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.

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)

Yovani Gallardo had gone 4 months without pitching, as he had gone down to a torn ACL that required what was considered originally to be season-ending knee surgery.  Turns out that 4 months was all the time in the world for the prized young starter.  Operating off a strict pitch count and not even swinging the bat when he came to the plate, the Brewers kept him relatively safe.  Gallardo, in turn, kept the Brewers’ Post Season hopes relatively safe.  Staked to an early 1-0 lead off a Bill Hall RBI double in the 3rd, he went on to mow down 7 Pirates in 4.0 innings, giving up only 1 run off a home run by Steve Pearce in the 4th.  The next batter walked, but Gallardo induced an inning-ending double play by Ronnie Paulino right after.

Then came the bullpen: seven pitchers, six innings, zero runs allowed in one of its finest performances of the year.  Offensively, the Crew was not so impressive for the rest of the first 9 innings.  They actually only stranded 5 runners on Thursday, but they simply couldn’t execute small ball, and it forced extras.  In the top of the 10th, the Buckos threatened big time against Todd Coffey.  With one out, he surrendered a single to Jason Michaels, who then reached second on a fielder’s choice.  Enter Pittsburgh’s All Star center fielder Nate McLouth and lefty Mitch Stetter for the biggest out of his career thus far.  From a 3-1 count, Stetter got McLouth to whiff at that sweeping slider of his, and froze him on another one, recording the punch-out and bringing things to the bottom 10th.

That’s when things got interesting.  Rickie Weeks started things off against Jesse Chavez with a single, and was moved to second on a perfect sacrifice bunt from the catcher Jason Kendall.  Pinch-hitter Ray Durham, who has torn things up at Miller Park this year, was intentionally walked, putting two runners on with only 1 out.  Alas, Mike Cameron failed to end it as he went down swinging.  Craig Counsell then strode to the plate, crazy stance and all, and worked arguably the biggest walk by a Brewer in 2008 (it only took 5 pitches).  This put the game, and with the Mets winning their game on a Carlos Beltran walk-off single moments earlier, possibly the season in the hands of sore and struggling left fielder Ryan Braun.  He needed merely a bloop single or a walk, but the end result turned out to be far more legendary.  On a 2-2 count, he finally got some of his prodigious power into a swing, and the ball went a long, long way.  Braun collected the 1st and only grand slam by Milwaukee all season, as well as the first walk-off shot of his major league career.  If the Brewers manage to reach the playoffs, it will probably be considered the defining moment of 2008, and one of the biggest home runs in Brewer history.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Braun (1-5/1R/1HR/4RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Carlos Villanueva, Eric Gagne, Guillermo Mota, Brian Shouse, Salomon Torres, Todd Coffey, Mitch Stetter(Win-3rd) (6.0IP/6H/0ER/1BB/3SO/0HR)

The Milwaukee Brewers managed a mere two hits on Wednesday evening, but manufactured four runs.  Of course, that was all CC Sabathia needed.  Pitching on 3-days rest for the 2nd straight game, the beast of a lefty hurled a magnificent, gutsy, and “whatever other good adjective you can think to add” game.  His line: 7.0 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4 hits, and 11 strikeouts.  He picked up his 10th Brewer win, but he will have a chance to go after number 11 on Sunday, should the Wild Card race still be going on.   Prince Fielder drove in Mike Cameron in the 4th to tie the game 1-1, but it took a bases loaded walk from Rickie Weeks, who was down 1-2 before taking a couple tough pitches from Paul Maholm, to put the Crew in front.  Jason Kendall followed suit, walking in 5 pitches to expand the lead.  A sac fly from Corey Hart made it 4-1 in the 6th.  Eric Gange worked a scoreless 8th, and Salomon Torres finished things off for his 28th save.  He did give up a solo home run to Adam LaRoche.  Oh yeah, and the Mets lost in extras, meaning the Brewers are tied for the Wild Card lead!

Offensive MVP: Prince Fielder (1-3/2R/1RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: CC Sabathia (7.0IP/4H/1ER/2BB/11SO/0HR/Win-10th)

In an unbelievable move, G.M. Doug Melvin fired Manager Ned Yost on Monday the 15th.  The Brewers had let a 5.5 Wild Card lead vanish in a disgusting start to September, and Yost was not allowed to manage two late season collapses in a row.  Never in memory has a team fired their manager this late in a season, and it will be interesting to see how the players react.  Many of them are shocked, but those who are glad to see the laid-back Yost go are hiding it for now.  Dale Sveum, a former Brewer player, and a fan-favorite during the 1987 season, in which he hit a memorable home-run on Easter Sunday to keep their 13 game winning streak alive, has been named interim manager.  Robin Yount has come back to fill the bench-coach void left by Ted Simmons, who was also let go.

Alex’s Take:

Wow.  I have never been a huge supporter of Ned Yost.  I can not say that I am sad to see him go, because his laid-back, “we’ll get ‘em next time,” approach to the game was really hindering the Brewers.

Some other questionable things that he did in 2008:

Constantly use burned-out reliever Eric Gagne late in close games

Start Rickie Weeks, probably the worst second baseman in baseball defensively, and certainly not great offensively either,

Start Bill Hall, an undeniable strikeout machine who has shown nothing of his solid 2005 or 2006 seasons, use Weeks (hitting under .230 most of the year) as the leadoff hitter,

Refusing to use small ball in almost any situation

Failing to pull the plug on pitchers at the proper times.

I will admit, the 2008 Milwaukee Brewers do not have many small ball-compatible players, save Craig Counsell and Jason Kendall, but there were far too many times in which a Brewer would obviously be trying to hit a home-run instead of simply advancing runners in critical situations with no outs, and would end up grounding into a double play or striking out.  Yost should take a good portion of the heat for failing to get his players prepared for big games or failing to take big series seriously, but it was not really all him.  The players fundamentally have been awful all year, and Yost did in fact bring winning baseball back to Wisconsin.  He deserves HUGE credit for that, but it is unlikely he was capable of taking them to the next plateau: the postseason.  As for Sveum, I know little about him other than he was not the greatest 3rd base coach in the league and that he was a popular Brewer back in his day.

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!

The pitching was great, the defensive highlights were numerous, and the offensive highlights were few, but Milwaukee won a pressure-packed game 1-0 against San Diego and its ace Jake Peavy, who pitched a great game himself.  Sheets went 9.0 innings, struck out 7, walked 1, and gave up 5 hits.  Peavy went 7.0 strong innings, and only gave up 1 run off a Prince Fielder RBI double to score Ryan Braun from first.  One run was all Sheets needed.  Rickie Weeks saved a run with a diving, back-handed stab, followed with a strike to first.  Gabe Kapler made a diving catch in center field.

Offensive MVP: Prince Fielder (1-3/0R/12B/1RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Ben Sheets (9.0IP/5H/0ER/1BB/7SO/0HR/Win-13th)

Alex’s Take:

Ben Sheets carried the Crew on Saturday, but if their offensive production is as small as it was in the 1-0 victory, Milwaukee will lose a lot of games unless their pitching is perfect, which it almost never is.  In September, though, a win is a win, and I’ll gladly take it.

Manny Parra was knocked around by the Mets on Tuesday, and although he made a big contribution with the stick, his rocky start made it an uphill climb for the Crew, and they eventually fell to New York again.  Rickie Weeks led off with a homerun and Milwaukee scored four in the fourth to tie the game (Parra hit a two-run double), but they managed nothing against the Mets pen, and guaranteed the Mets a series victory.  Endy Chavez hit a go-ahead sac fly off Salomon Torres in the tenth.  The Brewers were stung by a couple close plays, one in the fourth when Hardy was gunned down trying to score, and in the eighth, when Weeks tried to stretch a single into what looked to be a clean double, but was called out.

Offensive MVP: Mets CF Carlos Beltran (2-3/2R/1HR/3RBI/1BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Mets CP Luis Ayala (1IP/1H/0ER/1BB/2SO/Save-5th)

Alex’s Take:

This one was ugly.  The Brewers stranded 11 baserunners, executed some questionable base-running, and suffered yet another bullpen letdown.  Though Salomon Torres has been dependable this year, an error on Jason Kendall set him up for a bad tenth inning, and it cost the Crew the game.  They are now 0-2 in September following a 20 win August, and though they do play somewhat easier opponents than the 1st place Mets, they have a bear of a road trip coming up that will take them to Philly, Chicago, and Cincinnati.  The way they’ve been playing contenders recently, starting with being swept at home by the Cubs in late July, it appears as though that trip could squash Milwaukee’s postseason dreams.  Even so, they could make the playoffs if the other contenders continue to falter, but they will get NOWHERE in the playoffs if they can’t find a way to beat good teams.

Jeff Suppan tossed another great game on Saturday evening in Pittsburgh, but Corey Hart and the offense stole the spotlight.  With his 20th homerun of 2008 in the second inning, Hart became the first Brewer in history to have two 20 homerun, 20 steal seasons.  Mike Cameron unloaded on his 24th round-tripper of the year, driving in three runs off of it, in the sixth.  Jason Kendall and Rickie Weeks hit RBI doubles in that inning as well, to put the Crew up 7-0.  They just kept pouring it on the Pirates bullpen, and finished with 11 runs on 16 base hits.  Suppan threw 7.0 2-run innings, striking out 2, walking 2, and giving up only 3 hits.

Offensive MVP: Mike Cameron (2-4/2R/2B/HR/4RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7.0IP/3H/2ER/2BB/2SO/1HR/Win-10th)

Alex’s Take:

August has been a great month for Brewers baseball.  They’ve won 19 games, with one very winnable match-up to go.  Although it appears Chicago is simply too good to be caught at the top of the NL Central, the Crew have managed to solidify their Wild Card lead this month, and as it stands now, they are up 5 and 1/2 games on their St. Louis rivals.  Though there are 6 remaining games against the Cubs, it would take a monumental collapse for the Brewers to vault into first.  But the good news: they will get to the playoffs anyway, as long as they can fend off Tony La Russa’s Redbirds and the Phillies and Mets for the next thirty days or so.  Mike Cameron deserves a lot of credit for what he has done this month.  He’s hit .360 in 89 at-bats, with 9 homers and 22 RBIs.  Add that to the superb defense he brings every day, and that is one heck of a month.  Oppositely, Prince Fielder did very little in August, hitting a mere .219 with 6 homeruns and 19 runs batted in.  If Fielder can heat up in September, and Cameron and the rest of the Crew keep hitting the way they’ve been hitting, postseason baseball should become a reality for Milwaukee.  Oh, and by the way, the pitching has been stellar too…just ask the “bottom of the rotation,” Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush, who’ve gone a combined 9-0 this month.

CC Sabathia had himself his shortest start of 2008 on Sunday, but he was good enough to put his team in a position to win their 76th game.  He hurled 6.0 innings, gave up 1 run on 8 hits, struck out five, and didn’t walk a batter.  He was briefly in line for his 9th win, but the Crew pen coughed up the lead.  Pirates ace Paul Maholm pitched his heart out, giving up a whopping 12 hits in 6.0 innings, but only gave up 2 runs, as the Brewers stranded 8 runners with him on the mound (twice they failed to score with the bases loaded and less than two outs).  But Mike Cameron turned in one of the finest games of his career with five hits, one of which scored Corey Hart from second to tie the game 1-1.  Ned Yost then pinch hit for Sabathia with “Captain Clutch,” Gabe Kapler, who immediately drove in Bill Hall to put his club ahead.  David Riske blew the slim lead in the seventh, however.  With two outs in the eighth, Cameron struck again, crushing a majestic homerun that seemed to seal the victory.  But Salomon Torres was unlike himself, and he blew the save by giving up a tying single to Nate McLouth.  It took three more frames.  Carlos Villanueva pitched himself into a world of trouble in the top of the twelfth, loading the bases with none out.  But Guillermo Mota, in what was undoubtedly his best performance as a Brewer, induced a popout to center, struck out Chris Gomez, and retired Luis Rivas himself, keeping the game tied, and receiving a roaring ovation from the 40,000+ fans.  With one out in the Milwaukee twelfth, Rickie Weeks walked.  With J.J. Hardy batting, he stole second with ease.  Then on his bobblehead day, the beloved shortstop hammered a ball into center for a single, and Weeks flew around third to clinch the series sweep.

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

Pitching MVP: Guillermo Mota (1IP/0H/0ER/0BB/1SO/0HR/Win-4th)

Alex’s Take:

This was a sloppy win, but a fun one nonetheless.  Guillermo Mota may be turning the corner late in the season for Milwaukee, and if he could continue to control that blazing fastball and nasty changeup of his, he could turn into a very capable reliever in close games, where he struggled often earlier on.  Mike Cameron started off the year so slowly, but has been on an absolute tear in August, when his team truly needs him for their playoff push.  He is hitting .360 in 75 August at-bats, with 8 round-trippers and 16 RBIs.  I guess this is what Ned Yost was talking about when he said that Cameron can carry an offense when he’s on.  The good news is, the other Brewers are hitting well enough that Mike doesn’t have to do it all by himself.