Brewers Rockies Series Recap

The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Colorado Rockies 6
Milwaukee Brewers 2 Colorado Rockies 7
Milwaukee Brewers 3 Colorado Rockies 2

MVPs of the Series:
Corey Hart: 5/12; 2 2B, R
Brad Hawpe: 4/9; 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, 3 BBs

No Brewer really stuck out this weekend as being overly productive, which is a good thing, but at the same time, only Corey Hart has been consistent this year. I could stand to see a few more walks with his .340 OBP, but other than that Corey has been solid. Even his defense, which I have complained about in the past has made some strides.

Brad Hawpe came off the DL on Friday and persisted to mangle the Brewers this weekend, especially on Friday, when his go ahead two run shot ended a six-game winning streak. But I like Brad Hawpe. Why? He may have finally waken up Ned Yost to the fact that being gritty and competitive does not make you a good major league talent. And Dave Bush I'm talking to you. Hawpe's two-out grand slam in the first inning on Saturday put the game out of reach almost immediately.

What was the Difference?:
The long ball, but a specific long ball. While the Rockies may have hit more long balls, and that alone could be the difference, but it was the fact that they were able to hit the big ones with runners on. Hawpe hit a 2-run and grand slam, which represents the margin of victory in the series.

Causes for Concern:
I said it in the preview, the Brewers need to take their walks, and yet they refuse to. In the first inning of Friday's game the Brewers gave up two big outs and still scored two runs. Gabe Kapler tried going first to third with no one out and was easily punched out and then Prince Fielder struck out on a ball four way out of the zone. And right before that, Rickie Weeks walked, stole a base and then scored on a base hit. So wait... walks pay off. Unfortunately, the walk isn't sexy enough for this crew. This is where the consistency is lacking. Notice the one game they won, they gathered six walks, THREE from Joe Dillon. Perhaps we should take note.

On the Rockies side of the ball, there isn't much to be concerned about, especially with Holliday and Tulowitzki coming back shortly. But there's always something to quell about your team and for the Rockies, it's their starting pitching. While they were phenomenal this weekend, there were definitely some chinks in the armor. Both Jiminez and Reynolds showed flashes of brilliance, Jiminez especially, but they were hardly consistent. If Colorado expects to return to the playoffs, they're going to need a huge run, and they'll need these guys to stop showing flashes and just bee good.

Causes for Excitement:
Besides Ben Sheets, the Brewers have been cheering for the two heroes of Sunday, Carlos Villanueva and Salomon Torres... and they should be. The Brewers gave the Rockies an extra out and an extra base with two big errors, but these guys stuck to their guns and earned their pay check. Villanueva has not given up a run since returning to the bullpen and looks like a completely different pitcher out there. Torres hasn't blown a save since taking over and is showing that it doesn't take $10 million to make a closer.

The Rockies have a lot to be excited for. Brad Hawpe came back from the disabled list with a vengeance. Matt Holliday is poised to return tonight (I think) and Troy Tulowitzki is on his way back later this month. If either of these guys make the kind of impact Hawpe had, the Rockies wont' have a problem continuing to fill the stands like they did this weekend. Furthermore, it doesn't hurt to see their starters finally put it together. Considering how awful their pitching has been, it was nice to see these guys show the kind of the success they had in the minors.