Some things to read while coming back.
There’s something ironic about playing identical back-to-back games against the Minnesota Twins. That’s what happened to the Milwaukee Brewers, who lost 6-4 for the second consecutive day. Derek Harvey of Brew Crew Ball has the recap, if you missed it.
The Brewers got back into the game briefly when Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run home run in the seventh to tie the game at 4. Ramirez batted fifth for the first time as a Brewer, and Patrick Donnelly of MLB.com says the Brewers’ performance during his recent absence showcased their versatility.
With that said, Ramirez’s home run wasn’t enough, as the Brewers lost their second consecutive game. Pitching coach Rick Kranitz pulled no punches in a postgame interview with Telly Hughes of FS Wisconsin:
Strong stuff from Rick Kranitz with Telly after #Brewers surrender six Twins runs. “We’re better than this and we’re not showing it.”
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) June 5, 2014
In the end, Marco Estrada received a no-decision for allowing four runs on four hits and three walks over six innings. He also allowed a home run, his MLB-leading 18th of the season, and has given up at least one in nine consecutive starts. Estrada is the first Brewer to do that since Dave Bush in 2009, and he’s three starts shy of Jeff Suppan’s franchise record streak of 12 starts.
Other notes from the field:
- Will Smith gave up two hits and allowed a run Wednesday night, snapping a streak of 14 scoreless appearances (13 2/3 innings). His ERA climbed to 0.68 with the outing.
- Khris Davis was not in the lineup yesterday, but Ron Roenicke said it was just a routine day off.
- Darryl Hamilton was back on the radio Wednesday night in place of Bob Uecker.
Hopefully, Carlos Gomez will be a little more careful with the stairs during tonight’s game. Seth Rosenthal of SB Nation has a Vine video of him slipping and falling while carrying a broken bat on his way into the Brewers dugout. Gomez appeared to be OK and was able to remain in the game.
Wei-Chung Wang has yet to pitch in a game in the Twins series, but he did make an appearance of a different kind in the Brewers’ zoo-themed #WCWW video.
In the minors:
- The affiliates went 2-1 on Wednesday behind a pair of home runs from Huntsville outfielder Mitch Haniger in the Stars’ 7-5 win over Jackson. You can read more on all of yesterday’s action in the Brewerfan.net Link Report.
- Teddy Cahill of MLB.com has more on Haniger’s big day.
- Meanwhile, home runs were also the story for Wisconsin, as Clint Coulter hit his Midwest League-leading 11th to tie the game and Taylor Brennan hit a walkoff shot to give the Timber Rattlers a 6-4 win over Cedar Rapids. Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has highlights and more from the game.
- Brennan is one of five members of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers who will represent the organization in the 2014 Midwest League All Star Game, and one of two who will start the game. Catcher Clint Coulter (as the designated hitter) will be the other starter, and pitchers Barrett Astin, Preston Gainey and Taylor Williams will come out of the bullpen.
- MiLB.com writer Ben Hill is planning on visiting Huntsville for tonight’s game. Longtime readers of the Mug may recall that Hill visited Wisconsin last season and wrote no less than four posts about the experience.
- Meanwhile, the 2014 MLB Draft begins tonight, and the Brewers have the 12th, 41st and 51st overall picks on the first day. Tom Haudricourt has a look at a short list of possible candidates for the first selection.
- Tyler Drenon of MLB Daily Dish has updated his mock draft one last time and has the Brewers selecting Indiana catcher/first baseman Kyle Schwarber.
If you’d like more Brewers coverage today but you’re sick of reading, my weekly appearance on The Home Stretch with Justin Hull on 95.3 WSCO in Appleton has been archived and can be heard here. This week, we spent most of 40 minutes debating the role of managers, the front office and coaches.
Around baseball:
Mets: Designated pitcher Buddy Carlyle for assignment.
Rangers: Placed pitcher Alexi Ogando on the DL with elbow inflammation.
Rockies: Placed outfielder Carlos Gonzalez on the DL with a finger injury and designated catcher Jordan Pacheco for assignment.
Tigers: Designated infielder Danny Worth for assignment.
Yankees: Designated pitcher Alfredo Aceves for assignment.
Let’s go around the NL Central:
- The Cardinals blew a 2-0 lead in the ninth but recovered to pick up a 5-2, 11-inning win over the Royals. Matt Carpenter’s fifth hit of the game plated the winning run.
- The Reds gave up a pair of home runs in the sixth inning, and it was too much to overcome in a 3-2 loss to the Giants. Billy Hamilton had three hits in the game but it was not enough.
- The Pirates lost 3-2 to the Padres despite giving up just one hit, a bunt single. Pittsburgh pitchers gave up nine walks and hit a batter in the game.
- The Cubs got three hits and three RBIs from Starlin Castro in their 5-4 win over the Mets. Chicago’s Nos. 2 and 3 hitters, Justin Ruggiano and Anthony Rizzo, combined to get on base seven times with two hits and five walks.
Here are today’s updated standings and probables:
| Team | W | L | GB | Today | Matchup |
| Brewers | 35 | 25 | — | @ Twins, 7:10 p.m. | Wily Peralta vs Kevin Correia |
| Cardinals | 31 | 29 | 4 | @ Royals, 7:10 p.m. | Michael Wacha vs Yordano Ventura |
| Reds | 27 | 30 | 6.5 | vs Giants, 11:35 a.m. | Mike Leake vs Madison Bumgarner |
| Pirates | 28 | 31 | 6.5 | OFF | |
| Cubs | 22 | 34 | 11 | vs Mets, 6:05 p.m. | Travis Wood vs Jacob deGrom |
The Pirates have fallen onto hard times just a year after making a surprising playoff run in 2013, and Jonah Keri of Grantland asks if they penny-pinched their way back into irrelevance.
Today in former Brewers:
- Nelson Cruz is one of baseball’s hottest hitters, and Steven Goldman of SB Nation wonders if a player fresh off a Biogenesis suspension could be the MVP.
- Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald talked to Casey McGehee about getting hit in the on deck circle by the barrel of teammate Giancarlo Stanton’s broken bat on Tuesday.
- Jeremy Blachman of NotGraphs spotted a one-star review of Jason Kendall’s new book, Throwback, on Amazon.
- Jimmy Nelson, who turns 25.
- 2001 Brewer Mike Coolbaugh, who would have turned 42.
- 1989-94 Brewer Bill Spiers, the Brewers’ first pick (No. 13 overall) in the 1987 draft, who turns 48 (Today In Brewer History).
- 1901 Milwaukee Brewer Billy Maloney, who would have turned 136.
Plunk Everyone notes that Maloney’s 40 career HBP are the most ever for a position player born on June 5.
Today is also the seventh anniversary of Aramis Ramirez, then a member of the Cubs, picking up a hit in his 18th consecutive game at Miller Park to set a ballpark record. It’s also the 32nd anniversary of Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper and Ben Oglivie hitting back-to-back-to-back home runs in an 11-3 win over the A’s in 1982. Follow the links for those events’ respective entries in Today In Brewer History at Brew Crew Ball.
Finally, our condolences go out today to the family of longtime player, coach and baseball lifer Don Zimmer, who passed away Wednesday. Zimmer played 12 seasons in the majors as a member of five teams, managed more than 1,700 games during stints with four franchises and served as a coach or consultant for many, many others. He was 83 years old.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to learn more facts.
Drink up.
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