This morning Brewers chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio sent out an email to Brewer fans responding to the challenges of the last week and starting an effort to move forward. If you haven't already received the email, you can see it here.

I won't re-post the entire email, but it divides relatively neatly into two parts. First, there's an acknowledgement of the challenges the organization faces following Ryan Braun's recent suspension, as highlighted here:

We recognize that Ryan has many steps ahead of him to regain your trust and respect. This process will take time, and the road to redemption for Ryan will not be easy. Our responsibility as an organization is to help Ryan appreciate the difficult task ahead of him and to assist in the healing process.

The second half of the email, meanwhile, shows an attempt to move forward:

Starting this week, we will be introducing a series of initiatives to reaffirm our commitment to you and all of our fans throughout Wisconsin. We know that these initiatives are not a substitute for success on the field, and our primary mission remains to have a perennially competitive team.

The Brewers have already announced a plan to distribute $10 vouchers to every fan who attends a Miller Park game in August, and that second blockquote implies to me that more response is on the way.

As Attanasio states above, the road to redemption for this team will not be quick or simple. I'm glad to see the Brewers, though, recognizing this as an organizational issue and taking steps to move forward.

With Travis Hafner going to the DL, Alfonso Soriano acquired, and players like Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez (Possibly? Maybe?) returning, his reign as the team's designated hitter is likely over. The designated hitter's only responsibility is to hit. At .205/.300/.384, Hafner failed to do this despite averaging .318/.438/.667 in April. The frequently-injured 36-year-old hit an awe-inspiring .167/.249/.286 the rest of the way.

Having a designated hitter who doesn't do any designated hitting represents a special failure on the part of a team given that the DH is baseball's version of Free Parking on the Monopoly board. In acquiring Hafner, Brian Cashman took what seemed like a good risk in the same vein as his signing of Raul Ibanez a year earlier. In absolute terms, Ibanez wasn't great in the regular season, but he was able to take special advantage of Yankee Stadium's lefty-loving tendencies to give the Yankees a power boost at home. Hafner seemed like a good candidate to do the same thing. Whether because of injury or age, it was not to be.

This isn't the first time the Yankees have had a DH swing and miss for a whole season. Hafner was certainly one of the worst designated hitters in baseball this year, but was he the worst in team history? Here are the 10 worst pinstriped designated hitters who had a minimum of 200 plate appearances at the position as ranked by OPS+.

10. Steve Balboni 1990: .192/.291/.406 in 266 PAs (94 OPS+)

The affable right-handed slugger had only one skill, power. When he was able to keep his batting average in the .240s he had some value, but between injuries and impatience he couldn't do it very often. In '90 he did almost all of his damage against left-handed pitching, hitting .211/.340/.497 against them versus .162/.205/.267 against right-handers.

9. Ruben Sierra 2004: .260/.322/.428 in 338 PAs (94 OPS+)

This was Ruben Sierra II: The Revenge. Even though Sierra was one of the few veteran players that Joe Torre didn't bond with, the Yankees nevertheless brought him back, because who cared what Joe Torre thought about anything anyway? Other than a fluke half-season in 2001, Sierra hadn't been all that useful since the early 1990s, but that was no deterrent to the Yankees, who from 2003 to 2005 received .249/.295/.429 rates from Sierra in roughly one full season (708 PAs) of playing time.

8. Jorge Posada 2011: .236/.315/.398 in 387 PAs (90 OPS+)

As with almost all of the players listed here, Posada was a great hitter in his prime. Unfortunately, he was 39 and well past that point in 2011.

7. Cliff Johnson 1978: .184/.307/.351 in 205 PAs (88 OPS+)

Johnson was an excellent hitter. He had two strikes against him. First, he was an African American catcher coming up with the Houston Astros at a time when that organization was not exactly being run in an egalitarian state of mind. Second, he wasn't a very good defensive catcher, so they had a baseball reason for continually sending him back to the minors despite his hitting .256/.370/.471 (146 OPS+) in the majors and .294/.380/.546 at Triple-A. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he had to wedge a lot of body behind the plate, and his journey to the outfield corners, first base, and ultimately designated hitter, was probably inevitable. Traded to the Yankees in 1977, he hit .297/.407/.584 in 107 games split between the two teams. Unfortunately, 1978 was one of a few times in his career when he slumped in part-time play. The next year he got into a clubhouse scuffle with Goose Gossage and the Yankees banished him to Cleveland.

6. Danny Tartabull 1995: .224/.335/.380 in 230 PAs (87 OPS+)

Though he hit 262 home runs and had two .300 seasons in the majors, Tartabull was a terrible fundamental hitter who refused to make the slightest concession to the pitcher if he got behind in the count. Think of the classic "great at-bat" in which the pitcher gets two strikes on the hitter but the hitter fouls off pitch after pitch, gradually working the count even, then to 3-2, before finally drawing a walk or getting a hit. Tartabull didn't have those. From 1994-1995, the average American League hitter had an average of .183 in at-bats after an 0-2 count and .196 after 1-2. Tartabull hit .085 and .125, respectively in those situations. In 1994, Tartabull hit an even .000 when swinging at an 0-2 pitch.

Travis Hafner (Patrick Smith)

5. Travis Hafner 2013

4. Bill Sudakis 1974: .232/.296/.344 in 293 PAs (85 OPS+)

Bill Sudakis was a valuable 25^th-man type in that he could both catch and substitute at all four corners and could switch-hit with a bit of power and patience, albeit one with a heavy bias towards the right side of the plate. As with all players, Sudakis was vulnerable to wide swings in productivity due to the outsized role luck plays in small samples. He had one of those years in 1974, which he climaxed by getting into a hotel scuffle prior to a key late series against the Brewers in which team MVP Bobby Murcer had this thumb broken. They don't cover that when they calculate WAR, but they should.

3. Ruben Sierra 1996: .258/.327/.408 in 407 PAs (83 OPS+)

This was Ruben Sierra I: More Fool You. The Yankees got the dregs of Sierra's career in return for the A's carting away Danny Tartabull's spent carcass. The Yankees then got to enjoy about a year of watching Sierra stand as far away from home plate as a hitter possibly can while still being within the same zip code, then take futile hacks at pitches on the outside corner that he couldn't possibly reach with a bat twice regulation length. After Torre demanded the Yankees rid of him his dysfunctional DH, general manager Bob Watson was able to swap him to the Detroit Tigers for the last year and a half of Cecil Fielder's contract. Fielder was just about done, but had a little more to give than Sierra did, playing very well in the postseason. As for Sierra, after being traded he said, "All they care about over there is winning."

2. Carlos May 1977: .227/.292/.309 in 203 PAs (66 OPS+)

The 1977 Yankees were a great team, a championship team, but it had weaknesses, among them the death of Mays' bat at age 29. May reached the majors with the White Sox at 20 and hit terrifically well, if inconsistently. He finished third in the 1969 Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .281/.385/.488, which in that time and place was worthy of a 137 OPS+. In 1972, he hit .308/.405/.438 for a 148 OPS+. In between he was merely solid. He also lacked a defensive position, bouncing between first base and left field. His home run total peaked at 20 in 1973, then dropped to eight the next year and refused to budge. Early in 1976, the Yankees traded two players to get him. They were unable to revive his bat, and his major league career ended shortly thereafter.

1. Roy White 1979: .215/.290/.288 in 236 PAs (59 OPS+)

Roy White was a great player. Offensively he was basically Bernie Williams Mk I, with less power but better baserunning. This season, much like Posada's 2011, was simply an excellent hitter coming to the end of the road.

More from SB Nation:

• Yasiel Puig hits first career walk-off homer

• Phillies sign Cuban RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez

• Albert Pujols out for up to a year

• Minor League Ball: Early 2014 draft rankings

• Yankees ownership overruled Cashman on Soriano trade

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Due to today's day game, the Mug is off today. It will return tomorrow. - KL

Clear your schedule and settle in, because there's a lot of baseball coming today.

At 1:20 Central time the Brewers will take on Carlos Villanueva (4.23 ERA, 4.09 FIP) in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, replacing a rainout from April 10. Villanueva is starting for the first time since Thursday, when he held the Diamondbacks to three runs on six hits over five innings, walking three and striking out five. He threw a season-high 103 pitches in that game.

Villanueva has split his first season in Chicago between the bullpen and rotation, and has been much better working in relief. He has a 3.06 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 17.2 innings out of the bullpen, while posting a 4.52 ERA with 50 K's over 71.2 innings as a starter. Opposing batters have a .765 OPS against him as a starter, compared to .687 while working in relief.

Villanueva was, of course, a member of the Brewers from 2006-10. He's also still only 29 years old. He made a relief appearance against the Crew on June 26, holding them scoreless with a strikeout for a single inning. No current active Brewer has faced him more than five times, and the guys who have seen him before have a combined .100/.143/.100 batting line in 21 plate appearances.

He'll face 27-year-old righty Yovani Gallardo (4.88 ERA, 4.03 FIP) in his final appearance before the trade deadline. Gallardo probably lowered his stock a bit with a disaster start against the Padres on Thursday, allowing six runs on eight hits over just 3.2 innings. He has a 7.56 ERA in five July starts.

With the Brewers likely considering options to sell before the trade deadline, there's a chance today could be Gallardo's final appearance for Milwaukee. If the Brewers do opt to move him, they'll be giving up a pitcher who ranks among their all-time leaders in several statistical categories:

Gallardo lost to the Cubs on June 26 when they scored five runs against him on eight hits over just four innings. Five current Cubs have faced him ten times or more:

Here's the Brewers' lineup for game one:

Rickie Weeks 2B
Norichika Aoki RF
Jean Segura SS
Jonathan Lucroy C
Carlos Gomez CF
Caleb Gindl LF
Jeff Bianchi 3B
Yuniesky Betancourt 1B
Yovani Gallardo P

And in the bullpen:

• Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (nine pitches) last night, and also pitched on Sunday.
• Brandon Kintzler pitched one inning (14 pitches) last night.
• Rob Wooten pitched one inning (14 pitches) last night.
• John Axford pitched .1 innings (16 pitches) on Sunday.
• Burke Badenhop pitched .2 innings (eight pitches) on Sunday.
• Jim Henderson last pitched on Saturday.
• Alfredo Figaro last pitched on Thursday.

Rain is moving through Illinois throughout the day today, but the radar would seem to suggest the worst of it will stay to the south. Expect a game-time temperature around 73 with winds blowing from right to left.

A bad season for the Brewers took a turn for the worse Tuesday afternoon as one of their most valuable potential trade candidates went down with a terribly timed injury.

Yovani Gallardo, starting game one of a doubleheader against the Cubs, left today's game in the fifth inning with what's being called a "tight left hamstring." The trainer came out to see Gallardo on the mound following this diving play in the fourth inning and left him in. It's unclear if his later injury was related to that play.

Gallardo had pitched 4.2 scoreless innings at the time of his departure, but had walked the bases loaded with two outs. John Axford followed him to the mound and surrendered hits to each of the first four batters he faced, adding insult to injury and allowing the Cubs to take a 5-2 lead.

We don't know much more about Gallardo's status at this point, but it's now safe to assume he'll at least finish the season as a Brewer. The non-waiver trade deadline is tomorrow, and it's likely the Brewers would know enough about his health situation in time to complete a deal, even if one was on the table.

Milwaukee Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo exited his start early with a "tight left hamstring," reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com

Gallardo limped off the field during the middle of an at-bat against Darwin Barney. The trainer had visited Gallardo in the fourth inning after he made a diving play in the field, but left him in the game.

The starter ended up throwing 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. Gallardo struggled with his control, as he issued three walks and only struck out one. John Axford replaced Gallardo against Barney, and immediately surrendered a two-run single.

The latest on Jake Peavy

The White Sox pushed back Jake's start as the D'backs remain the frontrunners.

Teams had called Brewers general manager Doug Melvin about Gallardo earlier in the month, but Melvin stated that he had little interest in moving the right-hander.

The injury is ill-timed, as it essentially ends any Gallardo trade speculation, but the team had already decided not to move Gallardo and Kyle Lohse before the trade deadline, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.

The Brewers may opt to place Gallardo on the disabled list, as he has under performed this season. Gallardo entered Tuesday with a 4.88 ERA, over one run higher than his career ERA.

He has seen his strikeouts drop by 22%, and his velocity is down 2 mph. Gallardo will make $11.25 million in 2014, so Milwaukee needs the starter to return to form if they want to move him during the offseason or in 2014.

More from MLB Daily Dish:

• D-Backs shopping Kennedy, Kubel
• Jays shopping Bonifacio, Melky
• Cliff Lee talks heating up
• Something brewing in San Francisco?
• Dodgers sign Brian Wilson

Win: Rob Wooten (1-0)
Loss: James Russell (1-3)
Save:Jim Henderson (13)

HR: Jean Segura (12), Yuniesky Betancourt (12), Khris Davis (2)

MVP: Khris Davis (.295)
LVP: John Axford (-.554)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Boxscore

With a doubleheader in Chicago today, the Brewers really needed a strong outing from Yovani Gallardo in the first game. Unfortunately, Gallardo left with an injury after 4.2 innings and made the rest of the day a bit more difficult for the Brewers. Faced with adversity, though, the Brewers stepped up and pulled out a 6-5 victory this afternoon.

Neither team was able to muster much offensively in the first three innings, but the Brewers were able to score first in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run from Jean Segura. The home run was Segura's first of the month of July and his first home run since June 25th against the Cubs.

Yuniesky Betancourt started the top of the fifth inning with a home run to left field to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. Betancourt had a great day at the plate going 3 for 4 with two singles along with his solo home run.

Yovani Gallardo looked to be on his way to a quality start until some struggles in the fifth inning. Gallardo managed to load the bases with two outs in the inning. With Darwin Barney at the plate, Gallardo was able to get the count to 1-2 before being forced to leave the game with a tight left hamstring. It appeared as though the tightness in his plant leg occurred as he released the pitch. Gallardo limped off and around mound immediately after releasing the pitch.

John Axford came into the game for Gallardo and immediately gave up a two-run single to Barney. The damage was not done though, as the Cubs were able to add three more singles and three more runs to take a 5-2 lead at the end of the fifth.

After Betancourt continued his hot day at the plate with a single following a Jeff Bianchi walk, the Cubs removed Carlos Villaneuva and brought in James Russell in the seventh inning.

Russell's day did not go well as he gave an opposite field home run to Khris Davis on the very first pitch he threw to tie the game 5-5. With one swing of the bat, Davis changed the entire complexion of the game. Davis's power is very real and it will be interesting to see what he can do with more playing time.

The Brewers were not done in the seventh inning though. Aoki singled to right field and then stole both second and third to put himself in scoring position for Jean Segura. On a 1-2 pitch, Segura almost went down to his knees and smashed a ball into the left field corner for a double that scored Aoki and gave the Brewers a 6-5 lead.

After taking the lead, the Brewers turned to Brandon Kintzler, Michael Gonzalez, and Jim Henderson and each pitcher delivered a scoreless inning to seal the victory for the Brewers. Henderson collected his 13th save of the season while Rob Wooten earned his first career victory.

The Brewers will be back in action tonight against the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader. Tyler Thornburg will be on the mound for the Brewers against Jake Arrieta for the Cubs. Arrieta, acquired from the Orioles in the Scott Feldman trade, will be making his Cubs' debut this evening. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

If you missed today's Brewer game don't worry, there's another.

At 7:10 tonight we can all come together to witness Jake Arrieta (7.23 ERA, 4.60 FIP) in his Cubs debut. Arrieta was acquired from Baltimore on July 2 in a deal that sent pitcher Scott Feldman to the Orioles, and has made five AAA starts since switching organizations. He last pitched for AAA Iowa on Thursday and allowed a run on four hits over 6.2 innings, walking four and striking out eight.

Arrieta is still only 27 years old, but his prospect status has faded. Baseball America had him in their top 100 in 2009 (#67) and 2010 (#99), but the results have not matched the hype. He has a career 5.46 ERA and that figure has gone up in each of his four major league seasons. His walk rate is high (4.0 per nine innings for his career), but aside from that his peripherals look ok. He'll throw a mid-90's fastball with a curve, slider and occasional changeup.

Arrieta has never faced the Brewers in the majors or minors. The only current Brewer that has seen him before is Yuniesky Betancourt, who is 0-for-2.

He'll face Tyler Thornburg (2.95 ERA, 3.69 FIP) in his first major league start since October 2. Thornburg has been with the team but used sparingly for quite some time now, making just four appearances since June 30. He pitched four innings against the Padres a week ago today and allowed four runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out two.

Hopefully staying on a normal routine isn't a big deal for Thornburg, because the Brewers haven't done much to keep him on one. His appearance on July 22 was his first in 16 days, then he pitched four innings the very next day. Since being called up to the Brewers in late June he's pitched on four, four, 16, zero and now six days of rest.

Thornburg is facing the Cubs in the majors for the first time. He did, however, face the Iowa Cubs for six innings on June 19 and allowed a single unearned run on five hits. The only current Cub who has faced him in the majors is Carlos Villanueva, who started the first game of today's doubleheader on the mound.

If you're reading this it means I got hung up in meetings and didn't have time to update this post with tonight's lineup or bullpen situation. If you could add either in the comments, that'd be great.

There's a good chance weather will be an issue sometime during tonight's game. The Weather Channel is calling for a game-time temperature around 73 and an increasing chance of precipitation as the night goes along. The wind continues to blow from right to left.

Lineup:

Schafer 9 Bianchi 6 Lucroy 2 Gomez 8 Davis 7 Francisco 3 Betancourt 5 Gennett 4 Thornburg 1

Win: Burke Badenhop (2-3)
Loss: Kevin Gregg (2-3)
Save: Jim Henderson (14)

HR: Juan Francisco (14)

MVP: Jeff Bianchi (.426)
LVP: Burke Badenhop (-.371)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Boxscore

After having the bullpen relinquish a lead for the second time today, the Brewers were once again able to make a comeback and steal a victory from the Cubs.

The Brewers put the first run on the board this evening on a leadoff home run to right field by Juan Francisco. Francisco used his strength to push a high fastball on the outer half of the plate over the left field wall.

Other than the home run to Francisco, Jake Arrieta performed relatively well in his debut with the Cubs. Arrieta pitched six innings and only allowed the one run on two hits and three walks. For the most part, the Brewers were unable to figure out Arrieta this evening.

Tyler Thornburg did a great job working around some struggles to put up six scoreless innings for the Brewers this evening. Thornburg wasn't spectacular, but he was able to work around four hits and three walks to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard. Thornburg struck out six batters, including a strikeout of Junior Lake who looked at a curveball on the outer corner of the plate to end the fifth inning with two runners on base.

After removing Tyler Thornburg and bringing in Burke Badenhop to start the seventh inning, the Brewers simply forgot how to play defense. Francisco started off the miscues by failing to squeeze a throw at first base from Yuniesky Betancourt to put Cody Ransom on first. Jeff Bianchi followed Francisco's error by bobbling a groundball hit right at him at shortstop.

Finally, Jonathan Lucroy allowed a passed ball that moved both Ransom and Cole Gillespie up to second and third. David DeJesus hit a double over the head of Logan Schafer in right field that scored both runners and gave the Cubs their first lead of the game.

In the eighth inning, the Brewers were able to put runners on first and third, but couldn't score when Khris Davis just missed a fastball and flew out to left field for the third out of the inning.

It looked as though the night would end for the Brewers in the top of the ninth with two outs and only pinch-runner Norichika Aoki on first base, but pinch-hitter Jean Segura barely ran out a chopper to third baseman Cody Ransom to keep the inning alive. Following a Schafer walk to load the bases, Jeff Bianchi was able to sneak a looping liner past Starlin Castro that scored both Aoki and Segura to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.

Jim Henderson took the mound for the second time Tuesday and left the mound in the same manner as he did this afternoon. After allowing a single to DeJesus, Henderson struck out Lake to pick up his 14th save of the season.

The Brewers will be back in action tomorrow as they look to sweep the Cubs in their four game series. Wily Peralta struggled mightily in his last start against the Rockies, but he'll look to regain the success he experienced during the majority of the month of July against the Cubs and Edwin Jackson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were stung by the Salt Lake Bees (Angels), 5-4.

Yoanner Negrin started and took the loss after he allowed five runs over 4.1 innings. He allowed nine hits, including a home run to the leadoff batter in the bottom of the first. Negrin did strike out six and walk only one.

Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. It was his fourth home run this year and third with the I-Cubs. Ha went 2 for 4.

Third baseman Mike Olt did have a single in a 1 for 4 game, his first hit since Friday. He did strike out in the other three at-bats, however.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies were edged by the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 9-6 in 13 innings.

Starter Yeiper Castillo allowed three runs, all unearned, on four hits over 3.2 innings. Castillo walked one and struck out two.

Tony Zych had 2.2 innings of relief without allowing a run. He gave up two hits. Zych struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Kevin Rhoderick took the loss after he had some major control issues. In 1.2 innings of relief, he allowed four runs, three of which were earned, mostly because of the seven walks he issued. He only allowed one hit. In his defense, one of those seven walks was intentional. Rhoderick did not strike anyone out.

First baseman Justin Bour was 3 for 6 with a double and a walk and an RBI. He scored in the bottom of the 13th inning as Tennessee mounted a comeback, but catcher Rafael Lopez, who was the potential tying run at the plate, lined out to end the game. Lopez had a good game otherwise, as he was 3 for 6 with a walk and a run scored.

Center fielder Matthew Szczur went 2 for 7 with two spectacular diving catches in extra innings. Szczur scored twice.

Second baseman Arismendy Alcantara was 2 for 5 with a double and two walks. Alcantara had two RBI.

Right fielder Brett Jackson was 2 for 6 with a walk, an RBI and three strikeouts.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs were turned into whine by the Ft. Myers Miracle (Twins), 5-2.

Zach Cates started and took his ninth loss. He allowed two hits on one hit and three walks over two innings. Cates struck out one.

First baseman Anthony Giansanti hit his first home run of the year with the bases empty in the fifth inning. Giansanti was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Catcher Yaniel Cabezas went 2 for 4.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 4-2.

Justin Amlung pitched the first three innings without allowing a run. He gave up four hits. He struck out three and didn't walk anyone.

Nathan Dorris took the win because Amlung didn't pitch five innings. Dorris allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out one and also didn't walk anyone.

Steve Perakslis threw the final two innings without allowing a run for his fourth save. He surrendered two hits. He gave up two hits and walked one. He did not record a strikeout.

Right fielder Reggie Golden hit home run number six in the second inning with the bases empty. Golden was 1 for 4.

Catcher Carlos Escobar was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored. Left fielder Oliver Zapata was 2 for 4 with an RBI triple in the eighth inning.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks scored five times in the sixth inning to clip the Spokane Indians (Rangers), 5-3.

Another two good inning start for Rob Zastryzny, who didn't allow a run and gave up only one hit. He struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Zack Godley got the win because he was on the mound when Boise scored five times. He gave up one run on three hits over two innings. Godley struck out two and didn't walk anyone.

Scott Frazier got his first professional save with three scoreless innings to end the game. Frazier allowed two hits. He didn't walk or strike anyone out.

Third baseman Kris Bryant was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. First baseman Jacob Rogers was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Catcher Cael Brockmeyer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

AZL Cubs

Lost to the Angels, 8-0.

Not really knowing where to start writing about seven hours and five minutes of Cubs defeats means, predictably, I suppose, that I'll start at the end.

Kevin Gregg should have saved the doubleheader's second game, because he had the Brewers' Logan Schafer struck out with runners on first and second. Then he had Jeff Bianchi struck out -- twice -- with the bases loaded.

Unfortunately, plate umpire Jim Wolf did not agree with my assessment (and the assessment of the remnant of a cold, damp, wet crowd and, from what I understand, the assessment of the television audience). Wolf refused to call pitches that were strikes, strikes. Segura wound up with an infield single; Schafer drew a walk to load the bases. Then Bianchi lined a ball that Starlin Castro dived at, had in his glove, then lost for a two-run single. Was that dive made the right way? I thought it was extraordinary effort that just missed; others disagreed.

Whatever the case, it resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Brewers when the Cubs couldn't score off Milwaukee closer Jim Henderson in the bottom of the ninth, and a doubleheader sweep for the visitors.

I've been consistently in favor of replay review for at least five years; it's supposedly going to happen in 2014 for plays in the field, but I'll believe it when I see it. Now, after seeing Wolf's ridiculous calls in the ninth, put me firmly on the robot umpire bandwagon for calling balls and strikes. We shouldn't have different strike zones for different umpires. There's a rule-book strike zone. Obviously, it's different for tall and short players, but that's easy to adjust for by programming the ball-and-strike computer that you'd have for each individual player's height.

This is entirely consistent with my belief that the results on the field should reflect what the players actually do, rather than what one man, or four, dressed in black (or blue) think. Keep those men on the field to keep order and make calls on the bases (subject to review), but get them out of the ball-and-strike business. We have the technology; it would eliminate arguments completely; it would probably speed up the games.

Especially games like Wednesday's. Three hours and 45 minutes for a nine-inning first game? Brewers pitchers threw 184 pitches, Cubs pitchers hurled 149. Foul ball after foul ball, in a game dotted by an annoying little rain shower (figures, right, for the makeup of a game rained out in April) in the first inning, and another in the ninth. That game was winnable, too; why on Earth was James Russell (who's become more of a LOOGY this year due to his sudden inability to get RH-hitting batters out) in to face Khris Davis, a right-handed power hitter who can hit baseballs as far as the other guy whose name is pronounced, but not spelled, the same way? A 5-2 lead. Just two outs to go in the seventh inning. But Davis launched Russell's first pitch into the right-field bleachers, tying the game, and then Russell gave up two more hits, enough to give the Brewers a 6-5 lead after the Cubs had put together a really nice five-run fifth inning on six hits and a walk. That had erased an earlier 2-0 deficit off Carlos Villanueva, who deserved better. The Cubs had a shot at it in the bottom of the ninth after Blake Parker threw two really nice scoreless innings; a pair of two-out walks put the tying run on second base (one of the walks going to Welington Castillo after he nearly won the game; his homer-distance shot went about 10 feet foul), but Cody Ransom flew to center to end it for a 6-5 Cubs defeat.

The length of the game should tell the Cubs one thing: even if you have a night game before a split doubleheader, play the first game at noon. Game 1 ended at almost 5:10, which is after the gates would normally open for a night game. The cleanup crew did a pretty nice job of getting the place cleaned up after the original crowd left, but the lines to get in wound up being long, as they couldn't open up for Game 2 until 6:10 or so.

The story of the second game, beyond Jim Wolf's miserable ball-and-strike calls, was Jake Arrieta. Arrieta had an excellent Cubs debut, not giving up his first hit until the fourth inning, then allowing just that hit (a double to Schafer) and a solo home run by Juan Francisco, before leaving after six strong innings. Arrieta has electric stuff and he has said he doesn't want to go back to Iowa. He made a good case for sticking around. Even issuing three walks didn't drive up his pitch count; he left after 93 pitches and six innings, and probably could have gone another inning if Dale had wanted him to. Michael Bowden threw two very strong scoreless relief innings while the Cubs took a 2-1 lead on two Milwaukee errors and a two-run double into the gap by David DeJesus, until Wolf decided to give the game to the Brewers in the ninth, while yet another spitty little rain shower passed through the area.

I found it completely amusing that Twitter was, um, atwitter with "ZOMG Nate Schierholtz isn't playing the second game even though a RHP is starting HE MUST BE GETTING TRADED!" Maybe Dale just wanted to give Cole Gillespie a start. Darwin Barney wasn't in the lineup for Game 2 either. Did that mean he was getting dealt? Of course not. Too much reading of non-existent tea leaves, in my view. I saw one tweet Tuesday night, referring to the near-deadline hysteria, that read, "Isn't this fun?" My answer to that is, "Not really." I began reading this Twitter feed instead, which I found much more amusing than the actual trade rumors.

There are just a few hours left until the deadline at 3 p.m. CDT Wednesday afternoon. We'll be keeping track of any trades that come down involving the Cubs, and really, they ought to trade Gregg this afternoon, though nothing is guaranteed. And then there will be another game tonight, as the Cubs try to squeeze one win out of this four-game set against Milwaukee. What is it about N.L. Central teams? The Cubs are now 15-31 against the N.L. Central and 33-27 against everyone else, including 9-7 against the A.L. West. Maybe the Cubs should have moved there instead of the Astros. (Joke! Not serious!)

And please. No more rainouts this season. One split doubleheader (and the Pirates and Cardinals, who were also rained out in April, played a single-admission doubleheader in Pittsburgh Tuesday) a year is enough.

This week's Brew Crew Ball Tracking Poll was open from noon Monday through Tuesday, and received 196 responses. Here are some notable results:

• 74% of voters say they'll be disappointed if the Brewers do not make any more moves before today's trade deadline.
• 85% of fans said Ryan Braun's recent suspension has not changed their plans to attend games this season or in 2014, but 56% of fans also said Braun owes the fans both an explanation and an apology for the scandal.
• Doug Melvin (up ten points to 63%) and Ron Roenicke (up nine points to 44%) both saw significant gains in their approval rating since the last poll was conducted two weeks ago.
• 45% of voters say the Brewers should fire pitching coach Rick Kranitz, down from 55% two weeks ago. 46% of voters opted to fire amateur scouting director Bruce Seid.

Full results are below.

Will you be disappointed if the Brewers do not make any more moves before the trade deadline?

In your opinion, does Ryan Braun owe the fans an apology or explanation for his suspension at this point?

Has the Braun suspension changed your plans to ATTEND games this season or in 2014?

Do you approve of the decision to trade Francisco Rodriguez to the Orioles for Nicky Delmonico?

Do you approve of the job Doug Melvin is doing as General Manager of the Brewers?

Do you approve of the job Ron Roenicke is doing as Manager of the Brewers?

Do you approve of the job Rick Kranitz is doing as Pitching Coach of the Brewers?

Do you approve of the job Johnny Narron is doing as Hitting Coach of the Brewers?

Which, if any, of these Brewer executives and coaches do you think should be fired?

One hour from the trade deadline and the Brewers made a roster move. Unfortunately, it's not necessarily the kind we would prefer--the team placed Yovani Gallardo on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.

Gallardo pitched 4.2 innings Tuesday in the first game of the Brewers' double-header against the Cubs. He had allowed three runs on six hits and three walks up to that point, but left the game early due to an apparent injury in his left hamstring.

In the short run, Gallardo being out won't necessarily hurt the Brewers. He had been struggling heavily all season long, and Tyler Thornburg can easily slot into his spot in the rotation after starting the second game yesterday. Milwaukee doesn't even need to make an extra roster move. Scooter Gennett was on the team as the 26th man for the double header and will remain in the majors for now.

Gallardo is now sure to remain with the Brewers this season. The trade rumors surrounding him had already died down after a horrendous start against the Padres on the 25th. His injury just further drives teams away from having interest in the right-hander.

Since the start of the 2011 season there are three starting pitchers the Brewers have faced eight times or more. One is Bronson Arroyo. Another is Wandy Rodriguez.

The third is Edwin Jackson (4.89 ERA, 3.55 FIP), who will face the Brewers for the ninth time in three seasons at 7:05 tonight. Jackson is making his 21st start as a Cub and his first since getting a no-decision against the Giants on Friday, when he allowed two runs on four hits over 6.2 innings. He walked two and struck out five in that game.

This is Jackson's eleventh major league season, and his results are roughly in line with most of his career numbers. He'll throw a low-to-mid 90's fastball but almost a third of all of his pitches are sliders, plus the occasional cutter and curve. He also leads all of baseball with eleven wild pitches this season, a pretty significant increase from the three he uncorked as a member of the Nationals in 2012.

As I mentioned above, Jackson is a familiar foe for the Brewers. He's already faced the Crew three times this season and was the losing pitcher in all three games, allowing a combined 16 runs (12 earned for a 5.89 ERA) on 18 hits over 18.2 innings. Six active Brewers have faced him ten times or more:

He'll face righthander Wily Peralta (4.54 ERA, 4.19 FIP), who is looking to bounce back from a rough outing last time out. He allowed eight runs (five earned) against the Rockies on seven hits on Friday, lasting just 3.2 innings. Before that he had allowed just four earned runs in his last 41.1 innings.

Peralta is arguably one of the Brewers' most reliable pitchers at this point, but it'll be interesting to see if they keep using him every fifth day down the stretch. He's already thrown 125 innings this season, and his career high is 175.2 from a year ago. In theory he's probably capable of climbing up close to 200, but it's worth asking if pushing a 24-year-old that hard is the right decision.

Peralta has already faced the Cubs three times this season and has a 3.44 ERA over 18.1 innings against them, with six walks and ten strikeouts. Starlin Castro is the only Cub who's faced him ten times or more, and he's 3-for-10 with three singles.

As of this writing tonight's lineup has not been posted. If you've seen it, please drop it in the comments.

And in the bullpen:

• Jim Henderson pitched in both halves of the doubleheader yesterday, working one inning (23 pitches) in game one and one inning (19 pitches) in game two.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched one inning (17 pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Monday.
• Brandon Kintzler pitched one inning (15 pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Monday.
• Rob Wooten pitched one inning (12 pitches) yesterday, and also pitched on Monday.
• Burke Badenhop pitched two innings (28 pitches) yesterday.
• John Axford pitched .1 innings (28 pitches) yesterday.
• Alfredo Figaro last pitched on Thursday.

The forecast suggests it should be a nice night for baseball in Chicago tonight. Expect a game time temperature around 76 with a slight chance of rain and winds blowing from left to right.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost their sixth straight game, 6-3 to the Salt Lake Bees (Angels).

It was a better second Cubs start for Justin Grimm, but he got the loss anyway after he allowed two runs on four hits over five innings. He walked three and struck out five.

Almost all of the Iowa offense came from the bottom three hitters in the order. Center fielder Jae-Hoon Ha was 2 for 3 with a walk. Ha scored one run.

Left fielder Darnell McDonald was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored one run and had one RBI. Catcher J.C. Boscan was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies choked the Birmingham Barons (White Sox), 3-2.

Starter Matt Loosen allowed two runs on three hits over 5.1 innings. His big problem was control, as he walked four and hit two batters. Loosen struck out three.

Jeffry Antigua entered the game with the bases loaded and only one out in the sixth. He allowed one run on a sacrifice fly, but otherwise pitched out of the jam. Antigua got the win after pitching 2.2 innings and allowing only one hit and no runs of his own. Antigua walked three and struck out three.

Frank Batista pitched the ninth inning and recorded his 14th save, although not before giving heartburn to everyone at Smokies Park. Batista put runners on first and third with one out and loaded the bases with two outs, but the game ended on a ground ball that first baseman Jonathan Mota deflected to second baseman Arismendy Alcantara who then completed the 3-4-1 ground out. Batista allowed one run on one hit and one walk. He got one big strikeout with runners on the corners and one out.

Shortstop Javier Baez crushed his 28th home run with a man on in the third inning. It was his eleventh homer with the Smokies. Baez was 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

The win evened the five game "Chitown Showdown" series at two games apiece and put Tennessee back in first place by half a game. They'll decide the series tomorrow.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs edged the Ft. Myers Miracle (Twins), 2-1.

Another impressive start for Ivan Pineyro, who is pitching better than anyone traded even-up for Scott Hairston has a right to be. Today he threw six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits. He struck out seven and walked nobody. In four starts with Daytona, Pineyro has struck out 21 and walked only one.

Austin Reed blew Daytona's one run lead with after he gave up one run on one hit over two innings. However, he ended up getting the win when Daytona pushed a run across in the top of the ninth. Reed walked one and did not have a strikeout.

Frank Del Valle pitched a scoreless ninth for his seventh save. He made it interesting when he gave up two two-out singles, but he struck out the final batter to end the game. Del Valle just had the one strikeout.

DH Dustin Geiger hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his eleventh of the season. Geiger was 1 for 4.

Right fielder Pin-Chieh Chen entered the game in the third inning and went 3 for 3 and he scored the eventual winning run in the 8th inning on a single by shortstop Elliot Soto, who was 1 for 4 with a walk.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars defanged the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 6-3.

Felix Pena pitched the first seven innings and allowed three runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits. Pena walked three and struck out one.

Sheldon McDonald pitched the top of the eighth inning and got the win when Kane County scored three times in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed no runs but one hit. McDonald had one strikeout and didn't walk anyone.

Michael Hamann collected his seventh save, and fourth with the Cougars, after a scoreless ninth inning. He gave up a one-out single, but got a double-play to end the game. Hamann did not strike out a batter.

The Cougars went up for good when third baseman Jeimer Candelario and first baseman Rock Shoulders hit back-to-back home runs. Candelario's home run came with a man on and was his seventh of the season. Shoulders's blast was his 17th. Candelario went 2 for 4 and Shoulders was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 2 for 4 with a double. He scored one run and had one RBI.

Boise Hawks

The Boise Hawks were doused by the Everett AquaSox (Mariners), 7-4.

Starter Paul Blackburn gave up a two-run home run in the first inning, which were the only two runs he gave up over two innings. He gave up two hits and a walk. He had one strikeout.

Duane Underwood took the loss. He allowed four runs on four hits over four innings. Underwood walked two and struck out two.

Right fielder Yasiel Balaguert hit a two-run home run in the third inning, his fifth of the season. Balaguert was 2 for 4 with three total RBI.

Center fielder Kevin Encarnacion was 3 for 5 and scored a run. First baseman Jacob Rogers was 2 for 3 with a walk. He scored once and had one RBI.

AZL Cubs

Beat the Giants, 2-1.

Gerardo Concepcion tossed two scoreless innings in his 2013 debut.

Win: Edwin Jackson (7-11)
Loss: Wily Peralta (7-11)

HR: Anthony Rizzo (15), Starlin Castro (7)

MVP: Yuniesky Betancourt (.039 WPA)
LVP: Wily Peralta (-.215 WPA, -.186 WPA pitching, -.029 hitting)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Boxscore

There was a one hour and six minute rain delay in the top of the sixth inning. Edwin Jackson came back to pitch when it was over. Wily Peralta did not. Jackson pitched eight innings of one run, four strikeout baseball. Peralta was relieved by Alfredo Figaro, who pitched two innings and gave up two runs. Rob Wooten pitched a clean inning to finish up the night.

This game was a lot about Jonathan Lucroy. He's got the hottest bat, so since Martin Maldonado is unofficially Wily Peralta's personal catcher, to get Luc in the lineup, he played first base and provided some comedy when he did more to block a pitch than field a ground ball in the fourth inning.

He was thrown out at home on a short flare to left field when he was sent from second and probably shouldn't have been. A faster player would have scored. Luc may have been safe - replays were inconclusive. He also drove in the team's lone run late, yet somehow finished .001 WPA behind Yuni for team MVP tonight.

About 52 hours elapsed from the time of the first pitch Monday night to the recording of the final out Wednesday. The Cubs and Brewers played four games in those 52 hours; the sum total of the game times was 12 hours, 56 minutes and, tacking on Wednesday night's rain delay, 14 hours, two minutes but at times, it seemed as if the teams were playing for just about all of those 52 hours. Even when they managed to get the game time under three hours (2:46 Wednesday; just 21 of the Cubs' 107 games this year have been that length or less, and it would have been shorter if Blake Parker hadn't muddled through a 21-pitch ninth inning), the one-hour, six-minute rain delay caused the elapsed time from start to finish to be nearly four hours.

Fortunately, Wednesday night's lengthy stay at the ballpark for the Cubs resulted in a 6-1 win over the Brewers, and there was much goodness to be found, so let's get to it.

Edwin Jackson had the best start of his Cubs career; I wouldn't say he "tired" after the rain delay (although he flung his first pitch after the delay to the backstop), because he dispatched of the rest of the sixth inning and all of the seventh without incident. But in the eighth, a single and a double scored the Brewers' only run. If not for that, Jackson might have been allowed to go for a complete-game shutout. He has just three of those in his career. Even better than that: Wednesday night's win was just the third start of Jackson's career (out of 225 games started) where he's thrown at least eight innings and not walked anyone.

That, I think you'll agree, we'd love to see more of. In his last six starts, Jackson has posted a 1.56 ERA and 0.942 WHIP, issuing just seven walks in 40⅓ innings. Now, after a really rough start, he's looked like the guy Theo & Jed signed to that four-year, $52 million deal. Starting pitching has been a Cubs strength this year, and at last, Jackson has joined the rest of the rotation in that strength.

Something that hasn't been a strength has been the team offense, particularly Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, both of whom have had disappointing seasons. Both homered Wednesday night; Rizzo's was announced at 382 feet but must have been at least 50 feet longer, considering it disappeared over the fence past the 400-foot sign and about 10 rows into the right-center field bleachers near the batter's eye. Rizzo also doubled and is on a 7-for-17 run in his last five games (with four walks, too). Hopefully, this will lead to a good August for him.

Those of us with smartphones had been watching a compact, but intense line of thunderstorms bear down on the north side of Chicago for at least 45 minutes before it hit with two out in the top of the sixth; there wasn't the usual warning of a light rain before the harder rain. Heavy rain began to fall and the grounds crew had to scramble to get the tarp on the infield. It rained hard for about 20 minutes, less so for another 20 and they had the field ready to go nearly as quickly as the rain started; the Cubs completed the scoring on a two-run double by David DeJesus in the bottom of the sixth. By that time, probably two-thirds of the far-below-capacity crowd had left, and maybe 3,000 stayed to see the Cubs win, shortly after 11 p.m.

The announced number of tickets sold was 29,817. That's the smallest number of tickets sold announced for a July home game since 29,618 on July 22, 2002, more than 11 years ago.

The good things coming out of Wednesday's win, we hope, will begin to lead to better baseball in 2014 and beyond, so that crowds like that won't become the norm.

The Cubs open a four-game series with the Dodgers Thursday night. The Dodgers are the hottest team in the National League; they've gone 26-7 since June 22. But you know what? The Cubs have played decent baseball since that date, ranking fourth in the NL with a 19-15 mark. Perhaps they can still make something decent out of this homestand.

All's well that ends well, and this popup hit by the Brewers' Jeff Bianchi that fell in between Nate Schierholtz, Darwin Barney and Anthony Rizzo in the ninth inning Wednesday night wound up as a 9-6 fielder's choice, as Schierholtz threw to Starlin Castro covering second base in time to force out Scooter Gennett.

But I'm sure you can come up with a better caption for this photo than that description. Have at it, while we wait for tonight's Cubs/Dodgers game to begin.

The biggest event to happen this week wasn't big at all... the trade deadline. But on July 31st, the Padres and Diamondbacks completed the only trade between two NL West teams. Arizona traded Ian Kennedy to San Diego for reliever Joe Thatcher, prospect releiver Matt Stites, and a compensatory-round draft pick. Nobody else in the division made any other notable deals on the deadline.

Anyway, let's take a look at what happened on the diamond this week.

TEAM RECAPS:

Diamondbacks: Arizona was 3-3 this week. The Diamondbacks started off the week with back-to-back wins against the Cubs and Padres before losing their next three straight. The Dbacks ended the week on a positive note when they defeated the Rays 7-0 on the road.

Arizona's offense was all over the place this week. The Diamondbacks averaged 4.2 runs per game, but that still doesn't explain how inconsistent they were. Here is the order of runs scored by the Dbacks this week: 3, 10, 3, 0, 2, 7. On the flip side, the pitching staff was hit or miss as well. Here is the order of runs the pitching staff allowed: 1, 0, 12, 1, 5, 0. In short, the pitching was incredible in four of the six games, but because of the inconsistent offense, Arizona was 3-3.

Rockies: Colorado was 2-5 this week. The Rockies started off the week with a 5-3 loss to the Marlins. In its weekend series against Milwaukee, Colorado took two of three. But then the Rockies traveled to Atlanta and were swept by the NL-East leading Braves.

Colorado averaged an impressive 4.7 runs per game this week. But that wasn't enough to finish better than 2-5 this week because the pitching staff surrendered on average 7 runs per game. Opponents scored five runs or more in six of the Rockies' games this past week. When Colorado played Atlanta, the Braves scored nine runs in the first and third games and eleven in the second.

Giants: San Francisco was 1-4 this week. The Giants started off the week with an off day before getting swept by the Cubs at home. San Francisco then traveled to Philadelphia and split two games with the Phillies.

Unlike the Rockies and Diamondbacks, the Giants offense was average while the pitching staff was good this week. San Francisco's offense averaged three runs a game this past week thanks to a 9-2 over Philadelphia. Oddly enough, the pitching staff surrendered the same amount of runs per game. But the series against the Cubs is what stands out. The Giants scored three runs in the entire series while the pitching staff gave up only six runs.

Padres: San Diego was 5-2 this week. The Padres started off with a 10-8 win over the Brewers before losing to the Diamondbacks 10-0. But San Diego bounced back and won four straight before losing its final game of the week to Cincinnati by a score of 4-1.

The Padres offense was extremely inconsistent at the beginning of the week before figuring it out at the end. Here is the order of runs scored by San Diego this week: 10, 0, 12, 1, 2, 4, 1. San Diego's pitching staff was okay, surrendering on average four runs per game. But the Padres hope they fixed that issue by acquiring Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks.

Dodgers: Los Angeles was 4-2 this week. The Dodgers started off the week with a loss to the Reds before winning four straight (three against the Reds and one against the Yankees). The Boys in Blue then ended the week with a tough 3-0 loss to the Bronx Bombers.

Los Angeles truly showed its "grit" this week. The Dodgers won three games by one run and its fourth win by three. But that was only because its offense wasn't as hot as it has been. Last week, LA averaged 7.8 runs per game. This week, it averaged just 2.

WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THESE TEAMS NEXT WEEK:

Diamondbacks: One game against the Rangers, three against the Red Sox, two against the Rays

Rockies: One game against the Braves, three against the Pirates, two against the Mets

Giants: One game against the Phillies, three against the Rays, three against the Brewers

Padres: Three games against the Yankees, two against the Orioles

Dodgers: Four games against the Cubs, three games against the Cardinals

OVERALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Dodgers' pitcher Clayton Kershaw. The lefty was 1-0 this week with a 0.56 ERA in two starts. Kershaw finished the week with 16 total innings in which he allowed just one earned run on 11 hits. The Dodgers' ace also struck out eight and walked none. Kershaw's 2013 season ERA is now at 1.87.

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE:

Dodgers' outfielder Yasiel Puig. On July 28th, the Dodgers and Reds were tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the eleventh with two outs. Puig stepped up to the plate, and then this happened. Before his walk-off homer, Puig was 0-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. In the end, the homer, bat flip, and slide into home earned him this award.

OVERALL TEAM OF THE WEEK:

The Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite finishing with the second best record over the last seven days, 4-2 compared to the Padres' 5-2, LA deserves to be named the team of the week. San Diego went 5-2 against the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Braves, whereas Los Angeles went 4-2 against a tougher combination of teams (record wise so far this season) in the Reds and the Yankees. At the same time, LA's wins were much closer and tougher to achieve as they included two walk-offs.

WORST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK:

Rockies' pitcher Tyler Chatwood. The 23-year-old righty lasted just two and a third innings against the Braves on July 31st. Chatwood gave up eight run (seven earned) on 10 hits while striking out just one. The Rockies went on to lose that game by a score of 9-0.

Good afternoon prospect watchers. The trade deadline is passed....and I don't know about you guys, but I thought it was pretty disappointing after all the buildup. I think teams are still getting used to the implications of the new CBA.

***My next major project is to finish up the Top 20 Pre-Season organization reviews. Tentative order will be the Mets, Padres, Blue Jays, Rockies, Royals, White Sox, Marlins, Giants, and Brewers to finish off, though I reserve the right to change that. I also have articles in the work queue for Marcus Semien of the White Sox, Engel Beltre of the Rangers, Victor Black of the Pirates, Michael Choice of the Athletics, Drake Britton of the Red Sox, plus Prospect Retros (all by request) for Marco Scutaro, Jeff Kent, C.J. Wilson, Chris Davis, and LaTroy Hawkins. Off all that stuff, Scutaro and Semien will get done first since I've got the research almost done for those. Stay tuned, in other words, there's a lot coming up here.

***Yesterday's Minor League Ball Gameday discussion.

***San Francisco Giants prospect Roger Kieschnick made his major league debut yesterday, going 2-for-5 with two RBI (and two strikeouts). He was hitting .273/.339/.497 for Triple-A Fresno before his promotion, with 40 walks and 102 strikeouts in 374 at-bats.

Kieschnick was a third round pick out of Texas Tech back in 2008, but his progression through the farm system was slowed by a variety of injuries. A left-handed power hitter, he runs well, has a good arm, and looks like a prototype power-hitting right fielder. Complicating factors: he's already 26, old to just be reaching the majors, he's streaky, and he strikes out a lot. His plate discipline has improved from poor to adequate, but we'll have to see how it holds up against major league pitching. Warnings aside, he's always had power and an age 27 performance surge seems plausible for next year.

***The Rangers promoted infielders Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor to Double-A yesterday.

***Another outstanding outing for Blue Jays prospect Marcus Stroman: 13 strikeouts in 6.1 innings for Double-A New Hampshire.

***Randy Holt looks at Mets right-hander Matt Harvey and examines how his first year in the major leagues ranks historically.

***Andrew Ball looks at newest Houston Astros outfielder L.J. Hoes.

More from Minor League Ball:

• Manny Ramirez experiment may be nearing the end
• Houston Astros Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Chicago Cubs Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Quiroli releases 20 best MiLBers to follow on Twitter list
• Minor League Ball Gameday, July 31
• Astros trade Bud Norris to Orioles for prospects Hoes, Hader
• Diamondbacks trade Ian Kennedy to Padres for Thatcher, Stites, draft pick
• Astros trade Justin Maxwell to Royals for prospect Kyle Smith
• Los Angeles Angels Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review
• Seattle Mariners Top 20 2013 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

On this day in 1992 four men were officially inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame: longtime umpire Bill McGowan and pitchers Hal Newhouser, Tom Seaver and Rollie Fingers.

Fingers may have been the most historically significant of the inductions, because at the time he was one of just two pitchers enshrined who had been primarily used as relievers (joining Hoyt Wilhelm). Fingers came out of the bullpen in 907 of his 944 career appearances, notching 341 saves. 97 of those saves, two All Star appearances and the 1981 AL Cy Young and MVP Awards came as a Brewer.

Here's the text from Fingers' Hall of Fame plaque:

CAREER EPITOMIZED EMERGENCE OF MODERN-DAY RELIEF ACE AS HE APPROACHED LEGENDARY STATUS WITH CONSISTENT EXCELLENCE COMING OUT OF BULLPEN. RELIED UPON SINKING FAST BALL TO BECOME ALL-TIME MAJOR LEAGUE LEADER WITH 341 CAREER SAVES. APPEARED IN 16 WORLD SERIES GAMES FOR OAKLAND, WINNING 2 AND SAVING 6. A.L. MVP AND CY YOUNG AWARDEE IN 1981.

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