Yovani Gallardo threw 4.0 innings in Game 1 of the NLDS against Philadelphia.  That may sound like a poor start, but relatively speaking, the 22 year old was not bad at all.  He gave up 3 runs, but they were all unearned thanks to some horrendous defense by Milwaukee (Bill Hall, Rickie Weeks, and even the usually solid Mike Cameron).  A botched play on what should have been a bunt double play by Cole Hamels turned into everybody reaching.  With two outs, second baseman Chase Utley crushed a pitch into center that was playable for Cameron, but he seemed to misread the ball, and it barely bounced out of his glove, allowing two runs to score.  No error was charged on the play that was ruled a double, but there is no doubt that Cameron would be the first to admit he should have (and can) make that catch.  A run was walked in with the bases loaded later in the inning.

For the remainder of the game, Milwaukee’s bullpen threw extremely well, handcuffing the deadly Phillie lineup for 4.0 innings.  The lefty ace of Philadelphia, Cole Hamels, pitched out of his mind, going 8.0 scoreless, 2 hit, 9 strikeout innings and picking up the win.  Against perfect (41 saves in 41 chances regular season) closer Brad Lidge, the Crew seemed to settle down.  Ryan Braun drove in the first Brewer playoff run (scored by Ray Durham) since 1982 with a booming double, but Corey Hart, still looking as lost at the plate as ever, whiffed with runners at second and third and two out.

Offensive MVP: Phillies 2B Chase Utley (1-4/1R/12B/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Phillies SP Cole Hamels (8.0IP/2H/0ER/0BB/9SO/0HR/Win-1st)

Alex’s Take:

All in all, this game really wasn’t that bad.  The Brewers defensively looked atrocious, and had they not committed those errors, they likely would have won 1-0.  But sadly, their largely playoff-inexperienced team was unable to convert the critical plays at the critical times and it came back to bite them.  The offense looked bad, but really it was just Cole Hamels being extremely good.  Tomorrow’s game is a must-win if the Crew hope to advance, because they have CC Sabathia on the mound against Brett Myers.  Take that game, and the Brewers will find themselves in the friendly confines of Miller Park for two games that, if won, would send them onto the NLCS.  If they lose tomorrow, their hopes of a pennant will all but disappear.

Pitching on three-days’ rest for the second start in a row, CC Sabathia, possibly the greatest in-season acquisition by a team in Major League history (perhaps not stats-wise, but impact-wise), hurled an absolute gem of a complete game on Sunday.  He struck out 7, walked 1, and only gave up 4 hits and 1 unearned run in 9.0 inspired innings.  He won his 11th game as a Brewer, his first against the Chicago Cubs, and the second-biggest single game in Brewers history.  The biggest would be the final game of 1982, when Milwaukee faced Baltimore for the division title (there was no Wild Card in those days).  That game, no doubt of great magnitude, simply wasn’t as dramatic as this one.  An error by first baseman Prince Fielder set up an RBI ground-out by Ronny Cedeno that gave the Cubbies a 1-0 lead in the 2nd.

Then things got ugly.  The Brewers were completely shut down offensively by the Cubs’ young starter Angel Guzman (2.0 innings), Chad Gaudin (1.0 inning), Neal Cotts (1.0 inning), and Kevin Hart (1.0 inning).  Following Mike Cameron’s lead-off single in the bottom of the 1st, 18 Brewers in a row were mowed down by Cubs’ pitching.  But in the bottom of the 7th, the dream began to come alive.  Ray Durham, batting from his weaker right side, doubled to start things off.  Ryan Braun then advanced the second baseman to third with a groundout.  Prince Fielder was intentionally walked, J.J. Hardy unintentionally walked, and Corey Hart looked totally lost at the plate, swinging and missing at three obvious balls for the second out.  Craig Counsell, the ever-dependable veteran or big games, worked a monumental walk with the bases loaded to bring the tying run home.  Jason Kendall failed to add on.

In the top of the 8th, Sabathia continued his dominance, striking out the first two men to greet him, and then retired Koyie Hill by making a barehanded grab of a bouncer to the mound and throwing to first.  Then, after 26 years of futility, the Milwaukee fans finally experienced something worth going absolutely crazy about.  Mike Cameron hit a one-out single.  Then, Ray Durham flirted with a possible run-scoring extra base hit, but his deep drive to right was run down and caught by Micah Hoffpouir.  Ryan Braun didn’t waste any time in powering his club into the Post Season.  He liked the first pitch from Bob Howry, swung at the first pitch from Bob Howry, and drove the first pitch from Bob Howry deep into the electrified sellout crowd of 45,299 for his 37th home run of 2008, and got RBIs number 105 and 106.

Sabathia returned to the mound, knowing full well that the New York Mets were down 4-2 to the Florida Marlins late in the last game at Shea Stadium, and finished what he started.  Alfonso Soriano flew out to shallow left, Ryan Theriot hit a single, and that brought career Brewer-killer Derrek Lee to the plate.  On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Lee chopped to the awaiting glove of Ray Durham, who relayed to the shortstop J.J. Hardy, who fired back to Fielder at first to win the game 3-1.  The fans went absolutely nuts, but nothing was comparable to their reaction minutes later, when they watched the final frame of the Marlins/Mets game, and watched Ryan Church fly out to deep center to seal Milwaukee’s first trip to the playoffs since the World Series of 1982.  The players enjoyed a well-earned champagne shower to boot.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Braun (1-4/1R/1HR/2RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: CC Sabathia (9.0IP/4H/0ER/1R/1BB/7SO/0HR/Win-11th)

Jeff Suppan had been knocked around again and again in September (with an ERA over 10 in the month), and he was hit hard again on Friday by the Cubs. The difference? He pitched his heart out to keep the game in control, and managed to do just that in 5.0 solid innings. Jim Edmonds, who has dominated Brewer pitching all year, hit an opposite-field solo blast in the 2nd to put Chicago ahead 1-0. It could have easily been 3-0 if not for Mike Cameron. In the 1st, Cubs’ powerful rookie Micah Hoffpauir crushed a two-out pitch from Suppan to the gap in right center. The savvy center fielder read the ball perfectly off the bat, but to catch the ball, it took a spectacular diving play to retire the side and save two sure runs.

Catcher Jason Kendall, who gunned down a potential base-stealer and Hoffpauir trying to stretch a single into a double later on, hit a huge two-out RBI double to knot things firmly at 1-1 in the 2nd. Suppan gave up more hits after Edmond’s homer, but settled down mightily, and even recorded 5 strikeouts along the way; four to some of the best Chicago had to offer (Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Micah Hoffpauir). He did not record his 11th win of the year, for the game was tied going into 6th. Ray Durham started things with a booming double off lefty Sean Marshall that bounced over the wall in left, and Ryan Braun worked his way on with a walk. But Prince Fielder struck out swinging and J.J. Hardy was retired on a harmless pop-out. This set the stage for a game-changing bloop single by Corey Hart that scored Durham and put the Crew ahead for good. In the 7th, reliever Seth McClung, who had just pitched a pair of sparkling innings, was allowed to hit, and he reached on catcher’s interference.  The Cubs’ Chad Gaudin then balked, letting the huge flamethrower get to second.

Mike Cameron then coaxed a single between third and short, putting runners at the corners for Rickie Weeks, who had replaced Durham due to an injury.  Weeks, criticized by many (including myself) all year long, wasted no time in giving Milwaukee another boost in their run for the playoffs.  He lined a three-run home run to left to give his club some more breathing room, and he was even prompted to a curtain call by the deeply appreciative crowd of 44,804 (mostly Brewer fans by the way).  McClung did the rest, finishing things off with a fiery demeanor that made the night even more amazing for Brewer fans, who cheered raucously once they saw the final from Shea Stadium: 6-1 Marlins over the Mets.  Milwaukee is now 1.0 games ahead of New York in the Wild Card chase.

Offensive MVP: Rickie Weeks (1-1/1R/1HR/3RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Seth McClung (4.0IP/1H/0ER/1BB/6SO/Win-6th)

Dave Bush was shaky on Tuesday night, going 5.0 innings and giving up 3 runs.  After going up 2-0 early on a Ryan Braun triple (he scored on the play off a throwing error in the outfield), the Crew slipped behind 3-2 after an inning in which Bush, normally a pitcher with good command, walked two batters, walked the pitcher, then surrendered some run-scoring singles with two outs.   Milwaukee rallied back to take the lead in the 7th when Mike Cameron lined a two-run double into left with runners on the corners and 1 out.  Disaster struck in the 8th, when recently-consistent reliever Guillermo Mota gave up a booming 2-run home run to the Pirates’ Steve Pearce.  Down by one with a slip in the Wild Card race imminent, Jason Kendall provided one of his biggest hits of the year when he coaxed a two-out, game-tying double right over the right fielder’s head to score J.J. Hardy from second.  After Salomon Torres battled through a scoreless 9th, the Crew came to bat.  Reliever T.J. Beam struck out Mike Cameron and got a pop out from Ray Durham to start things off, but Ryan Braun managed to hit a tricky infield single, setting things up for the big man.  Prince Fielder looked at two pitches, and with a 2-0 count, he crushed a rocket home run to ignite the 30,000+ fans and cued the Brewers to celebrate raucously at home plate.  They won 7-5.

Offensive MVP: Mike Cameron (2-5/1R/22B/2RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Salomon Torres (1IP/1H/0ER/1BB/0SO/Win-7th)

This one looked great in the first inning, and much less good in the third.  Ben Sheets had gone a mere 2 innings when he exited with right forearm tightness, and this put tremendous pressure on the oft-criticized Milwaukee bullpen as well as new manager, Dale Sveum, to hold on for the last 7 innings against the deadly Chicago lineup.  They did.  In perhaps their greatest collective performance of 2008, seven relievers combined to throw 7 one-run, 5 hit (all singles) innings and seal a huge 6-2 victory on Wednesday night at Wrigley.  Prince Fielder ripped a double down the right field line off Jason Marquis in the first to unload the bases and put his club up 3-0.  Sheets yielded a home-run to Cubs’ third baseman Aramis Ramirez, and went down with an injury he probably received while taking a swing in the top of the third.  Enter Mark DiFelice, who hurled 2 scoreless.  Then new acquisition Todd Coffey for the 5th, Carlos Villanueva for 2/3 of the 6th, and Mitch Stetter to retire Jim Edmonds for the final out of that inning.  J.J. Hardy hit an RBI double in the 7th, and Corey Hart lined a single to left that scored a pair of Brewers and put his club up a commanding 6-1.  Even Eric Gagne pitched in, throwing a flawless 7th inning.  Guillermo Mota did give up a single and a walk, but got through the 8th unscathed.  In the 9th, Salomon Torres struggled, but should have gotten out of it without a run scoring, but Prince Fielder, who had otherwise had a spectacular night, failed to field a low throw from Ray Durham that would have completed a game-ending double play.  A run scored on the play, but Torres came right back to retire pinch-hitter Daryle Ward to wrap it up.

Offensive MVP: Prince Fielder (3-4/1R/22B/3RBI/1BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Mark DiFelice (Win-1st), Todd Coffey, Carlos Villanueva, Mitch Stetter, Eric Gagne, Guillermo Mota, Salomon Torres (7IP/5H/1ER/3BB/6SO/0HR)

Alex’s Take:

The offense seems to be clicking again, Prince Fielder is crushing nearly everything he sees, and the bullpen turned in a great (not just good, but great) performance!  This happened against the Chicago Cubs of all teams!  Dale Sveum, though I don’t know if it was something he said or just his calm demeanor, really managed his pen well tonight, in a game that the Cubs could’ve easily charged back against the Achilles’ heel of this 2008 Milwaukee team.  The key to this series is obviously the rubber match tomorrow, and a tough match up it is.  Dave Bush will be pitted against Rich Harden, a spectacular pitcher who dominated the Crew the last time he faced them.  The offense will probably need 5 runs or more to win tomorrow’s critical game, but the good news is, it seems like they are capable of doing it now.

For once, CC Sabathia cost the Brewers a game.  He gave up 4 runs in 7 so-so innings, and although Prince Fielder seems to have returned, he hit two home-runs, and the Milwaukee offense rallied against Chicago closer Kerry Wood, the Crew dropped yet another important September game.  Now, after leading for months, they are finally trailing Philadelphia by 1.0 game in the Wild Card race.  Ray Durham hit an RBI double in the ninth, and with runners on the corners and two gone, Fielder got another chance, battled, but fell to Wood’s wicked curveball.  Thus it was that Milwaukee fell 5-4 to the Cubs.  Carlos Villanueva gave up 1 run in the eighth that eventually cost the team the game, but Sabathia should shoulder a good portion of the blame for two of the nine hits he surrendered.  One was a two-run double by Aramis Ramirez, and the other was a solo shot by Alfonso Soriano in the seventh.  Take those hits away and the Crew probably wins the game, but hindsight is 20-20 as they say.

Offensive MVP: Cubs 3B Aramis Ramirez (3-4/1R/22B/2RBI/0BB/OK)

Pitching MVP: Cubs SP Ryan Dempster (6.0IP/7H/2ER/1BB/9SO/1HR/Win-16th)

Alex’s Take:

This loss could not have come at a worse time, but it really wasn’t that bad.  The Brewers fought extremely hard, their offense is on the brink of waking up again, and I guess it was inevitable that CC Sabathia was going to lose a game sooner or later.  I like the changes Dale Sveum has made to the lineup, except leading Mike Cameron off, who went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and grounded into a rally-killing double play.  Every Brewer hitter made some good swings, but the Chicago defense made all the plays they had to, and they deserve credit for that.  The Brewers are now trailing in the Wild Card race, but they do not appear to be folding by any means.  The way I look at it, Sveum has a 12 game (now 11) season and his team is now 0-1 with a hard-fought loss.  There is plenty of time for the Crew to vault back into the W.C. lead, but the offense MUST break out against the Cubs, or the team has to at least win these next two games to put them in a much more manageable position.  If they only take 1 of the remaining 2, it may not be the end of the world, but it depends on what the Phillies do, and they are playing out of their minds right now.

Jeff Suppan wasn’t great, but his bullpen was, at least until it mattered most.  Suppan went 5.1 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, including 2 homeruns.  Prince Fielder drove Rickie Weeks in from second in the first, but Milwaukee found itself playing from behind late.  Then in the seventh, Bill Hall walked and Jason Kendall was hit by a pitch to set the stage for pinch hitter Ray Durham.  He blasted a three-run, game-tying homer to right field to wake up the crowd, but sadly, the hit did not wake up his teammates’ bats.  They went on to strand scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity in the ninth and tenth innings.  They even got solid relief pitching, but it didn’t matter.  The Reds won 5-4 on an RBI single by Brandon Phillips, and Milwaukee lost their 7th game of this absolutely pitiful homestand.  They are now 2-7 on it.

Offensive MVP: Reds 2B Brandon Phillips (1-5/1R/1RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Reds CP Francisco Cordero (1IP/0H/0ER/0BB/1SO/0HR/Save-29th)

Alex’s Take:

I believed before the game that a loss tonight would almost definitely break the Brewers’ morale and send them spiraling into weeks of more bad baseball that would knock them out of the playoff hunt.  The game I saw tonight, though the outcome stung mightily, did not look like a team that was ready to fold.  Ned Yost really didn’t make a bad decision at all in managing his bullpen, though putting in Eric Gagne might’ve been a little questionable.  Seth McClung blowing the game, well, Yost didn’t have a lot of experienced guys to pitch in a pressure situation, and unfortunately, the big righty couldn’t keep the game tied.  As for the offense, things still look pretty bleak in the middle of the order, but hopefully Durham’s emphatic homerun will spark something, though it didn’t Tuesday.  It’s strange to me, because I thought for sure I would totally give up on 2008 with a loss that eventually did happen, but the Phillies and Cubs both lost, CC Sabathia is pitching tomorrow in a game the Brewers desperately need to win, and who better to have on the mound in a game you desperately need?  The thing is, they are up 3.0 games in the Wild Card with 17 games remaining.  A ten game monster road trip is right around the corner, and these are the cold, hard facts.  The Crew must simply SURVIVE the trip, go 5-5 (4-6 with wins against the right teams could cut it) that would most likely keep their heads above water with a home stand against not-so-great team after the trip.  The Crew have been downright awful at home lately, yes, but a 5-5 road trip would probably inspire the team to powering into the post season.  I’m as harsh a critic of the Crew as anyone, but I STILL HAVE HOPE!

CC Sabathia did everything, and I mean everything, he possibly could to win Milwaukee their first game in September and he was waiting for his 10th win as a Brewer, when Eric Gagne struck again.  With his club up 2-1 in the eighth, the man who is quickly becoming considered league-wide as the worst reliever in baseball, gave up a booming homerun to Brian Giles, barely a homerun threat at this stage in his career.  The fans tore Gagne apart the entire inning, seemingly after every pitch, and even though he escaped without further damage, the sellout crowd of 41,519 did not let up in their chorus of jeers as he walked dejectedly back to the dugout.   The Crew had numerous opportunities to seal the win, but time and time again, they kept squandering opportunities.  They stranded a whopping 13 baserunners, had a lead runner on in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings, and simply could not push anyone across.

The struggling Brewers bullpen turned in heroic performances in the final three innings, though, keeping the game right where it was despite overwhelming odds.  San Diego had runners on 2nd and 3rd in the ninth against Salomon Torres, thanks to an error by Prince Fielder, but the savvy veteran tight-roped out of danger when he retired shortstop Luis Rodriguez on a bullet of a ground ball up the middle that J.J. Hardy made a strong play and throw on.  The Padres had runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the tenth, but Torres gobbled up a ground ball in front of the mound and fired to third for the force-out.  Then he got Chip Ambres on a flyout and struck out Edgar Gonzales.

David Riske had a much rougher go of it in the eleventh.  He retired batter #1 on a deep fly ball, but walked #2 and surrendered a base hit to Giles that put runners on 1st and 3rd with only 1 out.  Enter Brian Shouse.  He needed throw only one pitch.  Luis Rodriguez chopped the ball to the lefty, who fired it to second for one and Hardy returned the favor, by finding the glove of Prince Fielder to clean up the mess and fire up the quited crowd.  In the bottom of the eleventh, Mike Rivera got a pinch hit, was wiped out at second on a poor sac bunt by Craig Counsell, and then Ray Durham, who had gone 0-4 previously, hammered a base knock to right, getting Counsell to third.  J.J. Hardy sent the remainder of the fans home happy.  He deposited a single to left field on the 6th pitch against Brian Falkenborg, sealing Milwaukee’s 81st win of 2008 and 1st win in the month of September.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (1-6/0R/1RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Brian Shouse (0.2IP/0H/0ER/0BB/0SO/0HR/Win-5th)

Alex’s Take:

This game was ugly, dragged on forever, revealed once again the problem Milwaukee has in Eric Gagne, but felt great in the end.  It was nice to see the Crew persevere in the end and finally wrap up their first victory so far in September.  The Cubs were manhandled by Cincinnati, so Hardy and the Brewers are sitting 4.0 games out of 1st and, following a Phillies win, held onto their 4.0 game lead in the Wild Card.

Ben Sheets pitched quite well, well enough to tie his career high for wins in a season with 12, but the story of Tuesday night was definitely the Milwaukee offense.  They pounded out a stupendous dozen runs in their biggest victory in St. Louis in history, and everybody pitched in.  Each starting position player had at least one hit, and a handful had many hits.  Prince Fielder knocked in Ray Durham in the first inning for a 1-0 lead (Durham left the game due to a seemingly minor injury later on).  In the third, J.J. Hardy tripled to start things off and Fielder drove him in on an RBI groundout with one gone.  In the fifth, Albert Pujols made a rare error that allowed Durham to sprint home to stretch the lead to 3-0.  Two more runs were tacked on in the seventh when Ryan Braun hammered his 33rd homerun of 2008, but the big blow to the Redbirds came in the ninth.  Eleven Brewers batted, and some of the memorable hits included a Jason Kendall bases-clearing double and a two-run homer by Bill Hall.  Sheets threw 6.0 good innings, and relievers Brian Shouse, David Riske, and Eric Gagne picked up where he left off.  Todd Wellemeyer was saddled with the loss, but his teammates did most of the damage, giving up 7 runs in relief.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Braun (3-5/2R/1HR/2RBI/1BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Ben Sheets (6.0IP/5H/0ER/2BB/4SO/0HR/Win-12th)

Alex’s Take:

Year after year after year the Cardinals totally dominated Milwaukee.  It seemed as though the Cards were always gunning for the division and the Brewers were cellar-dwellers, but apart from a few exceptions, Tony La Russa’s clubs ALWAYS had Milwaukee’s number.  Not so in 2008, when the Crew needs to fight off the historical rivals to get into the postseason.  Milwaukee is 6-0 against the Redbirds in their last 6 games, and are in a position to sweep them for the second straight time at Busch Stadium tomorrow.  The Crew is playing spirited baseball this August, when they crumbled so badly last year, and it is very encouraging.  If they can keep this success on the road against Wild Card contenders going, there is really no reason why Wisconsin won’t have meaningful October baseball again.

Dave Bush choked immediately against Los Angeles, always a tough customer for opposing pitchers.  He gave up the lead before recording an out in the first inning, when he surrendered a two-run shot by right-fielder Andre Ethier.  The pitch was low and off-speed, normally a difficult pitch to drive, but Ethier crushed it as well as anyone possibly could have, and the game looked ominous from the onset.  Bush, however, managed to settle down nicely and turn in one of his finest bounce-back performances.  After the first inning, he threw 6.0 scoreless and only gave up three hits and one walk in those final frames (he struck out three).

The Crew scratched across a run against an uncharacteristically shaky Derek Lowe, who did not walk a batter, but was struggling with command of his fastball in all of his 7.0 innings of work.  To lead off the second, Prince Fielder grounded out to first.  But Corey Hart came right back and singled to left.  He made it to third on veteran third-baseman Craig Counsell’s 1,000th career base hit, and scored on a Mike Cameron play that was originally ruled an error on Dodgers’ shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, but was later changed to an RBI infield single.  Whatever it was, it cut the L.A. lead to 2-1.  Milwaukee had leadoff runners in almost every inning after against Lowe, but whether it was a rally-killing double play or just the wrong end of the lineup coming up, they simply never could get the game tied up.

To keep the deficit right where it was, Milwaukee’s outfield shone brilliantly, making amazing play after amazing play.  Here’s the recap.  In the bottom of the second, third-baseman Casey Blake crushed a pitch out to the gap in right field.  Utilizing his lanky frame, Corey Hart charged the ball down at a perfect angle, lunged out for the catch, crashed into the wall, and hung on to save sure extra bases.  Initially, I thought that that would surely be the top defensive play of the night.  Thank goodness Gabe Kapler and Mike Cameron were there to prove me wrong.  The Gold Glove center-fielder made a diving catch on a James Loney sinking line drive for out number 1 in the seventh.  Although it was one of Cameron’s best plays as a Brewer, it was nothing compared to what Kapler did next.  All Star catcher Russell Martin, one of the greatest catchers and hitters alike in the Major Leagues, unloaded on a pitch from Bush and sent it whizzing out to deep left.  The fans exploded as the ball cleared the wall easily, and the stadium was electrified…for about .5 seconds.  The reason: Gabe Kapler, leaping head first into the stands, brought the ball back for the greatest catch of his career, and possibly one of the greatest homerun robs of 2008 throughout all of Major League Baseball.   Pumping his fist emphatically, Dave Bush was inspired to retire his last batter a lot more easily, which he did (he struck out Garciaparra on three pitches).  Then it became offense’s turn.

All of the offensive struggles for Milwaukee changed in the eighth inning, when a familiar face showed up in the right-hand batter’s box.  Ryan Braun was back, and he chipped in immediately against one of the toughest lefties in baseball.  Hong-Chih Kuo has a fastball that tops out in the upper 90s, and is complimented by nasty breaking stuff.  Braun’s bat did not leave its moorings until the fourth pitch of the at bat, in which he took a nice cut on a 2-1 fastball and fouled it away.  On 2-2, he hit another fastball and deposited it in no-man’s land behind first base.  By the time the Dodgers fielded it, he was settling in at second with a pinch-hit, lead-off double.  Ray Durham hit an opposite field fly ball to right that got Braun to third easily.  Then with one out, slumping J.J. Hardy got hold of a slider over the plate, and neither he, his teammates, or any Brewers’ fans would be disappointed.  His clutch homer gave Milwaukee a slim lead.  That set things up for a finish that could have given the most stoic fan stomach ulcers.

Still 3-2, Brian Shouse, the reliable lefty specialist, was inserted into the game to take on the lefty Andre Ethier.  Although it is not normal for more than one pitcher to throw the ninth when you have a reliable closer, which the Brewers have in Salomon Torres, but the logic behind it was obvious.  The move instantly backfired, when the athletic outfielder took first base on a walk.  Yost then made the call for Torres, who struggled with his command for the entire inning.  Battling back from being behind the dangerous second-baseman Jeff Kent 3-1, Torres got him on a full count to ground to the always-dependable shortstop Hardy.  Only, he was not dependable on this play.  Looking to turn the double play, he was preparing for the flip to Durham before he brought the ball in, and it trickled past him, igniting the fiery crowd of 52,889.  Now with runners on the corners and nobody out, Torres somehow managed to get the new L.A. left-fielder, Manny Ramirez, to fly out.  Unfortunately, Corey Hart was unable to throw out the speedy Ethier, and the game was tied 3-3.  Things did not look good when Russell Martin hit an infield, two-out single off the glove of a diving Counsell, and looked even worse when Torres lost his command again to pinch-hitter Mark Sweeney (a former Brewer).  Enter Casey Blake.  He had torched the Crew in Friday’s loss, and looked to give his club their third walk-off win in four games.  But the resilient Torres barely retired the man on a tricky pop-out that Ray Durham expertly tracked down to get the game to the 10th.

Against the Dodgers’ closer Jonathan Broxton, Jason Kendall lined out and Ryan Braun struck out on a high 97 MPH fastball.  That put the game in the hands of Durham, who worked a walk.  Then Hardy, looking for vindication, found it.  Durham stole second barely, putting a ton of pressure on Broxton.  Then, off a 2-2 count, Hardy lined a hit to right field.  Durham, running on contact because of the two outs, scored uncontested, though the shortstop was caught in a rundown between first and second.  Up 4-3, onlookers probably expected Torres to reenter the game and lock it down.  He would have, had he not left the game due to an unknown injury or ailment.  As bad as the news was to the Milwaukee club, there was still a ballgame to win.  David Riske struck out the first man to greet him, Pablo Ozuna, but then gave up a hit to center-fielder Matt Kemp.

Then disaster struck…the Dodgers.  In one of the worst base-running blunders I’ve ever seen, Kemp only reached second on a definite double by Andre Ethier.  How did this happen?  The ball sailing towards deep center, and briefly appeared to carry out for a game-winning home run, but Mike Cameron’s unsuccessful leap at the wall produced only a single for Ethier.  Thinking the outfielder was going to pull it in, Kemp paused between first and second, and by the time the ball had been collected by Cameron, he could only touch second.  He would have probably tied the game if he had made a better read.  Luckily, the mistake gave Riske new life, and he got the second out on a nice little hopping catch by Durham at second that speared a Jeff Kent line drive.  Then the future Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez strutted to the plate.  Jason Kendall set up high and away continuously to Manny, a gutsy move to work up to the former Red Sox star, but it paid huge dividends.  Seemingly off balance, Ramirez silenced the crowd as he came up empty on a mighty cut at a high fastball that gave the courageous Riske his third strike and the Brewers the 4-3 victory.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (3-5/1R/1HR/3RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: David Riske (1IP/2H/0ER/0BB/2SO/Save-2nd)

Alex’s Take:

Unbelievable.  Incomprehensible.  Ridiculous.  Thrilling.  Awe-inspiring.  Just a few adjectives that fit Saturday’s 4-3 Brewer win in Los Angeles.  The game seemed destined to end up in another Dodgers walkoff more than once, and early on, seemed destined to end up in another boring Brewers loss.  Gabe Kapler, Mike Cameron, and Corey Hart proved to me that the 2008 edition of the Milwaukee Brewers defense truly is worthy of recognition.  Cameron had baffled me all year with his slew of strikeouts and was not even that impressive out in center, although he played relatively error-free.  But against the Dodgers, he made TWO diving catches in center!  Although Hart’s running grab was impressive, I have never seen a catch greater than the one made in left by Kapler.  As for Braun’s return…he seemed as strong as ever.  As for Hardy’s nearly losing his club the game and battling back to give them the win…WOW!  Though there is a lot of 2008 remaining, I mark this as the one game that proved to me that the Milwaukee Brewers are truly a team deserving of the playoffs.