7/20/08

• Brian Hunter - Braves - 11:30 - 12:30 - Turner Field - Atlanta, GA - (W/ paid admission)
• Darrel Chaney - Braves - 11:30 - 12:30 - Turner Field - Atlanta, GA - (W/ paid admission)

7/21/08

• Rudy Law - White Sox - From TBA - Arrowhead Credit Union Park - San Bernandino, CA - (w/ paid admission)

7/22/08

• Darren O'Day - Angels - 12:30 - ? - Orange County Fairgrounds - Costa Mesa, CA
• Joe Saunders - Angels - 12:30 - ? - Orange County Fairgrounds - Costa Mesa, CA
• Rex Hudler - Angels - 12:30 - ? - Orange County Fairgrounds - Costa Mesa, CA
• Ramon Hernandez - A's - 12pm - 1am - ESPN Zone - Baltimore, MD

7/23/08

• Bill Lee - Red Sox - 6pm - 8pm - Frontier Field - Rochester Redwings - free with admission.

7/24/08

• Barry Jones - Pirates - 6pm - 7pm - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA - free with admission
• John Smiley - Pirates - 6pm - 7pm - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA - free with admission
• Grant Jackson - Pirates - 6pm - 7pm - PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA - free with admission
• Blake DeWitt - Dodgers - 12pm - 1pm - Staples - 11341 National Blvd Los Angeles, CA
• Willie McGee - Giants - TBA - Pac Bell Park - San Francisco, CA - free with admission
• Danny Cox - Blue Jays - 7pm - ? - Toronto Sky Dome - Toronto, Ontario - free with admission
• Brian Shouse - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission
• Corey Hart - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission
• Dave Bush - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission
• Jeff Suppan - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission
• Mike Maddux - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission
• Tony Gwynn Jr. - Brewers - TBA - Miller Park - Milwaukee, WI - free with admission

There are no local signings in the Triangle area this week.  Maybe next week.  Good luck getting these autographs.  I wish more were closer to me.

Last week I promised to post some photo's of me in a Cubs hat.   So...

 There were more photo's on my camera but somehow during my friends six kegger my camera got into the wrong hands.   When I went to upload the photos to my computer all that showed up were pictures of random girls, fireworks and other booze fueled shananigans.   I was just happy that the camera didn't end up in the pool, I mean it's a cheap camera and all, but it's all I have. 

I'm not sure what's more embarrassing about the photos: the undersized Cub's hat, my ridiculous mustache, or how out of shape I've gotten in the past couple of years.   I think it's a combination of all three that makes me look like a true jagbag.   Getting rid of the Cubs hat and the mustache was easy enough, but losing the weight is going to take some time.  Maybe I'll incorporate losing some weight in future blog posts, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

It was a busy weekend in the wide world of sports as well: Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in a classic five set match to gain his first Wimbledon final, the Yankees were able to split their series with the dreaded BoSox, and CC Sabathia was traded to Milwaukee, much to the dismay of Cubs fans all over the world.   Here are some ruminations of what took place last weekend.

Nadal Slays the Giant

 I'm not a big fan of tennis, but watching Rafael Nadal defeat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7) was pretty fantastic.   It was a tennis match that featured two of the sport's best just unloading on each other like it was a heavy weight title contest.  They were both getting serves up over 120 MPH and were hitting some impossible shots under unbelievable amounts of pressure. 

 The rain delays did put me to sleep a couple of times, but I was hung over and tired, so I'm not going to hold that against what was an epic five-plus hour long match. 

Early in the match it looked like Nadal was just going to run away with the title, but anyone who has watched Roger Federer over the years knows that he can not be killed by standard weapons.   I was more than a little worried about Nadal when he was unable to close Roger out in the third set when Nadal had three championship points.   But fate was not going to be denied this year for the Spaniard.  It seemed as if Nadal's athleticism was able to carry him through the fifth set, and by the time that the two players got to the seventh set, Nadal was able to break Federer's serve and defeat his long time foe by holding serve in the sixteenth game of the fifth set (there is no tie-breaker in the fifth set at Wimbledon). 

It was pretty clear that Nadal's freakish athleticism played a huge role in his victory.  This begs the question, will we see a wave of new, super athletic players in professional tennis in the coming years?  I'm not sure, it's been over a decade since Tiger Woods showed what being in incredible shape could do to one's golf game, and we still haven't seen anyone who is as "pumped up" as Tiger in the PGA.  Time will tell how Nadal's success at Wimbledon shapes the game of tennis in years to come.

In case you either haven't noticed, or don't care, it's been a good couple of weeks for Spain in the sports world as they had won the EuroCup a week before Nadal was able to win at Wimbledon.  I guess good things come to countries that export such beautiful women.     

 CC is on his way to Milwaukee

Cubs fans have always been aware that the Brewers have a lot of talented young offensive players, but they were always a little soft in their starting rotation.   Well it appears as if Milwaukee is making their push for a division title (or at least the wild card) with the acquisition of Indians' ace, CC Sabathia.  Sabathia has been a bit down this year compared to his Cy Young season last year, but he is still a pitcher who has the potential to carry a team deep into the playoffs, which is something that the Brewers desperately need.  

Sabathia is going to be a free-agent at the end of the year, so I doubt he will be a Brewer for long; but with the combination of CC and Ben Sheets, anything can happen, especially when the National League is as week as it is this year.  I'm sure that thousands of Cubs fans all over the country got a little lump in their throat when they heard about the trade, which apparently cost Milwaukee four prospects, but I wouldn't get too worried in Chicago just yet. 

In my (very humble) opinion, the Cubs are still the team to beat in the puddle of yuck that is the National League.   While there is some bad news for Chi-Town, Sabathia did have a 2.76 ERA and 7 wins after the all star break last year, the same can not be said of the rest of the pitchers in the Brewers rotation. It's is certainly no lock that Ben Sheets will be able to stay healthy all year, given his track record in that regard.   Jeff Suppan is currently on the Brewers' DL, Manny Parra is unproven, and Dave Bush had an ERA of about 5.5 in the second half of last year; not to mention that horrendous bullpen. Don't believe me?  Well I have two words for you: Eric Gagne.    

I know it's in the blood of all Cubs fans to start to worry around this time of year.  You are just looking for ways for the Cubbies to blow their lead, I guess a century of bad will do that to a fan base, but stop worrying. 

This is the year! 

It's going to happen! 

Yes you can! 

Oh who am I kidding, you should be worried out of your mind right now, you've seen this happen before.   Run!  Sabathia is coming for you like the monster from Cloverfield, and it's only a matter of time before he gets you!

After hyper-extending his elbow a few starts ago, Jeff Suppan has been placed on the DL.  He tried to pitch through the pain until it went away.  That never is a good idea for a pitcher.

As Tom Haudricourt says, at least we know why Soup has been so bad his past few starts.  In his last four outings, the veteran right-hander has a 10.34 ERA.  That's just plain awful.

I find it a bit suspicious that the Crew made this move after trading for Sabathia, but I could just be reading too much into the situation.  Instead of demoting a veteran, $40M pitcher, the team simply put him on the DL with an injury nobody knew about.  Does that remind anyone else of the supposed injury Jason Isringhausen had with the Cardinals?

I'm not saying the Brewers made up this injury, but it certainly came at a convenient time.  Get better, Jeff.  The Crew needs you healthy and effective down the stretch.  It's one thing to be tough and pitch through pain, but it's another thing entirely to be sacrificing your team's record because of it.  Take a couple weeks, get better, and come back throwing strikes.  BrewersNation wishes you a speedy recovery, Mr. Soup.  We will see you on the mound in a couple weeks if all goes according to plan.

In the meantime, Dave Bush and Seth McClung have been guaranteed jobs in the starting rotation until Soup recovers from his injury.  That solved the pitching problem very quickly.

The Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia has found a new home: the Milwaukee Brewers. With this being the final year of his contract, the Indians felt they didn't have a chance to resign the left-hander in the off-season, which spurned trade rumors involving Sabathia. Unlike in the bidding for Johan Santana, the Brewers had no rivals for the rights to his powerful left arm. The likes of Hank Steinbrenner of the Yankees  Theo Epstein of the Red Sox never had a chance to be in the running, like each of them had been in trying to acquire Johan Santana. Like Santana, another one of the best pitchers in the league has moved on to the National League. This gives the American League one less talented pitcher to worry about.

Sabathia will help the Brewers in so many ways. He gives them a top-of-the-line starter to go with Ben Sheets for the remainder of the season, and a chance to catch the Cubs in the NL Central divisional race. If Sheets can stay healthy then the Brewers will have a very good one-two punch at the top of their rotation, but what about the next three pitchers on their staff. Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Manny Parra aren't ones to count on for the stretch run, and are pitchers that haven't done well this year ( Suppan: 5-6, 4.7 ERA; Manny Parra has been good, 8-2, 3.5 ERA, but doesn't have the experience; Dave Bush, like Suppan, has been mediocre at best: 4-8, 4.7 ERA).

Seeing as the team gave up prized prospect Matt Laporta, fellow minor leaguers Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson and Taylor Green, the Brewers should sign Sabathia to an extension during the second half of the season, ensuring that this is a long term home for Sabathia. But if they give up this much (from what I hear the Indians are getting some very good talent on their end of the deal) to obtain a pitcher of his caliber just for the remainder of the season, then this could be a disastrous mistake. Even with Sabathia, the Brewers will still be in a fight with the Cubs, Cardinals, Mets, Phillies, Braves, and others to make the playoffs. Especially with the divisional talent of the Cardinals and the Cubs, seing as both of which could make the playoffs, their is no certainty that the Brewers will be around for baseball in October.

The Cardinals have done a remarkable job this season, considering what Tony La Russa had to work with, as they are tied for second with the Brewers (3 1/2 back of the Cubs). It doesn't seem like they are going downhill anytime soon. The Cubs season will just get better from this on out because Carlos Zambrano is off the disabled list (and pitching well) and Alfonso Soriano will be before long. So this ride to the playoffs for the Brewers won't be easy even with Sabathia.

With their ace now gone, The Indians have given up on this season. The players that Cleveland got in return are good in their own right, but aren't immediate impact players. In the Twins case when they traded away Santana, they got a guy who can play right away, in Carlos Gomez. This isn't the case in the Sabathia trade. The earliest that LaPorta, the prize of the deal, will make an impact is the 2009 season. Bryson, a 20-year old right handed pitcher, was playing in the Rookie League for the Brewers, so he'll be a project. Zach Jackson, a left handed pitcher, played for the Brewers at times during this season, as well as in 2006, but didn't have much success. Taylor Green, a infielder, is in Single-A ball, so he like Bryson won't be factors on the Indians for years to come. Since the Indians are looking towards the future of the organization, I like this move on their part. They stock up their farm system, giving them a chance to compete with young players in fututre seasons and they get rid of a player in Sabathia that they knew they wouldn't be able to resign, so instead of letting him walk via free agency, they get some value in return.

Matt LaPorta is still the centerpiece of the deal.  That is a big blow, but the minor league system is stacked full of guys that can hit but don't have a position.  LaPorta is replaceable.

LHP Zach Jackson will be on his way to Cleveland.  My reaction?  You can have him Cleveland.  Perhaps a change of scenery is all he needs.  Jackson has been terrible since coming to Milwaukee in the Lyle Overbay trade.

RHP Rob Bryson is also included in the deal.  Rob is a bright young prospect who has struggled a bit this season with a 3-2 record and a 4.25 ERA in 22 outings.  Baseball America thinks that Bryson has the stuff to be a closer in a few years, but that is still years away.  This loss doesn't hurt the system too much, especially with the tons of pitchers drafted this season.

The deal still includes a "player to be named later."  Most believe this is still Taylor Green.  Haudricourt believes the Indians want to move him to second base and need more time to scout him.  If they deem Green unfit for second base, there will be another player involved in the deal.

Don't worry, Brewers fans.  Doug Melvin didn't give up too much to get last year's AL Cy Young winner.  Mat Gamel, Alcides Escobar, Angel Salome, Michael Brantley, Brad Nelson, Zach Braddock, Chris Errecart, and Jeremy Jeffress are all safe.  It feels good to say that.

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It was not the prettiest win of the season, but the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Pirates this afternoon with offensive fireworks.

Too bad the win got lost in the news that Doug Melvin and the Brewers just agreed in principle to a deal with the Cleveland Indians that will send C.C. Sabathia to Milwaukee for Matt LaPorta and two lower level prospects.

In case you forgot what happened, let me refresh your memory.

After his 16-game hit streak ended last night on a sacrifice bunt, J.J. Hardy started a new streak in a big way this afternoon. In the bottom of the first, the Brewers shortstop snuck one just inside the right field foul poll to start off the scoring. Rickie Weeks started the game off with a walk, so Milwaukee got out to a 2-0 lead quickly.

The lead grew 4-0 after the first once Ryan Braun hit a solo shot, and Bill Hall continued his fine hitting against southpaws with an RBI single that plated Corey Hart.

All looked good for the Crew. That changed in the top of the second when Jeff Suppan gave all four of the runs right back. Soup did not look sharp tonight. The umpire was squeezing him a bit at the bottom of the zone, but that is no excuse for giving up six runs in three innings of work. When your offense spots you four runs in the first inning, you have to maintain that lead and momentum. It appeared to be a long day in the making after the third inning ended.

The bullpen has been taking a lot of heat lately, but the collective group banded together and shut the door on the Pirates for the rest of the game. Ned Yost pulled Soup after three innings and handed the ball to Mitch Stetter, who pitched two scoreless innings and got the win. The 'pen came through in a big way today, picking up the team after Soup struggled to keep the Pirates off the scoreboard.

Guillermo Mota even looked pretty good. He mixed up his pitches well. The pitch count was quite high for only an inning on the mound, but a scoreless inning should do wonders to help his confidence.

In other news, Ryan Braun is going to be a starter for the NL in the All-Star Game. Congrats, Ryan. You certainly deserve it. You all can also vote for Corey Hart to get the last spot on the squad. Vote, vote, vote!!!

Finally, on to C.C. Sabathia, the newest member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Man, it feels good to say that.

After thinking it over and reading online threads and whatnot, I could not be more excited about this trade for the Brewers. How often can a team get a bona fide Cy Young-caliber pitcher at the trade deadline and not sacrifice anyone completely integral to the team's future?

Yes, I understand Matt LaPorta is a rare player, but he is blocked in Milwaukee's system right now. Not to mention, a prospect is a prospect is a prospect. The young man has not proven a thing yet against major league pitching. He may very well be a star in the big leagues, but there are no guarantees. Best take a proven player when given the chance. That is what C.C. brings to the club. He is a proven winner.

It is unclear who the last two prospects are, but one can assume Taylor Green is one of them. The other may be someone like a John Axford or Alexandre Periard. Either way, I firmly believe Doug Melvin gave away more last season to get Scott Linebrink than he is giving away in the C.C. deal, and Milwaukee is receiving much more in return. The 1-2 punch of Ben Sheets and Sabathia is only rivaled by Dan Haren-Brandon Webb in Arizona. That is a legitimate playoff top of the rotation right there.

Finally, it is almost a foregone conclusion that Milwaukee will not be able to resign Sheets or Sabathia after the season. That could secure 5 draft picks through the first supplemental round. That is a draft where the team can restock the minor leagues. Even if Milwaukee doesn't make the playoffs this season-which would classify the trade as a failure in my eyes-the team still will benefit from the gluttony of draft picks in the 2009 draft.

If nothing else, this trade has thrust Milwaukee into the national spotlight. It will generate massive revenue at the ticket office. I, for one, have already bought my tickets for Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies. I did not want to miss Sabathia's debut as a Brewer. There will be more ticket sales, which will result in more money for the team. More money for the team means more money to spend on free agents or on our own players. If the team makes the playoffs, it will only augment the revenue gain.

The deal is looking better and better for the Brewers, and I am seeing the excitement everywhere I look from Brewers fans. Nice job getting the deal done, Doug Melvin. I, of course, will keep you all up-to-date on who Milwaukee is sending to Cleveland when the information becomes available.

In case you hadn't noticed, the Brewers are tied with the Cardinals for the Wild Card lead. Big day for the Crew all around.

Records: Brewers (49-39); Pirates (40-47)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

For now, I will assume J.J. is the hero until proven otherwise. There is no human being on earth that is hotter than J.J. right now. Maybe I should get plunked in the helmet like he did in Arizona. It seems to have helped him...

Goat of the Game: Jeff Suppan

You simply cannot, cannot give back runs after your team spots you four runs in the first inning. A veteran pitcher should know that he had the opportunity to take all the wind out of Pittsburgh's sails right there, but nope. He wanted to leave after three innings instead. If he didn't have a big contract in his pocket, Soup may be heading to the 'pen now that Sabathia is on the team.

On Tap

RHP Seth McClung will take on LHP Ubaldo Jimenez at 7:05pm CT at Miller Park tomorrow. The Crew will look to stretch the winning streak to four games, and Seth will try to prove he belongs in the starting rotation. It could be a mini-audition for the big man now that Sabathia is in the rotation.

Milwaukee's starting lineup did not include the likes of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, or Mike Cameron.  Prince certainly needed a day off after his struggles this road trip.  Their replacements, however.  Did more than hold their own against Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks.

Joe Dillon swung a good bat tonight, hitting a two-run bomb off Johnson in the second inning.  The veteran utility man hit the ball hard in every at-bat, but only had one hit to show for it.  It's okay though, Joe.  We all know how well you handled the stick tonight.

In for Prince at first base, the seldom-used Mike Rivera played his heart out tonight.  The opposite-field, two-out double to score Corey Hart was definitely a highlight of the game.  That ball was at his eyes and off the outside part of the plate.  There is no good reason he should have gotten any wood on that ball.  No matter.  Mike Rivera continues to produce at the plate without many opportunities to get in a groove.

To round out the subs for the day, Gabe Kapler roamed center Monday night.  Gabe didn't do anything overly impressive tonight, going 1-4.  He continues to play defense though, which makes him invaluable coming of the bench.  Let's not forget he's hitting over .300.  Not bad for someone who was managing a minor league team last season.

Speaking of days off, one player that sorely needs a day off is Ryan Braun.  The announcers keep saying he has an injured muscle in his right thumb, but he's in the lineup day in and day out.  If he's truly hurt, give him a day off.  Even if he's not hurt, the young man looks awful at the plate.  Ryan is getting over-aggressive again, trying to pull everything.  We all know he doesn't want to take a walk, either.  Take a day off tomorrow, Ryan.  Come back Thursday afternoon and start tearing the cover off the ball again.

There is one more player that seems completely lost at the plate.  Want to take a guess?  Bill Hall.  Bill Schroeder hit the nail right on the head (if you will excuse the cliche).  The Brewers third baseman is swinging at balls off the plate, and taking strikes.  He is so frustrated at the plate that I could hear him yelling obscenities after fouling a ball off at the plate this evening.  That's never a good sign.  I'm almost inclined to say Billy could use a little time in Triple-A to get his feet back under him.  Too bad that's not an option at this point.

As far as pitching goes, Jeff Suppan was very unimpressive against the D'Backs.  The veteran right-hander could not find the plate to save his life in the fourth and fifth innings, and when he did, it split the heart of the plate.  Soup does not have the stuff to consistently fall behind hitters and get away with it.  His performance was utterly underwhelming, as have most of his starts lately.  Milwaukee needs Jeff to pick it up and be the leader he came here to be.  It's easier said than done, but now is the time.

I want to follow up on something I mentioned a couple games ago.  David Riske again pitched an entire inning without straying from his fastball.  It ranged from 88-90 mph according to MLB Gameday.  He pitched extremely effectively with it tonight, but I am a little concerned about Mr. Riske.  He's not throwing his best pitch.  Milwaukee signed him over the off-season because he has two outstanding split-finger fastballs.  One acts much like a change-up and dips into the high-70s, but the other is a true split.  It comes in to hitters in the mid-80s and falls off the table when it reaches home plate.  Those two pitches are non-existent right now.  I truly hope his elbow is okay.

I realize I'm going a little more in-depth about individual players this evening, but I have a couple things to note about Guillermo Mota.  As the play-by-play announcers said tonight, Mota is catching far too much of the plate with his fastball.  That is obvious.  All four balls were smoked by the D'Backs tonight, and the Crew could have been in big trouble had Mike Rivera not made a fantastic diving play at first to double off Chris Young.  The control problem is obvious.

Another thing I noticed about Guillermo is the complete absence of his change-up.  The big guy threw exclusively fastball-slider the entire inning, until getting Miguel Montero on a change to end the inning.  The change-up is arguably Mota's best pitch.  It complements his 95-96 mph fastball very well, and it dives away from lefties when it reaches the plate.  He has not been throwing the change with any regularity, and the result has been more hard hit balls and more runs scored.  If Guillermo uses that change-up more often, it won't matter if his 96 mph fastball is right down the middle.  Hitters will be off-balance and unable to catch up.  Sometimes it can be that simple.  Put the third finger around the ball, choke the ball back in your grip, and let it fly, Guillermo.  It would benefit you and the Brewers greatly.

I also must admit that Salomon Torres pitched very well to get the save tonight.  He had not pitched in a week, but he mowed down Arizona hitters after hitting Augie Ojeda to start the inning.  A tip of the hat to you, Senor Torres.  You have been a hero for the Crew the entire year.

Records: Brewers (45-38 ); Diamondbacks (42-42)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy and Mike Rivera

I'm not one to give out multiple Heroes of the Game, but tonight is an exception.  J.J. Hardy looks like a completely different hitter at the plate over the past couple weeks.  He has been more patient and is driving the ball all over the field.  The hitting streak is now at 13 games after he hit two home runs this evening.  Perhaps he's going to get on a two month streak like he did to start last season.  That would be dangerous for opposing teams.

Mike Rivera has quickly become one of my favorites on the team.  He plays maybe once a week.  He never complains about a lack of playing time, yet produces more than some of the regulars - I'm talking about you, Bill Hall.  That ridiculous two-out double that was at his eyes and off the outside part of the plate not withstanding, the back-up catcher flashed some fancy glovework at first base.  He made a couple nice flips to the pitcher, fielded the bunt rather nicely, and made an absolutely sick diving stab that turned into an unassisted double play.  That may have saved the game for Milwaukee.  I cannot say enough about Mike Rivera tonight.  Well done, sir.

Goat of the Game: Ryan Braun

Ryan and Prince Fielder have both fallen into a funk at the same time.  Braun, however, is still in the lineup while Prince gets the day off.  All signs point to Braun's injury being worse than the team is saying.  Give him a day off to clear his head and heal his thumb.  Seeing such a talented player struggle at the plate as much as he has the past week or so is difficult to watch.  He's in an 0-18 streak now.  A day off is sorely needed.

On Tap

Seth McClung will look to bounce back after a rough outing last week against Micah Owings and the D'Backs in Game 3 of the series.  The game starts at 8:40pm CT at Chase Field.  The Crew needs a win tomorrow night, as Brandon Webb is slated to pitch the finale.  Enough said.

Suppan had never won at Atlanta and this afternoon would not be his day either. Braves starter Jorge Campillo was a Brewers killer on both sides of the game. Through seven innings he allowed only four hits and two runs alongside six strikeouts. With the bat Campillo stroked two hits and came around to score both times.

In the end, the Crew walked away from Turner Field with two of three and a solid start to their road trip. Rickie Weeks was solid again (I didn't give him props for his 3-for-4 night earlier) going 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot. Watch out NL if Weeks continues this tear.

The bats have been a little off in Atlanta, but super pitching from Dave Bush and Ben Sheets kept the Braves at bay. Suppan was decent (not a "quality start," but decent), but the bats couldn't support the guy.

Records: Brewers (43-35); Braves (38-41)

Hero of the Game: Rickie Weeks

About the only guy who came to play. Since Sheet's effort overshadowed Weeks' 3-4 outing before I've got to give him credit today. When he came back off the DL I thought maybe Yost wouldn't put him back up top (who else would go up.. I don't know) and see if he could earn the spot back, but he has hit exactly how a leadoff guy should. Runner-up credit goes to Mike Rivera who grabbed another spot start and made it look like Jason Kendall was still behind the plate and at bat (and that's a good thing).

Goat of the Game: Prince Fielder

After roasting the Orioles at home, Fielder was down right bad in the "ATL." No hits, no walks, a few defensive blunders, and 2 Ks for the fat man. Here's to hoping he puts another fly ball of the speakers in the Metrodome.

On Tap:

Travel day tomorrow, but the I-94 series continues in Minneapolis on Friday. Scott McNasty (5-3, 3.79 ERA) hits the hill against Nick Blackburn (6-4, 3.68 ERA). The Twinkies lead the season series 2-1.

By: Dan Wiersema

You simply cannot win games with stupid mental errors.  Ryan Braun needs to learn to hit the cut-off man.  I understand he's trying to preserve the lead, but the margin for error is so small.  You have to play the percentages at that point.  He did show off his arm on that play, however.  Corey Hart has got to stay in front of the ball in the outfield.  The cardinal rule in the outfield is to keep the ball in front of you at all costs.  He cost the Brewers a run in the ninth inning.  Bill Hall needs to get out in the field further when Mike Cameron is up against the wall.  He cost the Brewers another run.  A lack of concentration on the defensive side of the ball cost the Brewers tonight.

What to do about it?  Bill Hall cannot play second base.  Three errors in two games at the position is not going to cut it.  With that said, Joe Dillon looked solid at second today.  I can forgive Ryan Braun for making an aggressive play.  He's inexperienced in the field, and he let his emotions get the better of him.  The coaches will sit him down and explain the situation.  He will make the right choice the next time.  Corey Hart, on the other hand, has no excuse.  Overrunning the ball and then trying to lazily reach down to pick up the ball is inexcusable.

Jeff Suppan threw the ball quite well today.  His solid outing was overshadowed by the length of the game and the dramatics near the end, but seven innings of two-run ball is impressive.  Soup has been a rock in the rotation this season.  He's truly earning his money thus far in 2008.

The relievers, however, struggled mightily.  Carlos Villanueva did not have his usual control on the mound, leaving the ball up in the strike zone for the Twins to slap all over the field.  He just hasn't had his "A" stuff in his last couple outings.  Fans shouldn't be worried, however.  The young right-hander has been the model of consistency in the bullpen the last couple seasons.  He will bounce back.

Julian Tavarez, on the other hand, hasn't shown any consistency since being signed.  The movement on his pitches is phenomenal, but the control has been notably absent.  In his 1.1 innings of work, he gave up four hits and three walks.  The veteran worked from behind the whole night.  He's not cutting it on the mound.  If he wants to get the ball in important situations, throwing strikes is key.

Amidst all the frustration that ended the night, fans at the ballpark tonight were treated to a dandy.  In the ninth inning, the Brewers trailed by one with two outs.  Russell Branyan gets the call to pinch hit.  He has one job at the plate: Tie the game.  On a fastball middle-in from Twins closer Joe Nathan, Russell absolutely clobbered a solo home run to tie the game at four a piece.  All looked right for the Crew going into extra innings.

Things even looked better when Prince Fielder connected on a high fastball in the bottom of the 11th.  The towering shot appeared to clear the wall just over the fingertips of Carlos Gomez, but the umps ruled it a triple.  Boos rained in from around Miller Park, and Ned Yost came out on the field to argue the call.  After seeing the replay, however, it was clear the ball bounced off the inside corner of the wall and back into the field of play.  The umpires made the right call.  A game of inches indeed.

Yost went back into the dugout and play resumed, but Milwaukee was unable to plate Prince home from third.  Mike Cameron swung at a ball way off the plate and hit a dribbler to the pitcher's mound.  The momentum shifted to the Minnesota Twins, and they never looked back.  A rough, rough game for the Crew tonight.  They should have won the game multiple times.

Records: Brewers (35-33); Twins (34-35)

Hero of the Game: Russell Branyan

Russell had the touch for late-inning heroics today.  After sitting on the bench the entire game, the Brewers' skipper called on him with two-outs in the bottom of the ninth against Joe Nathan.  Russell didn't get cheated in his at-bat.  He absolutely killed a Nathan fastball into right-center field.  How clutch can you be?

This will be immensely unpopular, I'm sure, but Russell needs more playing time.  He has been better than advertised defensively at third base, and he's seeing the ball incredibly well.  I understand he has not hit lefties well this year in the big leagues, but he had pretty good success in the minors.  You can say it was the minors all you want, but everyone said that before he got called up too.  Look how that turned out.  Give the guy a chance.  Bill Hall has sure proven he doesn't deserve regular playing time.

Goat of the Game: Corey Hart

Yes, Julian Tavarez pitched horrendously.  This "award" has to go to Corey this evening though.  Besides the costly error in the ninth inning that made everyone's collective heart sink in their stomachs, the Brewers lead-off hitter went 0-6 with two strikeouts.  Corey has been one of the most consistent players this season, so I will cut him some slack.  The young right-fielder should take this loss personally, however.  That error in right was pathetic and just a lack of concentration.

On Tap

Brewers right-hander Seth McClung will battle fellow right-hander Scott Baker tomorrow at Miller Park.  The Crew will hope not to get swept by the Minnesota Twins.  The contest will begin at 1:05pm CT.

After the past couple years when Rickie has been injured, however, I highly doubt he will be back within the week.  I hope I am wrong.  Weeks doesn't have a track record of bouncing back quickly from injuries.

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UPDATE 06-09-08 1:55pm - It seems the Brewers are not interested in Brian Roberts after all.

Tom Haudricourt spoke with Doug Melvin this afternoon, and Melvin refuted Ken Rosenthal's claim. The Brewers did have scouts at the Baltimore games, but no specialist scout had been assigned to Roberts. The scouts attended the games as a part of standard protocol. There is apparently nothing special about the scouts being at the game.

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The Milwaukee Brewers have an off-day today, but are traveling to Houston to take on the Astros tomorrow. Monday's Round 'em Up is always much more fun, as all the bloggers are out in full force after the weekend. It still means that the weekends are slow.

• Second baseman Rickie Weeks is on his way to Milwaukee to get his injured knee examined by the team doctors. He had his knee buckled by a hard slide while he was trying to turn two over the weekend. Hopefully this is not as bad as it sounds...because it could turn into a Yovani Gallardo type of situation.
• Mike Cameron has been seeing the bench a little more lately. He's been struggling mightily at the plate, and Gabe Kapler has been the model of production in the early months. I suspect Cameron will be back in the lineup tomorrow, but Tom Haudricourt says he will probably not be in the two-hole. You know the saying, "How many licks does it take to get to the inside of a tootsie pop?" This situation is more like, "How much has to go wrong before Ned Yost admits he's wrong?" Perhaps nobody will know...
• Chuckie Hacks says that Salomon Torres and Carlos Villanueva should be the 7th through 9th inning tandem from here on out. I'm sorry, but I thought we discussed this whole "set formula" thing. Not a fan.
• Jeff Suppan is finally pitching like he's worth the money the Brewers signed him for last off-season. It is nice to see Soup grinding out some tough starts and just plain producing for the Crew.
• Here's another diary entry from Matt LaPorta, courtesy of Baseball Digest Daily.
• The Jay from Brew Crew Ball has a nice graphic up about the Brewers bullpen. They are not overused, but they do throw a lot of pitches. I do appreciate the category that has Milwaukee without Turnbow as its own team. How true that is.
• This is something I have not heard until today. Ken Rosenthal from FOX Sports is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers are interested in Baltimore second-baseman Brian Roberts. The Crew has had scouts at the past couple Orioles games. Rosenthal suggests that a Rickie Weeks-Brian Roberts trade would be unfair for Milwaukee. If Weeks' knee gets better in the coming week or so and the Brewers could pull off this trade without giving up anything but Rickie Weeks, you pull the trigger. No questions asked.
• Jim Powell writes about the Brewers and their lack of momentum on the road. Their road woes sicken me.
• Speaking of Jim Powell, he has an interview with Brewers first-round pick, Brett Lawrie. Here's the audio stream.
• In-Between Hops suggests that Carlos Villanueva is the closer for the future for the Milwaukee Brewers. I agree that he's been spectacular out of the bullpen this season, but Carlos will have to prove his worth over a full season before I would hand over the 9th inning duties to him for good.
• As BrewersNation reader Aaron pointed out, the Brewers could take a look at RHP Sidney Ponson. His ERA seems to be misleading, as batters are getting good wood on the ball consistently. I don't think Milwaukee is a team that goes the "troubled player" route.
• SS Matt Cline was demoted to West Virginia this week. He has responded, however, giving the slumping Power a nice little jolt.

The pitching staff wiggled off hooks left and right, but managed to pull out a 3-2 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field.  Jeff Suppan struggled mightily with his command early in the contest, but he settled down a bit in the third through fifth innings.  The veteran was not sharp.  He did keep the Brewers in the game today, and that's all you can ask for from the pitching staff.

In the sixth inning, Ned Yost called on Carlos Villanueva to get the final two outs after Soup scuffled to start the frame.  The former starter did it on one pitch, getting Ian Stewart to ground into a double play.

The Brewers got in trouble again in the seventh inning.  Joe Dillon, who had a great day at the plate, bobbled the ball and committed a costly error on a relatively easy double play ball.  The inning should have been over right there.  Carlos gutted out the rest of the inning without giving up a run.  He struck out Todd Helton on a questionable called third strike and got Garrett Atkins to ground out to short.  After Friday's game, I think Ned Yost rethought about taking out Villanueva in a pinch.  Yost stuck with the young right-hander, and Carlos showed Brewers fans why he's so valuable in the 'pen.

The day didn't get any easier in the eight, however.  Left-handed specialist Brian Shouse gave up a base hit to Brad Hawpe, who got to second on a careless error by Gabe Kapler.  Ned Yost then called on Salomon Torres to get the final 5 outs of the game.  The veteran closer happily obliged, and the Crew avoided the sweep.

Joe Dillon got the start for the injured Rickie Weeks today.  He responded well, getting on base four times - three walks and a hustle double.  Bill Hall still looks lost against right-handed pitching, and Prince Fielder swung out of his shoes all day.  The offense had very little plate discipline after the first couple innings, and their offense struggled because of it.

The Crew had 13 runners left on base today.  That cannot happen on the road.  The only reason the Brewers won today's game is because the Rockies were worse with runners in scoring position.  Colorado left 20 runners on base.  It was an ugly game all around.

After losing Friday and Saturday to the Rockies, the series unbeaten streak ends at five.  It should still be going after Friday night's game, but you can argue that Milwaukee should not have won tonight  The Brewers will take what they can get and travel to Houston to take on the Astros on Tuesday.

Records: Brewers (33-30); Rockies (24-39)

Hero of the Game: Carlos Villanueva

The young-right hander was thrown into the fire in the sixth inning, but he responded by getting two outs with one pitch.  Things looked good in the seventh until Joe Dillon botched the easy double-play ball with one out.  The inning should have been over right there.  Carlos beared down and got the Brewers out of the inning without surrendering a run.  If Salomon Torres was not pitching so well in the closer's role, I think I would begin to support the idea of giving Carlos a shot.  Villanueva is a very, very valuable part of the bullpen.  Ned Yost should think about keeping the young man there all season.

Goat of the Game: Bill Hall

I know Bill got the job done in the field and got a base hit in the first inning to score a run, but he was a big reason the Brewers couldn't tack on any runs in the late innings.  He continues to take defensive swings against right-handed pitching, and I'm beginning to think that Russell Branyan should have pinch hit for Billy in the seventh inning.  Bill left four runners on base in the last three innings.  Others did too, but Bill looked terrible doing it.

On Tap

The Brewers have a day off tomorrow.  They will travel to Houston to take on the Astros.  Right-hander Seth McClung will face the Astros' ace, RHP Roy Oswalt.  The Brewers will attempt to not get swept in Houston for the second time this season.

Jeff Suppan looked very sharp from the get-go registering two strikeouts in the first inning en route to six overall. I like aggressive baserunning, but Rickie Weeks' over-aggressive attempt for three bases in the bottom half of the first was damn foolish. It cost the Brewers the early lead.

After surrendering one in the top of the second, the Brew Crew evened the score with a Bill Hall sac fly. Fielder was surprising quick in this inning taking a single and making it to third for Hall on a wild pitch and a stolen base (!).

The Diamondbacks were held to only one run in the third on some smart defense by Fielder and Jason Kendall cutting down a runner at home to end the inning. Kendall was awesome again throwing out runners as he tagged his 10th in the last 15 attempts in the fourth. Chris Snyder went yard on Suppan in the seventh and the game looked worrisome for the Brewers.

The bottom of the seventh held a few surprises for Milwaukee after two errors lead to two runs. Davis looked to be in control, but his defense (after giving up a hustle infield single to Hall and a walk to JJ Hardy) was the team's undoing. Reliever Chad Qualls blew the throw on a routine Kendall sac bunt to load the bases and then Diamondbacks' third baseman Reynolds buried a throw home on a Gabe Kapler grounder, scoring two runs. Very unusual for a team that has only had 35 errors on the season. Qualls escaped the inning without further damage striking out Weeks and inducing a double play from Ryan Braun.

Prince Fielder stole the game for good from Arizona when he led off the eight with a monster home run. It was his ninth of the season and another shot off a left hander (Slatan).

Salomon Torres registered his sixth save of the season, but the Brewers defense made him work for it. Two errors (one by Hall to marr an outstanding defensive night and one by Kendall) almost handed the D-backs a shot at the victory. Torres, ever the competitor, got a shallow pop out and a called third strike to end Arizona's comeback hopes.

Records: Brewers (30-28); Diamondbacks (32-26)

Hero of the Game: Prince Fielder

Three-for-four... game winning home run... a friggin' stolen base!! Need I say more? Sure... he's hot now and that's super-dangerous. Watch out world.

Goat(s) of the Game: Infield Throwing Arms

Every coach that these error-causers had last night must have nearly died watching the infield of Arizona and Milwaukee fumble around trying to make outs. Two errors creates two runs and blows the win for an otherwise decent looking Doug Davis. Kendall and Hall almost cost us the win and Torres the save.

On Tap: Randy Johnson v. Seth McClung. Hopefully, our new starter finds his stuff against the old ace. First pitch 7:05 CT.

By: Dan Wiersema

I've said it before, but the Brewers plate discipline has made many pedestrian pitchers look like staff aces and last night was shaping up to be a dozy for the Crew.  Reyes handcuffed the Milwaukee bats, striking out eight and allowing only three hits over seven innings.

Suppan was equally masterful.  He gave up only four hits and while his walk count was higher than usually (five) he countered that with a season-high in strikeouts (seven).  Suppan was supported by some awesome defensive plays that help strand eight Braves batters on base.

Reyes was marching right along until the bottom of the eighth when he issued his third walk of the evening to JJ Hardy.  Braves manager Bobby Cox brought in Blaine Boyer and Jason Kendall bunted Hardy to second.  Things were looking a bit perilous when pitch hitter Joe Dillon struck out to leave next batter Rickie Weeks with two outs.

Weeks had other ideas as he laced a perfect shot that hugged the third base foul line to bring Hardy home with a RBI triple.

Weeks' contribution was good enough as Salomon Torres came into to record a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.

Records: Brewers (26-27); Braves (28-25)

Hero of the Game: Jeff Suppan

I said it already, but Soup's night was a masterstroke.  Finally, we're getting some mileage out of our starting pitchers.  After struggling to make six innings for a lot of our guys, seeing Suppan and Sheets pull extended duties and get quality outings from McClung and Bush has to leave Brew Crew fans with some optimism and the bullpen a big sigh of relief.

Getting back to Suppan, I usually expect that he'll give up a few hits and tally a few runs being the ground ball pitcher he is.  Suppan's style requires a tight defense behind him and after Hall's error in the second I thought this might be another night where the bats would have to be the major contributor.  The defense tightened up (in fact on the next play it was superb D by Kendall, Hall, and Weeks to turn a cross diamond double play) and was above average all night (finishing in style with Hardy's layout snag to end the game).

Suppan, obviously, had no runs with seven strikeouts... a total that is very un-Suppan-like.  I felt like I was watching something special last night and I was willing to bet that Ned Yost would have walked him out for the ninth if his spot in the line up didn't come in the crucial eighth.

Runner-Up Hero: Rickie Weeks. Knocks in the only run of the night... need I say more?  Sure? How about 2-4 (making up 2/3rds of the Brewers hits) and some solid DP turning on the defensive side.  That's the Pretty Rickie we like to see.

Goat(s) of the Game: Mark Texiteira and Ryan McCann

I know Jim usually has to pick a Brewer for this part, but I didn't want to do the whole wrap without commenting on a bit of drama that helped Suppan get out of the eighth innings thanks to a few PO'ed Braves.  Texiteira got all huffy about a called third strike (there were a TON of them last night... Reyes has six Ks on called third strikes) and spent a few moments belly aching about the call.  The real drama came when the next batter McCann had the same issues with home plate umpire Mark Wenger.  After a first called strike McCann refused to get back in the box and according to new rules set down at the owner's meetings umps can charge a strike to stalling batters or have the pitcher throw even thought the batter isn't in the box.

I've never seen a more uncomfortable pitch thrown in my life then the second called strike that Suppan threw with McCann half in the batter's box.  Suppan subsequently struck out McCann who had more words for Wegner and Cox came out to argue his batter's case.  No one was tossed, but a bit of stubbornness on the part of the Braves batters cost them some ABs when chances were few and far in-between in this game.

On Tap:

The Braves march out Jorge Campillo (1-0, 0.86 ERA) against Seth McClung (2-1, 3.55 ERA) this afternoon to try and steal one game of the series from the Brewers.  It will be the battle of the stretched out relievers as Campillo makes his third start of the season and McClung his second.  The game gets started at 12:05pm and is ON FSN (schedule change).  Good thing, too. I'm recovering from knee surgery and this is just what I need to get through a boring day on the couch.

By: Dan Wiersema

Jeff Suppan pitched well for Milwaukee until the sixth, when the [long-absent] Washington offense came alive. After J.J. Hardy mishandled a double-play ball, the Nats broke through, scoring on doubles by Ryan Zimmerman and Jesus Flores and on a Lastings Milledge sacrifice ground ball. Wily Mo Peña his his first home run of the year earlier in the first inning, and Suppan drove in the Brewers' only run of the game.

Odalis Perez pitched well for the Nationals (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 84 P) but left with a no-decision. Brian Sanches, just called up from Triple-A Columbus, struck out the side in the sixth and was credited with the win. Saul Rivera, Luis Ayala, and Jon Rauch closed the door for Washington.

Rockies 5-Mets 4 (F/13)

The Mets dropped their fifth straight game as Matt Holliday hit a walk-off single in the 13th off of Aaron Heilman after homering off of Billy Wagner in the ninth to tie the game (Wagner's second blown save of the year). It was a back and forth game as neither team dominated on the mound.

Oliver Perez was all over the place for the Mets, going 5 innings allowing 6 hits for 4 earned runs, walking 8 and striking out only 2, and allowing a home run on 110 pitches (just 56 for strikes). Rookie starter Greg Reynolds never dominated for the Rockies, going 6 full innings allowing 4 earned runs on 4 hits, walking 3, striking out 5, and allowing 2 home runs on just 84 pitches thrown. He left the game after allowing back-to-back home runs to Carlos Delgado and Fernando Tatis (who replaced the injured Marlon Anderson) in the 6th.

Driving in runs for the Mets were Luis Castillo, Delgado, Tatis, and Jose Reyes, who got in the home plate umpire's face after being called out on a very low strike three in the 13th. Garrett Atkins, Clint Barmes, and Holliday drove in runs for the Rockies.

Astros 5-Phillies 4

Brandon Backe was superb for the Astros, giving up just one run in 7.1 innings pitched, striking out 6 and walking one. Adam Eaton didn't pitch terribly for the Phillies (7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO,2 HR, 96 P), but couldn't keep the ball in the park, giving up two home runs to Hunter Pence.

Also driving in runs for the Astros were former Phillie Michael Bourn (who also stranded three on base), and Carlos Lee (his 36th of the season). For the Phillies, Pat Burrell homered in his second-straight game and Pedro Feliz and Jimmy Rollins also drove runs in.

Diamondbacks 11-Braves 1

Doug Davis returned from cancer surgery in unbelievable fashion, shutting the hot-hitting Braves lineup down for 7 innings, allowing just one earned run on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 4 on 89 pitches. His team responded, taking batting practice off of Jo-Jo Reyes (5.0 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 3 HR) and Chris Resop (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR).

Homering for the D-Backs were Stephen Drew, Eric Byrnes, Conor Jackson, Chris Young, and Mark Reynolds. Whew. Kelly Johnson drove in the only Atlanta run of the night.

Giants 8-Marlins 2

Scott Olsen finally came back down to Earth, surrendering 5 earned runs off of 8 hits in just 3.1 innings pitched, walking 3, striking out 2, and allowing a home run on 81 pitches. Olsen drops to 4-2. He was relieved by Doug Waechter, Renyel Pinto, and Tyler Tankersley, who all pitched much more effectively. Dan Uggla homered for Florida (his 15th of the year) in the ninth, driving in both Marlins runs of the evening.

Barry Zito finally got his first win of the season, giving up just one earned run in 6.1 innings of work, walking 4 and striking out 5. Bengie Molina and Jose Castillo homered for the Giants. Aaron Rowand drove in three runs, and Rich Aurilia drove in two more for San Francisco.

Brett Carroll had to leave the game in the fourth inning after separating his right shoulder. He'll be placed on the 15-day disabled list.

The veteran was cruising along, getting the lead-off man to ground out in the sixth. Soup then walked Felipe Lopez, which is always a no-no. He looked to recover nicely, however, inducing an easy grounder from Christian Guzman to JJ Hardy. Hardy was right by the bag. He simply had to step on the bag and fire the ball to first to end the inning.

Instead, Hardy rushed himself, bobbled the ball, and got no one. Things then unraveled for the Brewers. Four runs scored in the inning, and the Brewers were unable to sustain any type of rally for the remainder of the game. Prince Fielder and Craig Counsell got on in the ninth with nobody out, but both failed to score as the rest of the offense floundered behind them.

After getting called up earlier in the day, Tim Dillard made his major league debut for the Milwaukee Brewers. He faired much better than did Zach Jackson and Mark DiFelice in the previous days, as he allowed no runs and struck out a batter.

The offense has been getting better. The starting pitching has improved lately (minus Dave Bush yesterday). Yet the Brewers are still struggling to win games. I just don't understand. The Crew can still come back to win the series, which they should, but I have a feeling they will not make it look easy.

Records: Brewers (22-26); Nationals (21-28 )

Hero of the Game: Jeff Suppan

I know he gave up two walks and a couple doubles in the sixth inning, but he did not deserve the fate he was handed. He pitched effectively and efficiently through the fifth inning, and he even provided the team with its only RBI of the game. I would have given this award to someone on the offense, but no one earned it. Hence...I'll go with the offensive hero that just happened to be on the mound in the same game.

Goat of the Game: JJ Hardy

JJ Hardy...supposedly the best infielder on the team...somehow cannot get a routine ground ball into his glove well enough to step on second base in the sixth inning. He may not be hitting as well as Brewers fans would like, but we have always been able to rely on his defense. Not the case tonight. Brutal.

On Tap

RHP Seth McClung will try to solidify the back-end of the Brewers rotation tomorrow against LHP John Lannan and the Nationals. The game will start at 6:10pm CT.

Stranding runners was a huge problem for the Crew last night again as they left 14 runners on base.  Cory Hart had a solo shot in the fourth inning to give the Brewers a 1-0, but the lead was short lived as a flawless Bush imploded.

Pirates pitcher Tom Gorzelanny had a high pitch count early in the game, but the Brewers continued to get him out of jams as they couldn't capitalize.

Bush had back-to-back massive collapses in the fourth and fifth innings, surrendering a two-run shot to Jason Bay and five total hits for four runs.  The fifth was just as bad at the hot-hitting Nate McLouth got his third hit of the evening (4-for-4 for the night), a throwing error by Prince Fielder, and a Xavier Nady solo homer scored runs for the Bucs.

The Brewers comeback came short as Gabe Kapler scored Bill Hall on a RBI pinch-hit single in the sixth and Joe Dillon also scored JJ Hardy on a pitch-hit RBI single in the seventh. Rickie Weeks hit another homer to save face for the Brewers in the eight.  More stranded runners in both theses innings were bad news for the Brew Crew.

The game was pushed out of reach by a seventh in two run tally by the Pirates against Brewer's reliever Zach Johnson whose bad seventh was softened by a 1-2-3 eighth.

Records: Brewers (22-25), Pirates (22-25)

Hero of the Game: Dave Bush, Innings 1 through 3

Bush was lights out for the first three innings giving up only one hit and retiring eight straight after giving up that hit.  The defense backed him up solidly, too.  Bush sprayed a variety of ground outs and flyouts to his teammates providing effective cover for a struggling offense in the final game of the series. Like a abused wife in a Lifetime Channel movie I was thinking this time would be different, but...

Goat of the Game:  Dave Bush, Innings 4 and 5

He just never fails to disappoint.  Just when all was well in the world, Bush drops a bomb on us.  These two innings were a disaster.  Whatever Bush has early in games he certainly throws it all away later in games.  The pitches that were outs innings 1 through 3 were dropping for hits all over the field.  I can't say right now, but Villanueva versus Bush is like choosing between the lesser of two evils because Bush has now given up 10 homers compared to V-Dub's 12.

On Tap:  Jeff Suppan (2-3) opens the series against the Washington National's Odalis Perez (1-4) in DC.  The Brewers hope to win the road series against the struggling Nats in order to save face on this troublesome road trip and start next week's home stand on the right foot (ha! stand! foot! hilarious!).  First pitch: 6:05pm.

By: Dan Wiersema

As Jim wrote, it’s no fun heading into Pittsburgh looking up at the Pirates in the standings. Being what it is us Brewers’ fans need some lifting up, and I thought I’d put together a post to life the spirits of the Brewers faithful. No calling for Yost’s head or Week’s bat here. The following is ten reasons to still be optimistic about your 2008 Milwaukee Brewers.

* This is not the 2004 Brewers

Granted the Brewers are sitting in last place for the first time since 2004, but this team is certainly not those Brewers. In 2004, the only reliable pitcher on the staff was Ben Sheets and of course he got injured again. Lyle Overbay starred for the offense. These 2008 Brewers are more experienced and talented that the former squad that had a decent season through the All-Star break and then suffered a terrible collapse to finish 67-94.

Of course I could make the comparison that this Brewers squad is not one of many other terrible Brewers teams, but that’s not the point. The point is that rather than looking at the 2004 season as the beginning of something positive we should be looking at the 2008 season as a continuation of the franchise’s growth. Many expected 2008 to be the breakout season for the Brew Crew, but that may or may not be the case.

Either way, compared to four years ago, this year’s team in infinitely more talented. They will not rely on single players to carry the team. People like Jeff Suppan in the rotation and other young (and improving pitchers) will back up Sheets and while Overbay is gone, there are no solo stars on this year’s team. A Prince Fielder is not alone or a Ryan Braun is not alone or a Corey Hart is not alone. The fact that I listed three players (any could more) shows that this offense is not alone in talent like teams of old.

* Its only ¼ way through the season

I’m a teacher so there are not many students that I give up on after just one quarter of the school year. One of the best things that the Brewers have going for them that, at this point, the season is still young. After about 40 games in we are certainly not the perfect position, but certainly not in the worst position either.

Anyone that was also a fan last year knows that strong or weak starts to the season have little bearing on the end result of a season. The Cubs played absolutely wonderful post All-Star break and the Colorado Rockies played out of their minds to close the 2007 season. With almost 120 games to play and any number of combinations of risings and fallings of the various NL Central teams, this Brewers team is by no means finished. The squad has all of the tools to be competitive. The only thing needed is consistency.

* Corey Hart

Speaking of consistency I hear that Milwaukee right fielder Corey Hart is legally changing his name to Corey Consistency. Mr. Consistency has been that and more for the Brewers. If 2008 was supposed to by Rickie Weeks’ breakout season, Hart may have stolen his thunder. Currently batting nearly .300 and getting extra-base hits like they’re going out of style, Corey has been the rock in the Brew Crew’s line up of struggling hitters.

* Braun is on a tear (no sophomore slump)

If you asked me earlier in the season if I was worried that Braun was being crushed under the weight of expectations for his second Major League Season you may have gotten a “yes” out of me, but after a slow start the $45 million dollar man has shown that he will probably avoid the dreaded sophomore slump. His batting average is soaring in the three-hole of the lineup and he is making big time pitchers look like chumps. At this pace he could add a MVP trophy next to the Rookie of the Year one.

* Melvin is on the case

Which is why it’s so important that Doug Melvin nailed Braun down to that eight-year, $45 million contract. Some Brewers fans are concerned that his off-season bullpen moves are not ironing out, but no one can doubt that this GM is trying to establish long-term success while balancing short-term expectations. The Mike Cameron move showed that right now we want success, but Melvin is clearly trying to establish success alongside development with Braun the future of left and possible Hart, Gwynn (although unlikely) and LaPorta being groomed for the outfield.

Melvin is working on signing such players as JJ Hardy, Prince Fielder, and Hart to long-term deals and getting vocal people like Braun to sign first and encourage others to follow suit is the right steps to take.

* Attanasio has got the big bucks and a small ego

All of which wouldn’t be possible except for the support and checkbook of Daddy Warbucks, Mark Attanasio. Time and time again Mr. Attanasio has not only spoken of building a long-term contender, but he has put his money where his mouth is. He has even made comments that said, if need be, he would shell out some money to strengthen the rotation this year.

Attanasio bought the Milwaukee Brewers not just so he could have a play-thing, but because he saw potential in the massive amount of talent the Brewers have and its incredible fanbase. This is not a Steinbrenner owner with fingerprints all over the management decisions. Attanasio is active without being overbearing.

* The young arms will improve

Pitchers like Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra take a lot of flack because they don’t hold up quite so well the third time through the order, but often times that blurs the fact that these pitchers (along with the injured Gallardo) have great stuff. Part of being a young pitcher is that there is a massive learning curve and just like Fielder has to adjust to not being pitched inside as much these young pitchers are talented and smart enough to recognize that they must (and will) improve to become more dominant as the season goes on.

It’s easier for offenses to focus their lenses on these pitchers because they are studying one player, but our guys have to study countless batters for each game and re-work their pitch selection and delivery to go deeper into games. They will.

* Kendall is not Estrada

So it’s important that a man like Jason Kendall is behind the plate instead of Johnny Estrada. Kendall brings much more talent offensively and defensively than the embattled 2007 catcher Estrada. A hot beginning of 2008 and some great clutch hitting thus far has made Kendall’s 9-hole batting an essential part of many Brewers offensive outbursts. Offensively, Kendall is sniffing around .300 as a career hitter, walks a lot, and strikes out few and far in between. A far cry from the painful hitting of Estrada (who I swear to God only got hits with 2 out and no one on). After playing runner-up to Estrada as the worst defensive catcher in baseball last year, the 12-year veteran has pushed his caught stealing percentage is above 30 percent.

Even more important than the offense/defense numbers is that an experienced catcher that molds well with his pitching staff. This is why I worry less about our young pitchers, because Kendall knows how to call a

game and given his work ethic he will only work harder to improve these kids.

* The defense is stronger

Of course I started writing this part before the six errors in Boston, but I’ve made the point in a previous column that the defense is far and away better than it was last season. Numbers show that they are near the bottom in errors and tops in fielding percentage. Moving Braun away from the hot corner and signing Mike Cameron have been well-documented. Are they perfect? Hell no. But improvement is always a step in the right direction. The point above about Kendall is just one more area of less concern with the 2008 Brewers.

* There's always next year

This one isn't so much about the 2008 season (obviously, because I'm saying next year...), but Brewers' fans need to keep everything in perspective. Expectations were and continue to be massively high for this season. Those expectations may cost someone who shall remain nameless his job and maybe even result in a few Brewers finding new homes, but most sane people realize that harnessing young talent is an on-going process. Melvin and the ownership are working on securing these young lads for the long-term, but not everything works out as quickly as the fan base expects.

Whether or not this season is a wash doesn't mean all is lost. These are not the Florida Marlins which, in the past, have assembled one year teams and then dissembled them. Teams like the Brewers are being built for the long-term. It has been 26 years since the Brewers have sniffed the post-season so as much as it pains me each year to say it... there's always next year if this one doesn't work out.

By: Dan Wiersema

Game 1: Boston 5, Milwaukee 3

Due to a rain out on Friday, this turned into a Saturday doubleheader. Daisuke Matsuzaka (7-0) got his 7th win with a really great start. Perhaps the most encouraging part of his line: 2 walks. He was more around the plate this game, and appears to be willing to pitch toward contact a bit more than he has been. Said Matsuzaka after the game:

I guess I've stopped thinking I'm a pitcher that can paint the corners... I'm throwing a little less there.

He was more hittable, but the results were still very good. Trust your stuff, Dice-K. The Brewers only managed a two-run homer by Mike Cameron over 6 2/3 innings, and that only after a two-out error by Kevin Youkilis in the 7th. Yes, you read that right, Youkilis.

The Sox jumped out to a lead early on Jeff Suppan, with J.D. Drew walking in a run in the 1st and David Ortiz hitting his 8th home run of the year, a 3-run blast in the 2nd to LEFT FIELD. Papi looked great at the plate, going 2-2 with 2 walks. Like I said here, he appears to be back on track again.

Jonathan Papelbon threw just 7 pitches to earn the save, but one of those was a home run to second year player Ryan Braun.

Game 2: Boston 7, Milwaukee 6

This was another game of catch up for the Brew Crew, and to their credit, they almost took the game away in the 7th inning. While the home runs determined game 1 of the doubleheader, this one saw a lot more emphasis on defense and baserunning. The Brewers made four errors which cost them the game, but the Sox committed three of their own that played a key role in Milwaukee's 7th inning comeback.

Mike Lowell fueled the offense early, with a double and a Monster shot to put the Sox up 4-0 after three innings. You gotta love that man's production at Fenway. He uses this park to his advantage as well as anyone.

Tim Wakefield throttled the Milwaukee bats until the 6th, when he was chased by a Corey Hart home run and a 2-run single by Rickie Weeks. David Aardsma closed out the inning, then Craig Hansen came on for the 7th. Back-to-back infield errors allowed the Brewers to load the bases, and that seemed to rattle Hansen a little bit. After a fielder's choice that scored a run, and a wild pitch, Hansen served up a 2-run double to Craig Counsell to give the Brewers a 6-5 lead.

Jacoby Ellsbury reached on an error by Weeks to lead off the 7th, then another throwing error allowed him to advance to third base. He scored on a David Ortiz ground out, and Kevin Youkilis played the hero with a bloop RBI single to score Dustin Pedroia for the margin of victory. That actually could have turned into a rally, but Lowell struck out looking and Youkilis was caught stealing second for a strange inning-ending double play.

That wasn't the end of this comedy of errors. Javier Lopez made a gaffe in the 8th that allowed Ryan Braun to reach with one out, and then walked Prince Fielder, but later erased the mistake on a double play ball by Hart.

On the bases, Jacoby Ellsbury stole his 16th base of the season, putting him within two steals of Tim Raines' record. Pedroia also stole his 5th base of the year. Though he's not fast, it's nice to see him using his smarts to add some baserunning to his game in that 2 hole.

Game 3: Boston 11, Milwaukee 7

The Sox simply outslugged the Brewers in this game, as each side gave up 4 HRs on a balmy day at Fenway. Josh Beckett (5-3) went seven innings, and four of the six hits he gave up were long balls. He left fastballs high and out over the plate to Ryan Braun and J.J. Hardy, which looked like vintage 2006 Beckett. But he still managed to strike out nine and walked just one, so it really wasn't as bad a start as it might seem.

With 15 hits and 5 walks, the Red Sox offense is clicking big time. David Ortiz went 3-5 and had two homers on the day. They were both still pulled out of the park, but that is no small feat at the Fens. Papi seems to be swinging with more abandon again, really going for the ball with gusto. It's nice to see his big smile lighting up Fenway Park again. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis added a home run each, in the 3rd and 7th respectively, with Pedroia adding an RBI single in the bottom of the 6th. With all the scoring, the lead flip-flopped a lot today, but Boston went ahead to stay in the 4th.

An error, single and walk loaded the bases with one out, and Julio Lugo walked in the tying run, but made the second out when he got caught between bases and was tagged out between 2nd and 3rd after Jacoby Ellsbury hit a bases-loaded single. Ellsbury was finally caught stealing today by Jason Kendall to end the 4th inning. It's sad to see his pursuit of the record end, but he's no less impressive as a basestealer.

Manny Delcarmen struggled a little bit with command in the 8th, but got out of a jam with only one run scoring, and Jonathan Papelbon finished it off for the sweep.

It takes a special hitter to hit the ball with power to all fielder.  When Prince Fielder is right, he can do that.  So can Corey Hart.  Ryan may not be seeing many pitches per at bat or walking very much, but he is one of the only hitters that has been consistently producing for the Crew of late.

Jeff Suppan gave Milwaukee a strong start on the mound today.  It is Milwaukee's second quality start in as many days, and the bullpen surely needs the rest.  Soup did not have his best stuff today, as he walked five Cardinals, but he was good enough to go seven innings and only allow one run.  This is exactly what Doug Melvin signed Soup for last off-season.  Well done, Jeff.

The closer by committee idea got off to a shaky start today for the Crew.  Salomon Torres came in to finish the game, but after allowing a lead-off double to Troy Glaus and another baserunner, Brian Shouse came in to close it out.  He allowed another man on base, but he got out of the inning without further damage.  Shouse gets the save, and the Brewers get the win.  Great day all around.

J.J. Hardy may have gone under the radar today, but I came away very impressed.  He used right field very well today at the plate, knocking a double and a single to the opposite field.  The Brewers need J.J. to heat up in front of the pitcher.  After a 3-4 day with an RBI, perhaps he is beginning to heat up.  That would do wonders for the Brewers offense.

Records: Brewers (18-19); Cardinals (23-16)

Hero of the Game: Ryan Braun

Ryan continues to be one of the most consistent producers on Milwaukee's team.  He has raised his average to .281 and has now socked seven home runs.  His defense remains passable in left, and the offensive firepower he can bring to the lineup more than makes up for those shortcomings.  I love the way Ryan is using center field and playing gap to gap at the plate.  He appears to be heating up at the plate.  Then again, I have been saying that for the past week.  Let's hope that I am correct this time.

Goat of the Game: Salomon Torres

This is tough giving the Goat to Salomon, but today was not an impressive campaign to be the team's closer.  He looked very much like Eric Gagne on the mound, making things much more difficult than they need to be.  Closers must avoid the lead-off hit and cannot afford to walk batters.  Salomon did both today.  Fortunately, this has not been a trend for the workhorse-righty, so I will not dwell much on this fact.

On Tap

Dave Bush will again attempt to win his first game of the year, as he takes on Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals in the series finale tomorrow night.  The game will be at Miller Park and will start at 7:05pm CT.  Go Crew!

Jair Jurrjens has established himself as The Man in the Braves rotation, and he continued his dominance last night. Jurrjens went 6 strong innings last night, striking out eight, walking one, and giving up just one run on seven hits. He is now 4-2 on the year. Padres starter Chris Young couldn't keep the ball in the park, giving up home runs to the Braves two hottest hitters, Chipper Jones (10 HR, 29 RBI) and Mark Kotsay (3 HR, 14 RBI). The Braves had three pitchers close out the game, pulling Manny Acosta after giving up two hits in favor of a combination of Royce Ring and Jeff Bennett (who picked up the save).

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Marlins 3-Brewers 0

The Marlins continue to win on starting pitching that has far exceeded expectations, this time on the back of Scott Olsen. Olsen was masterful, limiting Milwaukee to 2 hits over 8.2 before turning the ball over to Kevin Gregg for the final out and his sixth save of the year. Olsen's line on the night: 8.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 SO. Keep in mind this is a Brewers lineup that includes players like Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. Mike Jacobs hit his ninth HR of the year off of Jeff Suppan.

Watching the game, I did not believe that he threw the ball all that well today.  His fastball missed up in the zone, but the Brewers cut right through it.  His change-up was good though.  The big lefty will throw it on any count, and Milwaukee looked lost all night.

Jeff Suppan pitched okay, at best.  Trying to throw a lot of off-speed pitches to try to get the free-swinging Marlins to chase, his pitch count got high early in the game.  After five innings of work, Soup left the game with 108 pitches.  He only gave up three runs in those five innings, but the bullpen could have used another day off.  Instead, four relievers came in to finish off the game.

The good news is that the relievers threw the ball well.  David Riske and Mitch Stetter struck out two batters in an inning of work a piece.  It was particularly nice to see Riske bounce back after several tough outings in the past couple of weeks.  Remember that he struggled last season as well, when he posted a sub-3.00 ERA for the season.

I don't know what to say about the Brewers offense anymore.  They looked utterly lost today at the plate.  The team as a whole is pressing far too hard right now, and bad pitches are being swung at with regularity.  Rickie Weeks is trying to be a power threat at the top of the line-up, and the team simply needs him to get on base.  Ryan Braun swings at every pitch two feet near the strike zone.  The only player that looked good at the plate tonight was Jason Kendall.  No, he did not get a hit, but Kendall did walk twice, equaling the amount of hits all day by the Crew.  These offensive struggles are beginning to appear to be more than a slump.  There is something severely wrong here.  What?  I do not know...

Records: Brewers (16-16); Marlins (18-14)

Hero of the Game: Jason Kendall

I am giving Kendall this award because he got on base more than any other Brewer today.  His two walks equaled the amount of hits total by the Crew in the entire game.  It is not a good thing that Jason is the hero of this evening's game.  I just wanted to be clear on that point.

Goat of the Game: The entire offensive unit.

Someone needs to figure out what is going on here.  Someone needs to do it now.  I am tired of hearing that it is a slump and the team will break out of it soon.  I tried that optimism...and what did I get?  I got two measly hits for an entire game.  I am utterly befuddled right now.

On Tap

Dave Bush will enter the rotation again tomorrow night for Game 2 against the Florida Marlins.  He looks to jumpstart the Brewers and get them back to their winning ways against RHP Burke Badenhop.  The game will start at 6:10pm CT.

• Wednesday April 30^th – Wrigley Field

• Cubs 19 – Brewers 5

• Record (17-10) – 1^st place in the NL Central

• Record with A. Soriano on the 15-day DL (9-5)

The skinny: Scoring early, scoring often and avoiding the first losing streak of the season is just what the Cubs needed tonight.

How about 19 runs on 17 hits! Wow! As a matter of fact, I can’t even remember the last time I actually watched a game where one team scored 19 runs.

The Cubbies posted two six spots, one in the first inning and one in the eighth, a five spot in the fourth and one run each in both the third and sixth innings.

Plus, you know things are going well when Lou decides to sit both Lee and Ramirez after the sixth inning.

Not to mention, the two replacements at the corner positions, Ronny Cedeno and Daryl Ward, went a combined 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

Hats off to big Geo, 2-for-4 with a career high six RBIs, including his two three-run shots!

Plus, Geo’s eight consecutive strikeouts from the past weekend were blown out of proportion, this kid can and will, hit. And more, he’s still a rookie; the best is yet to come with Geo at the bat.

On the flip side, this wasn’t one of Dempster’s best outings (6 IP, 3-R, 4-H, 5-BB and 1-K). Still, the right-hander battled through some control problems for six innings. And luckily, Ryan had the protection of the early six run cushion.

Plus, the way I see it, the Cub batters owed Demps a few extra runs. The guy already made two quality starts this year where the Cubs scuffled at the plate and left Ryan without a much deserved “W,” April 9^th at Pittsburgh and April 25^th at Washington.

Although, that’s baseball, and these sorts of things tend to find common ground more often than not.

Also, I can’t help but to think how many runs the Cubs might have scored if Howry was pitching for the Brewers tonight. Thirty runs, maybe?

After the big man served-up a two-run homer while boosting his ERA to 8.10, I officially moved Howry to the DL. Well, that’s what I would do anyway.

W: Dempster (4-0)

L: Suppan (1-1)

• Notes: Chicago's run total of 19 is the most the Cubs have ever plated in a single game against Milwaukee.

• The Cubs’ victory also establishes a new franchise record for wins in the month of April (17).

• Geovany Soto’s 20 RBIs is a club rookie record for the month of April.

With a right-handed power-laden lineup against a soft-throwing left-hander, this game was made for the Brewers.  The offense, however, could not handle Jamie Moyer.  Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall both got picked-off, which naturally kills any momentum the team had gathered to that point.  Corey Hart tried to stretch a no-out double into a triple, and got gunned down easily.  That cost the Brewers a run.  The Brewers had the bases loaded in the seventh.  No runs scored.  Tony Gwynn Jr. and Rickie Weeks both struck out looking against Tom Gordon.

To top the game off, David Riske lost the game for the Crew in the top of the eighth inning.  He got the first two batters of the inning to strike out, and all things looked up for the Brewers.  Riske then walked Greg Dobbs, however, and gave up two 0-2 hits that cost the Brewers two runs in the inning.  I repeat, two 0-2 hits.  I understand it can happen once, but not twice.  Riske was understandably upset after the game.  He should be.

All in all, the Milwaukee Brewers should forget this game ever happened.  The Philadelphia Phillies practically handed the game to the Brewers, but the team gave it right back to them.  It's about three and a half hours since the game ended, and I'm still seething mad.

Oh well, we play tomorrow again, right?  At least the Chicago Cubs lost...

Eric Gagne looked strong to start the inning. He was mixing in his off-speed pitches, and he located his fastball well. Corey Patterson, the center fielder for the Reds, parked a 2-2 pitch just over the right field wall to tie the game. Brewers fans stood throughout the park in shock after Patterson tied the game, but Gagne worked out of the inning to preserve the tie.

The top of the 10th inning turned out to be very uneventful, as Salomon Torres worked around a walk to Adam Dunn to finish the scoreless frame. Torres threw the ball very well today. It is invaluable to have good, durable arms stashed away in the pen like the Brewers have.

J.J. Hardy then started out the bottom of the 10th with a single. Joe Dillon bunted him over with a perfect sacrifice on the first pitch from David Weathers. Jason Kendall followed up with a broken bat single for his third hit of the game. The flare was a little too weak to score J.J. from second, however. Next to the plate was Rickie Weeks. Last season, there is no doubt in my mind that Rickie would have struck out. Tonight, however, Rickie was able to shoot a ball into the outfield for the walk-off single.

Before the game, I was incredibly excited to see the youngster, Johnny Cueto, pitch tonight. He did not disappoint. He has a mid-90s fastball and an absolutely electric slider. Cueto struck out eight Brewers in 6.1 innings. This was one of those days when the hype surrounding this kid lived up to reality. I would like to point out that before the season even started, I picked Johnny to be the breakout player of this Reds squad.

Jeff Suppan was not to be outdone, however. He was not flashy in any way, but he frustrated the Cincinnati hitters and consistently got outs. Pitching through seven strong innings, Soup gave up six hits and only allowed one earned run. I did not expect Jeff to start the season this well. I highly doubt anyone did. Brewers fans everywhere are getting a glimpse of what Doug Melvin thought he was getting when signing Soup to the $40M deal last winter. Jeff looked very solid today.

Records: Brewers (6-1); Reds (4-4)

Hero of the Game: J.J. Hardy

It was almost like J.J. must have read what I wrote after the last game. After struggling offensively over the first six games of the season, J.J. broke out in a big way today. He ended the game going 3-4 with two runs scored, including the game-winner. If it works out that every "Goat of the Game" turns out to score the winning run of the following game, I will take it.

Goat of the Game: Eric Gagne

I did not want to give this "award" to Eric. I thought that he threw the ball very well. He made one bad pitch. Unfortunately, Corey Patterson connected on that pitch to tie the game. People are going to criticize Gagne for blowing two saves in the first two weeks of the regular season, but this instance was much different.

On Opening Day, Gagne did not have his control or a very good fastball. He did not use his off-speed pitches effectively at all. Tonight, he had a good curveball and a good change-up. Granted, the blown save is tempered because the Brewers were able to pull out the win, but I would have no problem if Eric threw the ball like this every time out (except that 2-2 pitch, of course). I'm not going to give Gagne too much longer of a leash before I start calling for his head, but let's still give him a chance. He did not throw the ball poorly today. Let Eric ride a little bit. After all, Francisco Cordero blew nine saves over the course of his year-and-a-half tenure with the crew.

On Tap

Dave Bush will look to keep the Brewers rolling along with their winning ways tomorrow in Game 2 against the Cincinnati Reds. Cincy will trot Josh Fogg out to the rubber tomorrow. The game will start at 7:05pm CT.

• The Sports Bubbler continues their look at the Brewers offense.  Today, the two bloggers examine both Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun.
• Today's game against the Cincinnati Reds should be a lot of fun.  Jeff Suppan will take on the Reds' new superstar, Johnny Cueto.  Cueto is a young fireballer that pitched brilliantly last week.  David Pinto agrees that this is one of the games of the day.  He expects a big game from Cueto, since the Crew strikes out a little more than seven times a game.  Not a good sign...
• In-Between Hops analyzes Prince Fielder and the fact that he has not hit a home run this season.  Does it have something to do with the fact that he is now a vegetarian?  No, obviously not.  This article does a great job of explaining the situation.
• The Sports Bubbler also has a list of prospects that need to learn to take a walk once in a while.  Alcides Escobar and Angel Salome are certainly in that category.  Give it a look.

Sorry again for the brevity, but I have to run.  Have fun watching the game tonight!  Don't miss it!!!

INF: Tony Clark, Robinson Cano, Nomar Garciaparra, Kevin Youkilis, Pork Chop Pough

OF: Kevin Thompson, Melky Cabrera, Brett Gardner

P: Phil Hughes, Justin Pope, Joba Chamberlain, Scott Patterson, Chien-Ming Wang, Carl Pavano, Ron Mahay, Corey Spencer, Jeff Suppan, Joe Hudson

Manager: Tony Franklin

We will continue our breakdown of the starting pitching, relief pitching and manager ballots shortly...let's see if the fans made the right choices.

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com