As the Brewers get ready to open a three-game set with the New York Metropolitans, we traded questions with Steven Schreiber of Amazin' Avenue about our respective teams and this series. You can see his answers to my questions below, and my answers to his questions over at AA later today.

BCB: The Mets enter play this weekend in fourth place in the NL East and double-digit games under .500. How does this compare to your expectations for the season?

AA: I think their play so far pretty has been pretty close to meeting the expectations I had entering the season. Maybe I would've placed them a couple of games closer to the .500 mark at this point but considering how bad the offense and bullpen has been, it's not really all that shocking that they're 11 games under now. The disappointing seasons that Ike Davis and Ruben Tejada have put together have really sunk the offense, which wasn't all that great to begin with thanks to the grab bag of 4th and 5th outfielders the team entered the season with. As weird as it may sound for a team so far under .500, they've basically been propped up by the excellence of David Wright and Matt Harvey.

BCB: On Friday the Brewers will see former #6 overall pick and top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler for the first time. What can you tell us about him?

AA: As I'm sure you know, Wheeler has great stuff, featuring a mid to upper 90's fastball and two quality breaking pitches, and he was very highly rated all throughout his time in the minors. He's only made three starts in the majors so far, one good and two not so good. The biggest issue he's had is with tipping his breaking pitches, an issue that really showed up in his second start against the White Sox. He worked to correct that issue but then the Nationals knocked him around last Sunday, so he's still a work in progress in that regard. His command is also a bit rough, as he's walked 10 batters in 16 innings, though 5 of those came in his debut. What you'll likely see from him is a young pitcher who flashes excellent raw stuff but is still working out the bugs, so to speak. He's still very much in the learning process and he'll likely have his rough innings but you can see the flashes of a great pitcher in there.

BCB: David Wright is a Met through 2020 and is quietly having a great year (.308/.393/.530 into play Thursday), but he's the only offensive standout on a Mets team that's among the bottom four in the NL in hits, runs, batting average, OBP and slugging. Was opening the checkbook to lock him up still the right decision?

AA: Some fans argued against it prior to this season (heathens is what I'd call them) but I was not one of them. Yes, re-signing David Wright was the correct decision in my mind based on this: if you trade him, what are the chances that you'll acquire a player that's on the same planet as he is? I trust Sandy Alderson to get value back in trades, just as he's done in the case of Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey, but David Wright is one of the best players in the major leagues who happens to be right in the prime of his career. There's undoubtedly some risk at the back end of the contract but if the Mets have plans to contend at all in the near future, they'll need to have some star players on the roster and David Wright is still that kind of stud at age 30.

It's also important to point out that Wright is the face of this team and re-signing him helps improve the morale of a downtrodden fanbase. With the struggles the team has faced over the last 7 seasons and with what happened to Jose Reyes the year before, it's nice to know that David Wright is likely to be manning third base for the Mets for the rest of his career. Plus, he's an incredibly likeable guy and I love watching him play baseball. It would be really tough to watch him do awesome David Wright things on the baseball field in an opposing uniform.

BCB: Obviously the Mets are having a tough year and looking up at the Braves, Nationals and Phillies in the East right now. When does their window to contend open next?

AA: It's still tough to say at the moment when the window opens but I think things are slowly becoming clearer. Wright is here and still awesome, and the quick maturation of Matt Harvey gives the team a young ace to build around. That's a pretty solid foundation to start with (assuming health, of course). The question is how do they go about adding other stars to the equation. The hope is that Wheeler and injured catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud can develop into quality pieces as soon as next year. Even with Wheeler's early struggles, the starting rotation this season has been pretty strong and the organization's biggest strength lies in hard-throwing right handed pitchers. Staring pitching prospects Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard could be in the majors as soon as next year and the minor league rosters throughout the system are littered with pitchers who have potential big league stuff. It's the run scoring side where the Mets will have to plug holes, particularly in the outfield, and to do that they'll probably have to trade away some of those pitchers and spend some money (luckily, there's a lot of money coming off the books after this year). First base is also a big question mark and what Ike Davis does in the second half of the year will go a long way towards telling us what they'll need to do at that position.

I think realistically, the hope is that the team can improve enough to win around 85 games or so and be around the wild card fringe in 2014, and then by 2015 develop into a true division contender but it's still going to take some crafty moves, further development from a number of players, and a bit of luck to get there. I think a lot of Mets fans don't see it developing yet but with the right additions, I feel like things may turn around quicker than some are expecting.

BCB: What does the trade deadline look like for this team? Are any Mets likely to be moving on?

AA: The Mets do have some players that could have value to other teams at the trade deadline but the question seems to be whether they'll actually move them. This front office hasn't been active at the trade deadline, outside of the Carlos Beltran for Wheeler trade in 2011. I think this year, as odd as it seems, they may have a few more pieces to move. Marlon Byrd has been a revelation but at 35, he's not a part of the future. Shaun Marcum has been so-so and he's a little nicked up at the moment but he's got the pedigree to attract some trade attention. John Buck, LaTroy Hawkins, and David Aardsma could probably be spare parts to fill out a contender's roster.

I think their two biggest trade chips, if they decide to go this route, are Bobby Parnell, who's quietly been fantastic as the team's closer this year, and Daniel Murphy who'd fit in at 2nd or 3rd base on a contender. Both players are in their prime and have a couple of years of team control left, so they're still valuable to the Mets (for what it's worth, it's already been said that Parnell isn't going to be actively shopped) but for the right players, perhaps a talented, near major league ready outfielder or shortstop, I can't say I'd be terribly shocked if the Mets pulled the trigger prior to the deadline on July 31.

Thanks again to Steven for taking the time, and don't forget to check out Amazin' Avenue for more on the Mets!

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Before i get to the streaming options for this weekend's games, here is how my streaming selections performed on Thursday:

Jhoulys Chacin vs Dodgers - 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W

Chris Archer vs Astros - 6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K,

Jordan Lyles vs Rays - 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Combined stats: 18.1 IP, 17 H, 8 ER, 9 BB, 12 K, W, 3.93 ERA, 1.42 WHIP

Saturday's Pitching Streamers

Stephen Fife vs Giants

Fife is owned in 11.8% of ESPN leagues and faces a Giants team that has struggled to score runs of late. Fife has pitched very well in his seven starts this season, going 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He has given up three runs or less in six of his seven starts thus far, and will look to continue that trend on Saturday night.

Nathan Eovaldi vs Cardinals

Eovaldi is owned in just 3.7% of ESPN leagues, and this might be a riskly choice with him pitching in St. Louis, but he has pitched very well in his three starts since coming off the DL. He is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in his three starts, but I would like to see him strike out more batters than he has thus far. He has definitely taken a step in the right direction though.

Kyle Kendrick vs Braves

Kendrick is owned in 29.9% of ESPN leagues and faces the Braves on Saturday night. Kendrick has given up three runs or less in six of his last ten starts, and in 12 of his 17 starts overall.

Sunday's Pitching Streamers

Bronson Arroyo vs Mariners

Arroyo is owned in 34.1% of ESPN leagues and faces a Mariners team that ranks 27th in runs scored this season. Arroyo has pitched well this season, going 7-6 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He has given up two runs or less in seven of his last 10 starts.

Jeremy Hefner vs Brewers

Hefner is owned in 3.8% of ESPN leagues, and faces a Brewers team that is 20th in runs scored this season. Hefner is just 3-6 this season, but owns a 3.50 ERA and a solid 1.26 WHIP. He has given up two runs or less in each of his last six starts, and seven of his last eight.

There's a good chance we'll get a glimpse of the future tonight for both the Brewers and the Mets.

At 7:10 tonight Johnny Hellweg (20.25 ERA, 4.94 FIP) will take the mound for his third big league appearance. Hellweg was roughed up in his first major league start on June 28, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits over 1.2 innings. Then, with the Brewer bullpen depleted earlier this week, he was called upon to pitch an inning in relief on Monday and allowed two more runs.

After his last start Ron Roenicke told reporters he planned to have a talk with Hellweg about aggressiveness. 26 of the 52 pitches he threw in his MLB debut were strikes. He improved that figure to 16 out of 26 in his relief outing earlier this week, so that's a positive step. He also reached 98.99 mph on the radar gun in relief on Monday, which by itself will be enough to generate some extra opportunities for him.

Hellweg has, of course, never faced the Mets in the majors. He also has not faced AAA Las Vegas, the Mets affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.

He'll face 23-year-old righty Zack Wheeler (5.06 ERA, 5.94 FIP), who is making major league start #4. Wheeler was the #6 overall pick in the 2009 draft, came from San Francisco to New York in the 2011 Carlos Beltran deal and was ranked by Baseball America as the #11 prospect in all of baseball before this season. He lost to the Nationals on Sunday, allowing five runs on six hits over 4.2 innings.

Wheeler's early MLB work suggests that patience may be the key for the Brewers tonight. He's walked ten opposing batters over 16 innings in the majors and around four per nine innings in four minor league seasons. He'll throw a mid-90's fastball with a slider, curve and occasionally a changeup.

Wheeler has, of course, never faced the Brewers before. He also did not pitch against Nashville this season as a member of the Las Vegas 51s.

As of this writing tonight's lineups have not been posted. If you've seen them, please drop them in the comments.

And in the bullpen:

• Brandon Kintzler pitched 1.1 innings (22 pitches) yesterday.
• Tom Gorzelanny pitched 1.2 innings (20 pitches) yesterday.
• Burke Badenhop faced four batters (12 pitches) yesterday.
• Francisco Rodriguez pitched one inning (22 pitches) on Wednesday.
• Michael Gonzalez, Jim Henderson and John Axford last pitched on Tuesday.
• Tyler Thornburg last pitched on Sunday.

It's going to be a beautiful night for baseball in Milwaukee tonight. Expect a game-time temperature around 78 under partly cloudy skies with winds blowing in from right field.

This was a game that only a mother could love, assuming that mother was a Mets fan.

The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a bases-loaded walk and a run-scoring throwing error. The Brewers responded immediately with two runs of their own in the bottom half, but, in a theme that would play itself out all night, executed some awful baserunning that might have cost them more. The top of the second brought more misadventures, errors, and headscratching decisions by the Milwaukee infield, capped by an Ike Davis RBI infield single (!) and a two-run Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit, putting the Mets up 5-2. Another Kirk RBI single and yet another Brewers error led to two more runs in the fourth.

Zack Wheeler was wild and only retired the leadoff man once, but somehow kept the damage at a minimum as he staggered through five innings. A long solo homer by Juan Francisco in the fourth was his only blemish after a shaky first inning, and though he loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, he squeaked through it with a popup and a strikeout. He was ably assisted by the opposition, who insisted on running themselves out of rallies all night long.

The Mets tacked on via RBI singles from John Buck in the sixth and Juan Lagares in the eighth, then ran away with it by scoring three times in the ninth, a frame that included Niewenhuis's fourth RBI of the night. Greg Burke allowed two ultimately meaningless runs in 1 2/3 innings, but the bullpen was otherwise on point.

Full recap to come.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; your effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

Do you have some trade offers you are consider, but need to bounce them off of someone? Are you pondering a roster move and want a second opinion? Feel free to post your questions in the Fantasy Baseball Questions thread.

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 14: Super Duper American

Andrew and Zack hosted their twice weekly Fake Teams podcast on Sunday night, and discussed Matt Adams, Brad Miller, Bartolo Colon and much more. You can listen to the podcast via MP3 or ITunes:

MP3

ITunes

Francisco Liriano: Pirates ace?

The Pirates signed Francisco Liriano this past offseason, and I figured he was a risky pick on draft day based on his performance over the last few seasons. The Pirates signed him to a one year $1 million contract, with a $8 million club option for 2014. The way he is pitching right now, they will probably pick up that option.

Last night, Liriano threw a complete game four hitter, giving up two runs, walking four and striking out seven to win his eight game of the season. Liriano is now 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 1.23 WHIP and a 74-27 strikeout to walk rate in 69.2 innings on the mound. He has given up two runs or less in eight of his eleven starts this season.

For more on Liriano and the streaking Pirates, make sure you check out Buc's Dugout, SB Nation's Pirates fan site.

Juan Uribe goes wild vs former team

Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe must have been hearing whispers that the Dodgers might be looking to upgrade at third base via the trade market, because I am not sure if he had a bigger game at the plate than last night. Last night, Uribe went 3-4 with a HR, double, triple, 2 runs and 7 RBI in the Dodgers romp over the Giants. Yes, 7 RBI.

Uribe is now hitting .282-.357-.448 with 5 HRs, 23 runs, 27 RBI and a solid 33-20 strikeout to walk rate in 163 at bats. Uribe is unowned in many leagues, but is serviceable in NL only leagues and leagues where OBP is used as a category.

For more on Uribe and the Dodgers, make sure you check out True Blue LA, SB Nation's Dodgers fan site.

Round'em Up

Yankees starter Ivan Nova had probably his best start of his big league career last night vs a solid Orioles lineup. Nova threw a complete game three hitter, giving up just two runs, a walk and striking out 11 in the Yankees 3-2 win. Nova is now 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 48-14 strikeout to walk rate in 44 innings thus far. He is owned in under 3% of ESPN leagues, and is probably a decent streaming option going forward.

Tigers young starter Rick Porcello turned in another nice outing last night, shutting out the Indians for 7 innings. He gave up just 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 6 to win his fifth game of the season. He is now 5-6 with a 4.82 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 1.26 WHIP and a solid 74-19 strikeout to walk rate in 93.1 innings. Porcello has given up 3 runs or less in 11 of his 16 starts this season, but when he is bad, he is BAD, thus the 4.82 ERA.

Diamondbacks pitching prospect Tyler Skaggs dominated the Rockies on Friday night, shutting them out on 3 hits, a walk, and strikeouts in 8 innings. Skaggs, making his fourth start of the season, moved his record to 2-1 with a 3.65 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 22-7 K-BB rate in 24.2 innings. So much for him being available in the trade market. Skaggs will be a very popular waiver wire pick up this week, and I think he will remain in the Diamondbacks rotation after this excellent outing. He is owned in just 1.2% of ESPN leagues, but that will surely increase come Monday.

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp appeared to aggravate his left shoulder injury on a swing last night, and left the game before his next at bat. Kemp grabbed his shoulder and grimaced after taking a big swing. He eventually worked out a walk, but left the game before his next at bat. Carl Crawford took his place in the outfield, with Andre Ethier moving to center field. Kemp was seen in the dugout afterward, so maybe he will be fine. We should learn more later today. It's certainly been a lost year for the Dodger outfielder.

Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista had a big night at the plate, going 3-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and is now hitting .267-.364-.518 with 20 HRs, 59 runs, 52 RBI and 6 stolen bases. He is currently on pace to hit 38 home runs this season, but lost in that number is that his overall power as calculated by IS0, is down for the third straight season.

Mets outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis had his best game as a major leaguer last night, going 4-4 with 2 walks, a double, a triple, 4 runs scored, 5 RBI and a stolen base in the Mets 12-5 win over the Brewers. Nieuwenhuis is more of a part time player in the Mets outfield right now but could see regular time if he can show he can hit and get on base on a regular basis. He is unowned in ESPN leagues at the moment, but I wouldn't rush out to grab him unless in a deep NL only or mixed league.

The Mets called up first baseman Ike Davis from AAA prior to last night's game and he responded with a three hit game. Davis went 3-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI in the Mets win over the Brewers. Davis struggled to start the season, similar to his 2012 season, and it remains to be seen whether he can put together a few big power months like he did last night. I could see him hitting 15-20 bombs in the second half if he has finally figured things out.

More from Fake Teams

The 2013 Futures Game: Team USA

Five impact prospects still in the minors

Three (Possibly) True Outcomes: Carlos Correa

I Traded Chris Davis

Streamer Report: Weekend Pitching Streamers

Low Level Prospect Review: Roberto Osuna, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Waiting in the Wings: Gregory Polanco

Around the League - AL

Waiting in the Wings: Gregory Polanco

Minor League Level Review (Low-A and Below): Appel to Debut Friday, Kepler Makes Full-Season Debut

Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez are officially All Stars.

Both players have played a key role in the Brewers even winning 34 games as they have been arguably Milwaukee's best two hitters this season. Which, in a way, makes me question how valuable the two are this season. The Brewers are in last place guys! If you cooperated and stopped playing well, we could be leading the way for a number one draft pick!

But, really, both are incredibly deserving of the achievement and are an example of the All-Star game getting it right. They weren't voted in by fans, but Segura was the top overall vote getter on the players ballots, which is fairly significant. A trial of one's own peers. I trust the player ballot more than I do the fan ballot.

Segura will join Troy Tulowitzki and...Everth Cabrera? as shortstops on the NL squad. (looking up stats) Well huh, Everth Cabrera is playing really well this year. Segura could certainly be the starter at the position if Tulowitzki, projected to return from the DL on Thursday, does not play.

Gomez was selected by NL manager Bruce Bochy. He and Andrew McCutchen are the only center fielders on the roster, though one of Carlos Gonzalez, Bryce Harper, or Carlos Beltran will have to man the position to start the game.

This was the first All-Star selection for either player. Hopefully the first of many with the Brewers.

No Brewers made the five players in a vote-off for the roster spot. Instead, Hunter Pence, Adrian Gonzalez, Freddie Freeman, and Ian Desmond will all compete to come in second behind Yasiel Puig.

As you probably know by now, I was at the Boise Hawks game tonight. I need to thank the Hawks, communications director Courtney Garner and broadcaster Mike Safford who hooked me up with press access. I got interviews with Hawks manager Gary Van Tol and Cubs legend Bill Buckner. I'll have those up sometime next week.

If you want to ask me any questions about what I saw at the Hawks game, I'd be glad to answer them.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs dropped a doubleheader to the Albuquerque Isotopes (Dodgers), 10-3 in a completion of yesterday's game and 1-0.

Jake Arrieta made his Cubs debut yesterday, it only lasted one inning plus the first three batters of the second inning. He loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batsman in the second, but I'm guessing the rain had something to do with that. His final line on the game was 1+ innings, allowing one run on one hit. He walked two and struck out two.

Esmailin Caridad started today and took the loss. He pitched three innings and allowed two runs on three hits. One of those runs was unearned. Caridad walked one and struck out two.

Second baseman Logan Watkins was 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI single.

In game two, starter Barret Loux pitched a six inning complete game defeat. He gave up one run on four hits. He did show some wildness as he walked four, hit a batter and had a wild pitch. Loux struck out six.

To add insult to injury, the only run of the game was scored by Ian Stewart.

The Cubs had five hits, all singles. Second baseman Tim Torres was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were outshone by the Huntsville Stars (Brewers), 8-2.

Rough start for Austin Kirk, who didn't make it out of the third inning. Kirk's final line was six runs on seven hits over 2+ innings. He walked three and struck out two.

Third baseman Christian Villanueva hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 11th of the season. Villanueva was 1 for 4.

Rubi Silva was 2 for 4.

Shortstop Javier Baez played his first game in Double-A. You probably heard he hit a home run in his first at-bat. You can see it here. He was 1 for 4. Ball went far.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs had a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the eighth and held on for an 6-5 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays.

There were no problems from starter Pierce Johnson, who got his first Daytona win with five shutout innings. He surrendered five hits. He walked one and struck out five.

After Austin Reed threw two innings of scoreless relief, Jeffrey Lorick got into major trouble in the eighth. He pitched one inning and allowed five runs on four hits, including a three-run home run. He walked one and struck out two.

Dayan Diaz got his first save with the Cubs, but it was an ugly save. Diaz gave up two singles put runners on first and third with no outs. He got the next batter to hit a ground ball to shortstop Elliot Soto, who threw out the runner at third trying to score. Then Diaz allowed his third single to load the bases with one out, but he got a shallow fly ball and a ground out to end the game.

Right fielder Bijan Rademacher had two doubles in a 2 for 4 game. He scored one run and had one batted in. Center fielder Zeke DeVoss was 3 for 5 with three RBI and one run scored. Third baseman Ben Carhart was 3 for 5 with two RBI and one run scored.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars were shut out by the Quad City River Bandits (Astros), 5-0.

Starter Jose Rosario allowed runs in four of the five innings he pitched. He allowed two runs in the third inning, just to make up for that scoreless first inning. Rosario allowed five runs on six hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out one.

The Cougars managed three hits, all singles, One of those hits was by center fielder Albert Almora, who was 1 for 2 before leaving in the sixth inning. According to this report, Almora was suffering from trying to be like George Brett too much.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawkswere dusted by the Tri-City Dust Devils (Rockies), 5-3.

James Pugliese took his first loss of the season after he allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings. Pugliese walked two and struck out six.

Zack Godley was successful in his Boise debut, throwing a scoreless 1-2-3 eighth inning. He struck out two.

First baseman Jacob Rogers accounted for all three runs with a moonshot home run in the third inning, his third of the season. Rogers was 2 for 4.

Second baseman Danny Lockhart was 2 for 4 and scored once. Also, he's an incredibly good bunter. With runners on first and second and no outs in the seventh inning, he laid a bunt down the third base line that hugged the line until about ten feet from third base when it rolled foul. So he then bunted towards third again on the next pitch and this one stayed fair for a hit, loading the bases with no outs. Naturally, Boise failed to score in the inning.

Center fielder Shawon Dunston was 0 for 3 with two walks. That's five walks (and only one hit) in the past three games. Are we sure he's not adopted?

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Rangers, 11-4.

On this day in 1986 the Angels and Brewers met on a Monday at County Stadium, but for 15 innings both teams left their bats at home. Despite a combined 14 hits, the two teams were still scoreless in the 16th when Wally Joyner's three-run triple gave the Angels a lead and an eventual 3-1 win.

The star of the game for the Brewers had to be starting pitcher Bill Wegman, who allowed just four hits while pitching eleven scoreless innings. It was the second longest scoreless outing in franchise history, trailing only a 1974 game where Jim Colborn kept the Orioles off the board for 13 frames.

It's unlikely we'll ever see another Brewer match this feat. No Brewer has pitched more than nine innings in a game since Cal Eldred in 1993.

With help from Brewerfan.net and the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• Helena Brewer Jalen Harris, who turns 21.
• Alfredo Figaro, who turns 29.
• 2009 Brewer R.J. Swindle, who turns 30.
• 2004 Brewer Dave Burba, who turns 47.
• 1978-79 Brewer Tim Nordbrook, who turns 64.
• Bill Melton, 2003 inductee into the Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame, who turns 68.

Today is also the fifth anniversary of the Brewers acquiring CC Sabathia in 2008, which we covered in this space last year, and the 35th anniversary of Mike Caldwell pitching a complete game shutout against the Yankees in 1978, which we covered in this space two years ago.

Minor League Player of the Day– LHP Victor Gonzalez(Arizona Rookie) followed his 5 inning, 8 strikeout outing on July 1st with another strong performance, this time he started and went 5 innings, allowing 1 hit, 0 runs and striking out 6. In 19 IP, he's allowed 14 hits, 3 earned runs, and has struck out 24 while walking just 2. 17 year old Gonzalez was signed last July as part of the first group of international signings in 2012.

AAA– Albuquerque and the Cubs picked up Friday's suspended game from the bottom of the 2nd with the Cubs leading 1 to 0 and the Isotopes went on to win 10 to 3. Jonathan Sanchez had made his third start for the Isotopes and he pitched 2 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks and had 1 strikeout; Sean White, Anthony Ortega and Kelvin De La Cruz picked up from there with White getting the win and De La Cruz getting the save. Matt Angle, Alex Castellanos, Rusty Ryal and Jeremy Moore had the big offensive games, Angle, Castellanos and Ryal each had 3 hits, Castellanos hit his 11th home run, Moore had two hits.

The regularly scheduled but shortened to 7 innings game had Albuquerque and the Cubs in a pitching duel with the Isotopes winning 1 to 0. Angel Castroscattered 4 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts and Javy Guerra got the save. Just signed 3B Ian Stewart went 2 for 3 with a double and the only run scored.

AA – The Lookouts and Suns (Marlins) games were postponed due to inclement weather and the current plan is to resume Friday night's suspended game this afternoon followed by the regularly scheduled Sunday game which that will be shortened to 7 innings. Saturday night's game will be made up on August 19th as part of a 7-inning double-header.

HiA – The Quakes broke out the bats and scored a bunch as they defeated the Mavericks (Mariners) on 16 to 6. As noted above, LHP Ted Lilly made his second rehab start and despite a rough start, 5 runs scored upon him in the first inning, he went on to make to the 6th inning, getting the win while pitching 5.1 IP, giving up 9 hits and 6 runs but only walked 1 and struck out 7. Joel Lima got the save. When you score 16 runs, a lot of guys do well. Scott Schebler went 3 for 5, scoring 3 runs, 2 doubles and a walk. Noel Cuevas also went 3 for 5 hitting a home run. O'Koyea Dickson, Webster Rivas, and Casio Grider each had 2 hits.

LoA– Loons lost late to Tin Caps (Padres) 7 to 4. Tom Windle started and pitched 4 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs (1 earned) with 1 walk and 1 strikeout. Scott Griggs, last week's Midwest Pitcher of the Week had a poor outing, with 4 runs scoring (2 earned), 5 hits and 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Corey Seager went 1 for 3 with a walk, Tyler Ogle had a 2 for 4 night.

Rookie Ogden– Raptors won a close one, defeating the Owlz (Angels) 4 to 3. Francisco Villa started but it was the relief corp, Rob Rogers, James Baune, and Jacob Rhame as they scattered 2 hits, 2 walks with 2 strikeouts in 4.1 combined scoreless innings. Kyle Farmer went 2 for 4 and Alex Santana went 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI.

Rookie Arizona– Arizona Dodgers shutout the Brewers 4 to 0. Player of the Day, LHP Victor Gonzalez won the game. Adam Law went 4 for 5. Josh Henderson went 2 for 5. Josmer Cordero added a 2 for 2 game.

DSL – Back on the field, the Dodgers won over the Indians 6 to 4. Francisco Martinez started but today's pitching spotlight goes on Jairo Pacheco who turned 17 on Saturday, Pacheco pitched 1 IP gave up 1 hit and struck out 1.

Coming up– Rob Rasmussen starts for the Isotopes, Andres Santiago will try again for the Lookouts, Jon Michael Redding takes the mound for the Quakes, Miguel Sulbaran pitches for the Loons and Jonathan Martinez goes for the Raptors.

Minor League Transactions – Dodgers traded right handed pitchers Josh Wall and Steve Ames from Albuquerque (40-man) and right handed pitcher Angel Sanchez from Rancho Cucamonga to Miami Marlins. Ted Lilly was placed on Rancho Cucamonga roster for purpose of starting rehab game.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (Friday's Suspended Game) (AAA)

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (Saturday) (AAA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)

Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Dominican Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun is aiming to return from the DL Thursday against Arizona, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Braun is on pace to return earlier than expected, as the outfielder had a better-than-expected batting practice session on Saturday. He has been on the DL since mid-June with an inflamed-nerve in his hand. He just needs his hitting sessions Monday and Tuesday to go well, and then he should be in the clear.

McCalvy notes that Braun could be ready earlier than Thursday, but that is it more convenient to make a move Thursday as opposed to earlier in the week. He will not play the full game, or the full series, but he is well enough to get back on the field and that is all the Brewers need to know about their superstar left fielder.

Braun, 29, has hit .304 with an .890 OPS in 2013 for the Brewers. With recent news surrounding the Biogenesis scandal surrounding Braun, the best thing for him might be to just get back out on the field and get people's minds off of it. With the Brewers placed firmly outside playoff contention, Braun will not be under much of any pressure to perform.

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The Yankees have claimed first baseman Travis Ishikawa off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. Ishikawa had been in the Orioles system this season where he hit .316/.413/.525 in 208 plate appearances until he activated an opt out clause in June. Baltimore brought him up, but designated him for assignment just a week later. He hit .222/.333/.389 with the Brewers in 2012.

The Yankees have an obvious need at first base as they currently rank 23rd in the league for the position. Lyle Overbay has a 114 wRC+ against right-hander, but has struggled mightily against left-handers with a 36 wRC+. What the Yankees need is someone to platoon with Overbay against lefties or someone who can hit both. As a lefty, Ishikawa only has a 61 wRC+ against them, so he doesn't offer much of an upgrade over what they already have.

The Yankees transferred Kevin Youkilis to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster, so it looks like someone is going to be placed on the roster. If Ishikawa is brought up to the Yankees it's difficult to determine what his role will be. The team has now used their two 60-day DL moves on players other than Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Luis Cruz, Alberto Gonzalez, and, presumably, Travis Ishikawa, would all be DFA candidates.

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The Mets beat Milwaukee 2-1 today to take the series from the Brewers. Although the Amazins banged out 11 hits, both the runs they scored were unearned. Don't tell Josh Satin, though. He doubled in one run and scored the other after hitting a double. Do tell Juan Francisco. His horrible defense at third base today helped the Mets immensely.

New York struggled against Brewers starter Tom Gorzelanny today. The lefty struck out eight Mets in six innings and didn't walk a soul. Still, the Mets were able to break through in the fourth. Satin dropped a fly ball into left-center field and hustled to second base for a two-out double. The replay showed that Rickie Weeks had actually tagged Mr. Eyebrows out on the play, but there's no replay in baseball, so the play stood as called.

The next batter Andrew Brown dribbled a grounder to third base. Francisco picked it up with his bare hand and threw wide of first base, which is why Satin was able to score all the way from second. The Mets scored again in the sixth when Marlon Byrd reached base on a very similar Francisco error. This time, Satin hit a double to drive the run in.

Jeremy Hefner was incredible in this game. He pounded the zone with his fastball and confounded Milwaukee hitters with his breaking stuff. He had eight strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings. The lone Brewers run came on a Jonathan Lucroy homer in the seventh.

Game Thread Roll Call

Nice job by MetsFan4Decades; her effort in the game thread embiggens us all.

With apologies to Jordany Valdespin, Jeremy Hefner is the man right now. After throwing seven innings of one-run ball today in which he struck out eight Brewers, Hefner hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a game since May 29. Yes, that is kind of deceiving because of how many unearned runs Hefner gave up over that stretch, but you know what? He's still pretty awesome, and the Mets beat Milwaukee today 2-1.

Mets fans had to be feeling good after Hefner struck out the side in the first inning, but the Amazins were struggling with Tom Gorzelanny all the same. The lefty was making his first start of the season for the Brewers after working out of the bullpen for the entire season, but Gorzelanny this afternoon looked like a full-blown rotation member. He baffled the Mets with five strikeouts in the first three innings before New York caught some good fortune in the fourth.

The Mets' chances in the frame appeared to be dashed when a Marlon Byrd double play grounder erased David Wright's infield hit. Josh Satin had other ideas, though. The increasingly popular utility player drove a fly ball into right-center field that Carlos Gomez was forced to play on a bounce. With two outs, Satin looked to stretch a single into a double, but Gomez's throw beat him to second base by a large margin. An awkward slide by Satin, however, appeared to fool Rickie Weeks enough to allow Satin to sneak in safely.

Replay showed that Weeks had tagged Satin before he got to the base, but the call on the field was safe, so the inning continued. It looked to end again when Andrew Brown hit a soft ground ball to third, but Juan Francisco made a wild throw off of a barehand pickup and Satin was able to cruise in for the score.

The one run was nearly enough for Hefner. After allowing a pair of baserunners in the second inning, he retired 12 of the next 13 Brewers hitters to face him. Hefner used his fastball to get ahead of his opponents and got lots of strikeouts and ground balls with his secondary stuff. It was a pretty masterful performance, but it was briefly interrupted in the seventh when Jonathan Lucroy belted a solo home run to center field. Good thing the Mets had already added a second run in the inning prior.

New York scored in the sixth on a Satin double and a Francisco error, just in a different order this time. With one out, Marlon Byrd hit a ground ball to third that was fielded by Francisco and then thrown wide of first. With the Byrd Man on second, Satin mashed an opposite field double off of the right field wall. Byrd comically tripped on his way to the plate, but because Norichika Aoki didn't field the bounce off the wall particularly well, Byrd was able to score anyway for a 2-0 lead.

That second run meant that Lucroy's homer could only make the score 2-1, and Hefner got through the rest of the seventh without incident. Terry Collins still decided to lift the Oklahoma native to start the eighth, which was a dubious decision, but one that turned out okay. Josh Edgin retired the first two batters he faced before Aoki reached on an infield single up the middle. With the right-handed Jean Segura up next, Collins brought in Bobby Parnell in what he hoped was the last move he would have to make.

Although Parnell immediately allowed the tying run in Aoki to steal second base, he recovered to get a ground out from Segura to move the game to the ninth. In the final frame, Parnell and the Mets' defense got three more ground outs to close out the game and give New York a series win in Milwaukee.

Next up, the Mets head to San Francisco to take on the Giants for three games. Monday's game starts at 10:15 p.m. ET and features that guy Matt Harvey pitching against Tim Lincecum.

SB Nation Coverage

* Amazin' Avenue Gamethread
* Brew Crew Ball Gamethread

Win Probability Added

(What's this?)

Big winners: Jeremy Hefner +35.7%, Bobby Parnell +29.3%, Josh Satin +10.3%
Big losers:Anthony Recker -11.3%, Omar Quintanilla -9.7%
Teh aw3s0mest play: Satin doubled to right to score Marlon Byrd in the sixth inning, +11.1%
Teh sux0rest play: Jonathan Lucroy hits a solo home run off of Hefner, -14.4%
Total pitcher WPA: +72.9%
Total batter WPA: -22.9%
GWRBI!: Satin's sixth inning double that made the score 2-1

Do you have some trade offers you are considering, but need to bounce them off of someone? Are you pondering a roster move and want a second opinion? Feel free to post your questions in the new Fantasy Baseball Questions thread.

Fake Teams Podcast, Episode 15: His eyes are so dreamy

Zack and Andrew hosted the latest episode of the Fake Teams Podcast, where they discussed the MLB Futures game prospects including the best fantasy prospect in the game. You can listen to the podcast in two ways:

MP3on

ITunes

Question: What players do you feel were snubbed in the All Star game selections? Let us know in the comments section.

Clayton Kershaw: All Star starter?

Everyone knows how good Clayton Kershaw is. Too many words have been written about him, but I think there is widespread agreement that he is probably the best starting pitcher in the game. And what is amazing is that he is only 25 years old, and he is likely to become the highest paid starter in baseball in the offseason.

Last season, he made 33 starts, and gave up two runs or less in 23 of them. This season, he has made 19 starts and has given up two runs or less in 15 of them. So, he has limited opponents to two runs or less in 38 of his 52 starts going back to the beginning of the 2012 season. Pretty amazing.

On Sunday, he limited the Giants to one run on 3 hits, a walk and just 3 strikeouts in 8 quality innings in the Dodgers 4-1 win over the Giants. Kershaw is now 8-5 with a 1.89 ERA, 2.62 FIP, 0.90 WHIP and a 129-34 strikeout to walk rate in 138.1 innings. The All Star game is next Tuesday in New York, and many think Mets starter Matt Harvey should start the game, but Kershaw has been the better pitcher this season.

Michael Brantley goes yard twice

Indians outfielder Michael Brantley has never hit more than 7 home runs in any one season, but he has already equalled that total in 2013, after leaving the yard twice in the Indians 9-6 win over the Tigers. Brantley went 3-4 with 2 HRs, a double, 3 runs and 5 RBI, and is now hitting .280-.330-.394 with 7 HRs, 41 runs, 45 RBI and 8 stolen bases in 10 attempts.

He is on pace for career highs in home runs (13), runs scored (75), RBI (83) and stolen bases (15). He was probably a very late round pick in mixed leagues, if at all, but could put his name into talk for the top 40 fantasy outfielders in baseball.

Round'em Up

We are about a week from the All Star break and Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera is having another Triple Crown type season. Cabrera went 4-4 with a HR and 2 RBI in Sunday's loss to the Indians. Miggy is now hitting, .368-.457-.679 with 28 HRs, 67 runs and 90 RBI. 90 RBI!! He is on pace for 52 HRs, 125 runs, and 168 RBI right now. He will have to catch Orioles masher Chris Davis to win his second consecutive Triple Crown, which would be pretty absurd if you think about it.

Blue Jays outfielder Colby Rasmus is on pace to have his best season as a major leaguer in 2013. Rasmus went 3-4 with a HR, a double, 2 runs and 3 RBI and is now hitting .250-.324-.476 with 16 HRs, 38 runs and 46 RBI. He is on pace for a career high 29 HRs and 85 RBI. He could take the free pass a bit more, and strike out a lot less, but his owners have to be happy with the power this season.

Rays starter David Price appears to be back to his old self since returning from the DL. I heard earlier in the week that he felt the best he has ever felt during his last start, a 7 innings, 3 hit and 10 strikeout performance vs the Astros. Well, he must have felt great yesterday, as he threw a complete game vs the White Sox, giving up just one run on 8 hits, no walks and 5 strikeouts. He is now 3-4 with a 4.18 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 64-14 strikeout to walk rate in 71 innings. He should have an excellent second half for his owners.

The Nationals drafted Anthony Rendon as a third baseman, but due to the presence of Ryan Zimmerman at third base, and Danny Espinosa's inability to hit a baseball, he is now playing second base. And that is great for fantasy owners. I own him in two leagues now, and love that he has second base eligibility next season. He had a nice day at the plate vs the Padres yesterday, going 2-5 with a HR, 2 runs and 3 RBI, raising his triple slash line to .303-.353-.444 with 3 HRs, 19 runs, 12 RBI and a stolen base in 142 at bats thus far. He could be a top 10 fantasy second baseman heading into 2014 drafts.

What the heck has happened to Braves outfielder Jason Heyward? He is fast becoming the next Alex Rios, where he follows up a good year with a bad year. Heyward went 1-4 with a walk and an RBI in the Braves 7-3 loss to the Phillies on Sunday. Heyward is having a very disappointing season, now hitting .229-.326-.373 with 7 HRs, 32 runs, 21 RBI and 2 stolen bases. Maybe he just doesn't like hitting in the two spot in the Braves order? I don't know, but he will fall in my outfielder rankings as a result.

Mets starter Jeremy Hefner is on one heck of a run on the mound lately. Yesterday, he limited the Brewers to one run on 2 hits, a walk, and 8 strikeouts in 7 innings in the Mets 2-1 win. Hefner is now 4-6 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and a 79-28 strikeout to walk rate in 101 innings this season. He has given up two runs or less in each of his last seven starts, and in 12 of his 17 starts this season. Yet he is owned in just 21% of ESPN leagues.

Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin silenced the Rockies over 8 innings on Sunday to win his 10th game of the season. He limited the Rockies to just one run on 3 hits, a walk and 10 strikeouts in the Diamondbacks 6-1 win. He is now 10-1 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 99-31 strikeout to walk rate in 123.2 innings thus far. He was named to the National League All Star team on Saturday night.

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Fantasy Baseball: Two-Start Pitchers for Week 15

Five impact prospects still in the minors

The Unexpected Competence of Marcell Ozuna

Around the League: NL

Around the League - AL

Three (Possibly) True Outcomes: Carlos Correa

Waiver Wire: 10 Under 10%

I Traded Chris Davis

Low Level Prospect Review: Roberto Osuna, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

On this day in 1979 the Brewers swept a doubleheader against the Tigers at County Stadium. Ben Oglivie was the star of the first game, going 3-for-3 with a walk and three home runs in a 5-4 win over his former team. He was the first Brewer ever to go deep three times in a game.

Oglivie's first blast was a solo shot leading off the second to give the Crew a 1-0 lead. He led off the sixth with another long ball to make the score 3-2, and tacked on some insurance runs with a two-run shot in the seventh. This was the first of three three-homer games for him, and the first of 18 in franchise history.

Oglivie finished second on the Brewers with 29 home runs in 1979, but went on to lead the AL with 41 in 1980. His 176 career homers as a Brewer are the seventh most in franchise history.

With help from the B-Ref Play Index, happy birthday today to:

• 1970-72 Brewer Ken Sanders, who turns 72. We covered his birthday in this space last year.
• Seattle Pilot Bucky Brandon, who turns 73.
• 1959-61 Milwaukee Brave Al Spangler, who turns 80.

Today is also the fifth anniversary of CC Sabathia's Brewer debut. We covered that event in this space two years ago.

While I was away on vacation last week, my break was briefly interrupted by this FanPost on the decline of Brewer blogs in general and this site specifically. If you're not interested in reading all of it, here's a quote from the critique:

But in this year and in last year, brew crew ball has really fallen off. Now it is a series of countdowns, meaningless links to videos I don't (and you shouldn't) care about, and birthdays that were already covered last year. I don't care when Darrell Hamilton's birthday is, and neither should you.

It's actually Darryl Hamilton, but that's not the point. I'm writing this post because I agree with a small portion of the above criticism: BCB has fallen off a bit.

There are a collection of reasons why that's the case, and some of them are somewhat unavoidable. The fact that the team has been somewhere between below average and awful for much of the season takes a lot of the air out of everyone's balloon. And while I haven't spent much time talking about it here, my new other commitment keeps me away from this space more than I'm used to.

Beyond that, though, there's also this: Producing fresh content about this team nearly every day for five years now hasn't always been easy. There are days where it feels like there's nothing I can say that I haven't said multiple times before, and my last original idea went out the window sometime in 2010.

So I'm interested in working (and asking BCB's great team of contributors to also work) to freshen things up a bit, but I'm asking for your help to make it happen. It's been a long time since I've openly asked for reader suggestions, but that's what I'm doing today.

The comments of this post are open, and I hope you'll use them to discuss the things you'd like to see in this space. Are there ideas you'd like to see someone pursue? Things we used to do that you wish we'd kept doing? Potentially interesting angles we've never considered? Let us know and, if we agree, we'll try to make them a part of the plan going forward.

If you're not interested in participating or unable to participate in the comments, I've also created a Google Form where you can leave your comments either anonymously or with your contact information. Thanks in advance for coming forward to join the conversation on how we can improve this space.

One last thing, though: Please limit your suggestions to ideas for new content. One of the primary complaints of the FanPost linked above appeared to be the apparent insignificance of a Today In Brewer History about Kevin Reimer. If you're reading and not enjoying our niche BCB content (be it history, minor league coverage, comedy or any other category) then your gripe isn't really with me, it's with whoever tied you to your desk chair and forced you to read it. Not everything here is relevant to all audiences, and that's ok. If we're not hitting your niche, though, let us know so we can work on it.

The Streamer Report provides you with daily startng pitcher streaming selections for owners who prefer to stream starting pitchers on a daily basis. This report identifies starting pitchers who are owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues, and who either has a decent track record vs their opponent, has pitched well of late, or has a decent matchup.

Before i get to the streaming options for this Tuesday's games, here is how my streaming selections performed on Sunday:

Bronson Arroyo vs Mariners - 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K, L

Jeremy Hefner vs Brewers - 7 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 8 K, W

Combined stats: 13 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, W, L, 2.77 ERA, 0.69 WHIP

Tuesday's Pitching Streamers

Ricky Nolasco vs Diamondbacks

There is some uncertainty as to when Nolasco will make his first start as a member of the Dodgers rotation, but I think it will be on Tuesday vs the Diamondbacks. I see Chris Capuano losing his rotation spot as a result. Nolasco owns a 6-2 career record with a low 4.00 ERA vs the Diamondbacks, and has given up three runs or less in 13 of his 18 starts this season.

Dan Straily vs Pirates

Straily is owned in just 3.5% of ESPN leagues and faces off against Gerrit Cole and the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. Straily owns a 5-2 record with a 4.52 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, so he has been a bit up and down this season, but is coming off a seven inning shutout of the Cubs on July 4th.

Jhoulys Chacin vs Padres

Chacin is owned in 32.8% of ESPN leagues, and gets a Padres team that has struggled of late. Chacin is on a five game winning streak and has pitched well this season, considering he pitches half of his games in Coors Field. Chacin is 8-3 with a solid 3.74 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in his 16 starts this season.

Dillon Gee vs Giants

Gee is owned in 6.9% of ESPN leagues and faces a Giants team that seems to be missing something this season. Gee has pitched well in his last two starts, giving up two runs or less in six of his last seven starts, and I see that continuing on Tuesday night.

This might have been the closest anyone has watched Brewer BP this season.

Ryan Braun took batting practice with the team today, reported no setbacks and will rejoin the active roster for tonight's game. Braun hasn't appeared in a game since June 9, when he struck out in his lone at bat before finally going on the DL with a sore thumb that's been bothering him for much of the season. He's hitting .304/.380/.509 in 57 games this season, but that number is dragged down by a 27-game stretch where he slugged just .406 with one home run.

The corresponding roster move is also interesting, as Aramis Ramirez is back on the DL with his sore knee. Ramirez left Saturday's game early and was held out of the lineup yesterday, but is still out of the lineup tonight. When he's eligible to return he'll have appeared in just 54 of the Brewers' 97 games this season.

Ramirez will now miss the Reds, Diamondbacks and Marlins series before being eligible to return against the Padres on July 22. The All Star break is in the middle of that stretch.

We'll see if it lives up to the hype, but this is one of the more interesting pitching matchups we've seen recently.

At 7:10 tonight at Miller Park the Brewers will send reigning Brewer of the Week Kyle Lohse (3.43 ERA, 4.18 FIP) to the mound. Lohse last pitched on Wednesday, when he allowed a single run on four hits over eight innings against the Nationals. If you throw out his rain-shortened outing on June 30, he's pitched a quality start in each of his last six starts since June 1.

Lohse has allowed one walk or less in 15 of his 17 appearances this season, giving up just 1.5 free passes per nine innings. That's helped make up for the fact that his home run rate is elevated a bit at 1.3 per nine innings, as compared to 0.8 over his last three seasons as a Cardinal. Seven of Lohse's 15 home runs have come against lefty batters, but he's otherwise been great against opposite-handed hitters, holding them to a .214/.256/.374 batting line.

Lohse has faced the Reds 12 times in his career, including once earlier this season. He received a no-decision in his game against them on June 14, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Five current Reds have faced him ten times or more:

Meanwhile, any national attention for tonight's game will probably center around Homer Bailey (3.57 ERA, 2.67 FIP), aka Ho-Bail, who is pitching for the first time since making history on Tuesday. He threw a complete game no-hitter against the Giants six days ago, allowing just a single walk while striking out nine. He threw 109 pitches in the game.

Bailey, you've probably heard, also threw baseball's last previous no-hitter on September 28 of last season. Brooks Baseball classified 76 of the 109 pitches he threw on Tuesday as mid 90's fastballs, and roughly two thirds of those were strikes. That's roughly in line with his career averages.

The Brewers beat Bailey earlier this season, scoring six runs on eight hits against him over seven innings. Five active Brewers have faced him ten times or more:

Tonight's lineups are as follows:

And in the bullpen:

• Brandon Kintzler pitched 1.1 innings (10 pitches) yesterday.
• John Axford pitched one inning (12 pitches) yesterday.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched .2 innings (13 pitches) yesterday.
• Francisco Rodriguez pitched one inning (14 pitches) on Saturday.
• Jim Henderson pitched .2 innings (14 pitches) on Saturday.
• Tyler Thornburg and Burke Badenhop last pitched on Friday.

There are scattered thunderstorms in the vicinity in Milwaukee tonight, but it looks like they'll clear up by game time. Expect a temperature in the low 80s with light winds.

The Brewers activated star outfielder Ryan Braun from the disabled list Monday, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

In a corresponding move, the Brewers placed third baseman Aramis Ramirez on the disabled list with a sprained left knee.

Braun, who was originally supposed to return later in the week, had a change of plans after the sudden injury to Ramirez. Ramirez will sit out and rest his knee until after the All-Star break, which presumably led the team to bring Braun back a few days early.

Braun had planned to take a couple of batting practice sessions this week, and will still do so, but he expects to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Reds in all likelihood. The Brewers left fielder did not seem concerned about re-injuring his hand, telling McCalvy that a negative mindset would not help him in any way.

The playing time for Braun should involve him playing Tuesday, sitting Wednesday and then playing some of the series this weekend against the Diamondbacks.

Braun, 29, has hit .304 with an .890 OPS in 2013 for the Brewers.

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