The Brewers are not worth your time. They have terrible starting pitching, poor situational hitting, and most importantly, lose a lot of games. I've reached my breaking point with this team because the games make me:
1) Terrible depressed
2) Intensely frustrated
3) Both
It's so bad that I don't even feel good when they win, though I can't be sure because it's been a while since I last experienced a victory and my memory can be faulty about these things. This is a team on pace for 59 wins, and even that seems like a stretch. Life is precious, life is short, and you are doing the miracle of consciousness a disservice to spend even one second paying attention to this team. I will argue this point until I pass out, but it's still not going to stop me from following them; my stance is more of a recommendation for the non-Brewer fanatics out there.
Rant aside, games were played that inspired vitriol to appear on this blog and I would like to briefly discuss them.
1) 19.6% of the homers hit by the Twins have come off Brewers pitching
Keep in mind only 7.8% of the Twins schedule to this point involves Milwaukee. The Twins are one of the worst home run hitting teams in the majors, yet they hit four off Kyle Lohse in tonight's game. This is to be expect as no pitching staff in the NL has as much trouble keeping the ball in the yard as the Brewers'. The lesson here: when a moveable force meets a stoppable object, the stoppable object wins.
2) The Brewers keep you interested so they can frustrate you
This is the crux of why the Brew Crew is so hard to watch right now. They get down 6-0 and then claw within realistic striking distance, only to fail to capitalize on their opportunities. Tonight, down 7-4 in the top of the 4th, the Brewers loaded the bases with two outs. Coming to the plate to spearhead the comeback was...Yuniesky Betancourt. There is no feeling as helpless as seeing Yuni Betancourt -- arguably the worst everyday player in the majors since 2008 -- come to the plate in a big situation.* He grounded out and effectively killed the comeback.
*To his credit, he's had some big hits in his career.
3) Marco Estrada is the current ace of the staff
7 of his 11 starts have gone at least six innings, including 3 of his last 4 (where he went 7 innings). All flaws considered, he's pitching deep into games. It's a sad situation when your de facto ace is someone that simply lasts more than five innings with consistency, but that's where we're at with the Brewers right now.
Looking ahead...
I'm not going to do another series recap until the Brewers win one. This is partially because I am running out of things to write about this team, but more because I want to expand past recaps and broaden my focus. There is a lot about Milwaukee baseball history and baseball in general I want to explore. This blog will still be updated regularly, just with different content.
Also, the Brewers have a series at Philadelphia. I'll still follow the games, because that's what I do...not because it's a recommended use of time.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
1/2 Series Recap: Can it get any worse?
Did the Brewers just finish a 2-game home series with the Twins or the home half of a 4-game series? Though I will never be certain of the answer to this question, I do know the Brewers played two games with the Minnesota Twins and lost them both.
The Brewers are now 5-20 in the month of May. To put that in perspective, the 106-loss 2002 squad won at least 8 games each month. Yes, this year's team is on pace to do something the worst team in franchise history was incapable of doing. As bad as things are going, can they get any worse? Let's take look at the last two games and get a better idea.
1) Jean Segura for MVP
The unstoppable hitting machine had another terrific series, going 8-11 with a home run over the two games. He also had six hits tonight, including a game-tying RBI single in the 9th that put the Brewers in prime position to win the game, which they did not do. This inconvenient fact aside, Segura is putting together an MVP caliber season. He currently leads the NL with a .362 average and entered the game #3 in the NL in offensive WAR (2.4). Just when you think he can't hit any better, he does. More importantly, he's becoming a symbol of hope for a rebuilding franchise because he's an exciting young player that shows what happens when your GM makes a savvy trade.
2) How is the starting pitching this bad?
Brewers pitchers extended their "not getting past the 5th inning" streak to four. Not coincidentally, the Brewers are 0-4 in those games. Wily Peralta allowed four runs in 5IP on Monday and Alfredo Figaro did the exact same thing tonight, though he took a different route by allowing all of the runs to be scored on long balls. Quite literally, these short starts are driving me insane. It's not that they lead to losses, the bullpen being worn out, and are difficult to watch, but they blatantly defy the law of averages. This is to say that given enough starts even a fringe ML pitching talent will have Cy Young caliber outing/stretch. Consider:
-Wayne Franklin threw a 2-hit shutout on 5/21/03 versus the Padres. He finished the season with a 5.50 ERA.
-Ruben Quevedo had a stretch of three games in 2002 where he pitched 24.0 innings and allowed one earned run. He finished the season with a 5.76 ERA.
-Wes Obermueller pitched a CG SO at the end of the 2004 season against the Astros, who at the time were under the brilliant leadership of Scrap Iron. In May of the following season he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning at Washington. He has a career 5.82 ERA.
These are three crappy pitchers that had flashes of brilliance. The were short, unsustainable bursts, but they happened. The current staff seems totally incapable of doing anything remotely like this. However, I do take solace that when this happens the bullpen will blow the game.
3) It's not worth losing if you can't use your bullpen for 9 innings
Few things are more depressing as losses that put you in a position to lose more games. Once again the bullpen was terrific (9IP, 2ER tonight) and once again it did not matter. Doug Melvin might want to trade away some relievers sooner than later because at this rate they will burn out or get hurt.
4) Monday's lineup, woof.
To be fair, 1-2-3 of that lineup (Aoki, Segura, and Gomez) rank in the top 10 in the NL in hits. But what the lineup featured in talent it lacked in depth. Exhibit A: Yuniesky Betancourt batting cleanup.
The AAA lineup had a chance to deal a blow in the first inning when they had the bases loaded and nobody out...and then Betancourt lined out to shortstop and Segura was doubled off. This both killed the rally and let the 38,627 fans in attendance know the Brewers had no chance of winning the game. On the bright side, those that stuck around got to see Segura and Gomez sock a few dingers, presumably distracting them of the terrifying truth of Major League Baseball's clandestine activities.
5) The Minnesota Twins are also pretty bad
Have lost 11 of their last 12, the one team in the majors as cold as the Brewers came into Miller Park to play a pair of games and won them both. This fact tells you all you need to know about how 2013 is going.
Looking ahead...
The only thing changing is the venue as the Crew will play two more against the Twins in Minnesota. For the sake of symmetry it's important the Brewers win their next two games. The implications of imbalance are far too frightening to contemplate...
The Brewers are now 5-20 in the month of May. To put that in perspective, the 106-loss 2002 squad won at least 8 games each month. Yes, this year's team is on pace to do something the worst team in franchise history was incapable of doing. As bad as things are going, can they get any worse? Let's take look at the last two games and get a better idea.
1) Jean Segura for MVP
The unstoppable hitting machine had another terrific series, going 8-11 with a home run over the two games. He also had six hits tonight, including a game-tying RBI single in the 9th that put the Brewers in prime position to win the game, which they did not do. This inconvenient fact aside, Segura is putting together an MVP caliber season. He currently leads the NL with a .362 average and entered the game #3 in the NL in offensive WAR (2.4). Just when you think he can't hit any better, he does. More importantly, he's becoming a symbol of hope for a rebuilding franchise because he's an exciting young player that shows what happens when your GM makes a savvy trade.
2) How is the starting pitching this bad?
Brewers pitchers extended their "not getting past the 5th inning" streak to four. Not coincidentally, the Brewers are 0-4 in those games. Wily Peralta allowed four runs in 5IP on Monday and Alfredo Figaro did the exact same thing tonight, though he took a different route by allowing all of the runs to be scored on long balls. Quite literally, these short starts are driving me insane. It's not that they lead to losses, the bullpen being worn out, and are difficult to watch, but they blatantly defy the law of averages. This is to say that given enough starts even a fringe ML pitching talent will have Cy Young caliber outing/stretch. Consider:
-Wayne Franklin threw a 2-hit shutout on 5/21/03 versus the Padres. He finished the season with a 5.50 ERA.
-Ruben Quevedo had a stretch of three games in 2002 where he pitched 24.0 innings and allowed one earned run. He finished the season with a 5.76 ERA.
-Wes Obermueller pitched a CG SO at the end of the 2004 season against the Astros, who at the time were under the brilliant leadership of Scrap Iron. In May of the following season he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning at Washington. He has a career 5.82 ERA.
These are three crappy pitchers that had flashes of brilliance. The were short, unsustainable bursts, but they happened. The current staff seems totally incapable of doing anything remotely like this. However, I do take solace that when this happens the bullpen will blow the game.
3) It's not worth losing if you can't use your bullpen for 9 innings
Few things are more depressing as losses that put you in a position to lose more games. Once again the bullpen was terrific (9IP, 2ER tonight) and once again it did not matter. Doug Melvin might want to trade away some relievers sooner than later because at this rate they will burn out or get hurt.
4) Monday's lineup, woof.
To be fair, 1-2-3 of that lineup (Aoki, Segura, and Gomez) rank in the top 10 in the NL in hits. But what the lineup featured in talent it lacked in depth. Exhibit A: Yuniesky Betancourt batting cleanup.
The AAA lineup had a chance to deal a blow in the first inning when they had the bases loaded and nobody out...and then Betancourt lined out to shortstop and Segura was doubled off. This both killed the rally and let the 38,627 fans in attendance know the Brewers had no chance of winning the game. On the bright side, those that stuck around got to see Segura and Gomez sock a few dingers, presumably distracting them of the terrifying truth of Major League Baseball's clandestine activities.
5) The Minnesota Twins are also pretty bad
Have lost 11 of their last 12, the one team in the majors as cold as the Brewers came into Miller Park to play a pair of games and won them both. This fact tells you all you need to know about how 2013 is going.
Looking ahead...
The only thing changing is the venue as the Crew will play two more against the Twins in Minnesota. For the sake of symmetry it's important the Brewers win their next two games. The implications of imbalance are far too frightening to contemplate...
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Series Recap: It could be worse (abbreviated version)
On the bright side, by winning the first game of the series the Brewers extended their "not getting swept" streak to four.
I did not have a chance to watch any of the games this series as I spent a lot of time running around this Memorial Day weekend. As such I do not have much insight for this series recap. I do, however, have a brief rant about the starting pitching.
Mike Fiers and Yovani Gallardo both failed to pitch past the 4th inning on Saturday and Sunday, respectively (Gallardo needed 97 pitches today to allow four runs in four innings). In addition to the pitching being bad there is no relief in sight. The only hope is the Brewers catch lightning in a bottle a la 2012 Mike Fiers or 2005 Rick Helling. It would also be helpful if they could fill three bottles. Until this happens the Brewers will become more of a chore to watch because as a fan I go into every game with little hope of a victory.
The 2004 Milwaukee Brewers were the last truly awful team we've had to follow. However, that team also had Ben Sheets at the height of his powers.* His starts were exciting because he pitched deep into games, stuck out a ton of batters, and gave you hope that you'd see an elusive victory. If not you'd at least be treated to mid-90s heat and the most wicked 12-6 curve I ever did done see. Fast forward to today: Outside of Kyle Lohse getting off to a hot start and a few scattered strong outings (such as Marco Estrada on Friday) there has been almost nothing to get excited about with the starting pitchers. To the contrary, I'm beginning to dread the games.
*Doug Davis was no slouch, either.
The Brewers do not have a stopper, nor do they have a reliable "slower down-er," a phrase I doubt will catch on. When short starts and big innings become the rule rather than the exception you don't root for the home team as much as you wait for the wheels to fall off. This, dare I say, is just not very fun. It gets worse when you realize there are 114 games left. I'm almost beginning to miss Jeff Suppan. Almost.
Looking ahead...
There is another team in the majors with similar pitching woes, and wouldn't you know they are coming to Milwaukee to start a 2/2 four game series with the Minnesota Twins. On the morbid curiosity scale the appeal of this series is off the charts. If you combined the best starters from each team you'd still have a bottom five rotation. While this may seem depressing, this series could actually be a lot of fun. Bad pitching leads to runs and good old fashion shootouts are high entertainment, even with two crummy teams are involved.
Giddy up!
I did not have a chance to watch any of the games this series as I spent a lot of time running around this Memorial Day weekend. As such I do not have much insight for this series recap. I do, however, have a brief rant about the starting pitching.
Mike Fiers and Yovani Gallardo both failed to pitch past the 4th inning on Saturday and Sunday, respectively (Gallardo needed 97 pitches today to allow four runs in four innings). In addition to the pitching being bad there is no relief in sight. The only hope is the Brewers catch lightning in a bottle a la 2012 Mike Fiers or 2005 Rick Helling. It would also be helpful if they could fill three bottles. Until this happens the Brewers will become more of a chore to watch because as a fan I go into every game with little hope of a victory.
The 2004 Milwaukee Brewers were the last truly awful team we've had to follow. However, that team also had Ben Sheets at the height of his powers.* His starts were exciting because he pitched deep into games, stuck out a ton of batters, and gave you hope that you'd see an elusive victory. If not you'd at least be treated to mid-90s heat and the most wicked 12-6 curve I ever did done see. Fast forward to today: Outside of Kyle Lohse getting off to a hot start and a few scattered strong outings (such as Marco Estrada on Friday) there has been almost nothing to get excited about with the starting pitchers. To the contrary, I'm beginning to dread the games.
*Doug Davis was no slouch, either.
The Brewers do not have a stopper, nor do they have a reliable "slower down-er," a phrase I doubt will catch on. When short starts and big innings become the rule rather than the exception you don't root for the home team as much as you wait for the wheels to fall off. This, dare I say, is just not very fun. It gets worse when you realize there are 114 games left. I'm almost beginning to miss Jeff Suppan. Almost.
Looking ahead...
There is another team in the majors with similar pitching woes, and wouldn't you know they are coming to Milwaukee to start a 2/2 four game series with the Minnesota Twins. On the morbid curiosity scale the appeal of this series is off the charts. If you combined the best starters from each team you'd still have a bottom five rotation. While this may seem depressing, this series could actually be a lot of fun. Bad pitching leads to runs and good old fashion shootouts are high entertainment, even with two crummy teams are involved.
Giddy up!
Friday, May 24, 2013
In Support of Ron Roenicke
Maybe it's the 18-27 record, maybe it's his curious tactical maneuvers, or maybe it's a litany of other reasons, but fan support of Ron Roenicke is eroding. I am not among those losing faith in Roenicke because I believe he is the right man to turn this season around. This confidence is borne from my opinion of the primary purpose of a major league manager.
There are plenty of tactical errors that belong on Roenicke's permanent record. Starting Shawn Marcum over Chris Narveson while playing Mark Kotsay in center field in the third most important game in franchise history (Game 6 of the 2011 NLCS) are two standing at the top of the list. However, more important than making the right moves is keeping 25 players focused over a punishing 162 game schedule. Managing is about handling egos and protecting players, and since the beginning of 2011 Roenicke has proven capable of doing these things. The best example of this occurred last season.
A comical and persistent failure of the bullpen led to the Brewers a 54-66 on August 19th of 2012. This team was swept in three games at Philadelphia, each game by a score of 7-6 and each loss the result of a blown save. For most teams this would be a total shock, for the Brewers it was the status quo. Yet despite the cavalcade of discouraging losses the Brewers clawed their way to within 1.5 games of the wild card late in the season. There was more than one cause of this surge, and I believe the steady demeanor and leadership of Roenicke was a primary driver. There was no clubhouse mutiny or mass sulking, just a 29-13 finish to the season.
Roenicke will periodically mismanage the bullpen and bat players too high in the lineup, but he'll also keep the clubhouse together and herd cats like a boss. Until the starting pitching gets better that's all you can ask the skipper of this team to do.
There are plenty of tactical errors that belong on Roenicke's permanent record. Starting Shawn Marcum over Chris Narveson while playing Mark Kotsay in center field in the third most important game in franchise history (Game 6 of the 2011 NLCS) are two standing at the top of the list. However, more important than making the right moves is keeping 25 players focused over a punishing 162 game schedule. Managing is about handling egos and protecting players, and since the beginning of 2011 Roenicke has proven capable of doing these things. The best example of this occurred last season.
A comical and persistent failure of the bullpen led to the Brewers a 54-66 on August 19th of 2012. This team was swept in three games at Philadelphia, each game by a score of 7-6 and each loss the result of a blown save. For most teams this would be a total shock, for the Brewers it was the status quo. Yet despite the cavalcade of discouraging losses the Brewers clawed their way to within 1.5 games of the wild card late in the season. There was more than one cause of this surge, and I believe the steady demeanor and leadership of Roenicke was a primary driver. There was no clubhouse mutiny or mass sulking, just a 29-13 finish to the season.
Roenicke will periodically mismanage the bullpen and bat players too high in the lineup, but he'll also keep the clubhouse together and herd cats like a boss. Until the starting pitching gets better that's all you can ask the skipper of this team to do.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Dodgers vs. Brewers Recap: Let the Bad Times Roll
You know things are going poorly when you lose a series and still improve your record for the month. Ryan Braun said what we are all thinking after today's game when he opined "It's been pretty terrible...this year is miserable." Following this team will become a punishing task if the last 20 games (4-16) are a sign of things to come,* but just as there was a wisp of good left in Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi, there is enough hope left in 2013 for me to still enjoy watching. And who am I kidding? I'll always be happy watching a Brewers game. With that sunny perspective in mind, here are some cloudy thoughts from the series versus the Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles.
*They probably are.
1) The bullpen is good...for now
Another series, another strong performance from the relievers as they allowed three measly earned runs against the Dodgers. Relevant: Brewers relievers pitched 17 innings this series. Even John Axford is joining the bullpen party, having lowed his ERA below 7.00 for the first time this season thanks to two scoreless outings. I have a lot of confidence in their ability to hold leads, but this is speculation at this point because there have not been many leads to hold. However, with the starting pitchers struggling to complete five innings with consistency you have to wonder when they'll reach their breaking point. When that happens things will get ugly and we'll drown our sorrows like it's 2002. On the subject of pitching...
2) Wily Peralta and Hiram Burgos are not ready for the majors
All things considered, Burgos had one of the best disaster starts you will ever see. Yes, he only pitched 3.1 innings. Yes, he allowed 10 baserunners. Yes, he was pulled with the bases loaded in the 4th. But he was enough of a Houdini to escape trouble and only get charged with 2 ER (with an assist from Mike Fiers). When he left the game the Brewers at least had a chance to win. Conversely, Wily Peralta had a more conventional disaster start.
Peralta failed to advance past the second inning while allowing 9 baserunners and 6 runs, 4 earned. The defense did him no favors, but they didn't walk in two runs, either.
Peralta and Burgos belong in the minors where they can develop their stuff and at least avoid having their confidence crushed in the world's most popular baseball league. They do not give the Brewers a good chance to winning their starts and their inability to eat innings is destructive long term. Without a doubt they belong in the minors, but where you belong is not always where you are needed. The Brewers do not have anyone to immediately take their place.
The rotation will get a boost when Chris Narveson comes back and Alfredo Figaro i8s an option as he started in the minors and Japan. Of course, who knows when (or if) this will happen.
3) The Brewers win when Zack Greinke pitches at Miller Park
I was slightly conflicted when Greinke took the mound on Tuesday. He contributed to the funnest summer of Brewers baseball I've ever seen and I love his brutally honest personality. I hope he pitches well for the Dodgers and earns his contract. That said, I was happy to see him suffer his first loss at Miller Park.
I doubt baseball has as more quirky coincidences or unlikely occurrences than other sports, but I will argue until I'm out of breath that these things are infinitely more compelling in baseball. Everything with baseball is clearly defined, which makes the anomalies extremely satisfying. That a pitcher with an undefeated record in a ballpark suffered his first loss to that ballpark's home team is one such example.
4) Carlos Gomez is the Brett Favre of baserunning
Few things matched the thrill of watching Favre throw a pass down the field. You held your breath as the ball left his hand for a destination out of the TV frame because you did not know how the play would end. Sometimes he would complete a pass between a football-sized window created by two defenders, other times he would throw a bone-headed pick. Good or bad, he always kept things interesting. This is how I feel when Carlos Gomez is on the bases.
Gomez has accomplished amazing things with his speed, most notably his stolen base and game-winning run in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS. He also makes blunders you expect to see in Little League. On Tuesday he got picked off third base for the second out and today he made the first out of the second inning trying to advance from first to third on a single. With the Brewers trailing 6-0 at the time, one could argue that was a bad idea.
After 7 years in the majors you get what you get from Gomez. Even so, these mental lapses seem easy enough to correct.
Looking ahead...
The Pirates are coming to town and the Brewers will be without their best starting pitcher. Scheduled in place of Kyle Lohse is Mike Fiers, so there's that. Considering a series versus the Pirates at Miller Park is usually worth at least two wins, we will soon find out how hopeless the season really is.
*They probably are.
1) The bullpen is good...for now
Another series, another strong performance from the relievers as they allowed three measly earned runs against the Dodgers. Relevant: Brewers relievers pitched 17 innings this series. Even John Axford is joining the bullpen party, having lowed his ERA below 7.00 for the first time this season thanks to two scoreless outings. I have a lot of confidence in their ability to hold leads, but this is speculation at this point because there have not been many leads to hold. However, with the starting pitchers struggling to complete five innings with consistency you have to wonder when they'll reach their breaking point. When that happens things will get ugly and we'll drown our sorrows like it's 2002. On the subject of pitching...
2) Wily Peralta and Hiram Burgos are not ready for the majors
All things considered, Burgos had one of the best disaster starts you will ever see. Yes, he only pitched 3.1 innings. Yes, he allowed 10 baserunners. Yes, he was pulled with the bases loaded in the 4th. But he was enough of a Houdini to escape trouble and only get charged with 2 ER (with an assist from Mike Fiers). When he left the game the Brewers at least had a chance to win. Conversely, Wily Peralta had a more conventional disaster start.
Peralta failed to advance past the second inning while allowing 9 baserunners and 6 runs, 4 earned. The defense did him no favors, but they didn't walk in two runs, either.
Peralta and Burgos belong in the minors where they can develop their stuff and at least avoid having their confidence crushed in the world's most popular baseball league. They do not give the Brewers a good chance to winning their starts and their inability to eat innings is destructive long term. Without a doubt they belong in the minors, but where you belong is not always where you are needed. The Brewers do not have anyone to immediately take their place.
The rotation will get a boost when Chris Narveson comes back and Alfredo Figaro i8s an option as he started in the minors and Japan. Of course, who knows when (or if) this will happen.
3) The Brewers win when Zack Greinke pitches at Miller Park
I was slightly conflicted when Greinke took the mound on Tuesday. He contributed to the funnest summer of Brewers baseball I've ever seen and I love his brutally honest personality. I hope he pitches well for the Dodgers and earns his contract. That said, I was happy to see him suffer his first loss at Miller Park.
I doubt baseball has as more quirky coincidences or unlikely occurrences than other sports, but I will argue until I'm out of breath that these things are infinitely more compelling in baseball. Everything with baseball is clearly defined, which makes the anomalies extremely satisfying. That a pitcher with an undefeated record in a ballpark suffered his first loss to that ballpark's home team is one such example.
4) Carlos Gomez is the Brett Favre of baserunning
Few things matched the thrill of watching Favre throw a pass down the field. You held your breath as the ball left his hand for a destination out of the TV frame because you did not know how the play would end. Sometimes he would complete a pass between a football-sized window created by two defenders, other times he would throw a bone-headed pick. Good or bad, he always kept things interesting. This is how I feel when Carlos Gomez is on the bases.
Gomez has accomplished amazing things with his speed, most notably his stolen base and game-winning run in Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS. He also makes blunders you expect to see in Little League. On Tuesday he got picked off third base for the second out and today he made the first out of the second inning trying to advance from first to third on a single. With the Brewers trailing 6-0 at the time, one could argue that was a bad idea.
After 7 years in the majors you get what you get from Gomez. Even so, these mental lapses seem easy enough to correct.
Looking ahead...
The Pirates are coming to town and the Brewers will be without their best starting pitcher. Scheduled in place of Kyle Lohse is Mike Fiers, so there's that. Considering a series versus the Pirates at Miller Park is usually worth at least two wins, we will soon find out how hopeless the season really is.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Series Recap: One is Better than None
At the end of the day there is not much to be said after a 2-8 road trip. However, until the end of the day is reached there is much to be hashed and rehashed. Like Bart Simpson desperately holding out hope Krusty will come to Camp Krusty and end his misery, the weekend series versus St. Louis left me with a faint sense that sunny days are coming soon. Granted, it also left me with a desire to throw a shoe at a wall, but not being a violent person I'll focus on the positives. Better yet, I'll write a few thoughts this series generated.
1) Wily Peralta needs to learn how to allow one less run against the Cardinals
On May 2 Peralta surrendered six two-out runs to the Cardinals in the third inning. The Brewers mounted a spirited comeback that came up just short as they lost 6-5. On Friday he allowed seven runs (five being scored with two outs), and once again the deficit was just a little too high as the Brewers fell 7-6.
Wily Peralta is not having a memorable season (5.94 ERA, 1.58 WHIP), but when you remove his starts versus St. Louis he's sporting a workable 4.65 ERA. He also has five quality starts in seven non-Cardinals games, which he can build off of. While his starts against St. Louis do, in fact, count, considering how the Cardinals own Brewers pitching it's okay to overlook them a bit. Peralta has the raw stuff to finish the season with an ERA in the 4.50 range, which I hope he starts working towards lest 5-win months for the Crew become a common occurrence for the rest of the season.
2) Timely hits help you win, rally-killing double plays do not
The lone shred of hope I have for the 2013 season is that many of the Brewers losses could have been wins had they seized their scoring opportunities. On the flip side, I'm going to go insane if they keep declining the chances they have. What happened in the 7th inning today illustrates both sides of that coin.
Trailing 4-2, the Brewers had the bases loaded with nobody out, spiking the win probability from 17.4% to 45.8%. I would argue with Segura and Braun coming up the Brewers had a better than 50% chance to win the game. Segura is currently leading the NL with a .364 batting average and Ryan Braun is Ryan Braun. You could make a compelling case that in this situation that Segura and Braun are the two players in all of the NL you would want up in that situation. So what happened? Segura popped out and Braun grounded into a double play. Sooner or later the Brewers will have a streak where they take advantage of these chances with consistency (in fact, no so long ago they did). There is just too much offensive talent for that not to happen.
Today's frustration aside, kudos to Jeff Bianchi for delivering in the 10th inning on Saturday night. If nothing else this demonstrated that the Brewers are theoretically capable of getting clutch hits. On the subject of Bianchi...
3) Rickie Weeks does not deserve to start for a while
Few things are more obvious than this fact. I do not fault Roenicke for starting him to this point because Weeks has a documented history of going on prolonged hot streaks. However, the man has an OPS well below .600 and has been poor defensively. He needs to be benched in favor of Jeff Bianchi for the simple reason that Bianchi cannot possibly be worse.
4) You know, the Brewers' bullpen is actually pretty good
I, for one, welcome the return of Thirty Pitches of Terror to the bullpen. To be overly charitable, K-Rod was very good last season when he was not awful. Consider these stretches:
1) Wily Peralta needs to learn how to allow one less run against the Cardinals
On May 2 Peralta surrendered six two-out runs to the Cardinals in the third inning. The Brewers mounted a spirited comeback that came up just short as they lost 6-5. On Friday he allowed seven runs (five being scored with two outs), and once again the deficit was just a little too high as the Brewers fell 7-6.
Wily Peralta is not having a memorable season (5.94 ERA, 1.58 WHIP), but when you remove his starts versus St. Louis he's sporting a workable 4.65 ERA. He also has five quality starts in seven non-Cardinals games, which he can build off of. While his starts against St. Louis do, in fact, count, considering how the Cardinals own Brewers pitching it's okay to overlook them a bit. Peralta has the raw stuff to finish the season with an ERA in the 4.50 range, which I hope he starts working towards lest 5-win months for the Crew become a common occurrence for the rest of the season.
2) Timely hits help you win, rally-killing double plays do not
The lone shred of hope I have for the 2013 season is that many of the Brewers losses could have been wins had they seized their scoring opportunities. On the flip side, I'm going to go insane if they keep declining the chances they have. What happened in the 7th inning today illustrates both sides of that coin.
Trailing 4-2, the Brewers had the bases loaded with nobody out, spiking the win probability from 17.4% to 45.8%. I would argue with Segura and Braun coming up the Brewers had a better than 50% chance to win the game. Segura is currently leading the NL with a .364 batting average and Ryan Braun is Ryan Braun. You could make a compelling case that in this situation that Segura and Braun are the two players in all of the NL you would want up in that situation. So what happened? Segura popped out and Braun grounded into a double play. Sooner or later the Brewers will have a streak where they take advantage of these chances with consistency (in fact, no so long ago they did). There is just too much offensive talent for that not to happen.
Today's frustration aside, kudos to Jeff Bianchi for delivering in the 10th inning on Saturday night. If nothing else this demonstrated that the Brewers are theoretically capable of getting clutch hits. On the subject of Bianchi...
3) Rickie Weeks does not deserve to start for a while
Few things are more obvious than this fact. I do not fault Roenicke for starting him to this point because Weeks has a documented history of going on prolonged hot streaks. However, the man has an OPS well below .600 and has been poor defensively. He needs to be benched in favor of Jeff Bianchi for the simple reason that Bianchi cannot possibly be worse.
4) You know, the Brewers' bullpen is actually pretty good
I, for one, welcome the return of Thirty Pitches of Terror to the bullpen. To be overly charitable, K-Rod was very good last season when he was not awful. Consider these stretches:
April 13 - May 1: 8.2 IP, 9.35 ERA, .894 OPS against, 5 SO
May 4 - July 17: 30.1 IP, 2.37 ERA, .755 OPS against, 30 SO
July 18 - August 30: 14.1 IP, 10.05 ERA, .836 OPS against, 17 SO
September 2 - October 3: 15.0 IP, 1.20 ERA, .382 OPS against, 15 SO
Season: 72.0 IP, 4.38 ERA, .708 OPS against, 72 SO
Today he threw 8 pitches (all strikes) in recording a 1-2-3 7th. I think he'll be a good addition the pen, especially if every outing is identical to the one today.
As for the rest of the bullpen, everyone besides Axford and Fiers have an ERA+ greater of 106 or greater. In this series they did not allow a single earned run, though Mike Gonzalez surrendered a hit that allowed two runs to score on Saturday. Even so, that was only one of six hits allowed by the bullpen during the series. If the Brewers can start getting leads they have a bullpen that should be able to hold them.
Looking ahead...
The Brewers have a chance to salvage the month of May with their upcoming 7-game homestand, which begins tomorrow versus Los Angeles. Scoring runs projects to be difficult as Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will pitch the first two games. If the Brewers will not be scoring runs, preventing them will be kind of important. Yovani Gallardo and Hiram Burgos are tasked with this duty, respectively. The pitching deck is favored in favor of the Dodgers and the prognosis is not positive for the Crew, but the Brewers are going to have to string some wins together at some point. Why not starting tomorrow?
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Series Recap: The Tables Have Turned
This will be a brief recap; my usual writing time was interrupted by my decision to see the new Star Trek film as means of distracting myself from the frustration that is Milwaukee Brewers baseball. Simply put, the film delivers. It has the same mix of action and humor that made the first installment of the reboot enjoyable, and it references the original series in a way both Trekkies and newbies can enjoy. Now, back to baseball.
The only thing I'll say about the Brewers after this series is that if you put on your rose colored glasses and squint real hard you'll see a team that's not that far away from being decent. They lost on Tuesday due to a combination of untimely hitting and John Axford, and they lost on Wednesday because apparently getting hits with runners in scoring position is no longer allowed. Either game probably would have ended with a Brewers victory had a mere 3 or 4 outs become hits. Sooner or later these plays will go in the favor of the Crew, and when that happens you can only hope the games are close enough that it matters.
The upcoming series against the Cardinals feels like a throwback to when the two teams played in 2003. To refresh your memory, the Cardinals won that season series 13-3 and outscored the Crew 129-62 in the process. This year's teams is faring worse against St. Louis, currently sitting at 1-6 while being outscored 42-17. I'll still watch the series, but I do not anticipate it being an enjoyable experience. Then again, their last victory over the Cardinals was the beginning of a 9-game winning streak, so perhaps trips to St. Louis are harbingers of joy.
The only thing I'll say about the Brewers after this series is that if you put on your rose colored glasses and squint real hard you'll see a team that's not that far away from being decent. They lost on Tuesday due to a combination of untimely hitting and John Axford, and they lost on Wednesday because apparently getting hits with runners in scoring position is no longer allowed. Either game probably would have ended with a Brewers victory had a mere 3 or 4 outs become hits. Sooner or later these plays will go in the favor of the Crew, and when that happens you can only hope the games are close enough that it matters.
The upcoming series against the Cardinals feels like a throwback to when the two teams played in 2003. To refresh your memory, the Cardinals won that season series 13-3 and outscored the Crew 129-62 in the process. This year's teams is faring worse against St. Louis, currently sitting at 1-6 while being outscored 42-17. I'll still watch the series, but I do not anticipate it being an enjoyable experience. Then again, their last victory over the Cardinals was the beginning of a 9-game winning streak, so perhaps trips to St. Louis are harbingers of joy.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Time to Start Looking at 2014 and Beyond
The aggressive moves made by Doug Melvin in the 2010 offseason opened a window of contention through 2012. Prior to that he went all in to end Milwaukee's playoff drought in 2008. The man knows how to build a playoff team and, given enough time, he will bring Octoberfest back to Milwaukee. For the time being the Brewers' window of contention has closed, but it's not exactly nailed shut. The biggest issue facing the Brewers is not a hopeless dearth of talent, but the two teams currently sitting on top of the NL Central. The strength of the Cardinals and Reds is why I believe Melvin should start playing for 2014 and beyond.
When you look up in the NL Central it quickly becomes apparent how far behind the Brewers are in the race. The hateable St. Louis Cardinals have been carving up NL batters with the four-headed monster of Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Jaime Garcia, and newcomer Shelby Miller. This quartet also happens to be locked down the through at least 2015, so there's that. Their offense, while not spectacular, is a dependable source of runs that should be good for a while.
The more likeable Cincinnati Reds have a starting rotation that's not far behind the Cardinals'. Johnny Cueto is a Cy Young contender when healthy, and duo of Mat Latos and Homer Bailey provide above-average depth to the rotation. Let's not forget about the potential superstar they have in Tony Cingrani or the terrifying Aroldis Chapman who effectively shortens games to eight innings. Along with pitching depth, the Reds have a trio in Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce that can make any offense respectable regardless of who else is in the lineup.
This brings me back to the Brew Crew. The rotation of the Brewers is not even in the same conversation of the Cardinals and Reds, nor is it even being held in the same house. To be optimistic, Wily Peralta and Hiram Burgos could develop into decent starters, but they could just as easily fizzle into post-2007 Livan Hernandez. The offense has Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, Jonathan Lucroy, and Carlos Gomez together through at least 2016. However, Aramis Ramizez and Norichika Aoki will be free agents after 2014 and Corey Hart is a free agent after this season. Elsewhere, Rickie Weeks has forgotten how to play baseball, so getting a new second baseman should be high on Doug Melvin's to-do list. Another elephant in the room is a farm system current without a top 100 prospect or the type of impact players that fueled the Brewers' late 00s resurgence.
The problems facing the Brewers are glaring and difficult to fix. In some areas they cannot be fixed because they involve rosters of other teams. I fully support Doug Melvin giving up on 2013 and playing for the future; in fact, I hope he does this. In terms of rebuilding the Brewers are in a somewhat advantageous position considering they have enough players to form a core and enough assets to flip for prospects or otherwise fill holes on the roster.
Melvin guided the Brewers to the playoffs after 26 years in the wilderness and three years later built an even better playoff team. I'm confident that Melvin can work his magic...just not this year.
When you look up in the NL Central it quickly becomes apparent how far behind the Brewers are in the race. The hateable St. Louis Cardinals have been carving up NL batters with the four-headed monster of Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Jaime Garcia, and newcomer Shelby Miller. This quartet also happens to be locked down the through at least 2015, so there's that. Their offense, while not spectacular, is a dependable source of runs that should be good for a while.
The more likeable Cincinnati Reds have a starting rotation that's not far behind the Cardinals'. Johnny Cueto is a Cy Young contender when healthy, and duo of Mat Latos and Homer Bailey provide above-average depth to the rotation. Let's not forget about the potential superstar they have in Tony Cingrani or the terrifying Aroldis Chapman who effectively shortens games to eight innings. Along with pitching depth, the Reds have a trio in Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce that can make any offense respectable regardless of who else is in the lineup.
This brings me back to the Brew Crew. The rotation of the Brewers is not even in the same conversation of the Cardinals and Reds, nor is it even being held in the same house. To be optimistic, Wily Peralta and Hiram Burgos could develop into decent starters, but they could just as easily fizzle into post-2007 Livan Hernandez. The offense has Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, Jonathan Lucroy, and Carlos Gomez together through at least 2016. However, Aramis Ramizez and Norichika Aoki will be free agents after 2014 and Corey Hart is a free agent after this season. Elsewhere, Rickie Weeks has forgotten how to play baseball, so getting a new second baseman should be high on Doug Melvin's to-do list. Another elephant in the room is a farm system current without a top 100 prospect or the type of impact players that fueled the Brewers' late 00s resurgence.
The problems facing the Brewers are glaring and difficult to fix. In some areas they cannot be fixed because they involve rosters of other teams. I fully support Doug Melvin giving up on 2013 and playing for the future; in fact, I hope he does this. In terms of rebuilding the Brewers are in a somewhat advantageous position considering they have enough players to form a core and enough assets to flip for prospects or otherwise fill holes on the roster.
Melvin guided the Brewers to the playoffs after 26 years in the wilderness and three years later built an even better playoff team. I'm confident that Melvin can work his magic...just not this year.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Series Recap: At least those in attendance had a good time
A bad start to the season is not necessarily a death sentence. The 2011 Brewers were also 15-20 after 35 games and the rest of their season turned out pretty well. Granted, that team had also had Prince Fielder, Zach Greinke, Shaun Marcum, and an effective John Axford, but my point remains. The Brewers have enough good players to play competitive baseball for the rest of the season. But as their May record dipped to 1-9 following a sweep at the hands of the Reds, the preferred reality of watching entertaining baseball seems unlikely. This series showcased a few reasons for this:
1) The starting pitching on this team is not good
The only starter with an ERA+ better than 90 is Kyle Lohse. After this weekend it might be a while before another starter joins the 90 ERA+ club. The most concerning starter at the moment is Yovani Gallardo.
Gallardo labored through four innings on Friday, allowing three runs, five walks, and five hits while throwing 100 pitches. His command is off and his strikeout rates are way down. He's always required a lot of pitches to get the job done, and one must wonder if this is taking a toll on his arm. I keep waiting for him to become himself again, but with each rough start I wonder more and more if this is just an off year.
The start Hiram Burgos suffered through on Sunday was an 'Oh, the humanity!' outing. I do not blame Roenicke for leaving him in there as the Brewers really needed him to eat some innings. A cruel reality of pitching in the majors that at some point you're going to be a sacrificial lamb. His next start will be one to watch closely as you hope his confidence was not crushed, covered in gas, and set on fire.
A tip of the cap goes to Wily Peralta for eating some innings today and being reasonably effective in the process.
The silver lining with the starting pitchers is that Burgos and Peralta are young. My hope is they'll get better over the season, but I'll still be holding my breath every time they start.
2) Searching for the elusive big hit
What's especially frustrating about this stretch of futility is the opportunities for scoring are there. It's not as if winning games in inconceivable. Still, the loss on Friday is a good case study as to why I don't keep bricks in my living room to throw at the television.
The Brewers tied the game in the 4th inning thanks to back-to-back dingers by Segura and Braun. The next two batters reached, but the rally was just about killed when Gomez hit into a double play. Despite this, Lucroy was stranded on second base as Weeks and Betancourt failed to drive him in. Later on, with the Brewers trailing 3-2 in the top of the 7th, Ryan Braun grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and second (Brandon Phillips made a very nice play to get the DP).
In the first opportunity you had the top hitter in the NL at the plate and in the second opportunity you had one of the best hitters in the game at the plate. In neither case did a run score, and really I'm not sure what you can really say about it. They had a chances to score and the right people at the plate, but they did not come through. It's just a matter of things not going their way.
3) Bad team syndrome
On several occasions I've heard Bill Schroeder mention 'Bad Team Syndrome.' This is a the nasty condition where you lose games because a rotating facet of the game is failing. If the hitting is good, the starting pitching is worse. If the hitting and starting pitching are good, the bullpen is bad. As mentioned above, the Brewers are 1-9 in the month of May and for a variety of reasons. The offense has not been particularly explosive, but when it's been good they still lose. For instance, the seven runs they scored on Saturday would have been enough to win six of the games they've played in May.
This is looking more and more like a mediocre team. I think their best chance for success if for the offense to return to 2012 form and put up lots and lots of runs.
Looking ahead...
Next up is a four game series in Pittsburgh, PA. Normally a date with the Pirates is just what the doctor ordered, but I'm not feeling quite as confident about that right now. That the first game is Marco Estrada vs. AJ Burnett is, well, oof. Help me Kyle Lohse, you're my only hope.
1) The starting pitching on this team is not good
The only starter with an ERA+ better than 90 is Kyle Lohse. After this weekend it might be a while before another starter joins the 90 ERA+ club. The most concerning starter at the moment is Yovani Gallardo.
Gallardo labored through four innings on Friday, allowing three runs, five walks, and five hits while throwing 100 pitches. His command is off and his strikeout rates are way down. He's always required a lot of pitches to get the job done, and one must wonder if this is taking a toll on his arm. I keep waiting for him to become himself again, but with each rough start I wonder more and more if this is just an off year.
The start Hiram Burgos suffered through on Sunday was an 'Oh, the humanity!' outing. I do not blame Roenicke for leaving him in there as the Brewers really needed him to eat some innings. A cruel reality of pitching in the majors that at some point you're going to be a sacrificial lamb. His next start will be one to watch closely as you hope his confidence was not crushed, covered in gas, and set on fire.
A tip of the cap goes to Wily Peralta for eating some innings today and being reasonably effective in the process.
The silver lining with the starting pitchers is that Burgos and Peralta are young. My hope is they'll get better over the season, but I'll still be holding my breath every time they start.
2) Searching for the elusive big hit
What's especially frustrating about this stretch of futility is the opportunities for scoring are there. It's not as if winning games in inconceivable. Still, the loss on Friday is a good case study as to why I don't keep bricks in my living room to throw at the television.
The Brewers tied the game in the 4th inning thanks to back-to-back dingers by Segura and Braun. The next two batters reached, but the rally was just about killed when Gomez hit into a double play. Despite this, Lucroy was stranded on second base as Weeks and Betancourt failed to drive him in. Later on, with the Brewers trailing 3-2 in the top of the 7th, Ryan Braun grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and second (Brandon Phillips made a very nice play to get the DP).
In the first opportunity you had the top hitter in the NL at the plate and in the second opportunity you had one of the best hitters in the game at the plate. In neither case did a run score, and really I'm not sure what you can really say about it. They had a chances to score and the right people at the plate, but they did not come through. It's just a matter of things not going their way.
3) Bad team syndrome
On several occasions I've heard Bill Schroeder mention 'Bad Team Syndrome.' This is a the nasty condition where you lose games because a rotating facet of the game is failing. If the hitting is good, the starting pitching is worse. If the hitting and starting pitching are good, the bullpen is bad. As mentioned above, the Brewers are 1-9 in the month of May and for a variety of reasons. The offense has not been particularly explosive, but when it's been good they still lose. For instance, the seven runs they scored on Saturday would have been enough to win six of the games they've played in May.
This is looking more and more like a mediocre team. I think their best chance for success if for the offense to return to 2012 form and put up lots and lots of runs.
Looking ahead...
Next up is a four game series in Pittsburgh, PA. Normally a date with the Pirates is just what the doctor ordered, but I'm not feeling quite as confident about that right now. That the first game is Marco Estrada vs. AJ Burnett is, well, oof. Help me Kyle Lohse, you're my only hope.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Series Recap: Crew splits with Rangers, concludes disappointing homestand
A 9-game homestand that began with such promise ended with the Brewers heading to Cincinnati with a record worse by three games. The finale versus Texas featured the elusive component of success: timely hitting. Given my absence over the past week I am going to expand the scope of my recap a bit. With that in mind here are my takeways from the last few games.
1) Carlos Gomez for MVP
The Brewers' center fielder never had a month nearly as good his April when he posted a 1.031. The month of May has been even kinder to Gomez, with his batting average for the season is up to .386 after going 4-4 tonight, finishing a home run short of the cycle. So what is one to make of Gomez so far?
If this pace continues Gomez will have one of the best seasons any center fielder has ever had. Unfortunately he's hitting so insanely well that his OPS will dip below 1.000 at some point, but when that happen he still projects to be well ahead of the light-hitting pace of his '07-'11 campaigns. My logic to this claim is two fold.
First, you don't get this hot unless you're a good hitter. Our good friend, Yuniesky Betancourt, entered today's action hitting .276/.304/.543. His career hot streak has him sporting an OPS of .846, which while good is not spectacular. Meanwhile Gomez is raking better than 2012 Mike Trout, and I don't see how you can do that for over one month unless you have legitimate talent.
Second, over the past 365 days Gomez has hit .282/.328/.501 with 24 home runs and 39 stolen bases (6 CS) in 517 plate appearances. This is the slash line I expect from Gomez for the rest of his contract with the Brewers. Add in some plus defense and the JJ Hardy trade is looking better and better all the time.
2) You are what your record says you are, even if you might be slightly better
I have always appreciated the no-nonsense, no excuses approach of Bill Parcells. The Brewers finished a home stand against three teams at the top of their divisions with a 3-6 record. They stand at 15-17 because they are a 15-17 team. With that said, I have a nagging feeling that the Brewers will finish the season with a winning percentage greater than .469.
The Crew had late-ininng win percentages in excess of 75% during two of their losses over the home stand (the series finale vs. Pittsburgh and Saturday vs. St. Louis) and in other games scored far fewer runs that you'd expect with the number of baserunners they accumulated. Tonight's loss is a fine illustration of their lack of timely hitting.
The Brewers collected 12 hits, including two doubles and two triples, yet only plated on run. This was partly because of the spectacular throw Leonys Martin to nail Segura at the plate to end the third, as well as the poor decision of Aramis Ramirez to try for third on a ball that squirted away from Soto in the sixth. Baserunning mishaps aside, I find myself encouraged by how the Brewers are stranding baserunners because it means hitters are getting on base. They're going to score a lot of runs if they continue to get 10+ hits.
3) Welcome Back, Aramis
Mr. Ramirez went 4-8 with a home run and 2 RBI in two games against Texas. A healthy Ramirez means the dog days of the 4 hole are over, the dog days are done. And that's all I have to say about that.
4) I don't always make relief appearances, but when I do I leave to a chorus of boos
I fancy Brewer fans to be among the best in MLB. For this reason I am highly disappointed with the treatment of John Axford. There are two conditions required for a player to be booed:
1) They must be performing exceptionally poorly
2) They must be a jerk
Condition #2 could not be further from Axford, thus the Miller Park faithful should cut the guy some slack. It's not like he's oblivious to his struggles and somehow I doubt the boos with make him pitch any better. Booing is low class, so to justify it the player has to be even lower class. That said, I understand why people are booing.
The thing about catching lighting in a bottle is eventually it will escape. Axford was spectacular in relief of Trevor Hoffman and his 2011 season was one for the ages. But ultimately this is a bartender that walked 73 batters with A+ Brevard County in 2008. The pitcher giving up homers like they're going out of style is probably closer to the real John Axford than the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, and for this reason it's hard to justify having him on the roster. Still, when he hangs 'em up for good I hope he returns as a pre/post game host because he's one cool dude.
Looking Ahead...
The Brewers are 1-6 in the month of May. The good news is their next ten games are at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Come to think of it, that's actually really bad news. It's vital for the Crew to avoid getting buried on the upcoming road trip. I feel good about their chances provided they keep getting hits and the starting pitching remains somewhat steady. Perhaps my sights are low, but a 4-6 stretch would be a success. Anything less would be uncivilized.
1) Carlos Gomez for MVP
The Brewers' center fielder never had a month nearly as good his April when he posted a 1.031. The month of May has been even kinder to Gomez, with his batting average for the season is up to .386 after going 4-4 tonight, finishing a home run short of the cycle. So what is one to make of Gomez so far?
If this pace continues Gomez will have one of the best seasons any center fielder has ever had. Unfortunately he's hitting so insanely well that his OPS will dip below 1.000 at some point, but when that happen he still projects to be well ahead of the light-hitting pace of his '07-'11 campaigns. My logic to this claim is two fold.
First, you don't get this hot unless you're a good hitter. Our good friend, Yuniesky Betancourt, entered today's action hitting .276/.304/.543. His career hot streak has him sporting an OPS of .846, which while good is not spectacular. Meanwhile Gomez is raking better than 2012 Mike Trout, and I don't see how you can do that for over one month unless you have legitimate talent.
Second, over the past 365 days Gomez has hit .282/.328/.501 with 24 home runs and 39 stolen bases (6 CS) in 517 plate appearances. This is the slash line I expect from Gomez for the rest of his contract with the Brewers. Add in some plus defense and the JJ Hardy trade is looking better and better all the time.
2) You are what your record says you are, even if you might be slightly better
I have always appreciated the no-nonsense, no excuses approach of Bill Parcells. The Brewers finished a home stand against three teams at the top of their divisions with a 3-6 record. They stand at 15-17 because they are a 15-17 team. With that said, I have a nagging feeling that the Brewers will finish the season with a winning percentage greater than .469.
The Crew had late-ininng win percentages in excess of 75% during two of their losses over the home stand (the series finale vs. Pittsburgh and Saturday vs. St. Louis) and in other games scored far fewer runs that you'd expect with the number of baserunners they accumulated. Tonight's loss is a fine illustration of their lack of timely hitting.
The Brewers collected 12 hits, including two doubles and two triples, yet only plated on run. This was partly because of the spectacular throw Leonys Martin to nail Segura at the plate to end the third, as well as the poor decision of Aramis Ramirez to try for third on a ball that squirted away from Soto in the sixth. Baserunning mishaps aside, I find myself encouraged by how the Brewers are stranding baserunners because it means hitters are getting on base. They're going to score a lot of runs if they continue to get 10+ hits.
3) Welcome Back, Aramis
Mr. Ramirez went 4-8 with a home run and 2 RBI in two games against Texas. A healthy Ramirez means the dog days of the 4 hole are over, the dog days are done. And that's all I have to say about that.
4) I don't always make relief appearances, but when I do I leave to a chorus of boos
I fancy Brewer fans to be among the best in MLB. For this reason I am highly disappointed with the treatment of John Axford. There are two conditions required for a player to be booed:
1) They must be performing exceptionally poorly
2) They must be a jerk
Condition #2 could not be further from Axford, thus the Miller Park faithful should cut the guy some slack. It's not like he's oblivious to his struggles and somehow I doubt the boos with make him pitch any better. Booing is low class, so to justify it the player has to be even lower class. That said, I understand why people are booing.
The thing about catching lighting in a bottle is eventually it will escape. Axford was spectacular in relief of Trevor Hoffman and his 2011 season was one for the ages. But ultimately this is a bartender that walked 73 batters with A+ Brevard County in 2008. The pitcher giving up homers like they're going out of style is probably closer to the real John Axford than the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year, and for this reason it's hard to justify having him on the roster. Still, when he hangs 'em up for good I hope he returns as a pre/post game host because he's one cool dude.
Looking Ahead...
The Brewers are 1-6 in the month of May. The good news is their next ten games are at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Come to think of it, that's actually really bad news. It's vital for the Crew to avoid getting buried on the upcoming road trip. I feel good about their chances provided they keep getting hits and the starting pitching remains somewhat steady. Perhaps my sights are low, but a 4-6 stretch would be a success. Anything less would be uncivilized.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Series Recap: Brewers (mostly) maintain dominance over Pirates
The vast majority of the series against the Pirates was highly successful. The first two games featured 8 homers and 22 total runs. Those in attendance for the series finale saw Hiram Burgos toss his finest game in the majors, allowing two runs in seven innings while striking out six. His efforts did not yield a win as the black cloud of John Axford rained on gravy day. There is much to discuss, so let's get this series-winning party started.
1) I'd rather see dingers than learn the awful truth
The Brewers have finished in the Top 3 in the NL in home runs since 2007. After a sluggish start the ball is once again flying out of the yard for the hometown nine. The Crew blasted ten homers against the Bucs, including three back-to-back jacks. The recent power surge has been aided by unlikely sources (Betancourt) while the usual suspects (Weeks, Ramirez) have been either horribly slumping or injured. Even so, it's a testament to the depth of the roster that the offense can perform so well despite not being at full strength.
2) When Carlos Gomez is hot, he's hot
Gomez collected six hits (including two homers) while continuing his ridiculous beginning to the season. Though his .403 BABIP will normalize at some point, he's hitting line drives at a career-high 20.6% clip and has yet to hit an infield fly. I feel confident saying that Gomez has figured out how to be a pretty good major league hitter. I hope this stays true because few players are as amusing to watch round the bases after hitting a home run.
3) Few things can ruin a gravy day like blowing a late lead, though the lead should have been larger
I have nothing against the Pirates and I generally root for them when they are not playing the Brewers. They are a long-suffering franchise in a small market and they have a beautiful ballpark. With that said, I get extreme satisfaction from watching the Brewers beat them like the Washington Generals. I have come to expect victories against the Bucs, so a game like today does not immediately register with me. This would not have been an issue had two things happened, one of them forgoing insurance runs.
The Brewers had Jeanmar Gomez on the ropes in the first, but he was able to wiggle off the hook by striking out his homonym and retiring Betancourt. The Crew's opportunity to break the game open in the bottom of the 7th was stifled when Braun grounded into a double play. This leads me to the other things that could have happened and spared me some cognitive dissonance...
Axford Watch
...This was not a good series for the Ax Man. Most troubling is that he's seemingly at his worst when the count is most in his favor. On Tuesday he gave up two hits on 0-2 counts and today he allowed the go-ahead run to be driven in on a 1-2 count. In today's game he was beaten on pitches outside of the zone, so part of the performance can be attributed to good hitting. Even so, given the demands of his role he needs to be able to finish off batters when he has the chance. This is not accomplished with middle-middle fastballs or hanging sliders.
Looking ahead...
NL Central Week continues as The St. Louis Cardinals make their first trip of the season to Milwaukee. Runs will be tough to come by as every starter scheduled to pitch for St. Louis has an ERA of 2.50 or below. On the bright side, Aramis Ramirez is scheduled to return on Friday. Ideally he will hit 10 consecutive home runs upon his return, and hopefully that will be enough to win. And yes, I always expect the worst when playing the Cardinals.
Also: The Brew Crew Project will be off until Monday. The ironic reason is I'll be in Wisconsin watching Fox Sports North and taking in at least one game in person. I'll be the guy wearing the mid-90s style jersey.
Go Crew!
1) I'd rather see dingers than learn the awful truth
The Brewers have finished in the Top 3 in the NL in home runs since 2007. After a sluggish start the ball is once again flying out of the yard for the hometown nine. The Crew blasted ten homers against the Bucs, including three back-to-back jacks. The recent power surge has been aided by unlikely sources (Betancourt) while the usual suspects (Weeks, Ramirez) have been either horribly slumping or injured. Even so, it's a testament to the depth of the roster that the offense can perform so well despite not being at full strength.
2) When Carlos Gomez is hot, he's hot
Gomez collected six hits (including two homers) while continuing his ridiculous beginning to the season. Though his .403 BABIP will normalize at some point, he's hitting line drives at a career-high 20.6% clip and has yet to hit an infield fly. I feel confident saying that Gomez has figured out how to be a pretty good major league hitter. I hope this stays true because few players are as amusing to watch round the bases after hitting a home run.
3) Few things can ruin a gravy day like blowing a late lead, though the lead should have been larger
I have nothing against the Pirates and I generally root for them when they are not playing the Brewers. They are a long-suffering franchise in a small market and they have a beautiful ballpark. With that said, I get extreme satisfaction from watching the Brewers beat them like the Washington Generals. I have come to expect victories against the Bucs, so a game like today does not immediately register with me. This would not have been an issue had two things happened, one of them forgoing insurance runs.
The Brewers had Jeanmar Gomez on the ropes in the first, but he was able to wiggle off the hook by striking out his homonym and retiring Betancourt. The Crew's opportunity to break the game open in the bottom of the 7th was stifled when Braun grounded into a double play. This leads me to the other things that could have happened and spared me some cognitive dissonance...
Axford Watch
...This was not a good series for the Ax Man. Most troubling is that he's seemingly at his worst when the count is most in his favor. On Tuesday he gave up two hits on 0-2 counts and today he allowed the go-ahead run to be driven in on a 1-2 count. In today's game he was beaten on pitches outside of the zone, so part of the performance can be attributed to good hitting. Even so, given the demands of his role he needs to be able to finish off batters when he has the chance. This is not accomplished with middle-middle fastballs or hanging sliders.
Looking ahead...
NL Central Week continues as The St. Louis Cardinals make their first trip of the season to Milwaukee. Runs will be tough to come by as every starter scheduled to pitch for St. Louis has an ERA of 2.50 or below. On the bright side, Aramis Ramirez is scheduled to return on Friday. Ideally he will hit 10 consecutive home runs upon his return, and hopefully that will be enough to win. And yes, I always expect the worst when playing the Cardinals.
Also: The Brew Crew Project will be off until Monday. The ironic reason is I'll be in Wisconsin watching Fox Sports North and taking in at least one game in person. I'll be the guy wearing the mid-90s style jersey.
Go Crew!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)