Game Twenty: Padres 2, Brewers 1

Box Score

One of these days George Webb's prediction will again prove correct. If it all goes right we're just twelve games away from that happening.

I generally do not have much to say after the Brewers lose 2-1, and tonight is no exception. With that in mind here are a few brief thoughts on the game that ended the winning streak:

1) I have never seen a game end with a ball put in play that was never touched by the defense

Martin Maldonado came to the plate after 'Big Hit' Betancourt halved the lead with a two-out double. Maldonado then may or may not have come in contact with a weak tapper while out of the batter's box. The penalty for such a crime is an out, and in this case it ended the game in the least thrilling manner imaginable. The silver lining is that I saw something for the first time, though I tend to not enjoy these instances when the come at the expense of the Crew.

2) The bullpen did not allow a single run in the series

Tonight the three-headed monster of Mike Gonzalez, Tom Gorzelanny, and Burke Badenhop shutout the Padres and did not allow a base runner in the process. I do not believe it is too early to declare this bullpen much improved over last season.

3) Holy Moly, the Brewers need Aramis Ramirez to return

Jonathan Lucroy went 0-4 batting cleanup. In related news, the #4 spot in the order has turned into an offense black hole without Ramirez. The good news is he's expected to return during the next home stand, and the better news is the winning streak bought some time until the big guns return. Even so, sustained success will be difficult without him (and Hart) in the lineup.

Looking Ahead...

The Brewers need to win two of their next six to clinch a .500 April. What seemed impossible mere days ago now appears likely. The Brewers have an off-day tomorrow before heading to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers. Starting the series will be Hiram Burgos versus Josh Beckett.

Looking Behind...

 The last time the Brewers won 12-in-a-row, this happened:

Game Nineteen: Brewers 6, Padres 3

Box Score

I worked late this evening and thus missed most of the game. I returned just in time to see Tom Gorzelanny strike out Yonder Alonso on three pitches after Gallardo walked the bases loaded with two outs. I may have not have watched most of the game, but that did not stop me from generating a few thoughts on the Brewers' 9th consecutive win.

1) Yovani Gallardo is turning the corner...sort of

Sometimes it's hard to tell if a pitcher is gritty or if it's just really, really hard to hit a baseball. Gallardo allowed 13 base runners in 6.2 innings, but prevented the Padres from getting the big hit and limited them to three runs. In this case it was probably a mix of making timely pitches, the tremendous difficulty of the sport, and the Padres being a bad baseball team. Regardless, it was Yo's second consecutive quality start and it helped the Crew win yet another baseball match.

2) Score early, not often

Of the 52 runs the Brewers have scored over their steak, 33 (63.4%) have come in the first three innings. This trend includes outbursts against Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and most recently, Clayton Richard. A lot of games will seemingly hinge on an early opportunity to deliver a knockout blow and recently the Brewers have been doing just that. And yes, this is the extent of insight I have about this trend.

Axford Watch

Another game, another scoreless outing for the Ax Man. Tonight he was aided by a gem of a defensive play from Jean Segura and his curveball showing up to play. Axford ended the 8th by abusing Nick Hundley on three pitches, using only his bender. The first two were are as sharp of breaking pitches as you'll ever see and the last pitch was perfectly placed 59 feet away from the rubber. The clean inning lowered his ERA to single digits for the first time since Opening Day

Looking ahead...

What's cooler than winning nine consecutive games? Winning ten consecutive games. Marco Estrada (4-2, 4.50) will attempt to keep the streak alive while Edinson Volquez (0-3, 8.84) will do all in his power to stop him. Unless Pre-All Star Break 2008 Volquez shows up, I like the Brewers' chances.

Go Crew. 

Game Eighteen: Brewers 7, Padres 1

Box Score



The Brewers have always had Jason Marquis' number and tonight was much of the same. Ryan Braun and "Timely Home Run" Betancourt went deep in the first inning to give the Crew a 5-0 lead that was never seriously threatened. Below are a few scattered thoughts on a game that extended the winning streak to eight.

1) Even the bad breaks are going well

Kyle Lohse was cruising along for five innings until he left the game early with an injury after a failed bunt attempt. The Brewers have had some unfortunate freak injuries recently, but this was a rare case of good luck with a bad break. Dislocating or even breaking a pinky on a non-throwing hand should not warrant more than a missed start or two.* Furthermore, Lohse always has the Ronnie Lott option available if he's especially averse to missing a start.

*I make this statement fully aware of the risk of speaking too soon

2) I'm not sure why Rickie Weeks was batting second over Gomez, but I assume there is a good reason

 On one hand you have the reigning NL player of the week and on the other you have a guy batting .182 (now .171 after going 0-4). From an objective perspective it makes little sense to guarantee more at bats to the cold hand, and it's debatable Weeks should even play in lieu of a day off. With that said, I always assume that there are non-baseball reasons for decisions that defy numerical logic. Maybe this is a way of Roenicke showing confidence in a struggling hitter; a message that will allow other players to be relaxed during slumps. Whatever the rationale, it's helpful as a fan look at the "managing personalities" role of the manager instead of solely focusing on the specific tactics. 

3) Rickie Weeks: Washed up or secret weapon?

I have serious concerns that Rickie Weeks is cooked as major league player. Then again, 2007 me had serious doubts that Rickie Weeks would develop into a legitimate major league player. As you might recall, Weeks was sent to the minors in August of 2007 after 2+ seasons of underwhelming play. After that stint on the farm Weeks finished the season in Milwaukee, hitting .273/.442/.553 with 11 homers in 197 PA. The issue, perhaps, is that Weeks is streaky to the point he makes Geoff Jenkins looks consistent. Consider some of his pre/post-all star break splits:

2007

Pre-ASB: 261 PA, .221/.328/.392
Post-ASB: 245 PA, .251/.422/.481

2011

Pre-ASB: 417 PA, .291/.391/.505
Post-ASB: 98 PA, .249/.307/.437

2012

Pre-ASB: 350 PA, .199/.314/.343
Post-ASB: 327 PA, .261/.343/.457

In each case you're looking at an OPS difference of at least 143 points. To paraphrase a quote from Jackie Brown: you can't always count on Rickie, but you can count on Rickie being Rickie. In theory this means Weeks is guaranteed to go on a tear at some point this season. If that indeed happens he'll be something of a secret weapon, having played possum with NL pitchers until unleashing a barrage of screaming line drives and moon shots. Of course, he needs to start hitting soon to justify keeping him in the lineup until this (hopefully) inevitable barrage happens.

4) For one night only, Carlos Gomez was a walking machine.

Carlos Gomez has been in the majors for seven seasons. Tonight he had his seventh career two walk game. In doing so he raised his season total by infinity, as they were his first free passes of the season.

Looking ahead...

Yovani Gallardo rebounded from a rough start and a high-profile mistake to have his best game of the season against the Giants. Tomorrow he'll face Clayton Richard, another struggling starter that righted the ship in his last outing against the powerful Rockies offense.

Let's make it nine!

Series Recap: Brewers Sweep Cubs

Miller Park has evolved from Wrigley Field North to a house of horrors for the Cubs. Since 2011 the Cubs have won only three games in Milwaukee and this series did nothing to help their winning percentage in Wisconsin. The successful weekend came courtesy of good pitching, the Cubs making mistakes, and the Brewers taking advantage of those mistakes. With that in mind here are my three things from the sweep:

1) The starting pitching was highly encouraging

Marco Estrada was very Estrada-esque on Friday night, surrendering three runs on seven hits in six innings. The quality start neither raised not lowered his ERA, and that seems about what to expect from him. In addition to making an amazing defensive play, Estrada impressed by scrapping his way to a quality start despite struggling with his location, which is a good thing to see from your #3 starter. On the dark side, Estrada is now tied for second in the National League in home runs allowed (6) after serving up a pair. I'm not too concerned about this provided he keeps his walks down, but I'm not exactly hoping he pitches in Coors Field, either.

Saturday featured the ML debut of Hiram Burgos. He did what many pitchers making their debut have done to the Brewers, limiting the Cubs to one run over five innings. On Sunday Wily Peralta had a solid start reminiscent of his last outing versus the Cubs. Looking ahead I'm pretty excited about the upside of these two players. I'm not expecting them to develop into superstars, but I like their chances of becoming reliable members of the rotation.

2) The relief pitching was even more encouraging 

Even better than three solid starts is the bullpen allowing one run in 9.1 innings. During today's broadcast it was mentioned that Roenicke wants Axford back in the closers role, but with the current late inning-set up looking formidable that seems like an unnecessary change. Jim Henderson has been nails in the closer role, Tom Gorzelanny is looking great as a set-up man, and Axford has been effective as a 7th inning holds guy. To put it another way, Roenicke should stick with what works.

3) The best days of Rickie Weeks may be behind him.

Weeks went 1-9 over the weekend, lowering his batting average to .182. This is coming after a season in which he was hitting below .200 into late July. He ended up with respectable stats after hitting .274/.354/.475 over his last 291 PA. Though late season hot streak gave reason for optimism headed into 2013 it did not cover the fact his cold streaks are getting longer and more severe. Given his slow start this season coupled with his proclivity to swing through pitches, the concern is growing that he's simply not a good hitter anymore.

Axford Watch

The Ax Man had a pair of scoreless outings this weekend, though he still has a ways to go to lower his ERA to single digits. Staying true to form, both of the outings were unsafe for people with high blood pressure. On Friday he allowed the tying run to reach scoring position before escaping the jam with a pair of swinging strikeouts. Today he came in with the tying runs on base and promptly unleashed a wild pitch that advanced them to scoring position. Even so, I found myself with a hint of confidence that Axford would be able to successfully walk the tightrope. This is a stark contrast to how I felt just one week ago.

Looking Ahead...

After four years of living in Seattle I've grown a bit weary of most Brewers games starting at 5:10 or earlier. One of life's simple pleasures is to get off work, take care of some errands, grab dinner, and then settle in for the first pitch. With the Crew playing in San Diego I'll have a rare opportunity to indulge in some regular time baseball.

This is a terrific opportunity to keep the streak alive and get Milwaukee thinking about free burgers. Starting things off will be the hot hand of Kyle Lohse versus Jason Marquis. Also of note is that Carlos Quentin will be out for the first two games due to his suspension for the Zack Greinke Incident?

Go Crew.

Game Fourteen: Brewers 7, Giants 2

Box Score

Sooner or later the Brewers were going to have a relaxing day at the ballpark. They just waited for a chance to put an exclamation point on a sweep of the defending work champions to do it. If I was optimistic after a 2-8 start you can believe today's win has me reserving a spot on Wisconsin Avenue for the World Series parade. But first thing's first, here are three things that came to mind after today's victory.

1) I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Yesterday I predicted a snowman of a start for Yovani Gallardo. All things considered I was about as wrong as you can possibly be. Not only did Yo allow one run in six innings, he also hit a two-run dinger which means he effectively held the Giants to -1 run. Gallardo did all you want from a starting pitcher and then some. This was great to see, especially after the incident on early Tuesday morning. This also reminds me of a very important fact.

Professional athletes exist on a different plane than the average sports fan. High-leverage situations have a noticeable physical effect on my body. For example, I could literally feel my heart beat with excitement after Vander Blue hit the game winning layup against Davidson in the NCAA Tournament. With this in mind I would be the last person on Earth you'd want playing in a clutch situation because I would be far too nervous to do anything other than curl into a ball and weep uncontrollably. But the professional athlete is different. Situations anathema to my condition are sought out by pros, and this leads me to Gallardo.

The resident ace of the Brewers' staff is off to a horrible start and made a high profile mistake. These two crippling facts did not faze him, and in fact immediately preceded one of the most impressive starts a starting pitcher can make (home run considered). The lesson here is there is when if comes to professional athletes there is no correlation between past results, personal mishaps, and future performance. That is, unless Ruben Quevedo is pitching and the prediction is the opposition will score lots of runs.

2) John Axford: Pitching scoreless innings and it feels so good

Axford is one of my favorite players. I love him because of the note he wrote after his consecutive save streak ended, his performance in a goofy and hilarious video, and that he otherwise seems like a cool dude. At his best his spits hot fire and strikes out well over a batter an inning. At his worst he blows lots and lots of saves, but this fact is not important to the point I'm making. Though the sample size is small he looks to be turning things around. My man crush is not high enough that I believe he should become closer any time in 2013, but I like his chances of being effective in late innings going forward.

Also of note: From here on out I'm going to implement 'Axford Watch' as a means of monitoring my favorite embattled reliever.

3) This four game winning streak is a psyche-saver

I mean this from the perspective of a fan that tends to overreact to things. Being a Brewers fan means my default assumption is the playoff hopes will effectively be dashed by June.* To be sitting at 6-8 with six upcoming games versus the Cubs and Padres is very acceptable. The Brewers simply need to hold serve until Hart and Ramirez come back, at which point they will hopefully mash their way into contention. Their immediate upcoming schedule is favorable towards this goals.

Enjoyment of baseball is heavily based on hope. You can always wait until next year or hold out for the hot prospects developing on the farm. Even so, when you get off to a horrible, horrible start it gets far too easy to think to yourself "I have 150 more games of this to look forward to?" Thus, a modest win streak here and there (like this one!) can make the season more palatable.

*Since the 2006 season this has rarely been the case. The 2010 season is the only case of the Brewers being hopelessly out of contention, and even then they were only a 2012-esque late-season hot streak from getting into the October mix. All that said, the 1993-2004 seasons etched expectations into my DNA that will last as long as I live.

Looking ahead...


Word on the street is that the days of Wrigley North are over. I hope this is true. More importantly I hope the Brewers show the Cubs what it is, and how it is done. With all of the junk that's happened to start the 2013 season the Crew can still escape April with a .500 record or better. Tomorrow it's the nasty Jeff Samardzija versus Steady Marco Estrada. Soon enough will find out if a five game winning streak is too much to ask for.

Game Thirteen: Brewers 4, Giants 3

Box Score

The Brewers' 4-3 victory ensured tomorrow will be the first Gravy Day of the season. It's more relaxing to watch a game after the series has been clinched because regardless of the outcome you'll (usually) leave the series with a better record than you entered it with. This means the final game is just gravy and you can simply enjoy watching some baseball. There are about 35 exceptions to this rule I can rattle off the top of my head, but barring a horrific meltdown tomorrow I will not be too upset with a loss (though I'd obviously prefer the sweep). This is because the Brewers won tonight and on that subject, here are my three takeaways from the game:

1) Yuniesky Betancourt: First Baseman of the Future

It's quite possible the Brewers would be on the opposite of a three game win streak without Yuni B. His solo homer in the third and sac fly in the fifth plated two runs, which directly assisted the Brewers' victory. Though I'd prefer not to think about the circumstances that led to Betancourt being the Brewers' best option at first, for the time being I'll sit back and enjoy the relative hot streak. And in case you were wondering, Betancourt was intentionally walked for just the 9th time in his career during the decisive 9th inning.

2) Wire to wire, this was the most impressive victory of the season

Kyle Lohse continues to impress, even when he's giving up three runs on five hits in an inning. The Giants wasted little time spoiling the no-hit bid in the sixth and then proceeded to nickle and dime Lohse to tie the game. Despite this, Lohse was able to limit the damage and come back to pitch a clean frame in the 7th. As Harry Doyle said in Major League 2, it's amazing how a new uniform can change your attitude about a guy. Needless to say, he frustrated me to know end with the Cardinals.

After Lohse left the game became a battle of the bullpens, surprisingly won by the Brewers. Even better, there was no imminent threat of defeat* as Badenhop and Henderson shut down San Francisco in the 8th and 9th. Maybe it's his career 100 ERA+, but Badenhop looks like an average to somewhat above average reliever. If this holds true he'll be a huge asset to a bullpen coming off a terrible 2012 season. I'm also bullish about Henderson as he just seems like a guy that gets people out.

The Giants getting the tying run on second with two outs in the 9th was less than relaxing 

The bottom of the 9th inning was especially encouraging as the winning run was driven across by the bottom of the order, specifically some guy named Blake Lalli. I know nothing about this guy other than he's been in the minors for a while and has 22 ML plate appearances. I can add to that list that he hit a walk-off single, which is pretty cool.

3) Carlos Gomez is very fast

He's also the only player I feel comfortable tagging from third on a shallow fly ball. If you can tolerate occasional mindless base-running errors there are few players in the majors as enjoyable on the bases as Gomez.

Looking ahead...

I have a nagging feeling Gallardo will not have a good start tomorrow. This is both because he's struggled so far in 2013 and was recently arrested for a DUI. Combine those things and it seems like a recipe for a snowman of a start.

On the subject of Gallardo, I'm interested to see what reception he gets from the crowd. Drunk driving is a heinous offense, but the two most important things are the he never makes the mistake again and gets the treatment he needs. Being supportive may actually be beneficial to his condition, so I hope any boos will be kept to a minimum. We'll see what happens.

Game Twelve: Brewers 10, Giants 8

Box Score

After the Brewers exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the third inning I started believing I was watching the elusive easy victory. Though the victory proved to be anything but easy I witnessed something just as rare: the beginning of a winning streak. Keeping with the theme of positivity, here are three things from tonight's game I liked:

1) The bottom of the third was pure catharsis.

What made this inning especially sweet was that most of the runs were driven in from unexpected sources. Watching Ryan Braun come through with a big hit is like checking your bank account on payday. You expect a certain amount of money to appear and you feel good to see it does. Watching a struggling hitter or Yuniesky Betancourt do the same, on the other hand, is like finding a $20 bill while taking out the trash. Tonight was a rare occasion where you became $40 richer after a short trip outside.

Trailing 3-1, Rickie Weeks had the bases loaded with one out and 3-2 count. Every neuron in my brain expected Weeks to strike our swinging, so to see him rip a double down the left field line provided an extra dosage of satisfaction. A few batters later sac fly maestro Yuniesky Betancourt blasted a grand slam over the left field wall and the rout, ever so temporarily, was on.

2) John Axford pitched another clean frame.

Regardless of the situation, every outing Axford has for the next several months is a high-stakes affair. He's a 30-year old ex-closer with a 15.19 ERA and one year removed from leading the majors in blown saves. A bad outing at best will expose him to a chorus of boos and at worst lead to a Vaudeville hook yanking him from The Show. An additional challenge to his future as a major leaguer is that the other 29 teams have seemingly figured him out. As such, if Axford starts performing again you can assume he's in a good place mentally and his mechanics have been properly adjusted.

Though his clean 7th was of the cardiac variety, being an optimist I'll take warning track fly balls instead of 450-foot rockets as a tangible sign of progress. Looking ahead, I like him as a 7th inning guy. Hopefully this proves to be more than wishful thinking.

3) The Brewers scored 10 runs despite Ryan Braun going 0-5 with a Golden Sombrero.

Something ain't right with Braun. He's struck out at least three times in three of the past four games, leading you to believe his neck is still bothering them. It's either that or he forgot to play baseball, which seems unlikely.

Early offensive struggles aside, I remain bullish on this offense. Tonight's game was evidence as to why that is. Norichika Aoki reached base four times, Carlos Gomez collected three base hits, Jonathan Lucroy continued to heat up, and Jean Segura stayed hot by going 2-4 with a stolen base. The Brewers are a healthy Braun and Aramis Ramirez away from being a formidable offensive club. My faith in modern sports medicine leads me to believe this day is coming soon.

Looking ahead...

In my mind a true streak begins when you win three games in a row. Tomorrow it's the struggling Ryan Vogelsong versus the scorching Kyle Lohse. Dare I say I have a good feeling about this game.