Box Score
I like Chris Capuano. He was a rare bright spot for the Brewers in the '04-'06 seasons. He's also very intelligent and seems like a nice guy. If anybody is going to shut down the Brewers, it may as well be Capuano.
I have a couple more thoughts on this game, but I'm going to skip them so I can catch up. Besides, games like this will happen over the course of a season. That's what I got for you.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Game Sixty: Brewers 7, Marlins 2
Box Score
Maybe the Brewers aren't such a bad road team after all.
After three tightly contested victories the Brewers completed a sweep of the Marlins with little trouble. Prince Fielder delivered the decisive blow in the form of a three-run homer in the third and Zack Greinke made sure that would be all the Brewers would need.
There is not much more to say other than then the Brewers are playing very good baseball right now. Assuming good health, it's safe to say that what we're seeing is more a sign of things to come than an aberration. Granted, the .750 pace they've been on over their past 28 games is not going to last, but at the same time it's not like the Brewers are playing that far over their heads.
Next up: A home series vs. the New York Mets followed by a series vs. St Louis. I'm hoping to see the Crew take two of three from the Mets, followed by an emphatic sweep of the Cardinals. The latter is not as likely as the former, but I can hope for whatever I want, right?
Maybe the Brewers aren't such a bad road team after all.
After three tightly contested victories the Brewers completed a sweep of the Marlins with little trouble. Prince Fielder delivered the decisive blow in the form of a three-run homer in the third and Zack Greinke made sure that would be all the Brewers would need.
There is not much more to say other than then the Brewers are playing very good baseball right now. Assuming good health, it's safe to say that what we're seeing is more a sign of things to come than an aberration. Granted, the .750 pace they've been on over their past 28 games is not going to last, but at the same time it's not like the Brewers are playing that far over their heads.
Next up: A home series vs. the New York Mets followed by a series vs. St Louis. I'm hoping to see the Crew take two of three from the Mets, followed by an emphatic sweep of the Cardinals. The latter is not as likely as the former, but I can hope for whatever I want, right?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Game Fifty Nine: Brewers 6, Marlins 5
Box Score
The Brewers' victory today is something of a miracle. They blew a 5-0 lead and were dead to rights in the bottom of the 9th when the Marlins had the bases loaded with one out. Somehow, Tim Dillard of all people saved the Brewers' bacon.
The situation did not look much more promising in the top of the 11th with nobody on, two out, and Josh Wilson at the plate. Wilson proceeded to justify his being on the Brewers roster with a home run, and John Axford sealed the victory with another one of his saves.
The Brewers have now won 20 of 27 and the only thing going wrong is the continued success of St. Louis. The Brewers and Cardinals play each other 12 more times this season. Those games should be a lot of fun...especially if the Brewers win every one of those games.
The Brewers' victory today is something of a miracle. They blew a 5-0 lead and were dead to rights in the bottom of the 9th when the Marlins had the bases loaded with one out. Somehow, Tim Dillard of all people saved the Brewers' bacon.
The situation did not look much more promising in the top of the 11th with nobody on, two out, and Josh Wilson at the plate. Wilson proceeded to justify his being on the Brewers roster with a home run, and John Axford sealed the victory with another one of his saves.
The Brewers have now won 20 of 27 and the only thing going wrong is the continued success of St. Louis. The Brewers and Cardinals play each other 12 more times this season. Those games should be a lot of fun...especially if the Brewers win every one of those games.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Game Fifty Eight: Brewers 3, Marlins 2
Box Score
The Green Bay Packers' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV provided me with a boost of euphoria and a moment that will make me happy for a long time. There are few things better than living your life knowing one of your teams just won a championship. That said, I do have one teeny, tiny gripe about the Packers' Super Bowl run: Every post-season game was not a blow out. I'm aware of how absurd this gripe is, but stick with me.
The Packers beat the Eagles in the first round thanks to two missed field goals by David Ackers, a game-saving tackle of DeSean Jackson by Desmond Bishop, and a game clinching interception by Tramon Williams. In the Super Bowl, the Packers essentially sealed the game with this play:
Notice how that play was less than one inch from not happening. The (very small) problem that I have when I look back at the Super Bowl run is that it's far too easy for me to imagine some key plays going the other way, and I don't like thinking about anything other than what actually happened. Again, I'm aware that this is akin to saying "The problem with having millions of dollars is that it's hard to choose which mansion to buy," but I think you get the idea. In professional sports the difference between a win and a loss is impossibly small. It best not to think about this microscopic gap, but John Axford apparently wants Brewer fans to think about it every time he takes the mound.
Axford has fifteen saves on the season and has converted twelve in a row. On the surface this is a sign of dominance. However, if you look closer you'll see that the tying or go-ahead run has reached base in eight of his saves. On three other occasions an opposing player reached base and allowed the batter to represent the tying run.
The Brewers are tied for the Wildcard lead and only 2.0 games back of first place in the division. But when you think about it, they're three or four timely hits away from being in sizable hole. Of course, it's best not to think about it.
Other notes:
-The Brewers have not been six games over .500 since 2009.
-Nyjer Morgan hit a home run in his first plate appearance of the evening. It was also this first time he faced Christ Volstad since this happened. It's also worth noting it was only the fifth homer of Morgan's career.
-Yovani Gallardo has lowered his ERA from 6.10 to 3.72 since May 2nd. It's amazing how the machine-like nature of professional baseball players almost invariably causes their stats to regress to their career norms. Let's hope this hold true for Casey McGehee.
-Though Axford drives me nuts, he has 36 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. He can get away with allowing baserunners because he can get outs without the ball being put in play. As maddening as he can be, it's important to remember that he's also very nasty.
The Green Bay Packers' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV provided me with a boost of euphoria and a moment that will make me happy for a long time. There are few things better than living your life knowing one of your teams just won a championship. That said, I do have one teeny, tiny gripe about the Packers' Super Bowl run: Every post-season game was not a blow out. I'm aware of how absurd this gripe is, but stick with me.
The Packers beat the Eagles in the first round thanks to two missed field goals by David Ackers, a game-saving tackle of DeSean Jackson by Desmond Bishop, and a game clinching interception by Tramon Williams. In the Super Bowl, the Packers essentially sealed the game with this play:
Notice how that play was less than one inch from not happening. The (very small) problem that I have when I look back at the Super Bowl run is that it's far too easy for me to imagine some key plays going the other way, and I don't like thinking about anything other than what actually happened. Again, I'm aware that this is akin to saying "The problem with having millions of dollars is that it's hard to choose which mansion to buy," but I think you get the idea. In professional sports the difference between a win and a loss is impossibly small. It best not to think about this microscopic gap, but John Axford apparently wants Brewer fans to think about it every time he takes the mound.
Axford has fifteen saves on the season and has converted twelve in a row. On the surface this is a sign of dominance. However, if you look closer you'll see that the tying or go-ahead run has reached base in eight of his saves. On three other occasions an opposing player reached base and allowed the batter to represent the tying run.
The Brewers are tied for the Wildcard lead and only 2.0 games back of first place in the division. But when you think about it, they're three or four timely hits away from being in sizable hole. Of course, it's best not to think about it.
Other notes:
-The Brewers have not been six games over .500 since 2009.
-Nyjer Morgan hit a home run in his first plate appearance of the evening. It was also this first time he faced Christ Volstad since this happened. It's also worth noting it was only the fifth homer of Morgan's career.
-Yovani Gallardo has lowered his ERA from 6.10 to 3.72 since May 2nd. It's amazing how the machine-like nature of professional baseball players almost invariably causes their stats to regress to their career norms. Let's hope this hold true for Casey McGehee.
-Though Axford drives me nuts, he has 36 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. He can get away with allowing baserunners because he can get outs without the ball being put in play. As maddening as he can be, it's important to remember that he's also very nasty.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Game Fifty Six: Brewers 6, Marlins 5
Box Score
Two inescapable truths were on display tonight:
1) Ryan Braun can hit a baseball a very long distance. After being victimized by Joey Votto on Wednesday, Braun promptly evened-out the Brewers' fortunes with a pinch-hit, go ahead homer in the top of the 9th that may still be flying. Yuniesky Betancourt did his best to make sure it would be a game-tying homer, but he was able to (miraculously) able to avoid getting tagged out after an unlikely base hit. And it's a good thing he was safe, because the Brewers were in need of a road victory like this. Even more impressive: the homer occurred on Braun's one and only swing of the day. The home run both provided the decisive margin of victory and provided me a highlight that will give me enjoyment for years to come.
2) John Axford is having control issues. He threw 29 pitches and only 11 strikes. His command was so bad that he almost threw an errant intentional ball. Fortunately he was able to strike out the Brett Hayes with the bases loaded to end the game; otherwise I would have been in a very, very bad mood. Axford got the save, the Brewers won, and I was made happy, but jeepers creepers, did the bottom of the 9th have to be so difficult? I don't want to think about how anxious I will feel if the Brewers are one win away from making the playoffs and it's up to Axford to protect a one-run lead. Yikes.
Other Notes:
-Corey Hart is currently hitting .292. This is good news.
-Casey McGehee is currently hitting .244 and has generally looked crappy this season. If it seems like he's hitting a lot of routine ground balls, it's because that's what he's been doing. This season 54.5% of the balls he's put into play have been on the ground. His career rate is 46.2%, which makes me hopeful that he'll turn his season around soon. In the meantime he does not exactly inspire me with confidence.
-The stats in the above note came from fangraphs.com. FanGraphs is one the best baseball websites out there. It has an absurd amount of data and cool features, such as win-expectancy graphs. Speaking of win-expecancy graphs, here's what the one from tonight's game looks like:
Two inescapable truths were on display tonight:
1) Ryan Braun can hit a baseball a very long distance. After being victimized by Joey Votto on Wednesday, Braun promptly evened-out the Brewers' fortunes with a pinch-hit, go ahead homer in the top of the 9th that may still be flying. Yuniesky Betancourt did his best to make sure it would be a game-tying homer, but he was able to (miraculously) able to avoid getting tagged out after an unlikely base hit. And it's a good thing he was safe, because the Brewers were in need of a road victory like this. Even more impressive: the homer occurred on Braun's one and only swing of the day. The home run both provided the decisive margin of victory and provided me a highlight that will give me enjoyment for years to come.
2) John Axford is having control issues. He threw 29 pitches and only 11 strikes. His command was so bad that he almost threw an errant intentional ball. Fortunately he was able to strike out the Brett Hayes with the bases loaded to end the game; otherwise I would have been in a very, very bad mood. Axford got the save, the Brewers won, and I was made happy, but jeepers creepers, did the bottom of the 9th have to be so difficult? I don't want to think about how anxious I will feel if the Brewers are one win away from making the playoffs and it's up to Axford to protect a one-run lead. Yikes.
Other Notes:
-Corey Hart is currently hitting .292. This is good news.
-Casey McGehee is currently hitting .244 and has generally looked crappy this season. If it seems like he's hitting a lot of routine ground balls, it's because that's what he's been doing. This season 54.5% of the balls he's put into play have been on the ground. His career rate is 46.2%, which makes me hopeful that he'll turn his season around soon. In the meantime he does not exactly inspire me with confidence.
-The stats in the above note came from fangraphs.com. FanGraphs is one the best baseball websites out there. It has an absurd amount of data and cool features, such as win-expectancy graphs. Speaking of win-expecancy graphs, here's what the one from tonight's game looks like:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Game Fifty Six: Reds 4, Brewers 3
Box Score
At least the game-winning homer happened with two outs in the eight and not with two outs in the ninth.
The Brewers have been on the right side of this type of game recently, so you had to figure that they were due for a loss like this sooner or later. It happens, it's a long season, and so on. This is not to say that tonight's game should just be accepted and we should move on.
It's pretty clear that Axford and Loe are the only two relievers Ron Roenicke has any confidence in. I don't have much faith in Takashi Saito to suddenly become healthy and reliable, so Mr Melvin is probably going to have to swing a trade sooner or later. In the meantime, Roenicke could stand to be less conventional with his bullpen use.
Last season John Axford was used for outside the confines of the 9th inning on multiple occasions. Tonight would have been a great place to summon him from the bullpen before the 9th inning. With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 8th, Loe hit Brandon Phillips, allowing reigning NL MVP Joey Votto to come to the plate representing the go-ahead run. In his career, left handed pitchers have a .208 average and .595 OPS against Axford. Conversely, lefties hit .306 and have a .844 OPS against Loe. I think my case states itself. Granted, there are lots of legitimate reasons Axford was not used tonight (he did throw 28 pitches last night), but assuming everything was normal, Axford, the best reliever the Brewers have, should have faced Votto.
All that aside, the Brewers at least showed signs of life in on the road. It would be nice to get at least split in Florida. The series against the Marlins will be a good gauge to see how excited we should be for the rest of the season.
At least the game-winning homer happened with two outs in the eight and not with two outs in the ninth.
The Brewers have been on the right side of this type of game recently, so you had to figure that they were due for a loss like this sooner or later. It happens, it's a long season, and so on. This is not to say that tonight's game should just be accepted and we should move on.
It's pretty clear that Axford and Loe are the only two relievers Ron Roenicke has any confidence in. I don't have much faith in Takashi Saito to suddenly become healthy and reliable, so Mr Melvin is probably going to have to swing a trade sooner or later. In the meantime, Roenicke could stand to be less conventional with his bullpen use.
Last season John Axford was used for outside the confines of the 9th inning on multiple occasions. Tonight would have been a great place to summon him from the bullpen before the 9th inning. With two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 8th, Loe hit Brandon Phillips, allowing reigning NL MVP Joey Votto to come to the plate representing the go-ahead run. In his career, left handed pitchers have a .208 average and .595 OPS against Axford. Conversely, lefties hit .306 and have a .844 OPS against Loe. I think my case states itself. Granted, there are lots of legitimate reasons Axford was not used tonight (he did throw 28 pitches last night), but assuming everything was normal, Axford, the best reliever the Brewers have, should have faced Votto.
All that aside, the Brewers at least showed signs of life in on the road. It would be nice to get at least split in Florida. The series against the Marlins will be a good gauge to see how excited we should be for the rest of the season.
Game Fifty Five: Brewers 7, Reds 2
Box Score
What do you know? I was wrong about my bad feelings about this game. The Brewers scored some runs off a no-name starter and held on for the victory.
I give kudos to Greinke for lasted six innings despite not being on top of his game. It helps having the opposing pitcher ground into a double play with the bases loaded and nobody out (how's that for some good fortune on the road), but my goodness, I've never seen a pitcher give up on his fastball and throw essentially nothing but sliders. Greinke did not come across as someone who was having fun tonight, but he got the job done.
What do you know? I was wrong about my bad feelings about this game. The Brewers scored some runs off a no-name starter and held on for the victory.
I give kudos to Greinke for lasted six innings despite not being on top of his game. It helps having the opposing pitcher ground into a double play with the bases loaded and nobody out (how's that for some good fortune on the road), but my goodness, I've never seen a pitcher give up on his fastball and throw essentially nothing but sliders. Greinke did not come across as someone who was having fun tonight, but he got the job done.
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