Brewers' biggest need apparent after frustrating loss to the Diamondbacks

Since winning their 14th game in a row in exciting fashion over the Cincinnati Reds back on August 16, the Milwaukee Brewers have gone 5-8. They still hold the best record in baseball and a comfortable lead in the NL Central, but it's clear that the Brewers' edge has been dulled over the recent stretch of games.

Yes, today's loss can be attributed to a lackluster starting pitching performance or a failure to capitalize with runners in scoring position, which was also an issue in Wednesday night's loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but there's an overarching need that the Brewers require more than a big hit or a shut-down starting pitching performance. The most frustrating part is that it's out of their control.

Just after the Brewers reached the incredible 14 consecutive wins mark, they embarked on a journey that hardly seemed like a fair move by the MLB schedule makers. Without an off-day, the Brewers traveled to Chicago for a four-game series with their rivals, the Chicago Cubs. That series was followed by a three-game set back at home against the San Francisco Giants, another four-game series, this time against the D-Backs, and then a three-game weekend series in Toronto with the Blue Jays, all without a single off-day.

To make matters worse, the Cubs pushed to reschedule a June rainout to the four-game series at Wrigley Field earlier this month, making it a five-game series in four days at the Friendly Confines. All together that's 19 games in 18 days, a stretch that no team should have to endure at any point in the season, much less the end of August when rosters are generally at their thinnest.

Such a stretch has ripple effects that can significantly hurt a team's production. For example, starters are often working on less days’ rest, relievers are pitching with fewer days in between, and position players don't get the recovery they need to stay fresh day in and day out. What the Brewers need more than anything is rest.

The Milwaukee Brewers need a day off

To make matters worse, the Brewers have endured injury after injury during the month of August. From Jackson Chourio to Joey Ortiz to Grant Anderson to DL Hall to Trevor Megill, and still without Rhys Hoskins who went down with an injury in early July, the Brewers are missing several key players, resulting in a roster that was already thin to begin with, before they embarked on this grueling stretch.

On Wednesday night, the Brewers were forced to turn to Aaron Ashby, who hadn't started a game all season, and newly-signed Erick Fedde, who has already been designated for assignment by two teams this season, to get them through the bulk of the game. On Thursday, it was the combination of Tobias Myers and Easton McGee who were asked to cover the final 5.1 innings of the contest. While all four pitchers pitched admirably, it's revealing that the Brewers are forced to turn to a group of relievers who have seldom been on their big league roster this season, and what it reveals is that the Brewers need rest.

But that rest is still a few days out, and the Brew Crew faces a tough task in the meantime. They match up in a weekend series against the best team in the American League, the Blue Jays, and then come back home to face the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers will play one game against the Phillies, on Labor Day next Monday, before a rare mid-series off-day. That off-day, which is a true day off not a travel day, will finally put an end to the Brewers streak of 19 games in 18 days.

It's a brutal scheduling stretch for the Crew and paired with the injury blows that the team has suffered over the last few weeks, their uninspiring record over the last 13 games is justifiable. It's still frustrating, especially given just how many runners the Brewers left in scoring position this afternoon, but for an already shorthanded squad to tread water during such a stretch is a pretty impressive feat. Now the focus turns to getting healthy, keeping their pitchers fresh, and re-gaining some momentum before what is hopefully a deep postseason run.