Off we go.

(more…)

Taylor Green was productive in this game, getting two RBIs. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

So, it wasn’t until the fourth inning when this game would see it’s first bit of production. Ryan Braun was walked followed up by a single from Aramis Ramirez. Corey Hart would then hit a sacrifice to Jeff Samardzjia that would move Braun to third and Ramirez to second. Then, it was time for Taylor Green. Green, who was already 0-1 in the game looked for a hit or even a productive out. Well, regardless, Green hit a sacrifice fly that would score Braun. After this at bat, Ramirez would move to third on a wild pitch but would be stranded there as Brooks Conrad struck out. After the fourth, it’s 1-0 Brew Crew.

The fifth inning, the Cubs would show signs of life as Ian Stewart hit a solo home run, tying up the game. The Cubs’ Reed Johnson would hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth, giving the Cubs the 2-1 run lead. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cubs replaced Samardzjia with Shawn Camp. Camp would record the first two outs by retiring Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun. Aramis Ramirez would walk and eventually get to third as Corey Hart doubled. Once again, it’s Taylor Green time. With two out and two in scoring position, Green somehow manages an infield single that scores Ramirez and ties the game 2-2. Brooks Conrad would fly out, stranding Hart and Green.

The top of the seventh is questionable, at least I think so. Roenicke decides to take out Estrada, who is only at 83 pitches and replaces him with the Kameron Loe. Loe however, was practically our only reliant guy in the past week, but would soon feel the heat like the rest. Ian Stewart hit a ground rule double and is moved to third when Geovany Soto grounds out. Darwin Barney would score Stewart as he reaches on an error by Edwin Maysonet. After the top of the 7th, it’s 3-2 Cubs.

From here on out, it just gets really ugly. The 8th inning sees the appearance of Manny Parra, who still needs to apparently figure out how to pitch. He starts off the inning by getting David DeJesus to line out. After that, it’s really all downhill from here. Tony Campana singles and is advanced to second when Starlin Castro grounds out. Bryan LaHair is walked. With two on and two out, Parra can get out of this with any major damage. However, Parra being Parra, that is not the case. Parra throws a wild pitch which allows Campana to score and LaHair to go to second. The “fun” is not over yet as Alfonso Soriano doubles, scoring LaHair. So, what does Parra do after this? Of course, throw another wild pitch! Soriano advances to third, but fortunately enough Stewart grounds out ending the inning. The Brewers strand Ryan Braun in the bottom of the inning. After eight, it’s 5-2 Cubs.

Marco Estrada has nothing to be ashamed of from this start. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

You know that Adam Sandler song from the Wedding Singer? You know, the one where he sings the line “Somebody kill me please”? That’s the kind of vibe I’ve been getting from our relievers all season. Vinnie Chulk replaces Parra (woo-hoo, that’s a sarcastic woo-hoo by the way) and really does worse than Parra. He starts off the ninth by allowing Soto to hit a double, followed by Darwin Barney with ANOTHER double that scores Soto. Joe Mather flies out somehow (really, I thought it was going to be another double), but apparently that first out means nothing as David DeJesus singles, moving Barney to third. There’s the good, the bad and the ugly. I feel this game hits beyond the ugly after this. Tony Campana hits a single, scoring Barney and moving DeJesus to third. Then after that single, Castro hits a single that scores DeJesus and keeps Campana at second. So, I don’t even know how the rest of this inning happened, but it did. Bryan LaHair strikes out followed by a Jeff Baker walk that loads the bases. With bases loaded, the pressure has probably just escaped Chulk’s mind and he gets Stewart to strike out. The Brewers can do nothing in the bottom half. Game over, Cubs win 8-2.

I feel if Roenicke had kept Estrada in for the entirety of the seventh, this game may have had a different out come. That’s just a guess, but with the way the bullpen is, why not try and squeeze every inning out of your starters? They pitch every five days so they have time to recover. Your bullpen? Not so much. This game also snapped Lucroy’s nine game hitting streak and showed us that Taylor Green is up here for real.

Final Stats:

Starters:

M. Estrada: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s, ND

J. Samardzjia: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB’s, 6 K’s, ND

WP: S. Camp (1-1, 3.50 ERA): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

LP: K. Loe (2-1, 2.30 ERA): 1 IP, 1 R (unearned), 1 K

Home runs: I. Stewart (4), R. Johnson (1)

RBIs: I. Stewart (12), R. Johnson (6), A. Soriano (6), D. Barney (8), T. Campana (3), S. Castro (20), T. Green 2 (2)

Doubles: I. Stewart (4), A. Soriano (6), G. Soto (2), D. Barney (6), C. Hart (10)

Triples: N. Aoki (1)

Errors: I. Stewart (3), E. Maysonet (1)

Until next time. Go Brew Crew!

Hooray for clutch hitting! Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

So, honestly, raise your hand if you thought this affair was going to go 13 innings. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Me either. Oh of course Randy Wolf pitched well, but it’s the scary bullpen that causes the nightmares for the Brewers. Jose Veras‘ implosion turned into a long grand slam for David DeJesus and even Kameron Loe couldn’t stop the bleeding. On the other hand, the Cubs’ bullpen wasn’t as hot either. Carlos Marmol, Michael Bowden, Rafael Dolis and Lendy Castillo gave up a combined seven runs whereas Cubs’ starter Matt Garza only gave up one. Offensively, this game tested both lineups extremely. Any long standing game has effects on guys, especially when we have an early afternoon game tomorrow, but Corey Hart had two clutch hits for us, one of which sealed tonight’s victory.

(more…)

Gallardo gave up three home runs in the 4th inning of Friday's game. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Well, that was a fun Opening Day weekend…right? I’m not much of a fireworks person as it is, and Friday just made my stomach turn. The disastrous 4th inning for Yovani Gallardo seemed endless, but that was all temporarily forgotten when Saturday came about. Zack Greinke completely shut down the Cardinals. On Saturday, Greinke went seven innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven. It was a pretty terrific start for Greinke, but not so much for Gallardo. Then yesterday happened…to be fair, yesterday’s 9-3 loss cannot be solely blamed on Randy Wolf. While he did seem to struggle, a pitch count of 108 through only five innings of work, he did manage to strike out seven and only walk one. Wolf allowed three runs on nine hits. What scares me (and yes I know it’s very early) is how the bullpen just imploded. Every guy that pitched (Marco Estrada, Tim Dillard, John Axford and Kameron Loe) all allowed earned runs. Yikes, and I thought Friday’s loss was bad…but hey at least Ryan Braun is back in form as he hit his first home run. Okay so maybe the Cards were a bit of challenge, but it’s a new day. Tonight, we begin our first road game of the season and open up our series at Chicago with the Cubs (1-2). Let’s hope we can pull a win out here. (more…)

Since July of the 2010 season, we have all been prepared to say goodbye to Prince Fielder.  We knew all to well that his talent was too great for our humble city to keep for itself.  It seemed like an almost certainty that he would be traded at the deadline last year, but he never was.  Then most of us just presumed the Brewers would trade him to acquire pitching this past off-season, and we were half right.  They went and got their pitching and kept Prince in Milwaukee.  The 2011 season was going to be our “all or nothing season”, right?

Wrong.  The 2012 Brewers are going to be fine, so I never really agreed with that mentality.  Sure we don’t have a shortstop or bullpen, but we are certainly going to be in the NL Central race all season.  Will the 2012 team win the World Series?  Maybe.  Also maybe not.  A greater concern for me is the 2013 season…

(more…)

     When you have been struggling to put runs on the board, you need to capitalize on every opportunity you have.  In the bottom of the 1st inning, Jerry Hairston doubles with one out.  Normally with Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder behind him, that should be a run no problem.  Pop out, strikeout.  (That’s 1 missed oppo)  The 3rd inning comes up and Josh Wilson singles.  Then Marco Estrada laid down the perfect bunt to move Wilson to 2nd base.  That was followed by a Corey Hart single.  With runners on the corners and 1 out, Jerry Hairston grounds into an inning ending double play when Ed Sedar called for the squeeze bunt.  (Missed oppo #2)  To the 6th inning we go.  Hairston doubles again with 1 out.  Braun flies out and Fielder flies out.  (Missed oppo #3)  At this point in the game the Brewers have missed 3 run opportunities and they are only down 1-0.  Then things got out of control.

(more…)