Milwaukee Brewers Face Kyle Kendrick on Opening Day

Generally opening day pitching match-ups are headlined with stars. Every team’s ace is set to to the rubber and runs can be at a premium. This year however as the Brewers are set to square off against the Colorado Rockies, there is not a more one-sided match-up in baseball, with Kyle Lohse squaring off against Kyle Kendrick.

Since coming to Milwaukee Lohse has been the Brewers’ most counted on arm. While has not gotten run support at times he has still been able to come away with 24 wins and maintain an ERA of 3.45.

After trading Yovani Gallardo, Lohse has been designated as the team’s ace and he couldn’t be more deserving. Already the leader of the staff, this spring he has pitched like a man on a mission. So far in four starts he has gone 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA.

While everything has been positive over the past few seasons for Lohse, the same would not be said for Kendrick. Since his great debut in 2007 with the Phillies where he was even given consideration for Rookie of the Year, Kendrick career has been moving in the wrong direction. Instead of becoming the Phillies ace, he toiled in and out of the rotation.

Through his first eight seasons he has gone 74-68 with a career 4.42 ERA. Over his past two seasons, he has compiled a combined record of 20-26 with an ERA over four and a half each year. In his 10 outings (seven starts) against the Brewers, Kendrick has been rocked, putting together a career record of 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA. While he has been strong this spring, recent history does not look to be on his side heading into the season.

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Kendrick still has something left to be in a major league rotation, there is no way that he is anyway near an ace. Were he a member of the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff, the 30-year-old would most likely be looking at trying to earn a call-up while pitching in Colorado Springs instead of pitching in Milwaukee. Games are not won on paper, but with Miller Park rocking on April 6th, there couldn’t be a better match-up for the Brewers to start the season.

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