Some things to read while leaving it at home.
Getting back out on the road did not cure what ails the Milwaukee Brewers, as they got blown out 11-2 last night in the first of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fred Hofstetter of Brew Crew Ball has the recap, if you missed it.
The game was 2-2 heading into the seventh inning before a pair of meltdowns from a Brewer bullpen that has been otherwise outstanding in 2014. Rob Wooten allowed three runs while recording just one out in the seventh, and rookie Wei-Chung Wang, a Rule 5 draft pick from the Pirates, gave up six more in the eighth. The Brewers may have had a motive for allowing the latter to happen.
In just two innings last night, the Brewers raised their 2014 bullpen ERA from 1.33 to 3.16. It’s worth noting that the two primary offenders, though, were a guy who probably shouldn’t be in the majors (Wang) and a guy who opened the season in Triple-A (Wooten). I’m not sure it’s a major cause for concern. Our own Howie Magner used last night as a reminder in our Tweet of the Day:
Think of this game as a friendly reminder of how good the #Brewers bullpen has been.
— Howie Magner (@howiemag) April 18, 2014
Yovani Gallardo had a solid outing last night, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks but completing just six innings. He needed 114 pitches to reach that mark, and @JaymesL notes that he hadn’t thrown that many in a game since August of 2012.
Aramis Ramirez only had one hit last night, but it was a big one, as his first-inning single drove in the game’s first run. @AdamMcCalvy notes that the hit improved him to 11-for-14 on the season with runners in scoring position.
Meanwhile, Jean Segura continues to struggle. He went 0-for-3 last night with a sac bunt and his OPS (on-base plus slugging) remains well below .600. Segura told Adam McCalvy he’s just “taking some time” to get going this season.
Other notes from the field:
- The Brewers gave up 11 runs in a game last night for the first time since July 5, 2013. Their 92 consecutive games allowing 10 runs or less were the ninth-longest streak in franchise history, and only the second-longest since 1991.
- They also allowed four home runs last night for the first time since August of 2013.
- Last night’s game featured the FS Wisconsin debut of longtime Wisconsin Badgers voice Matt Lepay. He filled in for Brian Anderson, who is off calling the NBA playoffs for TBS.
- The rough seventh inning last night could have gotten worse: Umpires reviewed the call after Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez was ruled out attempting to steal second base, but eventually upheld the decision on the field.
- Mark Reynolds went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in his 1,000th MLB game (h/t @KenSpindler).
The series continues tonight when Kyle Lohse faces Charlie Morton at 6:05 p.m., and Adam McCalvy has the MLB.com preview.
We won’t see Lyle Overbay tonight or tomorrow, as he’s been placed on the paternity list following the birth of his fifth child, Eddie Christian (h/t @Brewers). Overbay is scheduled to rejoin the team on Sunday, but in the meantime, infielder/outfielder Elian Herrera has been called up from Nashville to take his roster spot. Noah Jarosh of Brew Crew Ball has more on Herrera.
The Brewers have now lost three of four games since their nine-game winning streak, but at least some national writers continue to believe in them. Marc Normandin of SB Nation says the first-place Brewers are for real. Meanwhile, Scott Lindholm of Beyond the Box Score has a pretty optimistic look at the final results of other teams that have started a season 10-3.
Getting Khris Davis back on track would go a long way towards helping the Brewers live up to their newly-raised expectations. Davis just wrapped up an 0-for-20 homestand, and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talked to him about his struggles at Miller Park. Davis went 1-for-4 last night.
Even if Davis continues to struggle, he’s still likely to play left field most days. Colby Garrapy of Gammons Daily has projected midseason lineups for each NL Central team and shows no pending changes for the Brewers.
Garrapy also predicts Francisco Rodriguez will remain in the closer role, which he appears to have taken away from Jim Henderson. David S. Grant of Reviewing the Brew asks who should be pitching the ninth inning.
In the minors:
- The affiliates went 2-1 yesterday, and Huntsville pitcher Brent Suter worked six scoreless innings in the Stars’ 1-0 win over Mississippi. You can read more about all of last night’s action in the Brewerfan.net Link Report.
- Nashville was also a winner last night with Hiram Burgos on the mound, and @alecdopp notes that the onetime Brewer’s swing-and-miss rate is up this season.
- Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has a recap and highlights from Wisconsin’s 4-3 loss to Great Lakes.
- Pitcher Jimmy Nelson is off to a nice start in Nashville, posting a 2.50 ERA over his first three starts. Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker has more on his early success.
- Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects also has Nelson on his list of 16 players enjoying early-season success.
- Wisconsin catcher Clint Coulter, as you might expect, is also on that list. Jay Blue of Grading on the Curve singled him out as one of the Midwest League’s hottest players.
- Donovan Hand isn’t on the list, but he’s already recorded three saves in his first seven relief outings for Nashville. Calvin Cooley of The Moulton Advertiser has more on his return to Triple-A.
- Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem has an interview with Brewers minor league pitching coordinator Rick Tomlin.
Today in power rankings: Steve Roney of Nats Insider has the Brewers third this week.
If you’d like more Brewers coverage today but you’re sick of reading, I’ll be making my weekly appearance on The Sports Den with Downtown Ollie Burrows on Sports Fan 100.5 in Wausau at 5:30 p.m. Tune in or follow that link to listen online.
Around baseball:
Blue Jays: Pitcher Jeremy Jeffress refused an outright assignment to the minors and is now a free agent.
Cardinals: Placed pitcher Joe Kelly on the DL with a hamstring strain.
Royals: Placed outfielder Lorenzo Cain on the DL with a groin strain and outfielder Jarrod Dyson on the bereavement list.
White Sox: Designated reliever Donnie Veal for assignment.
Let’s go around the NL Central:
- The Cardinals are back within a game of first place in the division after their 8-0 win over the Nationals last night. Adam Wainwright allowed just two hits while pitching a complete game shutout.
- The Pirates, as you’ve likely heard, got revenge for last week’s sweep in Milwaukee by beating the Brewers 11-2 in Pittsburgh.
- The Reds and Cubs were off Thursday.
| Team | W | L | GB | Today | Matchup |
| Brewers | 11 | 5 | — | @ Pirates, 6:05 pm | Kyle Lohse vs Charlie Morton |
| Cardinals | 10 | 6 | 1 | @ Nationals, 6:05 pm | Michael Wacha vs Gio Gonzalez |
| Pirates | 8 | 8 | 3 | vs Brewers, 6:05 pm | Charlie Morton vs Kyle Lohse |
| Reds | 6 | 9 | 4.5 | @ Cubs, 1:20 pm | Alfredo Simon vs Jeff Samardzija |
| Cubs | 4 | 10 | 6 | vs Reds, 1:20 pm | Jeff Samardzija vs Alfredo Simon |
I don’t have any notes on former Brewers today, but I do have one on a former Brewer logo: Jameson of Design Room Creative listed the ball-and-glove logo as one of the 10 best in MLB history (h/t BBTF).
This note isn’t all that relevant to the Brewers, although it is a strategy the team could consider: Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports looks at the possibility that the Athletics, who have already demoted Jim Johnson from their closer role, could shift away from traditional bullpen strategies and move to a system where a “relief ace” pitches in the most important spots, regardless of inning (h/t BBTF).
Finally, with help from the Baseball Reference Play Index, we’d like to wish a happy birthday today to:
- J.M. Gold, the Brewers’ first round pick in the 1998 draft (#13 overall), who turns 33. I covered his birthday in Today In Brewer History at Brew Crew Ball three years ago.
- 2003-06 Brewer Brady Clark, who turns 41.
- 1987 Brewer Alex Madrid, who turns 51.
- 1972 Brewer Chuck Taylor, who turns 72.
Today is also the fourth anniversary of the Brewers scoring 10 runs in the first inning en route to an 11-7 win over the Nationals in 2010. I covered that event in Today In Brewer History two years ago.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for another.
Drink up.
Don’t forget to follow Kyle on Twitter @BrewFrostyMug, and check out and “like” the Mug’s new Facebook page. The Frosty Mug runs mornings Monday-Friday and is brought to you by Legends of the Field, a sports memorablila company you can trust.
