Ben Sheets had not won a game since CC Sabathia’s arrival to Milwaukee, but he broke out of his mini-slump Saturday evening with a dominant showing against the Washington Nationals.  He hurled 9 shutout innings and struck out 6 en route to his 11th win of 2008.  He even chipped in at the plate with an RBI single to bring in Jason Kendall in the bottom of the eighth inning on a two-strike count.  The hitters just kept on hitting…they have been ever since the dugout scrap during the Reds’ series.  Though Ryan Braun gave all Brewers’ fans a great scare by leaving the game due to lower back tightness, his comrades didn’t miss a beat.  Gabe Kapler drove in Ray Durham (who had reached earlier on a leadoff double) in the third to give the Crew a 1-0 advantage.  Corey Hart, who had been robbed of a possible homerun the night before, was retired on a gorgeous grab at the wall by Lastings Milledge that did allow J.J. Hardy to double the lead to 2-0.

Inauspicious was the start of the Milwaukee fourth, but the recently acquired Ray Durham brought the crowd to its feet with a rocket to right field that carried out for his first homerun as a Brewer.  Hardy followed him up with his second homer in as many nights, and the score was then 4-0.  When Corey Hart hit a booming shot to dead center in the fifth inning, onlookers were probably worried for a second that the Nationals would steal yet another extra-base hit from the lanky outfielder, but this time, Hart was not to be denied.  The third Milwaukee round-tripper of the game put them up 5-0, which was more than enough run support for Sheets.  Coupled with a Cubs’ loss earlier in the day, the 6-0 victory places Ned Yost’s club 4.0 out of 1st place in the Central.  They are also 2.0 games ahead of St. Louis for the Wild Card lead.

Offensive MVP: Ray Durham (2-4/2R/12B/1HR/1RBI/1BB/0K)

Pitching MVP: Ben Sheets (9IP/5H/0ER/0BB/6SO/0HR/Win-11th)

*Gold Glove Play of the Game: Corey Hart was robbed of another extra-base hit thanks to a crashing catch at the wall by Nationals’ center-fielder Lastings Milledge.

Alex’s Take:

Take this icepack, Washington, because you just felt the 1-2 punch of CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets.  When both of these starters are on, there are few, if any teams in the Major Leagues that can stand up to the might of the hard-throwing lefty and righty.  It was puzzling that Sheets had been struggling since Sabathia arrived.  I would have thought that the southpaw would have taken some pressure off of the Milwaukee incumbent ace, but it was not really the case.  Whatever troubles Big Ben had been having, they seemed to have been put on hold tonight.  The Brewers offense once again turned in a big day at the office, and though they stranded 8 runners, they did collect two two-out RBIs and managed to bring in half of their 6 runs without the long ball.  The Nationals are not a very good baseball team, however, and have had their share of injuries (the saddest of them being Dmitri Young’s ongoing battle with diabetes), but these two wins are a good sign considering how badly Milwaukee had been at home of late.

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!

Manny Parra pitched 4 good innings and 2 atrocious ones.  He gave up 6 earned runs total on 4 hits, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts.  Carlos Villanueva pitched 2 innings of solid relief.  The Milwaukee offense was basically put to sleep by Bronson Arroyo, and they only scored 1 run off of him.  They finished with 9 hits, but stranded 9 runners.  Arroyo not only baffled opposing hitters, but hit a two-run double to put his team ahead.  First baseman Joey Votto hit a two-run single and Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer for the Reds.  Ryan Braun and Mike Cameron hit meaningless solo shots, and Corey Hart managed an RBI single, but the 3 runs were not nearly enough to make this one interesting.

Offensive MVP: Reds RF Jay Bruce (1-2/2R/1HR/2RBI/1BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Reds SP Bronson Arroyo (6IP/4H/1ER/2BB/6SO/0HR/Win-10th)

My Take:

I try very hard to tell myself the season is far from over.  I try hard to remind myself that baseball is in fact only a game and the Brewers cannot be influenced by anything I say or do, but the ways they lose again and again and again, the ways they sputter when it matters most, the way no one in their higher management seems to think anything is wrong, do nothing but annoy and embarrass me.  They can’t hit in the clutch, they can’t pitch if they can’t hit because it seems as though the starters put too much pressure on themselves.  The Brewers have a very gifted starting rotation, but a very poor offense.  It is home run happy, and as fun as it may be at times when Milwaukee grabs victories with dramatic round-trippers, they cannot, will not, and are not winning enough games with that mentality.  Being a small market club, the talent will walk away…I’ve seen it before.  Draft picks will be the only compensation, and draft picks take years to evolve into major league caliber players if they evolve at all…Ryan Braun is a rare exception.  If nothing happens this season, guys like Sheets and Sabathia will most certainly leave, forcing younger, less proven pitchers to hold down the rotation.  Fielder may be traded, and that wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to the Brewers, but still, it would be for prospects…little more.  Things would seem far less morose if they were putting up a good effort consistently, but they aren’t.  Things would seem better if they didn’t lose every single game because of poor clutch hitting or poor management of pitching and the bullpen, but they usually do.  I don’t know what to make of this team…I really don’t anymore.

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.

Jeff Suppan was atrocious on Sunday afternoon, giving up 8 earned runs on 11 hits in 6 innings of work.  He also walked one and struck out 3.  The Brewers were up 4-1 thanks to a Prince Fielder sac fly in the first, a Mike Rivera double in the second, and a two-run shot by Ryan Braun in the third.  But Suppan was hit and hit hard in the fifth, surrendering seven runs that were capped off by a three-run shot by Geoff Blum, his second of the day.  Milwaukee tallied one in the sixth off a J.J. Hardy single that scored Russell Branyan from second, but reliever Seth McClung gave up 3 earned runs off of 5 hits and 3 walks in only 2.0 innings pitched to crush any hope of a Brewer comeback.  Astros starter Randy Wolfe struggled, giving up 3 earned runs in 4.1 innings of work, but Chris Sampson relieved him and handcuffed the Brewers for the next few frames, giving up only 1 earned run.  In the ninth, Rickie Weeks tripled and scored on a ground-out by Hardy.

Offensive MVP: Astros 3B Geoff Blum (2-4/2R/2H/2HR/4RBI/0BB/1K)

Pitching MVP: Astros RP Chris Sampson (2.2IP/2H/1ER/0BB/2SO/0HR)

My Take:

So long first place.  This was one of the tougher losses of 2008, but it is simply part of the ebb and flow of a 162 game season.  It would have been nice for the Brewers to have a little momentum going into their 4 game series with Chicago, but that’s just not the way it turned out.  Suppan is often up and down throughout a year, so he could easily bounce back next time.  The upcoming four games will say a lot about whether the Brewers are truly a contender or just a pretender, but even the outcome of that series should be taken with a grain of salt.

An electric crowd of 43,489 was on hand to witness the Brewers rally from down 2-4 thanks to another unbelievable game by Ryan Braun.  Dave Bush was not sharp by any means on Saturday evening, and he only pitched 5.0 innings, gave up 4 earned runs and 9 hits in the process.  He was in line for the loss in the fourth when Astros’ right-fielder Hunter Pence crushed a hanging curveball for a solo home run that gave his club a 3-2 lead.  The Brewers had staked their right-hander a 2-0 advantage thanks to a pair of sacrifice flies by Ryan Braun (one in the first inning that scored Ray Durham and one in the third that brought the second-baseman in again).  After Lance Berkman knocked in Kazuo Matsui in the fifth, Houston had a two run lead that held up until the bottom of the seventh.  Durham walked with one out, Craig Counsell popped out, and Milwaukee’s powerful left-fielder hammered a pitch that cleared the center field wall and gave the sellout crowd a lot to cheer about.

Eric Gagne continued his string of good outings with a scoreless eighth, and he was aided by a sliding catch from Braun to retire the side.  In the Milwaukee half, Corey Hart lead off with a double and Bill Hall immediately brought him in with a looping single to center.  Up 5-4, the Brewers’ catcher Jason Kendall was batting with Hall on third and he grounded to Houston’s third-baseman Ty Wigginton, but Wigginton bobbled the ball and had to settle for the out at first, thus, Hall touched home.  Closer Salomon Torres continued to prove that he is one of the best off-season acquisitions made by G.M. Doug Melvin as he skillfully protected the 6-4 lead and picked up his 20th save in the process.

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

Pitching MVP: RP Eric Gagne (1IP/0H/0HR/0ER/0BB/0SO/Win-4th)

My Take:

What a difference two months and seven days makes.  On May 19, 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers stood at 20-24, had just been humiliated by the Boston Red Sox in a three game sweep, were dead last in the NL Central, and were 7.0 games behind the Chicago Cubs, who were appearing to run away with the division.  On July 26, 2008, they are 60-44, have recently returned to Milwaukee after completing a four game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, and are no games behind the Chicago Cubs.  The way the club has bounced back from such a poor start is as astounding as it is encouraging.  There is a lot of baseball left to be played in 2008, but when you consider the fact that Milwaukee has surged to a first-place tie after being as many as 8.5 games behind this season, I like their chances to make this the greatest year for Brewers’ baseball since 1982.

If the Milwaukee Brewers can play this well on the road, the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs may be a little hesitant to find out what Ryan Braun and his club can accomplish at home.  Thursday’s game was very similar to the first two of the series: the Brewers were down 2-0 early and struggled offensively, stranding 11 more base runners.  And just like Games 1 and 2, there was a dramatic home run late that cut Tony La Russa and his bullpen down to the core.  The only difference?  Ryan Braun, not Bill Hall, was the man who delivered when the Brewers needed it most.

Few position players chipped in in the clutch on Thursday, and Corey Hart had a horrific day.  He went 0-5 and squashed more than one rally.  He did ground into a force out that scored a critical run, but he also grounded into two double plays, committed an error in right field when he let a ball squirt past his glove, allowing Ryan Ludwick to rumble all the way around the bases to score.  Hart is playing like a zombie right now, but Brewers fans need not worry too much; he is most likely just fighting off a cold or some other minor illness.  Jason Kendall walked with bases loaded in a wild fourth inning that included Ben Sheets hitting a two-out, bases loaded looping line drive to center field that was played incredibly by Ryan Ludwick, who made a diving catch to prevent probably two Milwaukee runs from scoring.

Ben Sheets struggled early, but relaxed to pitch seven quality innings, allowing only 2 earned runs and four hits.  He was in line for the loss, but after Eric Gagne pitched a solid eighth inning to hold the deficit at 2-3, the Brewers offense blew away the St. Louis bullpen for the third time in the four game series…well, Ryan Braun blew away the St. Louis bullpen anyway.  After Ray Durham, making his first start for Milwaukee (he went 0-5), struck out, J.J. Hardy kept the game and his torrid hitting alive by reaching first on a single.  Braun took a strike down the middle and with a powerful swing of the bat, he completely ruined closer Ryan Franklin’s day.  The score was 4-3, Busch stadium had been silenced for the fourth straight day, and the Brew Crew had visibly stolen all the momentum away from the dejected Redbirds.

In 1987, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor lead what is known as “Team Streak” to a 13 game winning streak to start off the season.  It was one of the best seasons in Brewers’ history, but amazingly enough, the American League ball club never swept a road trip as long as 7 games.  Neither did the A.L. Champion 1982 Brewers accomplish the feat.  Salomon Torres sealed that piece of history with his dominant ninth inning of work.  He fanned Troy Glaus; he caught Ryan Ludwick looking; and for good measure, he whiffed Jason LaRue to complete the 4 game sweep, the 7 game sweep of the road trip, and the eighth straight victory for Ned Yost’s Brewers overall.

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

Pitching MVP: CP Salomon Torres (1IP/0H/0HR/0ER/0BB/3SO)

My Take:

The Brewers offense looked a little sloppy today, but when you consider the fact that they swept the Cardinals in St. Louis, it really doesn’t matter.  The bullpen looked as solid as ever, and Ben Sheets really did a nice job of keeping his club in the game, which is a good sign considering he has been struggling of late.  The upcoming homestand could be one of the most important of the year, but if Milwaukee plays with as much passion as they showed in St. Louis, look for them to gain some significant ground on the Chicago Cubs or even pass them up for the divisional lead.

1992…sixteen long years ago.  That was the last time the Milwaukee Brewers sat 15 games above the .500 mark.  After a relatively easy win at St. Louis on Wednesday evening, Ned Yost’s club is now 58-43, a full 2.0 games ahead of Tony La Russa and his Cardinals.  Unlike the first two games of the series, there was very little drama thanks to another tremendous start by CC Sabathia.  He has pitched out of his mind since becoming a Brewer, and now has 3 straight complete game victories.  He took a no-hitter into the sixth, and finished only allowing 3 and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts in 9 golden innings.  The Brewers offense struggled early on against Braden Looper, and they stranded 13 runners in the game, but J.J. Hardy, Rickie Weeks, and Ryan Braun all stepped up when it mattered most to give the towering lefty all the run support he needed.

In the top of the fifth, Hardy, batting with one out, sent a Looper slider out to left field.  It barely cleared the wall, but when it comes to home runs, it doesn’t ever matter how far they go.  Up 1-0 in the sixth, Mike Cameron hit a lead-off single, Jason Kendall was hit by a pitch in the arm, and CC Sabathia grounded into what appeared to be a double play ball, but the savvy veteran Kendall slid into second and took out shortstop Brendan Ryan’s legs out from under him, making it impossible to double off the lefty rumbling down the first base line.  Rickie Weeks continued to contribute to the offense with a sacrifice fly to bring in Cameron.

Nothing much happened for either team until the top of the ninth, when Ryan Braun got a hold of a high and outside fastball from Jason Isringhausen and sent it opposite field to expand Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0.  Sabathia returned to pitch the ninth, and was stellar.  He fooled perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols so badly on a third strike fastball that he lost hold of his bat and it flew out to greet third baseman Bill Hall.  Troy Glaus followed with a chopper to Prince Fielder who easily slapped a tag on him to clinch Milwaukee’s sixth straight road victory, a series win at Busch Stadium, and seventh straight victory overall.

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

Pitching MVP: CC Sabathia (9IP/3H/0HR/0ER/2BB/7SO)

My Take:

It is hard to believe how far these Brewers have come since 2002.  That was the year they finished 56-106 under manager Jerry Royster.  Despite being criticized at times (more than once by myself) Ned Yost has truly done a spectacular job of righting the ship and bringing meaningful baseball back to Wisconsin.  A lot of credit should also go to the amateur scouting director Jack Zduriencik who is the reason fans can see the likes of Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and J.J. Hardy in Brewers uniforms.  101 games into the 2008 season, things are definitely looking good.  Without a doubt, Milwaukee is fielding its best team since the days of Yount and Molitor, and it is a real treat to watch.  There is no guarantee at this point in the season that ’08 is going to bring postseason baseball back to Wisconsin, but this team is playing with unparalleled confidence, and will actually have a chance to sweep the Cardinals in St. Louis tomorrow.