Some things to read while not getting through.
The Milwaukee Brewers were off on Monday but still received bad news, as the two teams they’re chasing for the National League’s final Wild Card playoff berth, the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, each won. The Brewers are now five games behind both teams with six games to play, and could be eliminated from postseason contention tonight if they lose while the Giants and Pirates both win.
As such, the season falls on the shoulders of Mike Fiers as he prepares for his 6:10 p.m. start against Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Stephen Petrella has the MLB.com preview.
If the Brewers are going to keep their postseason hopes alive, they’ll need their bats to wake up against one of the National League’s best pitchers. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com is looking for the cause of a hitting slump that has seen the Brewers score just eight times in their last six games.
With that said, if the Brewers can score a few runs against Cueto, then recent history suggests that the pitching staff might be able to make them hold up. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a story on how the Brewers’ starting pitching has remained solid through most of the team’s recent struggles.
A handful of players, perhaps most notably Rickie Weeks, will make what’s likely to be their final Brewers appearances sometime in the next week. Ryan Braun is unlikely to be one of them, however, as he remains under contract through 2020 with a mutual option for 2021. Joel Sherman of the New York Post listed Braun among 10 players that could someday have comparable moments to what Derek Jeter of the Yankees is facing this week (h/t BBTF).
Jeremy Jeffress is also very likely to be back with the Brewers in 2015 after he posted a 1.35 ERA in 27 appearances for the Brewers down the stretch this season. Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a story on Jeffress’ extended recovery from issues with epilepsy that paved the way for a return to the majors.
I’ve written at length previously about the Brewers’ struggles at first base, a position that’s never been fully stabilized since Prince Fielder’s departure following the 2011 season. If you’re scouring the market looking for upgrade possibilities, here’s one name to consider: Justin Millar of MLB Daily Dish reports the Nationals are unlikely to retain Adam LaRoche. He turned 35 in November and has appeared in 441 games over the last three seasons, posting an .802 OPS (on-base plus slugging) with 78 home runs.
Of course, while we look ahead, we’ll also look back at the 2014 season. Adam Wieser of Disciples of Uecker has picked out a game from July that he says serves as a microcosm of this season.
In the minors: Brad Krause of Miller Park Prospects has a recap of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ 2014 season. Wisconsin went 72-67 and reached the postseason behind Brewers Minor League Player of the Year Clint Coulter.
Today in power rankings:
- ESPN has the Brewers 13th this week, up one spot.
- Jonah Keri of Grantland also has them 13th, the same as last week.
If you’d like more Brewers coverage today but you’re sick of reading, I’ll be making my weekly appearance on The Talking Cheeseheads with Ben Larson this afternoon. Listen in live on Sports Fan 100.5 in Wausau or Sports Talk AM 1090 WAQE in Rice Lake, or follow the link above to listen in to the archived audio later.
Around baseball:
Braves: Fired general manager Frank Wren.
Mariners: Pitcher Roenis Elias is out for the remainder of the season with a sore elbow.
Mets: Exercised general manager Sandy Alderson’s contract option for 2015 and are expected to sign him to a long-term extension.
Yankees: Claimed outfielder Eury Perez off waivers from the Nationals and designated pitcher Josh Outman for assignment.
Let’s go around the NL Central:
- The Cardinals got seven shutout innings from Adam Wainwright and coasted to an 8-0 win over the Cubs. The win was Wainwright’s 20th of the season.
- The Pirates beat the Braves 1-0, and have now played three consecutive 1-0 games. That was enough to attract the attention of You Can’t Predict Baseball.
- The Brewers and Reds were off on Monday.
| Team | W | L | GB | Today | Matchup |
| Cardinals | 88 | 69 | — | @ Cubs, 7:05 p.m. | Shelby Miller vs Kyle Hendricks |
| Pirates | 85 | 71 | 2.5 | @ Braves, 6:10 p.m. | Gerrit Cole vs Alex Wood |
| Brewers | 80 | 76 | 7.5 | @ Reds, 6:10 p.m. | Mike Fiers vs Johnny Cueto |
| Reds | 72 | 84 | 15.5 | vs Brewers, 6:10 p.m. | Johnny Cueto vs Mike Fiers |
| Cubs | 69 | 88 | 19 | vs Cardinals, 7:05 p.m. | Kyle Hendricks vs Shelby Miller |
Of course, with the Brewers eliminated from the Central chase, most of our attention has shifted to the three-team race for two wild card spots. The Pirates’ win over the Braves and the Giants’ 5-2, 13-inning win over the Dodgers didn’t help Milwaukee’s chances there:
| Team | W | L | GB | Today | Matchup |
| Pirates | 85 | 71 | — | vs Braves, 6:10 p.m. | Gerrit Cole vs Alex Wood |
| Giants | 85 | 71 | — | @ Dodgers, 9:10 p.m. | Madison Bumgarner vs Zack Greinke |
| Brewers | 80 | 76 | 5 | @ Reds, 6:10 p.m. | Mike Fiers vs Johnny Cueto |
With that said, things could always be worse: The Rangers’ win on Monday (partially powered by former Brewers farmhand Guilder Rodriguez) improved their record to 63-93, meaning no team will lose 100 games this season. The Rangers and Diamondbacks could still lose 99.
I’ve already mentioned the Cardinals’ and Pirates’ shutout victories on Monday, but they weren’t the only ones to blank an opponent: David Pinto of Baseball Musings notes that six of Monday’s 11 scheduled games ended before one team could score.
Meanwhile, one of Monday’s biggest stories around baseball was the announcement that Commissioner Bud Selig has formed a committee to look at possibilities to improve the game’s “pace of play” issues. Marc Normandin of SB Nation has the list of committee members, which he characterizes as “kind of a who’s who of those will still be in power after Selig officially abdicates the throne.”
Today in baseball economics:
- The Royals wrapped up their 2014 home schedule on Sunday and drew 1.96 million fans to Kauffman Stadium this season. That’s their highest single-season attendance total in 23 years.
- Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren had a big night despite his team’s loss on Monday. His seven innings pitched pushed him to 180 on the season, triggering a $500,000 contract incentive and turning his $10 million club option for 2015 into a player option.
- 1994-99 and 2005-06 Brewer Jeff Cirillo, who turns 45.
- 1997 Brewer Pete Harnisch, who turns 48.
- 1989-90 Brewer Tony Fossas, who turns 57.
- 1971 Brewer Marcelino Lopez, who would have turned 71.
Today is also the third anniversary of the Brewers clinching first place in the NL Central in 2011 and the 16th anniversary of what came to be known as the “Brant Brown game,” when the Brewers came from behind to beat the Cubs in 1998 after Chicago outfielder Brant Brown dropped a fly ball in left field. Follow the links for those events’ respective entries in Today In Brewer History at Brew Crew Ball.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to run to the liquor store.
Drink up.
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