Best and Worst: Brewers vs. Reds II

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

For the third series in a row, the Brewers lost all but the final game, losing the series 2-1. These wins, for better or worse, give hope for the series to come.

THE BEST:

1. Speaking of hope for things to come, Ryan Braun hit 3 home runs in the series after sitting out the final game of the Cardinals series and pinch hitting in the first game against the Reds on Monday. In his 3 hit, 2 HR affair today, Braun boosted his slash line from .227/.271/.318 to .254/.293/.423, doubling his HR and RBI totals on the season.

2. After a rocky start, Aramis Ramirez hit safely in each game against the Reds, going 3 for 9 with his first walk of the season. His BABIP is still just .232, which should come as major solace to any worried fans.

3. Matt Garza had his second consecutive quality start today, logging 6 2/3 innings while giving up 2 earned runs. His FIP for the game was 6.74, however, raising his 2015 number to 5.49, noticeably worse than his already poor 4.50 ERA.

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4. Adam Lind went 5 for 12 with a home run in the series. He’s on an 8-game hit streak and his OPS is .975. He’s been amazing.

5. The subs that have been forced into everyday duties given the injuries the team has sustained did an admirable job in the absences of Braun, Scooter Gennett, Jonathan Lucroy, and Carlos Gomez.

Gerardo Parra and Logan Schafer had two hits when the team scored 6 runs on Monday, and Hector Gomez had 3 hits today in this team’s 8-3 win. With an 89 wRC+, Gomez thus far has been infinitely better than the primary utility option the team had at this time last year in Jeff Bianchi.

THE WORST:

1. It was disappointing to see Jimmy Nelson come crashing to earth, though his early success was not sustainable. The Brewers were out of Monday’s game by the third inning after Nelson gave up 7 earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings, walking 5 and striking out 1.

2. Kyle Lohse continued to struggle yesterday when he gave up 4 earned runs over 7 innings. This came after an encouraging quality start in his last chance on the mound. It’s becoming more difficult to see Lohse end the season with an ERA under 4.00. Even if Lohse pitched the rest of the year at a 3.49 ERA, all the way up to 200 innings, he wouldn’t make it sub-4.00.

3. Elian Herrera‘s hot streak and subsequent value to the Crew appears to be at an end. He’s now hitting .200/.259/.400, and the Brewers are moving back toward Hector Gomez at second base. Herrera plays the same positions as Gomez, but worse, and plays an abysmal outfield. When Carlos Gomez returns, Jason Rogers should keep his spot while Herrera returns to Colorado Springs.

4. After a very nice opening game against the Reds on Monday, Jean Segura went 0 for 9, dropping his OBP down to .303. Given his early defensive struggles, it would be nice to see more out of Segura’s bat, particularly after his nice start to the season. Mostly he needs to improve his walk percentage (2.2%), which is currently less than half of his already low mark from last season.

5. Rob Wooten continues to have insanely bad luck in his Major League career. Despite opposing batters hitting a paltry .154, his ERA over 4 inning is 4.50. His FIP, however, is just 3.39. This is an insanely small sample size, but it is entirely reminiscent of his unfortunate career thus far.

Wooten has earned a strong 2.90 FIP, numbers that would have made him a lock for the Brewers bullpen had it translated to ERA. His ERA, however, is 4.36, a far cry from success.

Next up, the Brewers face the Cubs, and the series preview is available here via Pete.