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.
No comments:
Post a Comment