Milwaukee Brewers: Opening Day Series vs STL, Fan’s Eyeview

On our way to Opening Day 2018 at Miller Park, we chat about tales from our elders. We talk about stories of Robin Yount leading the Milwaukee Brewers to the World Series. Then, we talk about the new day…our day.

The beginning of the 2018 season is an exciting time to be a Milwaukee Brewers fan. General Manager David Stearns invested team resources into Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain. Those two outfielders led the Brewers to a sweep of the San Diego Padres to begin 2018.

Yelich got a hit in every game against the Padres, including a personal record-tying five in game 3. Cain smacked multiple hits in all three games and left San Diego with an OPS over 1.000. Yelich and Cain combined for seven runs in the three game series. They exemplified everything fans hoped for from them as the team’s new table-setters.

Now, we head to the Home Opener to face our rivals. This menacing St. Louis Cardinals franchise that easily boosted the Brewers out of championship contention in 2011.

In the car, we talk about Yelich and Cain setting the plate for Milwaukee Brewers run producers. We fantasize about Milwaukee scoring some runs other than by hitting home runs. We hope that the our young players continue maturing, and we hope that Ryan Braun gets his All-Star-level groove back at the plate.

In the Miller Park parking lot, fans tailgate despite the temperatures floating around the freezing point. The driver of the parked car in front of us unfolds a poker table and slurps his Dr. Pepper while his lady-friend chows down what looks like a chicken wrap.

They might not be grilling brats and throwing down domestic beers, but this exemplifies that everyone seems to find a way to tailgate. That is how we do sporting events in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Brewers Home Opener

Inside the stadium, we leave behind the cold temperatures of April 2 that torment us outside. The retractable roof of our beloved Miller Park keeps us toasty. Ahh, modern technology. This is our house…and it smells like sausage!

We close our eyes and shut our mouths to pay our respect during the National Anthem.

Some shed a tear for their country and some get emotional as they listen to the Milwaukee Brewers Owner Mark Attanasio’s sons. The young men keep the tradition left by their late grandfather by kicking off the home opener with the country’s song.

Then, the beats coming out of the speakers quicken and pitcher Zach Davies leads the starters onto the field. Fans make Miller Park vibrate in its foundation as they introduce themselves to the new version of the team.

Yelich, Cain, and Domingo Santana round out the outfield. Ryan Braun debuts at first base hoping he will be healthy this season. 2018 will be great! Hashtag, this is our Crew!

The power of the Miler Park fans does not will its way to a Milwaukee Brewers 2018 Opening Day win, however.

The Brewers score early, but not often enough. Cain, Yelich and Braun combine for a disappointing 1-12 at the plate. The Brewers do whack a few homers, but the atmosphere in the stadium felt poisoned early.

Starting pitcher Davies shows strikeout stuff, but he gives up six earned runs. Orlando Arcia makes a great, ranging play to his glove side, but he goes hitless at the plate.

Before the newly sponsored Johnsonville Sausage Race happens in the mid-sixth, Miller Park exuded a haze of gloom that felt so familiar. Rally caps come out but not with any real pride.

Cubs and Red Sox fans had a traditional lore of pain that stemmed from proud franchises with World Series wins in their past. For Brewers fans, it is different. The hopelessness feels more indifferent. Perhaps it is better to have won a World Series and then lost for a long time than to have never won a World Series at all.

As the team flounders on the field, our minds go back into a pit. The food at Miller Park is so expensive and so and so.

Cardinals win.

They always win.

Milwaukee Brewers Opening Series Game 3

At least it wasn’t snowing.

Early news on April 4 is negative. It relates to Game 2’s starting pitcher, Chase Anderson, who has reportedly lost about 2 mph on his pitches in 2018. The sample size is small, but the news is bad.

“Part of the reason for Anderson’s success last year was the improved velocity on his fastball,” Brewers beat writer Todd Rosiak reported.

These words could have considerably dented the armor of past Milwaukee Brewers fans. The 2018 fans, fresh off Braun’s thrilling walk-off, brush off this report. Perhaps, however, they should have taken it as a warning sign.

Game 3 goes bad.

Not only do the Brewers give the fans nothing to cheer, but the Braun-less offense gets shut out and Yelich leaves the game with an oblique issue.

The Cardinals win and take two of three games from the Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park to start the 2018 NL Central battles. This game feels especially sour. After the late thrills of game 2, Brewers fans want to stick around for the whole game.

Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez commands his stuff and continues to put up zeros, however. He even comes out of the dugout to pitch the ninth inning. Luckily for Brewers fans, he gives up a hit and leaves game before he adds salt to the Brewers wounds by collecting a complete game shut out.

The Brewers have three early series against NL Central foes. They face the Cardinals at home and on the road, and they play the Cubs at Miller Park. They say you cannot win a championship at the beginning of the season, but you can lose one.

Young Brewers fans are already calling for the head of David Stearns for not signing a big starting pitcher. The patient fan has more respect for the Brewers GM’s overall plan and are less knee-jerk with their reactions.

However, the Milwaukee Brewers got some big years out of some unexpected places last season. Even the patient fans are beginning to think their patience will need to last longer than a couple of games.

Few expected the Brewers to turn their rebuilding project into a contender so quickly. Maybe they didn’t.

But that does not mean they won’t. The Brewers could still make the 2018 Playoffs, and a Chapionship could be in their near future so long as their minor league team’s continue to produce good prospects.

Next: Who Closes Now That Corey Knebel Is Hurt?

An experienced baseball fan has to look at what Stearns is doing and feel good regardless of what happens in 2018’s opening games.