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.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Brewers Rockies Series Preview
The Series:
Milwaukee Brewers (32-28) @ Colorado Rockies (22-38)
Who's on Tap?:
June 6th: Ben Sheets (6-1, 2.71 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-6, 5.37 ERA)
June 7th: Dave Bush (2-5, 5.49 ERA) vs. Greg Reynolds (0-3, 5.72 ERA)
June 8th: Jeff Suppan (3-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Jeff Francis (2-5, 5.53 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
Ben Sheets wants some money, and damnit, it's contract year. Sheets has been phenomenal thus far and should have at least three more wins to his record. Nevertheless, he's doing what Brewer fans have been wanting for three years, and that's actually pitching. It's unfortunate too because the Brewers are going to be in it long enough to not be able to send him off, and as a result will only get two compensatory picks for him in next year's drat (unless somehow Mark finds more money in his wallet). Sheets got an extra day of rest this week after his 8.2 inning performance against the Astros. I have no doubt it helped and Sheets will probably match his performance against a struggling Rockies squad. On the offensive side of things, Prince Fielder is heating up. If I've learned anything about watching nearly every game last year, it's that Prince does it in bunches. Jimenez doesn't give up too many homeruns, but Greg Reynolds and Jeff Francis sure do (8 in just 28 innings and 12 in 71.2 innging of work, respectively). Look for Prince to continue his onslaught and finally stop the media from talking garbage about him being upset.
On the mile high home side, keep your eye on Brian Fuentes, who is turning into big time trade bait as the Rockies fall further and further away from the playoffs. The hole they're digging now is perhaps too big to pull out of like last year's incredible run, and Brian Fuentes has a lot of followers, especially on the east coast. Fuentes pretty much fell into the closer's role since Manny Corpas has floundered, very similarly to Eric Gagne. Though I suspect, Gagne's has a lot more to do with substances than Manny's. Anyways, Fuentes has been solid, saving eight games while striking out 22 and walking only eight while accumulating a 2.55 ERA in 24.2 innings of work. A lot of people would appreciate his work, even if it is only for a couple of months. At the plate, things haven't changed much for the Rockies. With Tulowitzki still out, Matt Holliday continues to be the guy to watch, but guess what, he's on the DL too. Clint Barnes, who's batting .343 this year in place of Tulowitzki? DL. Brad Hawpe? DL. It's been a pretty tough year. But I have to find somebody and that somebody is Todd Helton. Helton is having a great year, as usual. If you're a career .330/.430/.578 hitters, you'll be just fine. Helton's numbers are down a bit this year (.292/.418/.426), but he'll play an important role for the Rockies if they plan on winning a game this series.
Keys to Victory:
The Brewers need need NEED to take their walks this series. Ubaldo Jimenez has walked 36 batters in 63.2 innings this year. Jeff Francis has walked 28 in 71 and Reynolds 18 in just 28.1. The Brewers are relying far too much on getting multiple hits in an inning to score runs. Why not take the free ride boys? Guess how many more multi-run homers you could have if you just knew what a strike was! Braun, in my opinion, is the biggest culprit. Braun is batting .299, but he's only walked 11 times in 257 PAs. That's not very good and has led to an league average .331 OBP. Anyone else take note of Todd Helton's 100 point isopatience (OBP-BA)? Can you imagine what the Brewers could do if their best hitter walked at that kind of clip? And then toss in the fact that he's swinging at better pitches more often. It's not rocket science.
The Rockies need their young starting pitchers to show some progress, but the offense is going to struggle mightily with that many guys on the DL. Spilborghs, Helton and Atkins are the only three guys to fear in the lineup and if the Brewers are smart enough to pitch around Helton, runs are going to be hard to come by for the Rox. As a result, they'll need some solid pitching that's not from Aaron Cook. Yes, the Brewers dodge another team's number one guy. Jimenez has shown flashes of good stuff, but is far from consistent. Francis has never been overwhelmingly good and Reynolds is simply taking up space and denying Taylor Bucholz another opportunity as a starting pitcher. Give the Rockies' fans a reason to be excited for the second half and make this a good series.
Predictions and Notes:
There's one thing that makes me really uncomfortable about this weekend. The Brewers suck terribly against pitchers they've never seen before and the Brewers have never seen Jimenez or Reynolds. With that being said, the Rockies are in really bad shape at the dish. With so many guys on the DL, it's really hard to believe they have a shot against a team as hot as the Brewers. As a result, I'm going to say the Brewers take two out of three. I want to say sweep, but that would be fantastic, but realistically, the Brewers will need to have the Rockies give the game away like Arizona did on Monday to take all three. Brewers 6-1 tonight, Rox 2-1 on Saturday and 5-4 Brewers on Sunday.
I won't be around this weekend, as it's my niece's baptism, but I'll do my best to get out a few recaps. The procedure went well on Tuesday, and it looks like they've finally got things diagnosed properly, but man are doctors frustrating. I'll try to do a little bit of an analysis of the draft after today's picks, but at this point, I've been pretty pleased. The Lawrie pick could be a good one in the long run, though he's really ambitious to think he'll be in the bigs as quick as Braun was. Nevertheless, he's got the makings of a solid catcher. If Angel Salome pans out, we could get a lot for the kid or vice versa. I really liked the pickup of the shortstop Jose Duran, who I believe was the Big 12 player of the year since replacing Brandon Hicks who was a third round draft pick last year. I'm a little worried about his glove, but I think he could be a solid back up or utility player of the future.
Milwaukee Brewers (32-28) @ Colorado Rockies (22-38)
Who's on Tap?:
June 6th: Ben Sheets (6-1, 2.71 ERA) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-6, 5.37 ERA)
June 7th: Dave Bush (2-5, 5.49 ERA) vs. Greg Reynolds (0-3, 5.72 ERA)
June 8th: Jeff Suppan (3-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Jeff Francis (2-5, 5.53 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
Ben Sheets wants some money, and damnit, it's contract year. Sheets has been phenomenal thus far and should have at least three more wins to his record. Nevertheless, he's doing what Brewer fans have been wanting for three years, and that's actually pitching. It's unfortunate too because the Brewers are going to be in it long enough to not be able to send him off, and as a result will only get two compensatory picks for him in next year's drat (unless somehow Mark finds more money in his wallet). Sheets got an extra day of rest this week after his 8.2 inning performance against the Astros. I have no doubt it helped and Sheets will probably match his performance against a struggling Rockies squad. On the offensive side of things, Prince Fielder is heating up. If I've learned anything about watching nearly every game last year, it's that Prince does it in bunches. Jimenez doesn't give up too many homeruns, but Greg Reynolds and Jeff Francis sure do (8 in just 28 innings and 12 in 71.2 innging of work, respectively). Look for Prince to continue his onslaught and finally stop the media from talking garbage about him being upset.
On the mile high home side, keep your eye on Brian Fuentes, who is turning into big time trade bait as the Rockies fall further and further away from the playoffs. The hole they're digging now is perhaps too big to pull out of like last year's incredible run, and Brian Fuentes has a lot of followers, especially on the east coast. Fuentes pretty much fell into the closer's role since Manny Corpas has floundered, very similarly to Eric Gagne. Though I suspect, Gagne's has a lot more to do with substances than Manny's. Anyways, Fuentes has been solid, saving eight games while striking out 22 and walking only eight while accumulating a 2.55 ERA in 24.2 innings of work. A lot of people would appreciate his work, even if it is only for a couple of months. At the plate, things haven't changed much for the Rockies. With Tulowitzki still out, Matt Holliday continues to be the guy to watch, but guess what, he's on the DL too. Clint Barnes, who's batting .343 this year in place of Tulowitzki? DL. Brad Hawpe? DL. It's been a pretty tough year. But I have to find somebody and that somebody is Todd Helton. Helton is having a great year, as usual. If you're a career .330/.430/.578 hitters, you'll be just fine. Helton's numbers are down a bit this year (.292/.418/.426), but he'll play an important role for the Rockies if they plan on winning a game this series.
Keys to Victory:
The Brewers need need NEED to take their walks this series. Ubaldo Jimenez has walked 36 batters in 63.2 innings this year. Jeff Francis has walked 28 in 71 and Reynolds 18 in just 28.1. The Brewers are relying far too much on getting multiple hits in an inning to score runs. Why not take the free ride boys? Guess how many more multi-run homers you could have if you just knew what a strike was! Braun, in my opinion, is the biggest culprit. Braun is batting .299, but he's only walked 11 times in 257 PAs. That's not very good and has led to an league average .331 OBP. Anyone else take note of Todd Helton's 100 point isopatience (OBP-BA)? Can you imagine what the Brewers could do if their best hitter walked at that kind of clip? And then toss in the fact that he's swinging at better pitches more often. It's not rocket science.
The Rockies need their young starting pitchers to show some progress, but the offense is going to struggle mightily with that many guys on the DL. Spilborghs, Helton and Atkins are the only three guys to fear in the lineup and if the Brewers are smart enough to pitch around Helton, runs are going to be hard to come by for the Rox. As a result, they'll need some solid pitching that's not from Aaron Cook. Yes, the Brewers dodge another team's number one guy. Jimenez has shown flashes of good stuff, but is far from consistent. Francis has never been overwhelmingly good and Reynolds is simply taking up space and denying Taylor Bucholz another opportunity as a starting pitcher. Give the Rockies' fans a reason to be excited for the second half and make this a good series.
Predictions and Notes:
There's one thing that makes me really uncomfortable about this weekend. The Brewers suck terribly against pitchers they've never seen before and the Brewers have never seen Jimenez or Reynolds. With that being said, the Rockies are in really bad shape at the dish. With so many guys on the DL, it's really hard to believe they have a shot against a team as hot as the Brewers. As a result, I'm going to say the Brewers take two out of three. I want to say sweep, but that would be fantastic, but realistically, the Brewers will need to have the Rockies give the game away like Arizona did on Monday to take all three. Brewers 6-1 tonight, Rox 2-1 on Saturday and 5-4 Brewers on Sunday.
I won't be around this weekend, as it's my niece's baptism, but I'll do my best to get out a few recaps. The procedure went well on Tuesday, and it looks like they've finally got things diagnosed properly, but man are doctors frustrating. I'll try to do a little bit of an analysis of the draft after today's picks, but at this point, I've been pretty pleased. The Lawrie pick could be a good one in the long run, though he's really ambitious to think he'll be in the bigs as quick as Braun was. Nevertheless, he's got the makings of a solid catcher. If Angel Salome pans out, we could get a lot for the kid or vice versa. I really liked the pickup of the shortstop Jose Duran, who I believe was the Big 12 player of the year since replacing Brandon Hicks who was a third round draft pick last year. I'm a little worried about his glove, but I think he could be a solid back up or utility player of the future.
Brewers D'Backs Series Recap
The Scores:
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Arizona Diamondbacks 3
Milwaukee Brewers 7 Arizona Diamondbacks 1
Milwaukee Brewers 10 Arizona Diamondbacks 1
MVPs of the Series:
Prince Fielder: 5/11, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, BB, SB, 5 Rs
Mark Reynolds: 5/11, 2B, 3 RBIs, BB
Prince Fielder flat out produced. It wasn't always impressive, but his play was key to the victory on Monday and set the tone for the following two games. It's time for this guy to find his power stroke and carry the team for a few weeks because Hart and Braun have done it for far too long this year. With the Cubs still streaking and facing miserable teams on the West Coast, Prince and the offense will need to continue to hit on all cylinders... especially because they didn't walk much this series.
Mark Reynolds was really the only D'Back who had a reasonable series. Unfortunately, five hits really didn't produce all that much, and the D'Backs have fallin' into oblivion, having been swept by both the Cubs and the Brewers this year. Pitching can't carry you every where and with Byrnes and Jackson out for some time, the D'Backs need to do something to stop the bleeding.
What was the Difference?:
Power and ultimately offense. The D'Backs only had one home run this series, while the Brewers picked up six of them. In the end, the Brewers just exerted their will on AZ with incredible play from almost every position on the field. Even with Weeks and Cameron still not producing, the 3-4-5-6 spots in the lineup are not messing around. I can't imagine what would happen if Weeks and Cameron did their job.
While it wasn't really the difference in the series in my book, something is to be said for the Brewers pitching staff, who in this six game winning streak having only given up eight runs. And the important thing about this series sweep is that Ben Sheets was not a part of it. Furthermore, Sheets got an extra day of rest yesterday to give him a better shot at keeping this run going. The bullpen continues to be practically perfect, and Salomon Torres has established himself as the closer, no matter how much Attanasio is paying Eric Gagne.
Causes for Concern:
The Diamondbacks have to be utterly frightened. Their offense has fallen apart, their defense looked atrocious and to top it all off, the move to the bullpen for Max Scherzer has not really been a good one. I still don't think letting Davis right back in was a good move, but that's just me. The biggest concern is obviously on the offensive side of the field. Arizona only managed 20 hits in three games and really gave up at the plate during Wednesday's game. I know it's tough getting things going after losing two of your top offensive guys, but somebody needs to step up. Thus far, nobody truly has.
In the home team dugout, you can't help but think that everything is hunky dory. Truth be told, it's not, at least not for me. While the Brewers have scored a lot of runs the past week, they've relied far too much on the long ball and were essentially given the game on Monday by the errors committed by the Diamondbacks. The on-base percentage continues to be far too low to score this many runs and until those even out, I will have doubts about this team. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be winning, and happy about this run out of the basement, but there is still a ton of work to be done.
Causes for Excitement:
The Diamondbacks really don't have much to be happy about, but for me, I can't help but say something about Doug Davis and Randy Johnson, who both pitched particularly well this week, despite the scoreboard. Davis was the victim of two really big errors and Randy Johnson simply ran out of gas in the 7th, but both look good, which could be a big plus when the offense gets back on their feet. Everything else was pretty much atrocious and a bit disappointing since I attended the two blow out games. The Brewers needed them, but competitive baseball games are much more fun for me to watch.
The Brewers continue to have faith in their bullpen and couldn't be happier about a strict platoon at third base. Branyan's power has been phenomenal, and his inability to ground into double plays is even better. The starting rotation has rolled through one more time without a hitch and the team is playing their next six games against teams they are clearly better than. This was a big homestand that sends them on the road with a ton of momentum that should carry them to nine straight after winning three against a really awful Colorado team. But you never know. You can only watch, enjoy and cheer.
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Arizona Diamondbacks 3
Milwaukee Brewers 7 Arizona Diamondbacks 1
Milwaukee Brewers 10 Arizona Diamondbacks 1
MVPs of the Series:
Prince Fielder: 5/11, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, BB, SB, 5 Rs
Mark Reynolds: 5/11, 2B, 3 RBIs, BB
Prince Fielder flat out produced. It wasn't always impressive, but his play was key to the victory on Monday and set the tone for the following two games. It's time for this guy to find his power stroke and carry the team for a few weeks because Hart and Braun have done it for far too long this year. With the Cubs still streaking and facing miserable teams on the West Coast, Prince and the offense will need to continue to hit on all cylinders... especially because they didn't walk much this series.
Mark Reynolds was really the only D'Back who had a reasonable series. Unfortunately, five hits really didn't produce all that much, and the D'Backs have fallin' into oblivion, having been swept by both the Cubs and the Brewers this year. Pitching can't carry you every where and with Byrnes and Jackson out for some time, the D'Backs need to do something to stop the bleeding.
What was the Difference?:
Power and ultimately offense. The D'Backs only had one home run this series, while the Brewers picked up six of them. In the end, the Brewers just exerted their will on AZ with incredible play from almost every position on the field. Even with Weeks and Cameron still not producing, the 3-4-5-6 spots in the lineup are not messing around. I can't imagine what would happen if Weeks and Cameron did their job.
While it wasn't really the difference in the series in my book, something is to be said for the Brewers pitching staff, who in this six game winning streak having only given up eight runs. And the important thing about this series sweep is that Ben Sheets was not a part of it. Furthermore, Sheets got an extra day of rest yesterday to give him a better shot at keeping this run going. The bullpen continues to be practically perfect, and Salomon Torres has established himself as the closer, no matter how much Attanasio is paying Eric Gagne.
Causes for Concern:
The Diamondbacks have to be utterly frightened. Their offense has fallen apart, their defense looked atrocious and to top it all off, the move to the bullpen for Max Scherzer has not really been a good one. I still don't think letting Davis right back in was a good move, but that's just me. The biggest concern is obviously on the offensive side of the field. Arizona only managed 20 hits in three games and really gave up at the plate during Wednesday's game. I know it's tough getting things going after losing two of your top offensive guys, but somebody needs to step up. Thus far, nobody truly has.
In the home team dugout, you can't help but think that everything is hunky dory. Truth be told, it's not, at least not for me. While the Brewers have scored a lot of runs the past week, they've relied far too much on the long ball and were essentially given the game on Monday by the errors committed by the Diamondbacks. The on-base percentage continues to be far too low to score this many runs and until those even out, I will have doubts about this team. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be winning, and happy about this run out of the basement, but there is still a ton of work to be done.
Causes for Excitement:
The Diamondbacks really don't have much to be happy about, but for me, I can't help but say something about Doug Davis and Randy Johnson, who both pitched particularly well this week, despite the scoreboard. Davis was the victim of two really big errors and Randy Johnson simply ran out of gas in the 7th, but both look good, which could be a big plus when the offense gets back on their feet. Everything else was pretty much atrocious and a bit disappointing since I attended the two blow out games. The Brewers needed them, but competitive baseball games are much more fun for me to watch.
The Brewers continue to have faith in their bullpen and couldn't be happier about a strict platoon at third base. Branyan's power has been phenomenal, and his inability to ground into double plays is even better. The starting rotation has rolled through one more time without a hitch and the team is playing their next six games against teams they are clearly better than. This was a big homestand that sends them on the road with a ton of momentum that should carry them to nine straight after winning three against a really awful Colorado team. But you never know. You can only watch, enjoy and cheer.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Brewers D'Backs Game 2 Recap
The Score:
Brewers 7 D'Backs 1
MVPs of the Game:
JJ Hardy: 2/4; HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R
Mark Reynolds: 2/3; 2B, RBI, BB
Game Recap:
Seth McClung pitching six innings of one run ball and almost garnered himself a nod as player of the game in my book, especially because had the first two hits of his career, both against future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson. The Brewers offense struggled badly early in the game as always, but McClung was able to keep them close by locating his fast ball and getting a big double play to stop a vital threat in the third. Ryan Braun rewarded him by smoking an 0-1 hanging slider deep into the left field bleachers giving the Brewers a lead that they would never relinquish.
Tuesday's game only lasted two hours and twenty minutes, and that had a lot to do with Randy Johnson, who struck out eight over 6.1. His first K against Mike Cameron pushed him into second place for all-time strikeouts, moving ahead of Roger Clemens... thank God. Johnson continued to mow down the Brewers batters, embarrassing him with the slider I'm so used to seeing and it was just as nice live, even as sedated as I was. But Seth McClung was just as lights out in clearly his best start of the year. McClung went six innings, giving up only one run and six hits while striking out four. But the key... the key, as it is for all Brewers starters, was Seth did not walk a batter and pounded the strike zone, throwing 53 of his 79 pitches for strikes.
When McClung walked off in the 6th, he probably didn't think he was going to get a victory over Randy Johnson, but he would have been wrong. The first sign was Johnson walking Mike Cameron on four straight pitches, which for me, showed Johnson was floundering. Ryan Braun made him pay with his two run shot, giving the Brewers a 2-1 in the sixth. The Brewers weren't done yet and Bob Melvin wasn't smart enough to pull his pitcher whose stuff was clearly not biting as hard and not hitting the spots he wanted.
After a scoreless inning from Tim Dillard in the 7th, JJ Hardy lead off with a single to the opposite field. After a soft fly by Jason Kendall, Joe Dillon walked to the plate for yet another pinch hit. Dillon's double down the right field line would barely score Hardy from first. The throw to the plate would allow Dillon to move to third, and score on a sac fly by Rickie Weeks giving the Brewers a 4-1 lead. Prince Fielder would tack on a solo shot in the eighth off of Max Scherzer and JJ would follow up with a 2-run shot of his own. This allowed Brian Shouse to pitch two perfect innings of relief and pick up his second save of the year.
Game Changing Play:
The four pitch walk of Mike Cameron really sticks out in my head. Randy Johnson just didn't look the same after that and taking advantage of that was important, making Ryan Braun's two-run blast last night's GCP.
Notes:
I'm going to admit the predictions analysis from now on and just do a notes section. I'll continue to make my predictions in the series preview, but I've realized that it's just not necessary to go through each one and tell you if I was right or not. Instead, I'll just throw up some notes from the game that I couldn't cover in the game recap or perhaps discuss some of the problems the teams has been having.
- If you think the Brewers are playing great baseball, you're only partially right. Their offense may be scoring runs, but they're not going to win consistently unless they start believing in the walk. The Brewers only walked once against Randy Johnson and twice against Doug Davis. I will keep ranting and raving about on-base until I see it. Just ask the Cubs how they score millions of runs. It's not just because they hit the ball hard, but because every single guy on that team has an OBP higher than the league average.
- Bill Hall got booed loudly last night. If there's anything you should gather from this, it's that Milwaukee is a blue-collar town and doesn't put up with whiney players who demand trades when they play like shit and aren't willing to live up to it.
Who's on Tap?:
I'll be attending today's day game pitting Manny Parra against Micah Owings. Should be a good one. Let's see if the Brewers can finish the home stand 8-1.
Brewers 7 D'Backs 1
MVPs of the Game:
JJ Hardy: 2/4; HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R
Mark Reynolds: 2/3; 2B, RBI, BB
Game Recap:
Seth McClung pitching six innings of one run ball and almost garnered himself a nod as player of the game in my book, especially because had the first two hits of his career, both against future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson. The Brewers offense struggled badly early in the game as always, but McClung was able to keep them close by locating his fast ball and getting a big double play to stop a vital threat in the third. Ryan Braun rewarded him by smoking an 0-1 hanging slider deep into the left field bleachers giving the Brewers a lead that they would never relinquish.
Tuesday's game only lasted two hours and twenty minutes, and that had a lot to do with Randy Johnson, who struck out eight over 6.1. His first K against Mike Cameron pushed him into second place for all-time strikeouts, moving ahead of Roger Clemens... thank God. Johnson continued to mow down the Brewers batters, embarrassing him with the slider I'm so used to seeing and it was just as nice live, even as sedated as I was. But Seth McClung was just as lights out in clearly his best start of the year. McClung went six innings, giving up only one run and six hits while striking out four. But the key... the key, as it is for all Brewers starters, was Seth did not walk a batter and pounded the strike zone, throwing 53 of his 79 pitches for strikes.
When McClung walked off in the 6th, he probably didn't think he was going to get a victory over Randy Johnson, but he would have been wrong. The first sign was Johnson walking Mike Cameron on four straight pitches, which for me, showed Johnson was floundering. Ryan Braun made him pay with his two run shot, giving the Brewers a 2-1 in the sixth. The Brewers weren't done yet and Bob Melvin wasn't smart enough to pull his pitcher whose stuff was clearly not biting as hard and not hitting the spots he wanted.
After a scoreless inning from Tim Dillard in the 7th, JJ Hardy lead off with a single to the opposite field. After a soft fly by Jason Kendall, Joe Dillon walked to the plate for yet another pinch hit. Dillon's double down the right field line would barely score Hardy from first. The throw to the plate would allow Dillon to move to third, and score on a sac fly by Rickie Weeks giving the Brewers a 4-1 lead. Prince Fielder would tack on a solo shot in the eighth off of Max Scherzer and JJ would follow up with a 2-run shot of his own. This allowed Brian Shouse to pitch two perfect innings of relief and pick up his second save of the year.
Game Changing Play:
The four pitch walk of Mike Cameron really sticks out in my head. Randy Johnson just didn't look the same after that and taking advantage of that was important, making Ryan Braun's two-run blast last night's GCP.
Notes:
I'm going to admit the predictions analysis from now on and just do a notes section. I'll continue to make my predictions in the series preview, but I've realized that it's just not necessary to go through each one and tell you if I was right or not. Instead, I'll just throw up some notes from the game that I couldn't cover in the game recap or perhaps discuss some of the problems the teams has been having.
- If you think the Brewers are playing great baseball, you're only partially right. Their offense may be scoring runs, but they're not going to win consistently unless they start believing in the walk. The Brewers only walked once against Randy Johnson and twice against Doug Davis. I will keep ranting and raving about on-base until I see it. Just ask the Cubs how they score millions of runs. It's not just because they hit the ball hard, but because every single guy on that team has an OBP higher than the league average.
- Bill Hall got booed loudly last night. If there's anything you should gather from this, it's that Milwaukee is a blue-collar town and doesn't put up with whiney players who demand trades when they play like shit and aren't willing to live up to it.
Who's on Tap?:
I'll be attending today's day game pitting Manny Parra against Micah Owings. Should be a good one. Let's see if the Brewers can finish the home stand 8-1.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Where do the Brewers go in the Draft?
The Brewers hold the 16th draft pick in Thursday's First-Year Player Draft, and there are speculations flying all over the internet. Why? Mostly because the FYPD is the most unpredictable draft, but I would also suggest that everyone is trying to find out where their organization is going. For the first time in a long time the Brewers have the opportunity to have a big impact in the first two rounds of the draft. In the past they were limited to a couple of picks, but this year, with the losses of free agents like Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink, the Brewers have accumulated six picks in the first 62 selections. What should they do?
I'm not particularly familiar with the prospects that are out there, except for what I've read at BrewerFan and Baseball America, but I do know there are some glaring holes in our system that could use some assurance. First of all, the pitching depth is atrocious. If you look at the numbers of Nashville and Brevard County pitchers, there's a lot to be desired, specifically on the starters front. With the exception of guys like Jeremy Jeffress and maybe Lindsay Gulin, there isn't a prospect at any level that has shown legitimate promise and should be considered for a call-up. As a result, Jack Zduriencik needs to seriously consider finding a legitimate starter out of college, not high school. The Brewers already made that mistake twice with Mike Jones and Jeremy Jeffress. Conceivably a guy out of college can be groomed within three years and tossed out on the mound. I would even be ok with two legitimate starters with those first six.
But that's only two picks. Jack's got four more to work with. At some point you just go with the best player on the board, ala Ted Thompson, and you have to consider signability as well. All things withstanding, Jack will have to work on suring up the 2B spot in the minors with either a college or high school player. The current situation is pretty bleak, with Callix Crabbe, Brent Brewer and Mike Bell not showing a terrible amount of promise. Jemile Weeks, Rickie's brother, will not be available at 16, but if he was, I'd pick him up in a heartbeat considering his speed and glove project him as a leadoff hitter and he would be only three years away from the bigs. Not sure who else is available, but the position needs to be filled.
Beyond that, I'd really have to consider finding a solid left handed pitcher. Zach Jackson has officially proven his worth, or lack there of. He's shown incredible improvement and the move to relief has been a positive one, but he just hasn't been able to pull it all the way together and is on the change of scenery track. With the trades of Dana Eveland and Joe Thatcher, the Brewers have zero major league ready lefties with the exception, maybe, of Chris Narveson, who is struggling in Nashville. Again, I would stick to the college ranks if at all possible because the high school experiment that Jack has done over the last few years has not paid off and there is no way to determine the potential injury risk of high school ball players.
But there is one position I would have no problem with the Brewers going high school, and that's third base. With Gamel likely getting a call up around the trade deadline and the imminent trade of Bill Hall, the Brewers have to develop some more hot corner prospects just in case Gamel's defense completely falters. I doubt Gamel is a fake. Everything I've read and heard, the kid is legit at the plate and the improvement is real as well. As a result, you can afford to delve into the talent of the high school ranks and work on his development in a system that has really proved its worth.
When push comes to shove, this is the MLB draft and there's not a person out there who can predict the first two rounds because it's such a mental thing for GMs and scouts. They have to ask if he's signable, if he's injury prone, if his mechanics will lead to bigger problems, if he faltered as the season progressed, if he controls three or four pitches and so on and son on. In the end, the positions that we need to sure up may or may not make sense at that pick considering the class of prospects coming in. The most important holes are at second and starting pitching. Anything beyond that, I'll trust Jack.
I'm not particularly familiar with the prospects that are out there, except for what I've read at BrewerFan and Baseball America, but I do know there are some glaring holes in our system that could use some assurance. First of all, the pitching depth is atrocious. If you look at the numbers of Nashville and Brevard County pitchers, there's a lot to be desired, specifically on the starters front. With the exception of guys like Jeremy Jeffress and maybe Lindsay Gulin, there isn't a prospect at any level that has shown legitimate promise and should be considered for a call-up. As a result, Jack Zduriencik needs to seriously consider finding a legitimate starter out of college, not high school. The Brewers already made that mistake twice with Mike Jones and Jeremy Jeffress. Conceivably a guy out of college can be groomed within three years and tossed out on the mound. I would even be ok with two legitimate starters with those first six.
But that's only two picks. Jack's got four more to work with. At some point you just go with the best player on the board, ala Ted Thompson, and you have to consider signability as well. All things withstanding, Jack will have to work on suring up the 2B spot in the minors with either a college or high school player. The current situation is pretty bleak, with Callix Crabbe, Brent Brewer and Mike Bell not showing a terrible amount of promise. Jemile Weeks, Rickie's brother, will not be available at 16, but if he was, I'd pick him up in a heartbeat considering his speed and glove project him as a leadoff hitter and he would be only three years away from the bigs. Not sure who else is available, but the position needs to be filled.
Beyond that, I'd really have to consider finding a solid left handed pitcher. Zach Jackson has officially proven his worth, or lack there of. He's shown incredible improvement and the move to relief has been a positive one, but he just hasn't been able to pull it all the way together and is on the change of scenery track. With the trades of Dana Eveland and Joe Thatcher, the Brewers have zero major league ready lefties with the exception, maybe, of Chris Narveson, who is struggling in Nashville. Again, I would stick to the college ranks if at all possible because the high school experiment that Jack has done over the last few years has not paid off and there is no way to determine the potential injury risk of high school ball players.
But there is one position I would have no problem with the Brewers going high school, and that's third base. With Gamel likely getting a call up around the trade deadline and the imminent trade of Bill Hall, the Brewers have to develop some more hot corner prospects just in case Gamel's defense completely falters. I doubt Gamel is a fake. Everything I've read and heard, the kid is legit at the plate and the improvement is real as well. As a result, you can afford to delve into the talent of the high school ranks and work on his development in a system that has really proved its worth.
When push comes to shove, this is the MLB draft and there's not a person out there who can predict the first two rounds because it's such a mental thing for GMs and scouts. They have to ask if he's signable, if he's injury prone, if his mechanics will lead to bigger problems, if he faltered as the season progressed, if he controls three or four pitches and so on and son on. In the end, the positions that we need to sure up may or may not make sense at that pick considering the class of prospects coming in. The most important holes are at second and starting pitching. Anything beyond that, I'll trust Jack.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Brewers D'Backs Series Preview
Edit: Ignore anything about Eric Byrnes. He's on the DL and it sounds like Conor Jackson is headed there as well. I guess being out of the loop for the last week has ruined my ability to be terribly credible. Sorry. Time to get back on the horse.
The Series:
Arizona D'Backs (32-25) @ Milwaukee Brewers (29-28)
Who's on Tap?:
June 2nd: Jeff Suppan (3-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Doug Davis (2-2, 4.57 ERA)
June 3rd: Seth McClung (2-2, 4.80 ERA) vs. Randy Johnson (4-1, 3.83 ERA)
June 4th: Manny Parra (3-2, 4.72 ERA) vs. Micah Owings (6-3, 4.17 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
If you don't know who Conor Jackson is, maybe you should. Jackson impressed a lot of people in April by hitting five bombs and hitting .348/.427/.640. Since then, he's calmed down a bit, hitting only one dinger, but his on-base remains a healthy .400. Jackson and Mark Reynolds will need to do some damage this week if they plan on slowing down the Brewers. On the mound, Doug Davis will be making his third start since returning for his highly publicized bout with thyroid cancer. Doug is only two months removed from his treatment, so the Brewers will have to be patient at the plate and rely on Davis' tendency to try and nibble the corners. If Doug gets a wide zone, he'll be solid, if it's tight, he could be lights out.
While the Brewer are riding high since winning 7 of 9, the D'Backs have struggled mightily the last two weeks going 4-9, mostly because of a lack of offense, but poor pitching was scattered in there as well. As a result, keep an eye on Jeff Suppan tonight. Soup has really frustrating stuff. We know he doesn't strike a lot of guys out, but groundballs that stop rallies could really frustrate this team, especially considering the problems they've had lately. The Brewers need to put them on the hook immediately and let Soup stay aggressive with runners on. Tonight's matchup is going to be slow and boring and therefore not that fun to watch, but it's a big game for both teams and will be an important indicator of the days to come. At the plate, watch out for Billy Hall, who will get starts tonight and tomorrow night against the Big Unit. Hall has an agenda and will hopefully make his case as a quality trading chip. If you didn't know already, Hall is hitting a ridiculous .404/.481/.681 this year against south paws. Often Hall's success is contagious. Mike Cameron's career splits against lefties could come in handy this week as well, as he went .294/.404/.510 against them last year.
Predictions and Notes:
This is going to be a tough series and it's about time the Brewers got to see a team that was on a downward skid without their two best pitchers throwing (Dan Haren and Brandon Webb). I'm pretty excited to see how this one turns out since the D'Backs, despite their struggles the last two weeks, are one of the top three teams in the NL right now. As I said, tonight will be a long drawn out AL game with walks galore and a few dingers. Hopefully Jeff Suppan will continue his recent success, and I believe he will. I think the one guy who has garnered the most help from Jason Kendall catching has been Suppan. Because Soup's stuff isn't spectacular, pitch selection is extremely important, making Kendall's brain a hefty asset.
I think the Brewers bats will continue to sparkle tonight, especially with a lefty on the mound, who will need a couple of starts before he's really right. I think you really can't count his first start back just yet because you have to think the adrenaline in that game had to have been quite the help. Game two is a big question mark. Randy Johnson is having a really good year back in AZ and the Brewers are still trying the McClung experiment. McClung struggled pretty badly in his last start, and may have lasted a little longer if Weeks hadn't floundered when he gave up the first run of the game. Johnson will tie up the Brewers who are still striking out way too often because they keep going for the long ball. Yet Ned Yost isn't concerned. What a nobody. Anyways, the rubber match is a bit of a toss up. Micah Owings is an incredible young pitcher that makes NL lineups look like AL ones with his bat. Nevertheless, Manny Parra is starting to find his groove. If he avoids the extra baserunners with walks, he can be pretty damn dominant. In the end, the Brewers will continue to roll and win the series in a close one on Wednesday afternoon. I have tickets for all three games, but will only be able to attend Tuesday's and Wednesday's games because of my health concerns. Should be a good one.
The Series:
Arizona D'Backs (32-25) @ Milwaukee Brewers (29-28)
Who's on Tap?:
June 2nd: Jeff Suppan (3-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. Doug Davis (2-2, 4.57 ERA)
June 3rd: Seth McClung (2-2, 4.80 ERA) vs. Randy Johnson (4-1, 3.83 ERA)
June 4th: Manny Parra (3-2, 4.72 ERA) vs. Micah Owings (6-3, 4.17 ERA)
Who Should You Watch?:
If you don't know who Conor Jackson is, maybe you should. Jackson impressed a lot of people in April by hitting five bombs and hitting .348/.427/.640. Since then, he's calmed down a bit, hitting only one dinger, but his on-base remains a healthy .400. Jackson and Mark Reynolds will need to do some damage this week if they plan on slowing down the Brewers. On the mound, Doug Davis will be making his third start since returning for his highly publicized bout with thyroid cancer. Doug is only two months removed from his treatment, so the Brewers will have to be patient at the plate and rely on Davis' tendency to try and nibble the corners. If Doug gets a wide zone, he'll be solid, if it's tight, he could be lights out.
While the Brewer are riding high since winning 7 of 9, the D'Backs have struggled mightily the last two weeks going 4-9, mostly because of a lack of offense, but poor pitching was scattered in there as well. As a result, keep an eye on Jeff Suppan tonight. Soup has really frustrating stuff. We know he doesn't strike a lot of guys out, but groundballs that stop rallies could really frustrate this team, especially considering the problems they've had lately. The Brewers need to put them on the hook immediately and let Soup stay aggressive with runners on. Tonight's matchup is going to be slow and boring and therefore not that fun to watch, but it's a big game for both teams and will be an important indicator of the days to come. At the plate, watch out for Billy Hall, who will get starts tonight and tomorrow night against the Big Unit. Hall has an agenda and will hopefully make his case as a quality trading chip. If you didn't know already, Hall is hitting a ridiculous .404/.481/.681 this year against south paws. Often Hall's success is contagious. Mike Cameron's career splits against lefties could come in handy this week as well, as he went .294/.404/.510 against them last year.
Predictions and Notes:
This is going to be a tough series and it's about time the Brewers got to see a team that was on a downward skid without their two best pitchers throwing (Dan Haren and Brandon Webb). I'm pretty excited to see how this one turns out since the D'Backs, despite their struggles the last two weeks, are one of the top three teams in the NL right now. As I said, tonight will be a long drawn out AL game with walks galore and a few dingers. Hopefully Jeff Suppan will continue his recent success, and I believe he will. I think the one guy who has garnered the most help from Jason Kendall catching has been Suppan. Because Soup's stuff isn't spectacular, pitch selection is extremely important, making Kendall's brain a hefty asset.
I think the Brewers bats will continue to sparkle tonight, especially with a lefty on the mound, who will need a couple of starts before he's really right. I think you really can't count his first start back just yet because you have to think the adrenaline in that game had to have been quite the help. Game two is a big question mark. Randy Johnson is having a really good year back in AZ and the Brewers are still trying the McClung experiment. McClung struggled pretty badly in his last start, and may have lasted a little longer if Weeks hadn't floundered when he gave up the first run of the game. Johnson will tie up the Brewers who are still striking out way too often because they keep going for the long ball. Yet Ned Yost isn't concerned. What a nobody. Anyways, the rubber match is a bit of a toss up. Micah Owings is an incredible young pitcher that makes NL lineups look like AL ones with his bat. Nevertheless, Manny Parra is starting to find his groove. If he avoids the extra baserunners with walks, he can be pretty damn dominant. In the end, the Brewers will continue to roll and win the series in a close one on Wednesday afternoon. I have tickets for all three games, but will only be able to attend Tuesday's and Wednesday's games because of my health concerns. Should be a good one.
Brewers Astros Series Recap
So I won't be able to write tomorrow at all since I'll be going under some sedation for a procedure to figure out the problems I've been having lately. As a result I have to stay home all day in preparation for it. This means plenty of writing in this blog an ready of articles around the web. If there's anything you'd like to hear about on the Brewers front, even minor league news, feel free to get back to me early this morning or this afternoon and I'll jump all over it. Trust me, I have plenty of time on my hands today. On to the recap.
Score Recap:
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Houston Astros 1
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Houston Astros 1
Milwaukee Brewers 10 Houston Astros 1
MVPs of the Series:
Ryan Braun: 6/12; 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, SB, HBP, 5 Rs
Ty Wigginton: 3/7; 2B, R, 3 BB
Ryan Braun single handedly won game one of this series going 4/4 for a homerun and a couple of runs, but he followed those up with pretty solid games on Saturday and Sunday, though he struggled a bit on his routes in left. Braun continues to rake at home, going .358/.387/.755 with 10 HRs and 21 RBIs. This may or may not be interesting, but Braun has both of his SBs at home. I wish Davey Nelson would come in and do some work with these guys like he did when Scott Posednik was here and stealing bases. These guys, especially Braun, have the speed to steal more bases and teams are scared to walk Prince the way Hart has been hitting. The stolen base by Braun on Saturday was big, and I hope he continues to go for it, even if he his 2/5 this year.
Ty Wigginton is having a pretty good season thus far in a small sample size going .268/.260/.440. He's shown incredible plate discipline so far, and it should have been rewarding for his team but they just couldn't get him over. It wasn't particularly easy to pick the Astros MVP because they just couldn't put it all together in any given day. They had their opportunities on Friday, but Parra found ways out of jams and Villanueva looked pretty solid again out of the 'pen. I would have given the MVP to Berkman because he did go 4/10, but no runs and no RBIs. Why is that? The leadoff guys went 7/38 this weekend, got caught stealing
twice and were only on base once when Berkman got to the plate. That has to be frustrating for a guy who is right now the runner up for the MVP in the NL (Insert Chipper Jones).
What Was The Difference?:
The proof is in the pudding, or th score. When your team scores three runs the entire series, you have to hope it was three in one game. That wasn't the case for the Astros, meaning they showed that wins often come behind great pitching, which was the case this weekend. Each Brewers starter gave up only one run in their turn in the rotation and the bullpen put together 5.1 scoreless innings to hold the lead in every game and give the Brewers a sweep. Even Mark DiFelice looked pretty good, despite the Astros giving up on Sunday.
Causes for Concern?:
The Astros are built on offense, no doubt about it, so you have to question how they only managed three runs in three games and six in their last five. The stat that sticks out the most is the part where they didn't take a walk off of the usually wild Dave Bush. The biggest problem right now (ie this series) appears to be an aging Carlos Lee, who continues to do what he normally does and that's pretty good, but doesn't look as confident at the plate as he used to be as shown by his 2/12 series with no walks and two K's. I'm sure it didn't make Astros fans happy to hear he was hanging out with Brewers fans at Fiesta Girabaldi's after the loss on Saturday. Nevertheless, you have to ask yourself how much more the guy has in the tank and when you should trade him to an AL team and get some real defense in left field. Other than that, the Astros just need to keep working and hope that their pitching will do just enough to keep them in games because the trio of Pence, Tejada and Berkman will be able to produce runs all the time.
The Brewers looked pretty good this weekend, but I'm still not convinced their plate discipline is what it needs to be. While they walked and got hit by a pitch on nine occasions on Sunday, they only managed that four times combined on Friday and Saturday. This may be too much to ask, but I would like our team to hit for average and walk on a more consistent basis. These are the things that make championship and league leading teams. The Brewers may be over that hump, but I'll believe it if they win the series against the D'Backs starting today. Walks will be key, especially against former Brewer Doug Davis. If the game lasts three hours tonight, I expect it's because the Brewers did their job and took their walks.
Causes for Excitement:
This is a tough situation for the Astros who played poor defense, didn't pitch particularly well though not bad and clearly were unable to get anything going. They can always be excited about Lance Berkman. The guy is hitting the ball well on both sides of the plate and continues to show good plate discipline. Furthermore, I felt that Cecil Cooper did a good job handling his bullpen yesterday in a blowout game. The Astros have a day off today and instead of wasting a number of guys, Cooper rolled out four pitchers after Chacon went only an inning. A lot of times a coach hands the game over and rolls one of his pitchers and just says, "It's you for four innings, deal with it." But Cooper realizes he has a young team and is doing his best to keep his team balanced.
The Brewers have to be happy with their bullpen. A lot of people have been going off about the acquisition of Eric Gagne and Mike Cameron this season, but they neglect the acquisitions of Guillermo Mota and Salomon Torres, who have been solid all season long. When Riske comes back and DiFelice gets sent down, this bullpen could turn into one of the top five in baseball, if they aren't already. Imagine what would happen if you took out Derrick Turnbow's numbers. Nevertheless, if the starting pitching stays in tact and does not falter and force long innings for these guys, the Brewers have a chance to make a big time run at the wild card, not the division. The Cubs will have to have a disaster happen to stop them from playing good ball, specifically an injury to Zambrano or Lee. Three games against AZ starting today should be a good sign of how the Brewers match up with the Cubs since they swept them at Wrigley.
Score Recap:
Milwaukee Brewers 5 Houston Astros 1
Milwaukee Brewers 4 Houston Astros 1
Milwaukee Brewers 10 Houston Astros 1
MVPs of the Series:
Ryan Braun: 6/12; 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, SB, HBP, 5 Rs
Ty Wigginton: 3/7; 2B, R, 3 BB
Ryan Braun single handedly won game one of this series going 4/4 for a homerun and a couple of runs, but he followed those up with pretty solid games on Saturday and Sunday, though he struggled a bit on his routes in left. Braun continues to rake at home, going .358/.387/.755 with 10 HRs and 21 RBIs. This may or may not be interesting, but Braun has both of his SBs at home. I wish Davey Nelson would come in and do some work with these guys like he did when Scott Posednik was here and stealing bases. These guys, especially Braun, have the speed to steal more bases and teams are scared to walk Prince the way Hart has been hitting. The stolen base by Braun on Saturday was big, and I hope he continues to go for it, even if he his 2/5 this year.
Ty Wigginton is having a pretty good season thus far in a small sample size going .268/.260/.440. He's shown incredible plate discipline so far, and it should have been rewarding for his team but they just couldn't get him over. It wasn't particularly easy to pick the Astros MVP because they just couldn't put it all together in any given day. They had their opportunities on Friday, but Parra found ways out of jams and Villanueva looked pretty solid again out of the 'pen. I would have given the MVP to Berkman because he did go 4/10, but no runs and no RBIs. Why is that? The leadoff guys went 7/38 this weekend, got caught stealing
twice and were only on base once when Berkman got to the plate. That has to be frustrating for a guy who is right now the runner up for the MVP in the NL (Insert Chipper Jones).
What Was The Difference?:
The proof is in the pudding, or th score. When your team scores three runs the entire series, you have to hope it was three in one game. That wasn't the case for the Astros, meaning they showed that wins often come behind great pitching, which was the case this weekend. Each Brewers starter gave up only one run in their turn in the rotation and the bullpen put together 5.1 scoreless innings to hold the lead in every game and give the Brewers a sweep. Even Mark DiFelice looked pretty good, despite the Astros giving up on Sunday.
Causes for Concern?:
The Astros are built on offense, no doubt about it, so you have to question how they only managed three runs in three games and six in their last five. The stat that sticks out the most is the part where they didn't take a walk off of the usually wild Dave Bush. The biggest problem right now (ie this series) appears to be an aging Carlos Lee, who continues to do what he normally does and that's pretty good, but doesn't look as confident at the plate as he used to be as shown by his 2/12 series with no walks and two K's. I'm sure it didn't make Astros fans happy to hear he was hanging out with Brewers fans at Fiesta Girabaldi's after the loss on Saturday. Nevertheless, you have to ask yourself how much more the guy has in the tank and when you should trade him to an AL team and get some real defense in left field. Other than that, the Astros just need to keep working and hope that their pitching will do just enough to keep them in games because the trio of Pence, Tejada and Berkman will be able to produce runs all the time.
The Brewers looked pretty good this weekend, but I'm still not convinced their plate discipline is what it needs to be. While they walked and got hit by a pitch on nine occasions on Sunday, they only managed that four times combined on Friday and Saturday. This may be too much to ask, but I would like our team to hit for average and walk on a more consistent basis. These are the things that make championship and league leading teams. The Brewers may be over that hump, but I'll believe it if they win the series against the D'Backs starting today. Walks will be key, especially against former Brewer Doug Davis. If the game lasts three hours tonight, I expect it's because the Brewers did their job and took their walks.
Causes for Excitement:
This is a tough situation for the Astros who played poor defense, didn't pitch particularly well though not bad and clearly were unable to get anything going. They can always be excited about Lance Berkman. The guy is hitting the ball well on both sides of the plate and continues to show good plate discipline. Furthermore, I felt that Cecil Cooper did a good job handling his bullpen yesterday in a blowout game. The Astros have a day off today and instead of wasting a number of guys, Cooper rolled out four pitchers after Chacon went only an inning. A lot of times a coach hands the game over and rolls one of his pitchers and just says, "It's you for four innings, deal with it." But Cooper realizes he has a young team and is doing his best to keep his team balanced.
The Brewers have to be happy with their bullpen. A lot of people have been going off about the acquisition of Eric Gagne and Mike Cameron this season, but they neglect the acquisitions of Guillermo Mota and Salomon Torres, who have been solid all season long. When Riske comes back and DiFelice gets sent down, this bullpen could turn into one of the top five in baseball, if they aren't already. Imagine what would happen if you took out Derrick Turnbow's numbers. Nevertheless, if the starting pitching stays in tact and does not falter and force long innings for these guys, the Brewers have a chance to make a big time run at the wild card, not the division. The Cubs will have to have a disaster happen to stop them from playing good ball, specifically an injury to Zambrano or Lee. Three games against AZ starting today should be a good sign of how the Brewers match up with the Cubs since they swept them at Wrigley.
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