the few games where multiple hitters put together good games. Let me show you:

Weeks - 2-4
Cameron - 3-4, HR (5), 2 RBI, BB
Braun - 2-5, RBI
Hart - 2-5, HR (3), RBI
Hardy - 2-4, BB
Hall - 2-3, 2B, RBI
Kendal - 1-4, RBI

Prince Fielder is the only Brewer to not record a hit today.

The most encouraging aspect of tonight’s game had to be the work of Rickie Weeks and Mike Cameron at the top of the order. When they are getting on base with consistency, the offense is completely different. Pitchers have to pitch Ryan Braun and Fielder differently. The middle of the lineup is like a firecracker waiting to go off and scatter hits in twenty different directions.

I’m not ready to declare the offense back on track tonight. Notice the “tease” in the title. The Crew needs to do a little more than string two games of solid offense together first. The offense has to put hits together on someone other than a left-handed pitcher who had a 5.02 ERA last season. They need to not squander runs on the basepaths. I realize I am being a little harsh and nitpicky, but I can definitely see the team reverting back to its sluggish ways tomorrow.

With that said, Bill Hall and JJ Hardy are looking better. Billy is shooting the ball up the middle (granted it was against a lefty) and drawing walks. Hardy is driving the ball a little more. It is certainly nice to see Corey Hart get the power back in his bat. He has hit two home runs in the past three games, and the opposite field power he flashed today proves he’s seeing the ball better.

Anyway, enough about the offense. I just haven’t had the opportunity to write good things about that subject lately. On to the pitching. Manny Parra pitched decently today. He almost got a quality start again for the Crew, but his pitch-count was far too high early in the game. The lefty only had one walk in his five and two-thirds innings, but he did not pound the strike zone. Again, that is simply getting picky in a well-pitched game by Manny.

Seth McClung, who will be in the starting rotation starting Saturday, relieved Manny and got out of a two-on, two-out jam. He then quickly dispatched of the Pirates in the seventh, sitting them down one-two-three. I’m not totally convinced Seth can flourish as a starter, but I am willing to give him a try. It is intriguing at least. He will need to develop a third pitch more consistently if he is going to succeed in the second or third time in the order. The announcers are claiming he’s working on a change-up, but that is still up in the air.

The success of Eric Gagne, on the other hand, is not up in the air. The closer came into the game in the ninth inning to get some work and looked utterly awful. The control was not there, he gave up a home run to Jason Bay, and he made another pitcher work in a blowout. I will not get too upset, as I am busy enjoying this win, but I am clearly not happy about it.

Records: Brewers (21-24); Pirates (21-24)

Hero of the Game: Corey Hart

As Dan pointed out today, Corey has been the most consistent Brewer in the lineup this season. People have been concerned with his lack of power, but his power stroke has been heating up the past few days. He socked another homer this evening, taking former Brewers-prospect Marino Salas to right with authority. Corey went 2-5 and is batting .303. Solid, solid, solid.

I considered Mike Cameron for the hero, but his baserunning gaffs were too much to overcome. You cannot get doubled off on a line drive to the right fielder. The caught stealing was not his fault, but it certainly killed the momentum the Brewers had in the fifth inning. Still, the Brewers would obviously benefit greatly if Cam got the stick working.

Goat of the Game: Eric Gagne

Really Eric? You felt it necessary to come in during the ninth inning and try to ruin the happiness that ran through me during the game? That is just cruel. He fell behind hitters. His fastball lacked the pop we have seen in the past couple weeks. It could just be because he has not pitched in a while. Either way, I am annoyed.

On Tap

Ben Sheets will face Ian Snell as the Brewers attempt to clinch the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road. The contest will start at 6:05pm CT. It should be a good one if you like pitching.

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

Another blown save leads to Brewers loss

I called for Eric Gagne’s head in the closer’s role.  I wanted Guillermo Mota to get a shot in the ninth inning.  He deserved a shot with the way he’s pitched this year.  Guillermo got the ball in the ninth tonight.  It did not go as planned, however.

Mota got too much of the plate with his fastball the whole inning, and he could not get the ball down to save his life.  A ball right down the middle of the plate to Andre Either and a belt-high fastball to Juan Pierre cost the Brewers the game tonight.  Guillermo got his chance.  He simply did not make the most of it.  It’s safe to say Gagne will be getting the ball again.

I suppose it is not correct to say Guillermo Mota cost the Brewers the game tonight.  The Brewers gave up the momentum in the seventh inning.  Manny Parra pitched his best game of the season to date, and the defense let him down in the top of the inning.  Prince Fielder made an error on a simple ground ball to first that cost the Brewers a run.  The Crew should have been out of the inning right there.  Instead, Juan Pierre got an at-bat.

Parra made a great pitch and got Pierre to get hardly any wood on it.  Instead of being an easy out, Ryan Braun had to make a diving play at the ball.  He had it in his glove on the way down, but the impact of his fall caused the ball to bounce out.  Another run scored.  After seven innings, it was 4-3 Brewers.  It should have been 4-1 Brewers.  Manny deserved a better fate tonight.

The Brewers offense was largely stagnant tonight, but they were able to put three runs on the board in the second inning.  Manny Parra delivered a bases-loaded single that scored two runs.  Jason Kendall followed up with a single of his own to make it 3-0.  After that, however, Milwaukee could not get much going besides a Corey Hart RBI-single.

If a tough loss were not bad enough, the Brewers may be without reliever David Riske for an extended period of time.  The team is calling it a hyper-extended right elbow right now.  I have a hunch that it could be something much more serious.  I am hoping that I do not hear the words “Tommy John” tomorrow at some point concerning Riske.  He will be examined by a team doctor tomorrow.

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

Hero of the Game: Manny Parra

Manny pitched a solid game today.  He mixed speeds and his pitches very well, and I was very happy to see him save his curveball for the third time through the order.  His troubles in the fifth and sixth innings may be alleviated by saving a pitch until that time.  The lefty even helped himself at the plate today, knocking in two Brewers with a single in the second.  Manny gave the Brewers another quality start tonight, and he should have gotten the win.  The Brewers defense and Guillermo Mota owe the rookie one after tonight.

Goat of the Game: Guillermo Mota

Guillermo has been brilliant this entire year thus far.  He’s been mixing his pitches well.  The big righty deserved a shot closing the game out.  I felt he was too reliant on his fastball tonight, as he hardly threw anything other than fastballs after Blake DeWitt grounded out to start the inning.  His slider was non-existent tonight, and he may have only thrown one or two of them.  Like I said earlier, Mota could not keep his fastball down in the zone tonight.  That is what cost him.  It’s only one appearance, and he’s been stellar thus far….but this one is tough to swallow.

On Tap

Ben Sheets will take on Chad Billingsley in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.  Game 3 will be at Miller Park, starting at 12:05pm CT.

Looking towards the future

After the Houston series, I began to think about how the Brewers will look a few seasons down the road.  How many years do we have before our core hits free agency?  Interestingly enough, a post on Brew Crew Ball offered a look at this same topic.  I’ll add a couple different things though.  I wrote this article a little off the cuff, so I may have forgotten a couple of prospects or different scenarios.  It will, however, be a good little summary of what the Brewers have in the foreseeable future.

• J.J. Hardy - arbitration eligible 2008-2010, FA in 2011
  

• Prince Fielder - arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012

• Corey Hart - arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012
  

• Rickie Weeks - arbitration eligible 2009-2011, FA in 2012

• Bill Hall - signed through 2010 w/ club option for 2011, FA in 2012

• Ryan Braun - arbitration eligible 2011-2014, FA in 2015
  

• Yovani Gallardo - arbitration eligible 2011-2014 (I believe), FA in 2015

• Carlos Villanueva - arbitration eligible 2010-2013, FA in 2014

As roguejim points out on BCB, it appears that 2012 will be the season where the core of the 2008 Brewers will walk.  What will the Brewers do?  What should they do?

First of all, if the Brewers want to have any hope of building a perennial winner, the organization cannot hand out big contracts that will handcuff the team for years to come.  Jeff Suppan got one of those deals.  It is not team friendly.  The Brewers cannot make a habit of signing players to long-term deals.

This is why I am wary of giving players like Ben Sheets and Prince Fielder long-term contracts.  People are being incredibly short-sighted with Sheets.  I understand he is a bona fide ace when in the rotation, but that is never a certainty.  Someone like Soup is making $10M per year.  You can only imagine what Sheeter would cost the Brewers.  They cannot set aside that type of money to an unknown entity.  Yovani Gallardo will be around to take up the ace position in the rotation, so Brewers fans should not fret too much.  Jeremy Jeffress is an intriguing arm in the farm system that could make a large impact in the rotation in just a couple of years.  Zach Braddock is more of a long-term project, but his arm is one to watch.  He’s a lefty that could step into the rotation in three or four years.  The Brewers also have a boatload of picks in the first three rounds of this seasons draft.  Jack Z will most likely draft a couple of college arms that can rise quickly through the system.  Ben Sheets will certainly be missed, but the Brewers cannot afford that price tag.

How about Prince Fielder?  Surely there is no one in the farm system that can replace that beast.  I will grant that point.  Prince is a special player, and a leader in the clubhouse.  If anyone would be worth a long-term deal, it would be Prince.  That is, if we were someone like the Chicago Cubs or the Atlanta Braves, he would be worth that type of contract.  The Brewers are a team that needs to build its core from within, and players like Prince Fielder allow Doug Melvin and Jack Z to develop a deep farm system.  When 2011 comes around, Prince can bring in four or five elite prospects and major league ready players.  Look at what Seattle gave up for Erik Bedard.  Do you really think the price of an elite player will dwindle by 2011?  The price may actually get steeper.  Prince will demand somewhere around $15-17M per year, and the Brewers can definitely not afford that contract.  The Brewers must get prospects for Prince.  They must replenish the system when they have the chance, especially when you have a player like Mat Gamel or Matt LaPorta that can step in to fill the void.  I’m sorry Brewers fans, but Prince will have to go.

J.J. Hardy and Bill Hall will be the first players that will give Milwaukee a difficult and delicate situation do deal with.  Hall looks to have found a home at third base, but his average leaves a lot to be desired.  Is he worth that $9.5M in 2011?  Is he worth the money when players like Mat Gamel and Taylor Green will be waiting in the wings by 2011?  If Bill can raise his average, the answer is a resounding yes.  That is a big if, however.  The Brewers organization may even look to trade Hall if Gamel can improve his defense at the hot corner.

J.J. Hardy, on the other hand, presents a much more difficult decision.  He is an absolute fan favorite, especially amongst the crowd that has two X-chromosomes.  Hardy is a fantastic defensive player, even if his range is a little limited.  His throws are right on the money consistently.  Fans never have to hold their collective breath when he fires the ball to first.  Besides his offensive explosion last year, however, Hardy has not proven that he can cut it offensively at short.  He is a dead pull-hitter, and prolonged slumps are not foreign to J.J.  Alcides Escobar will also make this decision more difficult.  His defense is better than J.J.’s, but he has much less power.  Melvin and the Brewers organization love Escobar at short, so his big league career is all but a foregone conclusion.  If I had to make a decision, I would trade J.J. when he is in the midst of a hot streak at the plate.  It would not be a popular move, but teams would give up a lot to get a young shortstop like Hardy.  Alcides is perhaps a year away from the big leagues, and Abraham Nunez or Craig Counsell could provide a stop-gap until then.  Hardy is the most expendable amongst all these players, and Melvin would be wise to make a move with Hardy before his stock goes too far down because of his lack of offense.

Rickie Weeks will ride out his time in Milwaukee.  I have no idea how his tenure will end, as he has the talent to be an All-Star second baseman.  He has not been able to turn that talent into consistent success at the big league level, however.  The Brewers have no one on the horizon that can play second base exceptionally well.  Callix Crabbe appeared to be promising, but the Brewers lost him to San Diego in the Rule 5 draft this season.  The farm system does have Michael Bell, who is a power-hitting second baseman that reminds me of Dan Uggla.  He strikes out too much and needs to improve his defense, but he can hit the long ball.  Eric Farris will be interesting this year though in his first season of professional baseball.  He could be someone to watch as a potential successor to Weeks at second.  Until then, the Brewers will deal with the ups-and-downs associated with Rickie Weeks until he becomes a free agent in 2012.

The outfield appears to be a strength for the upcoming years for the Milwaukee Brewers.  Corey Hart and Ryan Braun are not going anywhere anytime soon, and they are both excellent candidates for a long-term contract that would buy out their arbitration years.  I would not advise locking these players up to a long-term contract, but it could work out in the team’s favor with Ryan if they can get him locked up in the upcoming months.  At that point, Ryan would be more apt to take a pay-cut down the road in favor of getting paid more in the coming years.  The team could then buy out one of his free agency years.  Corey Hart could also be a candidate for this type of deal, but he is a little too close to his arbitration years to work out in the team’s favor.  Plus, the Brewers farm system is chock full of solid outfield prospects.  Matt LaPorta is the obvious candidate for an outfield gig, but so is Tony Gwynn Jr. Further down in the system, Hernan Iribarren made an impressive debut for the Crew last month.  He is a scrappy hitter that could make a run at a big league job next season.  Caleb Gindl and Lorenzo Cain are also intriguing prospects that could be elite players in a couple years.  In short, there are plenty of options for the Brewers in the outfield.

Now on to the pitching.  Yovani Gallardo, Carlos Villanueva, and Manny Parra will be with the team for the foreseeable future, but only Yo has proven to be a solid major league pitcher.  Parra and Villanueva certainly have the stuff and the make-up of a good major leaguer, but they have not proven it yet.  The farm system is a little concerning when it comes to pitching though.  Jeremy Jeffress and Zach Braddock are good arms in the farm system, as I said earlier, but they are a couple years away.  Zach Jackson has proven to be a bust thus far.  I do not see him in a big league uniform in Milwaukee, unfortunately for him.  He is a lefty, so Milwaukee will give him a chance though.  A pitcher to watch is Steve Hammond in Double-A Huntsville.  His strikeout rate has skyrocketed this season, and success has followed closely.  He has a developed arm, as he is 25, so the Brewers could push him up the ladder in the next year or so.

There are a couple of relievers in the farm system that could make some noise in Milwaukee in the coming years.  Both Omar Aguilar and Luis Pena are flame-throwing pitchers that are rising up the system.  Pena may get called up this season, and Aguilar could see Double-A in the coming months if his success continues.  A prospect who is more of a sleeper is Tim Dillard.  He has recently moved to the bullpen, and he has found success in Nashville.  He is a durable reliever that has good stuff.  Tim could become a reliever in the mold of Salomon Torres, someone who is durable and effective.

Besides those prospects, there is not too much on the horizon for Milwaukee concerning pitching.  That is one reason why trading J.J. Hardy could be such a beneficial option.  It could bring back a proven starter, while still securing a couple top prospects.  Milwaukee’s organization and Brewers fans cannot be shortsighted and try to win now and mortgage the future.  If they play their cards right, they have a chance to be a small-market team, yet compete for years to come.  They may just need to follow the mold of Oakland’s Billy Beane and make a couple of unpopular moves to secure success in the future.  The Brewers have the personnel to make such a franchise, they just need to put the plan into motion.

Mini-Round ‘em Up: Sunday

The Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Houston Astros again last night.  What is it with Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra when it comes to the fifth inning?  It is getting a little ridiculous…

• Jim Powell sums up what Brewers fans around the world thought and probably said when they heard about the Yovani Gallardo injury.
• MLB Trade Rumors indicates that there are four unnamed teams that are interested in Derrick Turnbow.  A trade seems unlikely, unless the Brewers are willing to eat some of the contract or take a comparable contract back in return (like the Guillermo Mota acquisition).  I suspect that Doug will try to get a deal done in the next few days.  If I had to guess which teams were interested, I would say the Tigers, Braves, White Sox, and Mariners.  Just guesses though.

  The post also notes that the Brewers passed on Gerald Laird.  I guess I did not realize that we were in the market for a player we do not need.

• Sticking with MLB Trade Rumors, the site says that the Texas Rangers are not interested in Derrick Turnbow.  I suspect that Doug attempted to get Laird for Turnbow, but the Rangers probably laughed at that deal.  The Rangers most likely then countered with an obnoxious deal, so the talk died quickly.
• The Junkball Blues makes the case for a four-man rotation for the majority of the next 71 games (the amount of games until the All-Star Break).  The kicker is that it makes the case for Jeff Weaver to replace Manny Parra in the rotation for the most part.  You want to know what is scary?  I could easily be brought around to that argument.  Manny’s lack of command and lack of going deep into games has been annoying thus far in 2008.  The starting rotation has problems, ladies and gentlemen…in case you have not noticed.