Brew Crew Epilogue

As it turns out, the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers only had 101 wins in them.

Before I get going, let me be clear that I actively dislike the Cardinals. They are an unlikable crew that was managed by the dour, hypocritical, and sanctimonious Tony la Russa. That this team stood in the way of the Brewers winning the pennant was maddening. That they went on to win the World Series in an improbable manner was similarly frustrating. But kudos to them for participating in (and winning) an insanely enjoyable Fall Classic.

Back to the Brewers, I want to see them win a pennant. I want to see them win a World Series. It is possible that I will see neither in my lifetime; time will tell. That would be a bummer, but it would be nowhere near as bad as following a consistently feeble baseball team. I know this all too well as someone that followed them from 1993-2006 without witnessing a single winning season.

So if you're not going to win a pennant, at least don't be feeble. And as long as you're not being feeble, you may as well have some iconic moments along the way, such as:

-Having a stretch of 25 games where you go 22-3
-Celebrating a division title courtesy of a monster home run from Ryan Braun
-Setting a franchise record with 57 home wins
-Winning Game 5 of the NLDS on an extra-inning walk-off home run (a play I will watch thousands of times in the future)
-And many more!

At the end of the day we watch sports for entertainment and iconic moments. That's what the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers gave us and that's what they'll be remembered for.

Cardinals Win NLCS, 4-2

There will be more to come later, but for now I'll just say that I had too much fun following this team to get down about their unraveling in the final two games of this series.

More to come in the next couple of days...

NLCS Game Four: Brewers 4, Cardinals 2

Box Score

We're back in business, baby!

Before the game started the season was on the brink. The Brewers were down 2-1 in the series and had looked mostly atrocious on the road. Even more concerning was the fact that Randy Wolf, who had a disaster start last time out in Arizona was taking the mound. Quite frankly, I did not believe this series would come back to Milwaukee. But at the very least, that is what's going to happen.

Wolf was the crafty lefty that he absolutely, positively needed to be and the offense finally found a way to get some hits with runners in scoring position. Even better, K-Rod and Axford were pitched (mostly) stress-free innings en route to a 4-2 victory. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves an incredible series on our hands. A few quick thoughts:

-The slide Jerry Hairston made as he scored the tying run was incredibly beautiful. The throw beat him to the plate, but he was able to contort himself in a way to touch the plate safely. The play happened because...

-...Yuni Betancourt of all people is having a fantastic series at the plate. He's 7-16 in the NLCS with 4 RBI and a home run. That he's become the Brewers' ace in the hole this post season is not something I would have bet on under any circumstances. 

-Ryan Braun is continuing to cement his legacy as a Wisconsin sports legend. Should he stay healthy for the duration of his contract he will absolutely make the Hall of Fame.

-Prince Fielder has done the impossible: make me like Albert Pujols a little. Pujols, who is often dour and likes to admire his home runs, was smiling with Prince Fielder when he was on first base. Kudos to Pujols for appearing human and an even bigger kudos to Fielder for causing that to happen.

-Speaking of Fielder, he gave props to Ryan Theriot after he sharply grounded into an inning-ending double play. It was an incredible act of sportsmanship that deserves a lot of national attention. This, as well as the previous point, demonstrates that Prince Fielder gets it. Yes, the stakes are high, but at the end of the day baseball is just a game. The sooner fans, players, and owners realize this, the better.

-Whatever happens from here on out, I am ecstatic the series will end in Milwaukee. And hey, if we're lucky the series will end in the best way imaginable. 

NLCS Game Three: Cardinals 4, Brewers 3

It could have been worse, but it's still a loss. Now the hopes of a pennant (essentially) ride on the crafty left arm of Randy Wolf.

I give Gallardo and the Brewers a lot of credit for preventing the game from getting out of hand and crawling back to striking distance, respectively. That the Cardinals did not win the game 15-3 is something of a minor miracle, and at the very least it is nice to be involved in a taught LCS game. But that does not stop tonight's contest from leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Anyway, I'm going to let this game dissolve into the past and focus on tomorrow. Hopefully the Randy Wolf will find a way to pitch a scoreless first inning. That would be a nice change of pace from the previous three road games.

NLCS Game Two: Cardinals 12, Brewers 3

The silver lining is that this only counts as one loss. The rusty lining is that the Brewers have to play three consecutive games in St. Louis. You could say that I'm concerned.

The Brewers needed Shawn Marcum to come out and pitch at least six strong innings. While this is not a unique need for the playoffs, in the case of Marcum it would be a sign that the last month has been nothing more than a fluke. After getting lit up yet again I'm led to conclude that he's hurt. Even if he's not, I don't think he should start another game.

The rest of the game was a cavalcade of frustration. The third inning, for example, was a case of balls being just out of the reach of defenders. And by just out of reach I mean that they touched leather. And then there was the 5th inning where, down 7-2, Rickie Weeks grounded into an inning ending double play with the bases loaded, even though replays showed he was clearly safe at first. Of course, an RBI ground-out is not going to do much good there, but when you're down big you need every out you can get. But hey, at least when the Brewers lose in the playoffs they lose big. So there's that.

Looking ahead, the Brewers realistically need to take 2 of 3 in St. Louis if they want to win the series. They have not looked good on the road this post season and Busch Stadium is not the easiest place to play. In short, they really need Gallardo to come up big on Wednesday and they absolutely need to win Game 3. If there was ever a time to return the favor from tonight, Game 3 is it.

NLCS Game One: Brewers 9, Cardinals 6

Scattered thoughts about the game:

-I do not have confidence in Zack Greinke to pitch effectively at the moment. However, I expect the Brewers to win all of his starts at Miller Park. Despite his lackluster performance today, the Brewers improved to 17-0 at Miller Park when Greinke starts. They should almost throw him out there tomorrow to see what happens.

-Ryan Braun currently occupies a different plane of existence right now. After going .500/.571/.889 in the NLDS he got going in the bottom of the 1st by mashing a 460-foot homer to give the Brewers an early lead. He stayed hot in the 5th with an RBI ground rule double to deliver the first blow of the Crew's decisive six-run rally.

-Also as part of the rally was a go-ahead homer by Prince Fielder that traveled at the speed of 119.2 MPH. That was the highest speed of any home run hit in 2011.

-It's important to remember the double play Saito coaxed from the bat of Albert Pujols in the 7th. It scored a run, but as far as I'm concerned it saved the game. Anything besides a double play would have allowed Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday to come to the plate representing the tying (or possibly go-ahead) run. John Axford was masterful in the 9th and technically got the save, but Saito deserved it.

-Tomorrow Shawn Marcum will be on the mound to (hopefully) rebound from a disastrous start in Arizona. I have very little confidence in Marcum at the moment, but all he really needs to do is go six innings and give up no more than three runs. The last time he did that at Miller Park was against (surprise!) the Cardinals. Here's to a repeat performance.

NLDS Game 5: Brewers 3, Diamondbacks 2

I have been very busy this weekend, thus finding the time to write about this game has been difficult. Moreover, there is not much to be said about what happened because the sheer greatness of the game is self-evident. I do have two quick points to make:

1) That was baseball at its finest. This was a taught, well-played game from start to finish. The intensity in each dugout and the stands was as high as you will ever see for any sporting event. I'm happy I got a chance to watch the game, I'm happy the Brewers were involved, and I'm happy the Brewers won.

2) Nyjer Morgan's series-winning singles was an extremely rare play the sports fans live for. The only thing that compares is Al Harris' game-winning pick-six to beat the Seahawks in the playoffs back in 2004. The tension of the situation, the excitement of the play, and the pandemonium that ensued will never be surpassed. It was an important and iconic moment that will be remembered in Wisconsin forever.

NLDS Game 4: Diamondbacks More, Brewers Less

So much for that confidence I had in Randy Wolf.

As bad as Game 3 was, Game 4 was that much worse. I had high hopes after Braun's RBI double and Weeks was at the plate with runners at the corners and one out. Funny how an inning-ending double play can change your mood. 

The bottom of the 1st for one shining moment looked like nothing more than a scare. But then Ryan Roberts hit a grand slam and the rout was on. Chris Young added a home run for good measure and I showed tremendous restraint by not smashing anything.

The pitching tonight was horrible, yet the Brewers had their chances to get back in the game. They had ample opportunities to rally with RISP, but apparently they decided that rallies are not fun and settled for the scattered run here and there. 

I can handle losing, but the past two games have been nothing short of abysmal. That said, I'd rather lose like this than via the blown save. Of course, I'd rather win and not have to write that.

So now we're going back to Milwaukee for Game 5. Yovani Gallardo will have a rematch with Ian Kennedy at Miller Park, and if we're lucky we'll experience similar results. If that does not happen and the Brewers lose I will be very bummed out. I may even be depressed for a little while. But at least I'll be depressed about losing in the playoffs, which I suppose counts for something.

NLDS Game 3: Diamondbacks 8, Brewers 1

Box Score

Tonight's game was a flaming disaster from start to finish. Well, that's not entirely true. The Brewers had a chance to snag an early lead in the top of the first, but Rickie Weeks struck out with runners on first and second to end the only rally the Brewers had all night long. With the bats taking a night off Shawn Marcum decided to end the game early by misplaying a inning-ending double play in the 5th and then surrendering a grand slam. I suppose that if you're going to lose, you may as well lose big and spare yourself second guessing.

So where do we go from here? The Brewers may end up being the first National League team to lose a Divisional Series after leading 2-0. And you know what? If that happens I will still feel great about this season. Yes, I will be bummed that my favorite Brewers team of all time will be done playing baseball. And yes, I will be sad that a legitimate chance to win a pennant will have been squandered. But, and I can't emphasize this enough, this season has been so much fun that to do anything besides enjoy the post season at this point does not make any sense. I mean, why feel tense and nervous when you don't have to? I don't like feeling anxious, so I am not going to let that happen.* Watching a Division Champion baseball team has proven to be a once in a lifetime event, so I am going to enjoy it when I can.

*a) That may or may not be true, and b) while this perspective is more or less a defense mechanism, I do adhere to it on a strictly intellectual level. 


Tomorrow the Brewers will pin their NLDS-Clinching hopes on the craftiest of lefty of them all, Randy Wolf. For some reason this gives me a lot of confidence. Furthermore, I do believe the Brewers will bounce back tomorrow and advance to the NLCS. They are such a talented and confidence bunch that it's quite unlikely that Game 4 will be a repeat of Game 3. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.

NLDS: Games 1 & 2

The saying "it ain't over until it's over" applies perfectly to baseball. The Red Sox had a 9.0 game lead in the Wildcard on the Rays heading into September, yet they failed make the playoffs. Last week the Dodgers had the Diamondbacks down to their final out with a five run deficit and nobody on base, yet still lost the game. As of right now the Brewers are in great shape to advance to the NLCS, but that will not mean anything until the final out of the clinching game (Tuesday?) is recorded. 

That said, I can live with whatever happens. Watching the Brewers take games 1 and 2 at Miller Park in front of a raucous crowd was nothing short of incredible. That the Crew gave them a lot of things to cheer about was even better. A few scattered thoughts about those things:

Game One

-The key to the series thus far has been the Brewers scoring more runs than the Diamondbacks. A play that greatly ensured that happened was Braun throwing out Willie Bloomquist at home plate in the top of the 1st of game one. Gallardo was not settled in from the get-go, and an early deficit could have caused things to spiral out of control. Braun's throw nipped that in the bud and allowed Gallardo to dominate the rest of the way.

-Kirk Gibson's decision to pitch to Fielder in the bottom of the 7th with a base open and two outs was a decision that I would have made. I hate the intentional walk because it a) defeats the purpose of competition and b) deprives the fans of an opportunity to see something awesome. However, in this case Gibson (and a hypothetical, alternate reality version of myself) was wrong. 

-The 1-2-3 9th from Axford was much appreciated.

Game 2

-What Braun has been doing this season is transcendent. He has entered a level of offensive greatness at the plate I never thought I would see from a Brewer. He hits for power and average, he steals bases and rarely gets thrown out (33 SB, 6 CS in 2011), he's cut down on his strike outs, and he walks a decent amount. To top it off, he's become is decent fielder. That he's signed through 2020 make me happy to no end.

-Zack Greinke pitched like feared he would. He looked filthy at times and disturbingly hittable at others. The seven strikeouts are good, the three home runs are not. Hopefully he will have another start to redeem himself. Speaking of the pitching...

-...The bullpen did a great job by keeping the Snakes off the board. The collective efforts of Saito, Hawkins, Rodriguez, and Axford was very commendable. The Brewers would not be where they are without them. With that said, I hated watching just about every second of the last three innings. Hawkins and K-Rod made horrible visions dance in my head, while Axford was seemingly torturing us by delaying the inevitable victory as much as possible. Collectively they combined for three innings, six baserunners (1 hit, 5 BB) and 76 pitches. Some more efficiency in the future would be appreciated. 

-Finally, the five run outburst in the 6th inning was a long overdue dosage of euphoria for Brewer fans. The Crew has received tremendous support from its fans and has given precious little back in return. The bottom of the 6th was the "thank you" we've been waiting for. The way things are going, I don't think we'll have to wait much longer for the next one. 

Game One Hundred and Sixty Two: Brewers 7, Pirates 3

Box Score

I have not been alive for every season the Milwaukee Brewers have played, but that's not going to stop me from declaring this to be their best season ever.

They set a franchise record for wins (96), home wins (57), attendance, have a likely MVP, a closer that blew only two saves all season, made the cover of Sports Illustrated during a 27-5 tear, and a have genuine camaraderie on the team that is hard to find. Whether they win the World Series or get swept in the NLDS is to be determined, but the 2011 regular season has been as enjoyable as I could ever imagine a baseball season being. Best of all, there will be at least two more game at Miller Park this season.

Looking ahead to the playoffs, my main concern is infield defense and the black holes that are Casey McGehee and Yuniesky Betancourt. If anything is going to doom them, that will be it. They cannot afford to give away runs in October (especially against a team like Philadelphia), yet I'm almost certain that it will happen more than it should. Furthermore, they need to capitalize on every scoring chance they get, but unfortunately they have a couple of rally-killers that will likely get important ABs.

That said, you don't have to be a great team to win the World Series. You just have to get to the playoffs and be great for one month. How hard can that be?

Game One Hundred and Sixty: Pirates 9, Brewers 8

Box Score

Well what do you know, the Pirates can win a game at Miller Park. The Bucs did everything in their power to give the game to away, but apparently the Brewers had no interest in winning tonight. The Brewers failed to score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 1st, the bases loaded and one out in the 8th, and worst of all, with the tying run at third and nobody out in the 9th. Against the Pirates. At Miller Park. Where the Pirates had only won three games since 2007.

So yes, tonight's game did not make me feel good. With home field advantage in the NLDS on the line and a 1.0 game lead on the D-Backs, this was a very important game for the Brewers to win. The silver lining is that that D-Backs lost tonight, so the Brewers are still in the drivers seat. Of course, 2.0 games up feels much better than 1.0.

Brewers Clinch NL Central!

I'd like to point out that the Brewers have won the NL Central in every year I've had this blog.

For a long period of time I did not believe this was possible. When the Brewers were not terrible from the get-go they would tease you for half a season before disintegrating into oblivion. But the 2011 Milwaukee Brewers are a different animal. Consider:

-Instead of collapsing after the All-Star Break they went on a 27-5 tear that put the division away for good.

-John Axford has converted 41 consecutive saves (and counting) and is 44 for 46 in save opportunities overall. Previous Brewers teams were done in my ill-timed closer meltdowns (Coco Cordero in 2007 comes to mind), yet Axford has been as reliable as can be.

-The Brewers have used only six starting pitchers all season. The five primary starting pitchers all have at least 10 wins and four of them have ERAs south of six. It's amazing what a team can do when Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush, Manny Parra, Braden Looper, Claudio Vargas, or Tomo Ohka are not taking the mound.

This has been an incredible season and I think there are many good things yet to come. For now I'm going to bask in the glory of having a magic number of zero. Hopefully the Brewers will not have a hangover (literally and figuratively) from tonight's victory and will fend off the Diamondbacks for the #2 spot in the NL.

But whatever happens the rest of the way, I'll have this video to cheer me up whenever I need a boost.

Game One Hundred and Fifty Four: Cubs 5, Brewers 2

Box Score

Surely after pounding out 25 runs against the Reds over the weekend, the Brewers would have now trouble against a pitcher with an ERA pushing seven. Right? If you answered wrong, you would be correct.

Tonight's game was nothing less than excruciatingly painful. The cherry on the top was the rally in the 9th inning that ended with Hart striking out with two on. Nothing like a tease of a rally to crush your soul.

The Cardinals also won today, so the magic number is still parked at 4. The Cardinals look like a team that could finish the season 8-1 (if not 9-0), so the Crew is going to have to keep the pedal to the metal here. Though I am not going to worry, waiting for the magic number to reach 0 is like waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.

Anyway, the silver lining of tonight is that the Brewers are now most likely going to clinch the Central at Miller Park. But really, I don't care where or how the division is clinched.

Games 152 & 153

This series was one giant breath of fresh air. The offense came back with authority after taking a two week hiatus, the pitching was top-notch, and the Crew dispatched of the Reds without much difficulty. A stress-free sweep was just what the doctor ordered.

I especially appreciated the effort in today's game. The Brewers scored seven runs in the first two innings and allowed me to focus my attention on the Packer game (Of course, this is a nice contrast to the last time the Brewers and Packers played at the same time, and it was the Brewers getting blown out that allowed me to focus on one game.

With the magic number down to four the only question remaining is where the Brewers are going to clinch the division. In a perfect world this would happen at Miller Park. In a slightly less perfect world, the Brewers would clinch the Central at Wrigley Field. My prediction is that the Cardinals will lose tomorrow against Roy Halladay and the Brewers will have a chance to clinch in Wednesday afternoon after taking the first two against the Cubs. My, how sweet that would be.

Game One Hundred and Fifty One: Brewers 6, Reds 3

Box Score

Tonight's game was a breath of fresh air. The Brewers broke out of a long stretch of futility at the plate by smashing four home runs en route to a (mostly) easy victory at the House of Horrors that is the Great American Ballpark.

On opening day the Crew led the Reds 6-3 heading into the bottom of the 9th. I had visions of that game running through my head tonight and almost had a heart attack after Yuni B booted an easy grounder to start the frame. Fortunately the next batter hit into a double play and Axford was able to close the door from there, lowering the magic number to 7.

The star of tonight's game was Ryan Braun who had two more home runs, raising his season total to 30. He now how 30 homers, 31 stolen bases, a .330 batting average, and leads the NL in slugging percentage. I will be shocked if he does not win the MVP.

Meanwhile Randy Wolf was played the part of crafty lefty and kept the potent Reds offense at bay for most of the game.

The Cardinals prevented tonight from being perfect by overcoming a blown save and beating the Phillies in 11. While this is bummer, the Brewers can't rely on the Cardinals to lose. It's great when it happens, but you want to see your team win a division title due to being generally awesome and not because of crappy competition (though that does makes life less stressful).

Tomorrow it's Yovani Gallardo (16-10, 3.66 ERA) versus Edison Volquez (5-5, 5.80 ERA). I like the Crew's chances in this game. Hopefully they'll take care of business, the Phillies will knock off the Cardinals and celebrate their NL East title, and we'll go into Sunday with a magic number of 5.

Game One Hundred and Fifty: Rockies 6, Brewers 2

Box Score

The Brewers are up 5.5 games in the NL Central and only have 12 left to play. They have an off-day tomorrow before heading to Cincinnati to face the Reds and three starting pitchers with ERAs north of five. Meanwhile the Cardinals will head to Philadelphia for a four game set against the powerful Phillies. Given this information you would be inclined to believe that the Brewers' magic number will be four or lower by Monday, but...

...Their offense has done a total disappearing act. They have not scored more than three runs in a game since Labor day and they have not scored more than four runs in September against a team not named the Houston Astros. This is a troubling development and basically the only way the Brewers are going to miss the playoffs.

Shawn Marcum was not sharp tonight against the Rockies, but at some point the offense if going to have to wake up and bail a pitcher out. It helps to have Weeks back and Taylor Green is a good option to replace McGehee. Unfortunately the huge gaping hole that is Yuniesky Betancourt remains in the lineup. He's nothing more than a rally-killer with horrible range at shortstop. I look forward to never having to watch him play ever again.

Anyway, my hand is away from the panic button for the moment. I Brewers win and Cardinals loss on Friday would just about permanently squelch my fears for the season. Of course, the opposite is also true. That said, the Phillies have a chance to clinch the NL East and homefield advantage against St Louis, so you know they'll  come out with guns blazing. I hope this happens, because my faith in the Brewers is not terribly high.

Game One Hundred and Forty Nine: Brewers 2, Rockies 1

Box Score

For a while this was one of the most frustrating games I have watched all season. But as Shakespeare once wrote, all's well that ends well. Though I have plenty to say about this game, I'll be concise: If you had any doubt as to who the NL MVP is, please watch this clip.

Game One Hundred and Forty Five: Phillies 7, Brewers 2

Box Score

For a while there I thought the Brewers were going to win a pitchers dual. Chris Narveson kept the Phillies bats quiet for the first 5.2 inning. In fact, there were two outs and nobody on in the 6th inning, but then the wheels came off with a vengeance. When all was said and done the Brewers were down 6-1 and the game was effectively over. The one silver lining of that disaster of an inning was that it allowed me to focus my full attention on the Packer game, which was quite entertaining.

Back to the Brewers, I do not have a good feeling about their post-season chances. While they have been extremely hot since the all-star break, the bulk of their wins have come against teams with losing records. To put it another way, they are a mere 1-6 in their last 7 games against teams with winning records and four of those games have been at Miller Park. They still have a safe lead and will make the playoffs, but once there things could get dicey.

Game One Hundred and Forty Three: Cardinals 2, Brewers 0

Box Score 

I'm perfectly happy forgetting that game ever happened.

Grienke was very good, but Carpenter was essentially unhittable, thus the Cardinals won the game. In doing so the Red Birds have taken five of their past six from the Brewers to even the season series at 9-9. Even so, the Brewers still have an 8.5 game lead in the division and essentially put the division out of reach by winning on Labor Day.

Next up for the Brewers is a four game home series against the Phillies. I am quite nervous about this series because every Phillies starter going has an ERA under three. I'm hoping to see a split, and while I'd be ecstatic to see the Crew take 3 of 4, I think 3 of 4 the other way is more likely. The game tomorrow features Cole Hamels versus Chris Narveson in a pitching matchup that does not exactly inspire me with confidence.

Games 142 & 143

The Brewers came into St. Louis with the opportunity to essentially wrap up the division by avoiding the sweep. The accomplished that goal in the first game when Wolf rebounded from an awful start the week before to shut down the Cardinals. This pushed the lead back to 10.5 games and wiped out the ground the Cards gained in the process.

Tonight the Brewers got a solid start from Gallardo and accumulated plenty of baserunners, but were unable to drive them home and lost 4-2. I was not nervous watching this game and I will not be nervous during tomorrow night's game. With that said, I'd love to see the Brewers clinch the division as soon as possible and the quickest way to do that is by beating to Cardinals.

There is not much more that needs to be said about the Brewers right now. Even with their hiccup against the Cardinals last week (and the loss tonight), they're 36-14 since the all-star break. The one non-concern I had about the team is that Ron Roenicke would turn into Ned Yost, causing the Crew to become tense and collapse. Any lingering fears about that were dispelled by this photo.

So yes, I am feeling very comfortable right now. But as always, I will not be totally anxiety-free until the division is clinched.

Game One Hundred and Forty One: Brewers 4, Astros 0

Box Score

Nothing like a series to with the Astros to cure what ails you. It's even better when a sweep is paired with the Cardinals losing 2 of 3.

With the lead back up to 9.5 games I'm hoping the Brewers will take advantage of their second opportunity to stick a fork in the Cardinals. If not, the avoidance of a sweep would be just dandy, though this leads me to my next point.

I am going to view the next seven games versus the Cardinals and Phillies as a test run for the playoffs. Like a playoff series, I'd like to see the Crew take at least four of the next seven to "advance" though the imaginary playoffs. If the Brewers are in fact a team to be reckoned with in October they will do just that. Or maybe they won't and they'll have a short stay in the post-season (or if they channel the 1964 Phillies, no post-season at all). Either way, this will be a good litmus test to see where the Brewers are at.

Game one starts tomorrow.

Game One Hundred and Forty: Brewers 8, Astros 2

Box Score

The Brewers could not have picked a better time to play the Astros. If you need any more evidence as to how bad Houston is, Craig Counsell homered against them. That alone should be enough to relegate them to AAA, but hopefully that will not happen until after tomorrow.

Tonight's game unfolded how you would expect a contest between a first place team and a team 44 games under .500 would. The one big wrinkle, of course, is George Kottaras hitting for the cycle. Not bad for a backup catcher.

Also of note is that Taylor Green went 2-5 at 3B and is batting .571 so far (small sample, I know, but he may be the lightning in a bottle the Brewers need to wrap up the division soon). Though McGehee has been better recently, the more Green we see, the better.

One last note: Yesterday the Brewers won their 82 game of the season. This is significant because it marks only the 3rd winning season the Brewers have had since 1992. It's amazing the impact a good owner can have on a franchise.

Game One Hundred and Thirty Nine: Brewers 8, Astros 2

Box Score

For 6.2 innings of this game I was ready the push the panic button. The Cardinals had rallied to tie the Reds and it looked like the Brewers were going to lose to a team that does not belong in the majors. Fortunate the Astros  were more than happy to demonstrate why they're over 40 game under .500 and the Crew cruised in the late innings to an easy victory.

Assorted thoughts:

-Greinke was not terribly sharp tonight. He surrendered 9 hits and 2 walks in 6 innings, but still secured the win, in large part because the Astros are so terrible.

-The Brewers really need Rickie Weeks back in the lineup. While they had their best month of all-time without him, he needs to get back as soon as possible. As demonstrated tonight, the Brewers are all too capable of having stretches of futility at the plate. These stretches are not going to happen as frequently with Weeks in the lineup.

-The Cardinals also lost tonight, which pushed the Brewers' lead in the division back to 8.5 games. As I posted yesterday, this was just what the doctor ordered. At this point in the season, any day that pairs a Brewers win with a Cardinals loss is a huge step towards the playoffs. If the Crew can head to St Louis with an 8.5 or 9.5 game lead on the Cardinals they will once again have the chance to essentially win the division.Hopefully this situation will present itself again, and hopefully the Brewers will take advantage of it.

Game One Hundred and Thirty Eight: Cardinals 8, Brewers 4

Box Score

That series was a flaming disaster, and I'm less happy as a human being because the Brewers got swept. As was the case after the loss yesterday, the Brewers still have the luxury of a commanding lead and it's still hard to imagine them not winning the division. But that's not going to stop me from trying.

My concern is two fold:

1) Large, seemingly unfathomable collapses are not unprecedented. The 1969 Cubs, the 1995 California Angels, the 2007 Mets, and even the Padres from last season were all teams that looked to be in cruise control yet still missed the playoffs. It's not over until it's over. And let's not forget the the 2008 Brewers blew a huge Wild Card lead but miraculously recovered in the last week of the season (Thank, Pittsburgh!).

2) The blueprint to collapse is upon us. After a three game series in Houston, the Brewers have three at St Louis and then host the Phillies for a four game series. It's easy to imagine 7.5 games dwindling to 2.5 (or less) in an uncomfortably short period of time.

As for now, the Brewers had a big enough lead (and still have a big enough lead) that there is no reason to panic. However, I can imagine myself pushing the panic button rather soon. If the Brewers do not take care of business in Houston I will not start freaking out.

With all of this said, the worst month the Brewers have had was in April when they went 13-12. The division is theirs if they go 12-12 the rest of the way, and there is no reason to believe that will not happen...though that will not stop me from fearing the worst. Let's just say a Brewers win and a Cardinals loss tomorrow would be just what the doctor ordered.

Game One Hundred and Thirty Seven: Cardinals 8, Brewers 3

Box Score

Sometimes you win, sometimes you surrender a grand slam to the opposing pitcher. Tonight was just one of those nights.

Despite losing the first two games of the series, the Brewers are still 8.5 game up in the division and have the largest lead in the majors. But despite that, I'm still very nervous. While I would not be feeling especially encouraged if I were a Cardinals fan, the fact remains that no lead is safe until the champagne bottles are drained.

With all of this said, the Brewers are in amazing shape. Last night's game was annoying and tonight was a stinker. For all I know tomorrow's game will be worse. But even if the Crew goes through a rough spot (which we all know is inevitable), I just expect them to get things clicking again rather quickly. Of course, I could be singing a different tune come tomorrow night.

Game One Hundred and Thirty Six: Cardinals 2, Brewers 1

Box Score

I don't care that the Brewers are still 9.5 games up on the Cardinals, this was still a very annoying game.

The first problem was that the Brewers scored only one run. Despite the other gaffs (which I'll get to shortly), it's very difficult to win games when you only score one run. It's even worse when you turn a guy that was previously pounded for 8 earned runs at Miller Park into Bob Gibson.

The second problem was that both of the Cardinals' runs were unearned. Fielder and Hairston made back-to-back errors on painfully routine plays, and naturally both runs came around to score. Kudos to Marcum for limiting the damage.

But the final problem with in the bottom of the 9th inning. Trailing 2-1, the Brewers drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. At this point I became convinced that the Brewers were going to win. But alas, tonight was not their night. The decision to bunt in this situation is defensible, but to have Yuniesky "0 sac bunts in 2011" Betancourt try to advance the runners is not, especially when Counsell is available to pinch hit and play shortstop if necessary. Furthermore, the defensive alignment was as such that a perfect bunt was required. A perfect bunt did not occur, and Fielder was thrown out at third. Mark Kotsay then grounded into a double play to end the game, so all the blame does not belong on Yuni. But still, that's essentially where the game was lost.

Looking ahead, it's important for the Brewers to bounce back tomorrow and even up the series. With five of their next eight games against St Louis, things could get tense in Milwaukee quickly if the Crew does not take care of business. I think they will, but that does not mean I'm totally relaxed.

Series Recap: Brewers Sweep Cubs...Again

Prior to this season the Brewers had not swept the Cubs at Miller Park since 2005. It seems to me like they're making up for lost time.

What we saw this weekend was the Brewers imposing their will on an inferior opponent. The Brewers did not dominate any the games (in fact, they made a couple of them more interesting than they had to be), but for the most part the Brewers were in control of every game. The recipe for success was the tried and true formula of pitching, pitching, and a hitter on a hot streak, in the case Corey Hart.

While sweeping the Cubs is always fun, it's becoming more enjoyable to take down the Cardinals. The Crew can essentially clinch the division with a series win or sweep (hopefully a sweep), but it's nice to know that they would still have a commanding lead if the worst case scenario occurs (which I'd rather not even mention). 

But life is good right now. Let's see if it can get even better.

Game One Hundred and Thirty Two: Pirates 2, Brewers 0

Box Score

With the Pirates sending marginal AAA starter to the mound I was expecting a rout. Shawn Marcum and Company did an excellent job suppressing the Pirates' bats, but the offense decided to take a day off. All things considered, the game was your classic stinker. It happens.

On the bright side, the Cardinals do not appear as if they want the season to end as quickly as possible. They were once again pounded by the Dodgers and have lost seven of their last nine. Even better, it's not like they were being victimized by world-beaters.

All things considered, the Brewers had lost one of the more forgettable games you will ever see, but at the end of they day moved closer to locking up the NL Central. I can't say I'm feeling too bad right now.

Game One Hundred and Thirty One: Brewers 11, Pirates 4

Box Score

The Brew Crew train is still running ahead at full speed. They have now won 23 of 27 and saw their lead expand to 10.0 games after the Cardinals were thumped 13-2 at the hands of St. Louis. They have the largest lead in the majors by 3.5 games, a number that is commanding enough by itself.

The flip side to the Brewers surge is the sluggish play of the Cardinals. After losing 2 of 3 to both the Pirates and the Cubs, the Cards have dropped the first two against the Dodgers. I'm not sure how a team with Pujols, Berkman, Molina, Holliday, and Carpenter can look so feeble. While I'm not complaining, I also know that they're more than capable of tearing off 9 of 10 at any time...though that is looking progressively less likely.

One last point, this is not the first time the Brewers have gotten hotter than anybody in baseball. They had a 25-10 stretch from May 5th to June 12th, followed by a period where they feel back to Earth courtesy the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees. To put it another way, with the AL East out of the way I'm struggling to see a reason the Brewers would falter down the stretch in horrific fashion.

Double Header Edition!

After the Brewers cruised to an 8-1 victory in the opener I was feeling pretty good about the nightcap. I was feeling even better after the Crew put up two early runs on the Bucs, but at the end of the 7th inning the inescapable truth that the starting pitching is not invincible and the Pirates would eventually beat the Brewers came to fruition.

I was feeling a twinge bummed after the Pirates scored seven runs in the seventh inning, but I quickly perked up after the Dodgers rallied late for a 2-1 win against the Cardinals. Thus, even on a day when the Brewers lost a game they still gained ground in the division.

Game One Hundred and Twenty Eight: Brewers 6, Mets 2

Box Score

The Brewers are so hot right now that not even the big bad road can stop them.

Gallardo was mostly brilliant today with the only runs being surrendered on a 2-run homer in the 7th. Unfortunately for the Brewers, the home run tied the game. Unfortunately for the Mets, the game soon turned into a battle of the bullpens.

From the eighth inning on the Brewers had little trouble tacking on runs while the Mets failed to get a baserunner during the final two frames. This right here is why I am feeling especially confident about the likelihood of the Brewers maintaining their 8.5 game lead.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Brewers suffered a collapse during the 2007. The primary culprit of this was pitching. The starters did not work deep into games, putting more strain on a bullpen that was marginal to begin with. As a result the team blew leads like there was no tomorrow. Meanwhile the 2011 Brewers have a collection of starters that routinely pitch more than six innings and a closer that has only blown two saves. In other words, a key component for collapse is missing from the 2011.

One last note: The Brewers scored 23 runs in three games against the Mets after scoring only 19 runs over a 7-game homestand. God save the rest of the NL if the offensive output against the Mets is a merely a sign of things to come.

Games 126 & 127

On Friday night the Brewers cruised to a run-of-the-mill 6-1 domination of the Mets. Marcum cruised through the Mets' lineup and the Brewers' imminent victory was never really in doubt after they went ahead 4-0 in the 5th. Despite the ease of the victory, I was never full relaxed. In fact, I never relax during games because I know the outcome is never certain until the final out is recorded. Today's game validated this fact.

Today's game looked like it was going to be an easy victory. The Brewers rode homers from Braun, Fielder, and Betancourt to a 7-1 lead. Randy Wolf was carving up the Mets' hitters and a victory looked like a forgone conclusion. But then the 7th inning happened.

The Mets finally got to Wolf and scored three more off Saito to cut the lead to 7-6. At this point I had a feeling that has been rare this season: the realization that the Brewers were going to blow the lead. This feeling proved to be more prophecy than paranoia in the 8th when K-Rod allowed the three runs to score with two outs. (In defense of Rodriguez, no runs would have scored had Jerry Hairston not grossly misplayed what should have been an inning-ending a line drive to center.) By the end of the 8th inning the collapse was complete. Unfortunately for the Mets, the game was not over.

Jason Isringhausen came in to close the game and promptly poured an industrial sized can of gas on the fire. He was relieved after loading the bases, recording no outs, and walking Kotsay to bring in a run. Manny Acosta was summoned and for a moment it looked like he was going to pull a Houdini. He coaxed a short fly from Braun and had Fielder in an 0-2. But that was as close as he got to securing the save. Fielder nudged a game tying single to right, and McGehee subsequently plated two runs to give the Brewers an 11-9 lead. Axford worked a clean 9th and the Brewers left Citi Field with what during most seasons would have been an unlikely victory. Of course, by now this type of victory is commonplace for the Brew Crew.

To make things sweeter, the Cardinals lost to the Cubs, meaning the Brewers have the largest divisional lead of any team in the majors at 8.5 games. Think about that one for a second.

By now it's looking very likely that the Brewers will make the playoffs. Granted, I cannot stress enough that it's not over until it's over. That said, I would like to take a page from the Brewers' long history of futility to demonstrate how good things are looking right now.

On June 22, 2007 the Brewers had an 8.5 game lead in the NL Central. Thirty five games later the Brewers were tied with the Cubs for first place. It was an impressive collapse by the Brewers coupled by the Cubs getting hot at the right time. There are thirty five games left in the 2011 season. I will allow you to draw your own conclusions.

Game One Hundred and Twenty Five: Dodgers 5, Brewers 1

Box Score

Today's game can be filed under "You can't win 'em all." Clayton Kershaw shut down the Brewers and the Dodgers scored more than two runs, which was all they needed to avoid the sweep.

Today was something of a gravy day, so it's hard to get upset about the outcome. However, the recent ineptitude of the offense is concerning. I agree with Greinke that the division is the Brewers' to lose, but I also know that one of the ways the division will be lost is if the Brewers consistently fail to score more than three runs. That said, I'm not terrible concerned about the offense being this bad much longer.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, if the Brewers finish the season 19-18 then the Cardinals will have to go 26-12 to take the division. Another scenario, if the Cardinals finish the season 19-19 they will take the division if the Brewers finish 12-25. To put it another way, things are looking very good for the Brewers right now. Even so, it is always too early to celebrate. The Brewers still need to take care of business on the road.

Their next seven games include three at New York and four at Pittsburgh, including a double header. Considering their lead the Brewers can get away with a 3-4 trip, but I would feel a lot better about 4-3. They can accomplish this feat by scoring more runs than the Mets and Pirates on four of seven occasions.

Game One Hundred and Twenty Four: Brewers 3, Dodgers 1

Box Score

What's happening right now with the Brewers is simply magical. This stretch of winning will be remembered like the 13-0 start in 1987, regardless of what happens the rest of the season. It would be nice to be able to teleport myself to Miller Park for every game, provided a housefly does not make the journey with me. I don't want to become Brundlefly.

In tonight's game it was Zack Grienke being almost brilliant in holding the Dodgers to one run over seven innings. I say "almost" because no start that includes a home run allowed to Tony Gwynn Jr can be considered a success.*

*Speaking of Tony Gwynn Jr, you are missing out if you do not read this article. 


Meanwhile the offense did just enough to win the game. The Crew scored three runs or less for the 5th consecutive game. That we're celebrating a 6-0 homestand and not a 2-4 disaster is a testament to the awesomeness of the pitching staff. While I'm confident the solid pitching will continue, the offense is going to have to start scoring some more runs. If nothing else, it makes the games more fun to watch.

Looking ahead, tomorrow the Brewers will try to finish the sweep against the dominant Clayton Kershaw. Opposing him will be Marco Estrada, so advantage: Dodgers. Tomorrow would be a good time for the Brewers' bats to wake up.

Game One Hundred and Twenty Three: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1

Box Score

The Miller Park Magic Carpet Ride is still fully operational.

The Brewers have won their past four games despite scoring only seven earned runs. They had a similar stretch of futility back in May during what Tom Haudricourt called "The Great Offensive Drought of 2011." It's amazing what good pitching can do.

The Brewers were able to squeeze out a victory tonight because Yovani Gallardo was in top form. Oustiide of a dicey 2nd inning he completely shut down the Dodgers. On the flip side, Chad Billingsley kept the Brewers off balance and for a while it looked like the Crew's offensive woes were finally going to catch up to them. Sooner or later that will happen, but not tonight.

The Brewers were able to rally in the bottom of the 9th, in part thanks to an extremely rare four-pitch walk to Yuniesky Betancourt, and Mark Kotsay ended the game with a single one the first pitch he saw. The victory was made sweeter thanks to the Pirate topping the Cardinals in 11.

The Brewers are 21 game over .500 and have a 7.0 game lead in the division. If I were a Cardinals fan I would be looking forward to the Rams season opener. But I am not a Rams fan and I know that no lead is safe until the division is clinched. Despite their recent rampage, the Brewers really need Rickie Weeks back in the lineup. Felipe Lopez and Jerry Hairston are capable backups, but they are nowhere near the .272/.346/.478/19 HR player Weeks is. By the way, the Brewers are 16-2 without Weeks in the lineup. Think about that for a second.

Before this home stand started I wrote that 5-2 would be a success. That is a fact and I stand by what I wrote. However, at this point in the season you need every win you can get. I'll be happy with the home stand regardless of what happens the next two games, but, you know, I'd rather the Brewers win the next two games.

Game One Hundred and Twenty Two: Brewers 3, Dodgers 0

Box Score

I am at a loss as to how to blog about this game. At the risk of using hyperbole, what happened to night was magic. To use another movie reference, it was like watching 'Angels in the Outfield.' You had the feeling that a higher power had a vested interest in seeing the Brewers to win tonight. There was a diving catch that lead to a double play, a play at the plate, a "look what I found" line-out double play to end the game, and, oh yeah, there was an elusive 5-6-3-2 triple play. There were enough defensive highlights to last a season crammed into nine innings of baseball.

Offensively the Brewers were mostly handcuffed by Ted Lilly. The managed only two hits through seven innings and six overall. That is usually a sign of a shut out, but tonight half of the hits went for home runs and considering the voodoo spell the Dodgers were under, turned out to be more than enough for a Brewers win.

So to recap, the Brewers turned four double plays, one triple play, hit three solo home runs, and won the game. Just another day at the office, right? What happened tonight is at the heart of why people watch sports. On any given night you could see something/a combination of things that you may never see again. Not only was tonight's game exemplify this, but the whole season has been filled with incredible moments. There is something special going on with the Brewers. Let's hope they keep the good times rollin'.

Game One Hundred and Twenty One: Brewers 2, Pirates 1

Box Score 

There is a scene in the movie 'Pleasantville' where the male lead (Tobey MaGuire) is at basketball practice. As he starts shooting baskets and to his surprise he makes everything. He then starts taking progressively more absurd shots, all of which go in. That scene reminds me of games between the Pirates and Brewers at Miller Park.

After pulling a Houdini on Saturday the Brewers actually did one better on Sunday. The Brewers were dead to rights in the bottom of the 8th inning. They were down 1-0 and facing Joel "1.03 ERA" Hanrahan. With two outs he got Nyjer Morgan to strike out swinging. What usually ends an inning started a rally for the Brewers, and the game was tied when Ryan Braun promptly ripped a single to center.

Not to be outdone by one escape act, the Fielder and McGehee committed errors to allow the lead runner to reach in the top of the 9th and 10th. The Bucs even managed to load the bases in the 10, but when playing at Miller Park the Pirates could have six men on base and it wouldn't matter. The Brewers went on to win the game courtesy of a sac fly from Tony Plush.

Other thoughts on the game:

-Craig Counsell received a standing ovation when he came to the plate in the 2nd inning. This, despite batting .151 and going on an 0-45 slump. I hope the Crew makes a run in the playoffs so the rest of the baseball world can see how absurdly supportive Brewers fans are. Speaking of that...

-Over 45,000 people paid to see the Brewers play the Pirates in the middle of August. That's both incredible and proof that Milwaukee is one of the best baseball town's in the country. I expect the interest in the Crew to continue even after football season starts.

Game One Hundred and Twenty: Brewers 1, Pirates 0

Box Score

I was not expecting a 1-0 game. With Marco Estrada starting I though the Brewers were going to have to put up at least five runs to secure a victory. But all they needed was a solo home run form Yuni Betancourt.

The real story of the game was the top of the 9th. The inning got off to a rough start when Nyjer Morgan took a horrible route to Xavier Paul's eventual triple. In a perfect world Carlos Gomez would have been in center field and it would have been nothing more than a long, loud out. In reality the Pirates had a runner on third an nobody out. But Axford being Axford and the Pirates being the Pirates, Xavier Paul stayed at first base after a pair of ground-outs and a strikeout/2-3 putout to end the game. If nothing else this game demonstrated how sometimes the most tense, action packed baseball games end with a score of 1-0.

Game One Hundred and Nineteen: Brewers 7, Pirates 2

Box Score

For a good portion of the season the performance of Zack Greinke did not make any sense. He was striking out a lot of batters, walking very few batters, and giving up a lot of runs. Since the All-Star break, the results of Greinke's starts have matched his true performance.

Tonight Greinke looked every bit like the Cy Young winner the Brewers traded for and the offense steadily scored runs en route to another victory over the Pirates at Miller Park. The Crew's dominance over Pittsburgh at Miller Park will be put to the test tomorrow when Marco Estrada takes the mound in place of Chris Narveson, but for the time being it's best to enjoy the win.

Also of note: Governor Scott Walker visited the booth tonight in the early innings of the game. I did not catch the interview and I do not have any interest in talking politics on this blog. However, I do believe that the Brewers' strong performance thus far this season is important for Wisconsin. Whether you're Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Tea Party, Union, or Anti-Union, the Brewers have provided a common ground for everyone in Wisconsin to agree on. Even though the Brewers are just a baseball team, they also give people a reason to set aside their differences and root for the same thing. Hopefully the Brewers will win the division and make a run at the pennant, because the longer they provide a common ground, the better.

Game One Hundred and Eighteen: Cardinals 5, Brewers 2

Box Score

Tonight's game was what I like to call a "gravy game." After clinching the series win over the Cardinals and winning 13 of 14, I was unable to conjure any feelings of anxiety during tonight's game. Yes, it would have been nice to drive a dagger through the heart of the Cardinals. Yes, having six game lead is better than having a four game lead. But all things considered, the Brewers left St. Louis with a larger lead than when they entered. The series was a resounding success, and the only drawback is that there was not a cherry on top of the sundae.

As for the game itself, Gallardo was not sharp, the defense was poor (Felipe Lopez, I'm looking at you), and the offense hit into four double plays. Even worse, the Brewers looked like they were going to cruise to an easy victory after scoring two quick runs in the first, but unfortunately this just wasn't their night. Oh well, it happens. Despite the loss, the Brewers are still 21-10 in St. Louis since the beginning of the 2008 season. How cool is that?

Looking ahead, the Brewers return home to play three games against the free-falling Pirates (3-33 at Miller Park since 2008) and the generally crappy Los Angeles Dodgers. While the Brewers cannot stay this hot forever, anything less than a 4-3 home-stand would be tremendously disappointing. I'm expecting 5-2, but that may change if another pitcher gets hurt trying to repair their glove with a scissors.

Update time!

Perhaps I should update this blog with less frequency. It seems like the less I post, the more they win. Right now the Brewers are on quite the tear.

The Crew has won 13 of 14 and currently hold a 5.0 game lead in the division. Yes, there is a lot of baseball left to be played, but that is not stopping me from having a pleasure overload. The starting rotation is on a roll, their bullpen is a effective as any in franchise history, and even Yuniesky Betancourt is contributing on offense. Things are looking very, very good. What will be of interest to me is how they handle success.

The Brewers held a 5.5 game lead on the wild card spot going into September of 2008. The Brewers collapsed to the point that Ned Yost was fired with twelve games left in the season. While baseball is a game of ups and downs, hot streaks and cold streaks, this and that, I think it's pretty clear that Ned Yost was the source of the collapse.

Ned Yost, while great at building a winning team, came across as a ball of stress. This was apparent during post-game press conferences and by simply looking at him in the dugout during close games in September. Based on what I've seen this season, Ron Roenicke is the ying to Ned Yost's yang. Roenicke never seems to let the pressure of managing an MLB team show, and considering that he was with the Angels from 2000-2010 (including their 2002 Championship season), I'm inclined to believe that he knows how to handle a pennant race.

There have been moments this season when Roenicke has made some questionable tactical decisions, and for the sake of argument I'll assume that he is the worst tactician in the majors. Even so, you'll win a lot of games as a manager if you keep your players relaxed and motivated. Yost was good with the latter but horrible with the former. Roenicke is good with both (though I reserve the right to change my opinion at a later date) and considering this is a season where the Brewers are all-in, I have to commend Doug Melvin and Mark Attinasio for hiring him.

Game One Hundred and Eleven: Cardinals 8, Brewers 7

Box Score

Under most circumstances I would file this game under "you can't win 'em all," however, the Cardinals are a bunch of assholes so I will not be doing that. A victory tonight would have been as sweet as can be, but instead we have been given a bitter pill to swallow.

The Brewers had plenty of chances to win this game, including the bottom of the 7th when the bases were loaded with nobody out and no runs scored, but they were unable to capitalize. Their best chance to win (on a flare in the bottom of the 9th) was foiled when Rafael Furcal made a game-saving catch to end the inning. The Brewers are still in good shape, this loss was only 1 of 162, and they can still win the series tomorrow. But my, oh my was this a frustrating loss to take.

The Cardinals, as I mentioned earlier, are a bunch of assholes. For example, when Pujols was hit by Saito in the top of the 7th to load the bases with nobody out, Tony LaRussa decided that retaliation was in order. Braun was hit to lead off the bottom of the frame as payback. I would like to hear an argument as to why Saito would hit Pujols in that situation and why retaliation was necessary.

For exhibit B, Marco Estrada struck out Yadier Molina looking to lead off the top of the 10th. Molina responded by bumping the umpire and spitting in his face. It was a shameful display that warrants a nice, long suspension.

Despite all this the Brewers were unable to levy justice on the Cardinals and lost the game in 11 innings. Let's hope it's served on them tomorrow.

Game One Hundred and Ten: Brewers 6, Cardinals 2

Box Score

For the longest time it seemed like every break went against Zack Greinke. That did not happen tonight.

The Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the 6th, but the Brewers were able to escape when Skip Schumaker grounded into a double play. The first base umpire deserves an assist for the DP because replays showed that Schumaker was clearly safe. While I prefer the Brewers to win with as few breaks as possible, I also know that the Brewers will be victimized by a bad call before the season ends. Furthermore, the Cardinals would have still been down two if Schumaker was called safe.

Bad call aside, the game was won when the Brewers broke through for five runs in the bottom of the 5th. The rally consisted primarily of well-placed hits and bad defense, and quite frankly it looked like the Brewers defense was in the field for that inning. Not that I'm complaining.

With a win tonight the Brewers are in prime position to start separating themselves from the rest of the division. No matter what happens the Crew will lead the division at the end of the series, but I'm out for blood. With a sweep the Brewers would open up a 5.5 game lead and be in position to run away with the division. Before I get too far ahead of myself I am going to sit back and enjoy the win streak.

Games 108 & 109

The good news is that I have things to do other than watch and write about the Brewers. The bad news is that I'm not always able to update this blog after every game. Oh, the perils of enjoying the summer time.

The past six games have been very satisfying. While that is the type of comment you would expect after a 6-game winning streak, the effectiveness of the pitching staff is what I'm referring to. Narveson has arguable the worst start of the win streak today, yet he still went 6.2 innings and allowed only three runs. Meanwhile Gallardo, Wolf, and Marcum are humming along and Greinke is finally looking Greinke-like (he has a 2.27 ERA since blowing up in the Bronx on June 28th).

The only concern I have lies with the offense. The bats have not exactly been lighting it up recently, and that could be problematic when they start playing a team that can score more than four runs, such as the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Brewers swept the Cardinals when the two teams played in June, so I imagine St. Louis is looking for a little payback. Unfortunately for them, just like in June they will have to face Greinke, Marcum, and Wolf in the series. I like the Brewers to take 2 of 3 in this series, though 1 of 3 would not be the end of the world. But regardless of the outcome, the Brewers are playing a high-profile series in August. It doesn't get much better than that.

Game One Hundred and Seven: Brewers 4, Astros 0

Box Score

The Brewers' offense has been punch-less over the past four games, but that has not stopped them from winning every one of them. Having a good pitching staff and facing the dregs of the NL Central helps as well.

In my last post I mentioned the possibility of the Brewers catching lightning in a bottle while attempting to replace Rickie Weeks. Felipe Lopez going 2-4 with a run scored last night illustrates what I mean. Over the long term Lopez is nowhere near as good as Weeks, however, Lopez could be as good as Joe Morgan in his prime over a 4-6 game stretch. That's just how baseball works.

Other Notes:

-The Brewers will finish July with a winning record. They have a winning record in every month they played more than one game.

-Randy Wolf has pitched at least six innings in ten consecutive starts, and in only 2 of his 22 starts on the season did he fail to pitch at least five innings. Should the Brewers make the playoffs, he will be a big reason why.

-The Astros traded their best player during last night's game (Hunter Pence), which bodes will for the rest of this series and future games vs. the 'Stros.

Game 105 & 106

There are few things I enjoy as a sports fan as watching my favorite team sweep the Cubs. Unfortunately this has not been a common event, so it was with great joy that I watched the Brewers take 3 of 3 from the northsiders. Under normal circumstances there would be only positive things to say about the sweep, but in this case the sweep came at price.

Rickie Weeks is going to be out for 2-6 weeks. The double whammy here is that Weeks is both a tremendous offensive asset and difficult to replace. While it's true that all-star second basemen do not grow on trees, the Brewers really don't have any remotely competent second basemen to take his place. I am as big a fan of Craig Counsell as anybody, but the man is clearly done as a major league baseball player.

On the bright side, if the Brewers' starters and relievers keep pitching this well the loss of Weeks will be mitigated. Keep in mind the Brewers just swept the Cubs despite scoring only nine runs in three games. Yes, it's the Cubs, but still.

Looking ahead, the Brewers need to take at least 2 of 3 from the Astros. But more importantly, they need to fine a short-term solution at second base. The good news is that no matter who the Brewers acquire, it's always possible to catch lightning in a bottle.

Game One Hundred and Four: Brewers 3, Cubs 2

Box Score

I started watching this game in the bottom of the second. At the time the Brewers were leading 3-2 and I was expecting to see a lot more runs. From that point on what the game lacked in runs in made up for in tension.

In the top of the 6th the Cubs had the bases loaded with nobody out. I expected Kameron Loe come in an pour gas on the fire. Instead he induced a 5-2 put-out and an inning-ending double play. This was not only exciting, but also goes to show that Loe, when used properly, is a valuable piece of the bullpen. He can get righties out quite well and with his sinker can conjure up a lot of grounders.

After K-Rod dominated his way through the 8th, Axford game in and went through the Cubs 1-2-3. Unfortunately Rickie Weeks did not want to stop playing, so he booted Fukudome's grounder, leading to a stolen base. With a runner in scoring position, Axford fell behind 3-1 and visions of a rotten birthday gift from the Brewers started dancing in my head. But all's well that ends well, and the Ax Man struck out Blake DeWitt to end the game. Happy Birthday to me.

One last note on the game: It was nice to see the Brewers play the Cubs and Miller Park NOT be dominated by Cubs fans. I will be very happy if this is a sign of things to come.

Games 101 & 102

The San Francisco Giants have an absurdly dominant pitching staff. They lead the NL in ERA (3.11), strikeouts (835), and walks allowed (298). In order to beat them you cannot beat yourself. Unfortunately the Brewers lead the league in beating themselves (they've made more outs on the bases than any other team in the majors).

In today's game the winning run was scored because the Josh Wilson lost a pop-up in the sun. This lead to a sac fly that otherwise would have been the last out of the inning. In addition to that mishap, Wilson struck out on three pitches with a runner on third and one out in the third. Given how well Gallardo was pitching and how feeble the Giants' offense is, a positive outcome on those two plays most likely would have led to a Brewers victory.

Yesterday the Brewers were victimized by Nyjer Morgan getting thrown out trying to steal third base. This not only ended the inning, but at the time Ryan Braun had a 3-1 count. Getting a hit is the hardest thing in sports to accomplish, so there is no guarantee Braun would have driven Morgan home. But still, the stupidity of Morgan in that situation is staggering. There is no need to provide any assistance to the best pitching staff in the majors.

Despite the last two games, I am happy with the road trip. The Brewers have survived a brutal stretch of games, are tied for first place, and have a very favorable schedule for the rest of the season. The only dominant team they will play for the rest of the season is the Philadelphia Phillies. The bulk of their remaining schedule features games against their mediocre NL Central brethren.

The road to the playoffs begins on Tuesday.

Game One Hundred: Brewers 4, Giants 2

Box Score

The road trip I predicted would sink the Brewers has proven to be surprisingly enjoyable. Regardless of what happens in the next two games, this trip has be successful. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come on the road.

Game Ninety Nine: Diamondbacks 4, Brewers 0

Box Score

One of the best parts of the baseball season is watching the Brewers play after they've had a nice stretch of success. I was very relaxed during tonight's game because after winning four of five (and stealing one last night) I knew I could let my guard down. This is a good thing, because this was a frustrating game.

Grienke had an excellent outing despite surrendering two solo home runs in the 4th, but his outing was spoiled because the Brew Crew was unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities. Nyjer Morgan flied out to end the inning with the bases loaded in the 5th and Braun grounded into a rally-killing double play in the 8th, which essentially sealed the defeat. Morgan and Braun are two players you want up in those situations, but tonight was just not their night. Oh well, it happens.

Looking ahead, the Brewers have a tough series ahead of them in San Francisco. Meanwhile the Cardinals and Pirates will square off, so you have to believe the Brewers will be in good shape regardless of what happens in San Francisco. With that said, anything outside of getting swept would make me one happy camper.

And looking back for some perspective, the Brewers were 46-53 at this point last season and hopelessly out of any sort of contention.

Game Ninety Eight: Brewers 5, Diamondbacks 2

Box Score 

I missed the bulk of this game because I was at Qwest Field watching Manchester United mercilessly dismantle the Sounders. However, I did make it home in time to watch the 10th inning, which is something of a miracle.

I followed the score on my phone while I was taking the bus home. I was feeling pretty good when I saw the Brewers were up 3-0. But then the score changed to 2-0 after Braun's alleged homer was ruled a foul ball. This score change gave me a bad feeling, which was quickly validated when K-Rod surrendered the lead with two outs in the bottom of the 8th.

I checked the score once more after I left the bus and saw the Diamondbacks had a runner at third with nobody out in the bottom of the 9th. At this point I conceded defeat and started writing a post in my head about how this game was such a downer. I arrived home and went online to retrieve the box score for this post only to discover that it was the top of the 10th. Let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The top of the 10th came and went, and when it was all over the Brewers lead 5-2. Axford walked the leadoff man in the bottom of the frame (just for kicks, I assume), but the runner was quickly erased by a 4-6-3 double play. Axford carved up Willie Bloomquist on three pitches, giving the Brewers an unlikely win and sole possession of first place. As Bob Uecker would say: "How about that one, folks?"

I am thrilled with the victory and ecstatic that the Brewers improved to 4-3 on this trip. I'm also impressed that the Brewers were able to win this game in quite possibly the most difficult manner imaginable. Seriously. The Brewers must be on a quest to give everybody in Milwaukee a heart attack.

Other notes:

-Carlos Gomez broke his clavicle and will out for a while. The Brewers needs as much defense as they can get and Gomez is huge asset in the field and as a pinch runner. This is not good news.

-Ryan Braun does not appear to be bothered by his calf anymore.

-Had the Brewers lost tonight the debate would have been about relieving Narveson with of K-Rod. Win or lose, I would have been fine with this move. In his career, Narveson has a 6.94 ERA from innings 6-8. )This includes relief appearances and does not include his work in the 9th inning) Narveson is a soft-tossing lefty that become a lot more vulnerable each time through the lineup. Replacing him with a K-Rod and his career 2.53 ERA was not a bad move.

Game Ninety Eight: Brewers 11, Diamondbacks 3

Box Score 

That was about as easy of a road win as you are going to have. The Brewers blasted three home runs in the first inning (including the first of two from Yuniesky Betancourt) and despite the D-Backs getting two back in the bottom of the frame, they never really threatened for the rest of the game.

The Brewers are 3-3 so far on this road trip. Not too long ago I predicted this road trip would be the death blow that effectively ended the Brewers' season. So far I am happily being proven wrong. Now I'm feeling pretty good about their chances to win two more game, finish the trip 5-6, and begin a stretch of games that could propel the Brewers into the post season.

Regardless of what happens, I look forward to reading these posts after the season is over.

Game Ninety Seven: Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 0

Box Score 

Tonight's game was an impressive display of anti-entertainment. It was a black hole of enjoyment that deserves as little thought as possible. What that in mind...

...I give credit to Randy Wolf for at least going 7.1 innings. If you are not going to get the win, at least eat some innings. Of course, it's rare you will see a team win a game without scoring runs. Speaking of that, Braun needs to get healthy soon. All Kotsay and no Braun makes Mike dull boy.

I'm feeling charitable tonight so I will write off tonight's game as one of those unavoidable clunkers. That said, we are getting to the point in the season where an uninspired game here or there can keep you from the post season.  If you're wonder how good the Brewers actually are, the next 2.5 months will give you the answer.

Game Ninety Six: Brewers 4, Rockies 3

Box Score

I am as happy as you can be about splitting a 4-game road series against a third place team. As the spike in the win expectancy graph shows, once again the final three outs were not easy to come by.

While I have written many things about how John Axford likes to make things interesting (as he did today, though poor defense factored in), the fact of the matter is that he's an excellent closer. He has blown on only two saves this season (25/27, he went 24/27 last season), he strikes out over one batter per inning, has surrendered only three home runs in his MLB career, and when you remove his opening day meltdown from the equation he has a tidy 2.11 ERA. He can also hit 98 and has a nasty, nasty curve ball. Add Francisco Rodriguez to the mix with a dash of salt and you have a recipe for a dominant late-inning set up.

Also of note: I like what Roenicke has done with the lineup. It paid off last night when Weeks hit the game-winning homer from the 5-hole, and long term I think it's a logical move. Weeks gives protection to Fielder, and considering Fielder gets on base at a .421 clip I would imagine Weeks will be rewarded for his protection by getting pitches to hit.

Moving along, my hope is that the Brewers can squeeze three more wins out of this road trip and finish with a 5-6 record. If they can do that and find it in them to tread water on the road for the rest of the season, I like their chances of winning the division. That said, asking this team to not be terrible on the road seems like a lot to ask for. Ah yes, the joys of being a Brewers fan.

Game Ninety Five: Brewers 8, Rockies 7

Box Score



I think the above graph provides an accurate depiction of the essence of tonight's game.

The Brewers give us fans the worst of both worlds on the road: They either lose in the most deflating manner possible or win in the most difficult way imaginable. Tonight was one of those difficult wins, but I am very relieved the Brewers were able to pull it out...even though I did not watch any of it live.

I was unable to watch the game tonight because I was at a Mariners game. My plan of avoiding the game as much as possible was doomed to fail because of the good ole' out of town scoreboard. Allow me to recap the highlights of my scoreboard watching:

Bottom 4: Brewers 0, Rockies 3, one out, bases loaded

At this point I was morbidly hoping the Rockies would hit a grand slam so I would have no reason to follow the score. But the Brewers somehow escaped the jam and forced me to keep an eye on the score for until the final out. More highlights:

Top 5: Brewers 2, Rockies 3
Top 7: Brewers 5, Rockies 3
Bottom 7: Brewers 5, Rockies 6
Top 8: Brewers 6, Rockies 6
Top 9: Brewers 8, Rockies 6

The last update was especially sweet because it popped up after the 7th inning stretch at the Mariners game. For the bottom of the 9th I followed the game on my phone, and John Axford was kind enough to treat me to a white-knuckle save; But! it was a save.

I feel good about the win and I will feel even better of the Brewers can earn the split tomorrow. I am very cynical about the Brewers, so I do not predict that will happen. Of course, to the Brewers' credit they are quite good at surprising me. Let's hope they do so tomorrow.

Game Ninety Four: Rockies 4, Brewers 0

Box Score

Confession time! I did not watch this game and I did not check the score until the game was over. Why? Because the Brewers are feeble on the road and I will not waste my time following them until they prove worthy to do so. It's worth noting that in the Brewers' worst season of all time, 2002 (where they finished 56-106), they went 25-56 on the road. This season they are on pace to go 27-54. And yes, this is a season where they are "going for it."

The NL Central is the most winnable division in baseball and unless they Brewers figure out how to win on the road they are going to let a golden opportunity slip by. I am as frustrated with this team as I ever have been.

Game Ninety Three: Rockies 12, Brewers 3

Box Score 

And this is exactly the type of thing I expected feared would happen. The Brewers got off to a decent start and even led 2-1 in the second inning. But then things went off the rails as Gallardo gave up two-strike hit after two-strike hit in the bottom of the 4th. From there the bats went silent and the Brewers suffered another deflating road loss. I am not looking forward to the next ten games.

I should mention that I am excited that the Brewers acquired Francisco Rodriguez. He's an excellent reliever and with him, Axford, Saito, and Hawkins in the pen the Brewers have made a move that will shorten games to their advantage. But, and this is important, this only matters if they have a lead after the 6th inning. Given how crappy they are on the road, the Brewers could have Rollie Fingers and Mariano Rivera in the bullpen and it would not matter one lick.

If the Brewers are really "going for it" this season they have to upgrade at third and short. McGehee and Betancourt neither create runs nor do they prevent them, thus they are a dual (quadruple?) threat when it comes to hurting the Brewers.

For the time being the Brewers cannot afford to go any worse that 4-7 on this road trip. After tonight's game it's clear that they have their work cut out, even though we're talking about having a semi-respectable road trip. Yikes.

Brew Crew Burnout

As you have noticed, I have not been faithful in updating this blog over the past couple weeks. The reasons for this are simple:

1) There are a lot of games in a baseball season, and I do not always feel like writing about every one of them.

2) Building off of (1), I often do not have much to write about each game. Some games are worthy of analysis while other are worth forgetting. Much like the season itself, maintaining a blog can be a grind.

I have toyed with the idea of changing how I do updates, but after the All-Star break I plan on resuming the blog  as normal. In the meantime I have a few thought to share.

First, every time I think I'm out the Brewers pull me right back in. I was just about done with the Brewers after they blew a 6-1 lead for the second consecutive day. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the Brewers decided to win four of five games, highlighted by two comebacks in the bottom of the 9th. I'm not sure what the second half of the season holds, but I loved going into the break feeling good.

Second, I am not crazy about the Brewers' chances in the second half. They are still terrible on the road, have too many holes in their lineup, and their starting pitching, while excellent, has not been good enough to compensate for their awful, awful defense. I will feel better if the Brewers can upgrade at SS and 3B before the trade deadline. If this does not happen I have a hard time seeing the Brewers in the playoffs.

Finally, I will be happy if the Brewers have a strong second half and still miss the playoffs (provided they don't miss the playoffs due to a massive choke job). Winning seasons are rare in Milwaukee, and because of this I will have no problem setting my sights a little low and declaring an 85-77 season a success. Call me complacent, but that's how I roll!

Catch Up Time!

Since my last post the Brewers have had one inspiring comeback victory and three extremely deflating losses. In this post I am going to focus on those losses.

The Brewers are on the brink of being cooked. They are 1-7 in their last 8 games and have been outscored 59-30. They are a terrible road team and they have an 11-game road trip after the All-Star Break where they will go to Colorado, Arizona, and San Francisco. Zack Greinke and Casey McGehee are not coming around as I hoped, Yuni Betancourt is still a black hole, Kameron Loe is not a reliable reliever and he's still the "8th inning guy," and Yovani Gallardo has been consistently average. In short, they have problems that are not being solved. Though they are only 2.0 games back of the division lead, time is running out and, simply put, things are not looking good.

This team is not making the playoffs as it is currently constructed. They will have a puncher's chance if Saito gets healthy, Greinke settles down, and they upgrade at shortstop and third base. On the bright side, I do believe this team will finish about .500. Considering that winning seasons are rare for the Brewers, I would be decently satisfied with this outcome. However, if the Brewers do not make the playoffs this season I will become very deflated as a fan. I will also advocate the replacement of Doug Melvin.

The Brewers are 531-527 since the 2005. I give Melvin credit for constructing decent teams over that span, but there is another tier of excellence the Brewers are capable of reaching. This will not happen until they have some sort of consistent organizational philosophy outside of getting a bunch of powerful free swingers that can't play defense. Melvin's teams are inconsistent on offense and, due to being horrible defensively, need a lot of things to go right in order to make the playoffs. With something like defense you are given much more margin for error, because all of a sudden that RBI grounder down the line becomes an inning-ending double play. Then, instead of needing 5 runs to win the game, you only need 3.

Anyway, that is my rant for now. I will continue to follow the Brewers, but I will not follow them with enthusiasm until they give me reason for excitement. I am beginning to doubt that will happen.

Game Eighty Three: Twins 6, Brewers 2

Box Score 

After the Brewers swept the Twins I made a comment about basking the greatness of the Brewers. That remark was partly in jest, but mostly serious. You must take advantage of any opportunity celebrate the Brewers because that moment will not last long.

The Brewers have been outscored 28-6 in their last four games, all of them losses. They have been losing, and losing hard. It's quite maddening, really. And I'm just going to leave it at that.

Game Eighty Two: Yankees 5, Brewers 0

Box Score

I'm just going to pretend that series did not happen. While that was not the worst series I have every seen, it's hard get much less enjoyable than that. I felt like I was watching the 2003 Brewers out there, not a first place team. Speaking of that...

...the Brewers' three game lead evaporated as quickly as the lead could evaporate. This may have had something to do with the Brewers playing the Yankees and the Cardinals playing the Orioles. The Crew got raw deal with their interleague draw. The Brewers went 2-7 against the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees, and I will have something to complain about if they miss the playoffs by one or two games. Raw deal aside, a team worthy of winning their division will overcome unfavorable scheduling. The Brewers clearly have some room for improvement...

...and they are at least showing signs of making changes. Casey McGehee was dropped from the 5-spot in the lineup, which is at least a sign that more changes could be coming. I would like to see Taylor Green called up and platoon 3B with McGehee (Green bats left), though I have not heard any rumblings of that happening.

Back to the game today, I was very happy to see Randy Wolf survive a horrible first inning and give the Brewers seven innings. I'm not sure why Wolf has had the most success against the Red Sox and Yankees, so I'll just chalk it up to veteran savvy.

One last point: Ignoring their 0-1 March, the Brewers have had a winning record every month this season. Going further back, the Brewers were 56-55 from June to October of last season. The Brewers have put together a long stretch of decent baseball. I feel pretty good about the Brewers' outlook moving forward.

Game Eighty One: Yankees 5, Brewers 2

Box Score 

At least this loss was not as embarrassing. Other than that all I can really is that the Brewers are still in first place, currently on pace to finish the season 88-74, and will be finished with the AL East for the rest of the season after tomorrow.

Game Eighty: Yankees 12, Brewers 2

Box Score 

Well then. So much for my optimism.

The Red Sox and Yankees are better than the Brewers. I find it hard to believe that they are this much better than the Brewers, but after tonight's game I am not sure sure. As exhibit A I present you with the collective starting line for Marcum, Gallardo, and Greinke against the Red Sox and Yankees:

6.0 IP, 18 Hits, 14 ER, 21.00 ERA

There is not way the Brewers are that much worse, yet the evidence suggests otherwise. I do not want to put much more thought into the matter because I do not like feeling bad.

All that I can say about tonight's game is that the early 7-0 deficit allowed me to turn my attention to other things and liberate me from any baseball anxiety. Other than that: I just hope the rest of the series is not this bad.

Game Thirty Six: Padres 13, Brewers 6

Box Score

Considering that I have a job, closely following day games is not always possible. Today I only had two opportunities to check the score of the game. This is what I saw:

SDP 5, MIL 6 TOP 7

This was followed by:

SDP 13, MIL 6 F

I did not expect a likely Brewers victory to turn into a blowout loss, especially considering the Padres have an awful offense. What to make of the game, then? In my humble opinion, not too much. What happened today is what I like to call a 'Mulholland Drive' game. Much like the film, today's game looked like it was heading somewhere and then took a turn that did not make any rational sense.

A team that's hitting .219 on the season with a collective .298 OBP is not a strong candidate for an 8-run inning, but that didn't stop it from happening. I could try to analyze what happened in the game and I could try to make sense of what is going on in David Lynch's head. I could, but that wouldn't get me anywhere. Instead I'll just restate the gist of the game: The Brewers were down, then up, then down again. The had a chance to sweep the Padres but the bullpen imploded and they had to settle for the series win. Putting any more thought into this game is like trying to figure out why there was a mutant baby in Eraserhead. It's better to just accept that the baby is there and leave it at that.

Game Seventy Nine: Brewers 6, Twins 2

Box Score

What a delightful weekend of baseball. The enjoyment of the Brewers' sweep of the Twins was enhanced by the Cardinals getting swept by the Blue Jays, allowing the Crew to build a 3.0 game lead in the division. To top it off we had an off-day to bask in the glory of the success of the Brewers.

Next up: A series in the Bronx versus the Yankees. For some reason I have a better feeling about this series than the one at Fenway Park. Considering the Yankees lead the Red Sox in the division, have an offense that is almost exactly as powerful as the Red Sox, and a better pitching staff to boot, I should expect this to be a "Thank you sir, may I have another?" type of series. Instead I believe the Crew can take two of three. I will attempt to justify this feeling with the following reasons:

1) The Brewers should be able to score a lot of runs at Yankee Stadium. While the same goes for the Yankees, I'm inclined to believe that you're better off at an extreme hitters park than a place like Petco Park in San Diego. My thinking is that it's better to be able to come back from down 5-0 than having an 2-0 deficit be insurmountable. This may not be based in reality, but sports-related "feelings" don't have to be. Besides, if the Brewers have big comeback in the series I'll be able to point to this post and look like a genius.

2) The Brewers have Greinke and Marcum pitching in the first two games, respectively. Greinke has been a wild card this season and Marcum did not exactly dominate the Red Sox, but they're two pitchers that can shut down anybody...just like Braden Looper and Jeff Suppan.

3) The final game of the series is a day game while I'm at work. The Brewers are due to win under those "conditions." Like I said, these points don't have to make sense.

All of that said, I expect the Brewers to take one of three but show more friskiness than they did against the Red Sox. Let's see if I'm right.

Game Seventy Eight: Brewers 11, Twins 1

Box Score 

I wanted to start this post by saying "The Brewers really needed a win like that." I decided against that because, really, when couldn't you use an 11-1 victory?

There is not much to say about this game. The Brewers got a good outing from Gallardo and got a lot of hits, including four home runs and an inside-the-park homer from Yuni Betancourt of all people. To make matters better, the Crew extended their lead in the Central to 2.0 games after the Pujols-less Cardinals lost yet again.

I am optimistic that what we saw from the Brewers over the past two weeks was a mild slump that, given how good the Brewers are, was as bad as we'll see for the rest of the season. I expect this optimism to last until the Brewers go on a two-game losing streak, at which point I will start wondering if they'll ever win again.

Game Seventy Seven: Brewers 4, Twins 3

Box Score

For the past couple of seasons I began to wonder if I had developed some sort of extra-sensory perception with the Brewers. There have been many instances where I just "knew" something would happen and wouldn't you know it: it did. Tonight's game was a perfect example of this, except the opposite.

After Randy Wolf surrendered a go-ahead, 3-run homer in the top of the 6th I knew beyond any doubt that the Brewers were going to lose. That's just what was going to happen. I had a post constructed in my head and was simply waiting for the conclusion of the inevitable to write it. Then, somehow, in the bottom of the 7th with 2-one and two out, Prince Fielder ripped a double to right field that gave the Brewers the lead for good.

In case you were wondering, I will be starting a 1-800 number and airing late-night infomercials in the near future.

Inaccurate premonitions aside, this was an important victory for the Crew. They have been teetering on the bring of a prolonged slump and you don't need to be Miss Cleo to know that losing the opener to the Twins would not be a good sign of things to come. Furthermore, the Brewers really need to gain some ground on the Cardinals while Pujols is out. Also: it's just fun beating teams from Minnesota.

Game Seventy Six: Rays 6, Brewers 3

Box Score

Much like how baseball players need to take a day off every now and then, I decided to take a quick break from the blog. Regarding the rubber match of the Rays series, all I will say is that the Brewers are now 2-6 in days games played while I am at work. This is a trend that must change.

Actually, I do have one more point to make. Ron Roenicke has come under fire for some of the decisions he made in this loss, particularity pinch hitting Kotsay instead of Kottaras in the bottom of the 9th. On paper this is the wrong call and all things considered it was probably, in fact, the wrong call. The problem with evaluating these managerial decisions, however, is that we do not know what all the things are to consider.

I believe the most important role of a major league manager is to keep 25 massive egos focused on a singular goal. This entails, I think, dealing more with people than tactical decisions. If the Brewers like Roenicke, play hard for Roenicke, and want to win for Roenicke, then I can live with him being a poor tactician...even if it can be frustrating at times.