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.

Jeff Suppan pitched another good game, going 7.0 innings and only gave up 3 runs.  He struck out 3, didn’t walk a batter, and surrendered 8 hits.  Up 6-2 when he exited in the eighth, the bullpen allowed one Suppan-charged run to score (on a groundout), but nothing else in a solid 6-3 victory.  Ryan Braun paced the offense with two hits and three runs batted in.  But Prince Fielder initiated the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, bringing in his good friend Rickie Weeks.  Then, Corey Hart, still looking for that elusive 20th homerun of the season, did drive in his 79th run of 2008 with a sac fly.  Braun crushed a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, but in the next inning, the Crew jumped all over Pirates’ starter Tom Gorzelanny, and knocked him out of the game.  With two outs, Weeks walked, Hardy singled, and Braun came through again with a two-run double.  He later scored on Fielder’s second RBI single of the game.  Brian Shouse handled the eighth, and Salomon Torres nailed down the ninth for his 25th save of the year.

Offensive MVP: Ryan Braun (2-4/2R/12B/1HR/3RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7.0IP/8H/3ER/0BB/3SO/Win-9th)

Alex’s Take:

It is great to see Ryan Braun mashing the ball again.  It appears as though he is feeling little to no residual effects from his earlier back and side problems, and this should come as a big relief to the Brewers, as they close in on a possible postseason berth.

Dave Bush continued to prove that he is a very good bottom-of-the-rotation pitcher with another strong outing that gave him his 8th win of the year.  He threw 7.0 3 run innings on Friday, on 7 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts.  By the time he left, the bullpen had very little to worry about.  Zach Duke, the Pirates starter, started strong, pitching a scoreless game through three, but he unraveled in the fourth and fifth frames.  Down 2-0, the always-resilient Crew bit Duke hard for 3 runs thanks to some tricky infield hits and defensive blunders by Pittsburgh.  Ryan Braun led off with a single, but the ball was thrown away from first-baseman Adam LaRoche and Braun got to second.  Prince Fielder then walked, and Corey Hart delivered with a booming two-run double.  He ended up on third on another error, this time by right fielder Jason Michaels.  Bill Hall drove him in with a sac fly.  J.J. Hardy made history in the fifth when he belted his 20th homerun of 2008, a solo shot that put him in very elite company.  Only two Brewers shortstops had ever hit 20 or more homeruns in back to back seasons: Jose Hernandez and the great Robin Yount.

The offense exploded in the seventh, when Milwaukee sent nine men to the plate.  Pinch-hitter Laynce Nix walked and was tripled in by Rickie Weeks, who scored on a Hardy double right after.  Hardy was driven in by Braun, who hit a ground-rule double.  Braun then stole third and scored on a weird play.  Prince Fielder chopped out to second baseman Freddy Sanchez, but Sanchez took his time on the play, making a lackadaisical throw to first.  Braun smartly bolted for home as the flip to first was made, and he scored easily.  Corey Hart was then hit by a pitch, sending Mike Cameron to the plate.  He drilled a two-run, opposite field homerun that collided with the right field foul pole and extended the Brewers lead to 10-3.  Eric Gagne surrendered one run in the eighth, but Seth McClung tossed a scoreless frame in the ninth to seal the emphatic victory.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (2-5/2R/12B/1HR/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Dave Bush (7.0IP/7H/3ER/1BB/2SO/1HR/Win-8th)

Alex’s Take:

It is a good sign that Milwaukee jumped all over a struggling pitcher and ball club.  Earlier on in the year, it seemed as though the Crew would often play down to the level of teams with far worse records than they, but on Friday, everything played out correctly and then some.  I’m going to single out fan-favorite shortstop J.J. Hardy for today.  Earlier in the year, I did not want him in the starting lineup, but he has bounced back so well that I have to admit I was wrong before.  He is becoming a very reliable piece to the offensive puzzle, setting the table for the big boys and driving in a bunch of runs on his own, and he deserves a little more credit than he gets, what with stars like Braun, Fielder, and Hart usually stealing the spotlight.

Manny Parra was far from perfect, but was also far from as angry as he has been with himself lately.  He threw 5.0 innings, yielding 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 4 walks (he struck out 2).  The Milwaukee offense gave him plenty of support, and the bullpen defended the lead nicely, sealing a 5-2 victory.  The Crew will not face Houston again this year, but finished 2008 with a record of 8-7 against Cecil Cooper’s Astros.  In the first inning, facing lefty Wandy Rodriguez, Rickie Weeks walked, J.J. Hardy hit an infield single, and Gabe Kapler (starting again in place of the sore Ryan Braun) doubled in Weeks.  Prince Fielder promptly delivered with the first of his two sac flies in the game to put his club up 2-0.  The Astros battled back against Parra, and when he left the game, it was 3-2 Brewers.  Carlos Villanueva threw 2.0 strong innings of relief, and J.J. Hardy hit a two-run blast, his 19th of the year, to extend the lead in the seventh.  Eric Gagne tight-roped out of a bases loaded, no-out jam in the eighth that was not totally his fault in the first place, and Salomon Torres nailed down the ninth for his 24th save of the year.  Parra got his 10th win of 2008 against 6 losses.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (2-4/2R/1HR/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Carlos Villanueva (2.0IP/0H/0ER/0BB/3SO)

*Gold Glove Play of the Game: Gabe Kapler gunned down Mark Loretta at home plate in the fifth inning, to preserve the 3-2 lead and Manny Parra’s 10th win.

Alex’s Take:

This was a good win against a very hot Astros ball club.  Not much more can be said about the 5-2 victory.

Dave Bush followed in his fellow starting pitchers’ footsteps with a very good start against Washington on Monday afternoon.  He pitched 6.1 innings, giving up a single run on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.  The offense was boosted by a leadoff homerun by Rickie Weeks, who had yet to homer in Miller Park in 2008, which tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first.  The game remained knotted up until the fourth inning, when Corey Hart blasted a homerun to score Prince Fielder and himself.  Next inning, Fielder doubled in Gabe Kapler with two outs to pull his club ahead 4-1.  In the seventh, the Crew capped off their scoring witha a two-run, two out double by struggling backup infielder Craig Counsell (he hit a looping line drive that was almost brought in by a diving try, but trickled past Willie Harris) to score Kapler and Fielder.  Later on, Bill Hall drew a bases loaded walk to get an RBI the easy way.  Brian Shouse, David Riske, and Seth McClung teamed up to finish the game for Milwaukee.  The 7-1 victory sealed a 4 game sweep of Washington for the Crew.  They also pull to 17 games over .500, the highest such mark since the days of Yount and Molitor.

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

Pitching MVP: Dave Bush (6.1IP/5H/1ER/2BB/6SO/Win-7th)

My Take:

Ned Yost commented that this series was a lose-lose situation for Milwaukee.  If they swept, they were supposed to; if they failed to sweep, what’s up with those Brewers?  But thankfully, they swept.  Bottom line: Milwaukee had to prove they could play winning baseball at home again and they did.  Dave Bush looked like an awfully good #5 starter, and the bullpen was strong.  The offense collected quite a few runs with two outs, and the Crew is now 17 games over .500!

CC Sabathia won his 6th game as a Milwaukee Brewer on Friday evening.  A twelfth consecutive sellout crowd at Miller Park (43,209) was captivated throughout the entire game thanks to strikeouts aplenty, two Brewers’ homeruns, and ultimately, a nice bounce-back win at home for the Brewers (losers of 6 out of 7 on their last homestand).  Milwaukee scored in the first when Rickie Weeks reached first via a walk, got to second on a wild pitch from Nationals rookie Collin Balester, reached third by barely evading a tag from third-baseman Ryan Zimmerman (who had to throw to first to retire a hustling Braun on a play that probably should have been a double play), and scored on a Prince Fielder bullet up the middle for a single.  Mike Cameron his 18th homerun in the second inning (a solo shot that put Milwaukee up 2-0).

The third proved to be a wild half-inning for the Crew’s offense, and they took advantage of an error by Balester, who was trying to pick off J.J. Hardy at second and threw it into the outfield grass, allowing Hardy to reach third and Ryan Braun to reach second.  Balester struck again two pitches later, as he bounced a curveball that catcher Jesus Flores probably should have corralled, and it ricocheted away while Hardy pranced home.  Corey Hart promptly hit the next pitch to deep center and Braun scored the fourth run of the game after tagging up from third.  The scoring was capped off by a Hardy homerun to right center field in the seventh.  The game was never in doubt thanks to CC Sabathia, who twirled another incredible game in a Brewers uniform.  He collected his fourth complete game victory as an N.L. pitcher and now leads the league in C.G.s.  He also fanned struck out 9 and walked 1.

Offensive MVP: J.J. Hardy (2-4/2R/1HR/1RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: CC Sabathia (9IP/5H/0ER/1BB/9SO/0HR/Win-6th)

*Gold Glove Play of the Game:  Corey Hart was robbed of a homerun (or at least extra bases) in the sixth inning thanks to a leaping catch by Washington left-fielder Willy Harris

My Take:

This was a good win that Milwaukee sorely needed.  They had been struggling at home of late, but played much better in all facets of the game than they had on the previous homestand.  Defensively, they did make two errors in the ninth inning, but one of them was on a difficult double play that J.J. Hardy was trying to turn.  It’s getting to the point where I expect Sabathia to throw a great game every time he steps on the mound, and though he’s most likely going to have another down game sooner or later, it appears as though Doug Melvin definitely got his money’s worth on that pickup.

Jeff Suppan was strong on Wednesday against the Reds.  He threw 7 strong innings, giving up 3 runs early but was perfect from then on.  The Brewers offense continued to perform well in the clutch, going 5-11 with runners in scoring position (a .455 average).  After going 10 for their last 104 at bats (a .095 average) in their 13 games prior to yesterday’s 8-1 victory, and having a well-documented dugout brawl between Manny Parra and Prince Fielder, Ned Yost’s club has bounded back strongly, and although it is but a two day sample, they’re hitting .410 in the clutch.

The scoring started in the first inning, when Cincinnati’s Jay Bruce hit a run-scoring groundout.  Down 1-0, Bill Hall worked a one-out walk and scored the tying run off a Mike Cameron double.  Backstop Jason Kendall then reached first via another Homer Bailey walk (a promising, but mightily struggling young Reds’ starter).  Suppan executed a perfect sacrifice bunt, putting runners on second and third for lead-off man Rickie Weeks.  Weeks had 4 hits in Wednesday’s game, and his biggest one was right there, scoring both Cameron and Kendall without trouble.  Cincinnati did manage to tie it up, when Bruce struck again.  He hit an absolute moonshot to straight-away center to score Joey Votto and himself.  In the fifth, Ryan Braun hit a tough pitch from Bailey to the opposite field.  He ended up on second and Rickie Weeks motored around to score and put his club in the lead.

The Crew tacked on some key insurance in the sixth when Kendall hit a hard grounded to Bailey’s left side.  The pitcher could do no more than deflect the ball and it rolled slowly out of the infield, bringing in two more huge Brewer runs.  Brian Shouse, Eric Gagne, and Salomon Torres hurled the final 2 innings and gave up no runs.  Gagne has been very good since returning from the disabled list, giving up only 1 earned run in his last 7 appearances.  Torres earned his 22nd save of the year.

Offensive MVP: Rickie Weeks (4-5/1R/2RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7IP/7H/3ER/0BB/3SO/1HR/Win-7th)

My Take:

The Brewers looked very good again.  They scored 6 runs without hitting a single home run, held the lead without much excitement, and locked up another winning road trip.  They have won 32 games on the road already in 2008.  Last year, they only managed 32 the entire season.  If Milwaukee can keep this road success going, they will be in good shape for August, as most of their games this month are away from Miller Park.  Come September, however, they will have to find their home magic again.  Milwaukee is coming off a 1-6 homestand, but will get a chance to right the ship a little with a 4 game set against the struggling Washington Nationals.  Make no mistake, regardless of the fact the Nationals have about 10 more losses than the Brewers have wins, it will be a very, very important series.  Milwaukee will HAVE to prove that they are the better team, and if they play down to the level of the Nationals and fail to win the series, it will be a major warning flag that the Brewers are not championship caliber.  For now, I am enjoying another great road trip!

CC Sabathia has been generally brilliant since arriving in Milwaukee, and on Saturday afternoon against the Atlanta Braves…more of the same.  The big lefty hurled 8.1 innings, giving up only 2 runs on 6 hits, a walk, and 9 strikeouts.  He won his 5th game as a Brewer (against 0 losses).  The offense was baffled early on by a less-than-spectacular pitcher in Charlie Morton, and he had a one-hit shutout going through the first 6 innings.  But first-baseman Prince Fielder continued his recent power binge with a game-tying shot off Morton’s first pitch in the seventh.  Corey Hart proceeded to reach first via a bunt single, and was moved to second on a Craig Counsell groundout.  After Mike Cameron popped out, it looked as though the game would remain tied 1-1, but catcher Jason Kendall smoked a double down the third base line that scored Hart with ease.  Up 2-1, Rickie Weeks worked a leadoff walk in the 8th, and after Hardy and Braun were retired, Fielder took hold of another pitch (this time from Rafael Soriano) and smashed it to right center-field for his second home run of the game.  Sabathia tried for the complete game victory, but gave up a double to lead things off, so Salomon Torres entered the game and recorded the final two outs for his 21st save and Milwaukee’s 62nd victory of 2008.

Offensive MVP: Prince Fielder (2-3/2R/2HR/3RBI/0BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: CC Sabathia (8.1IP/6H/2ER/1BB/9SO/0HR/Win-5th)

My Take:

This was a good game, and Milwaukee was more able to score runs in the clutch, which is a tremendous sign.  Sabathia has been phenomenal since being traded, and his great effort should not come as a surprise to anyone.  The Brewers will need to continue winning these winnable games because they return home to Miller Park in two days to tackle the Washington Nationals for a 4 game set.

Jeff Suppan was brilliant on Friday evening, pitching 7 shutout innings, only giving up 5 hits and 3 walks (1 strikeout).  Stymied by the Chicago Cubs’ tremendous pitching staff for the past three and a half days, the Milwaukee offense needed a breakout day and got one.  In the top of the first, Rickie Weeks lead things off with a single, J.J. Hardy worked a walk, and Ryan Braun hit a booming RBI double off of starter Chuck James.  Corey Hart chipped in with a sacrifice fly with one out to extend the lead to 2-0.  In the second inning, Jason Kendall hit a one-out single and was tripled in by Weeks after a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Suppan.  The Brew Crew truly broke things open in the third, when Prince Fielder hit a colossal home run and Mike Cameron followed suit three batters later to give Milwaukee a 6-0 lead.

Neither team pushed across runs until the eighth, when Bill Hall hit a double over center-fielder Mark Kotsay’s head and was later driven in by Gabe Kapler.  When J.J. Hardy hit a seemingly innocent grounder to Braves’ third-baseman Omar Infante, but he threw it badly and both Kendall and Kapler were able to score.  Milwaukee relievers Brian Shouse and Guillermo Mota combined to pitch two perfect innings and seal the 9-0 verdict.

Offensive MVP: Rickie Weeks (2-4/1R/13B/1RBI/1BB/2K)

Pitching MVP: Jeff Suppan (7IP/5H/0ER/3BB/1SO/0HR)

My Take:

The Atlanta Braves are a very beleaguered team right now.  They recently traded away Mark Teixeira and put Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and Tim Hudson on the D.L.  The Brewers won a game easily that they should have won easily, and although that may not seem like too much to write home about, they have often struggled beating below average teams in 2008.  This victory was needed badly by the Brewers, and will hopefully turn things around after that disastrous homestand.  The success with runners in scoring position has continued for the second straight day, and Jeff Suppan pitched as well as he ever has in a Brewers uniform.

CC Sabathia pitched 6 and 2/3rds good innings, but was undone by a throwing error from Rickie Weeks in the 7th that gave Chicago the lead, the momentum, and eventually, the game.  The Cubs jumped out to a 2-0 lead early thanks to Alfonso Soriano.  He hit a lead off double and scored in the first, and homered in the 3rd inning.  The Brewers awoke in the sixth as J.J. Hardy homered with one out and Ryan Braun followed suit to tie the game and bring the crowd to their feet.  Prince Fielder singled and then scored on a double by Corey Hart (who was thrown out at third on the play to buy the big first baseman more time).  In the seventh, the bases were loaded with one out and Derrek Lee at the plate.  Sabathia engaged in a memorable battle with the Cubs’ slugger, but when it seemed as though the lefty had managed to get out of the inning, Rickie Weeks promptly threw the ball past Fielder at first to ruin the double play and the game in the same instant.  Milwaukee stormed back with two outs in the seventh when Russell Branyan hit a monstrous pinch-hit home run to knot the game at 4.  In the ninth, though, usually reliable Salomon Torres scuffled mightily and surrendered 2 earned runs on 2 hits and 3 walks (one intentional).  Carlos Marmol pitched the ninth for manager Lou Piniella, getting the save.

Offensive MVP: Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano (2-4/3R/1HR/1RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Cubs RP Chad Gaudin (1IP/0H/0ER/1BB/3SO/0HR/Win-7th)

My Take:

To Brewers fans ready to jump off a cliff…come on!  The season is far from over, the series is far from over, and there will be much more baseball played against the Chicago Cubs in 2008.  The Cubs are a superb team, and mind you, that statement is coming from one of the most passionate Brewer fans you would ever meet.  It is not easy for me to accept, but it’s the truth.  Tonight proves that when they are on, they are truly the class of the National League.  They battled and strained and held onto their lead, something Milwaukee has been unable to do too often this year.  Am I counting the Brewers out of the division race?  Heck no!  This was one of the greatest (and worst) Brewers’ games I have ever witnessed, and the atmosphere in Miller Park provided a glimpse of how electric postseason baseball would be should Ned Yost’s club reach that plateau.  As for this series: consider it a good and realistic outcome if the Brewers split.