Win: Charlie Morton (6-3)
Loss: Tom Gorzelanny (3-6)

HR: Marlon Byrd (22)

MVP: Juan Francisco (.039 WPA)
LVP:  Jean Segura (-.136 WPA)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Boxscore

Do you really care what happened in the game? You don't, be honest. It's a Wednesday - you're headed for a holiday weekend, your team lost and it wasn't pretty. There were runners stranded, Tom Gorzelanny was himself and the brand new Piraten acquisition put one over the fence that the talking heads think put the game out of reach (making it 7-0 instead of 4-0). Charlie Morton got his first career win against the Brewers.

Besides, you like the Pirates right now. You're on their bandwagon and it's ok. We can commiserate with their fanbase. We were them just a few years ago. They deserve this shot. That it could come at the expense of the Cardinals is just really icing on the cake (they were losing 9-0 to the Reds at the time of this writing, btw). There is no shame in Raising the Jolly Roger and cheering for the Piraten as we head into September. Take these wins with our blessing, Pittsburgh. Dave Kerwin owes you one.

On this day in 1997 the Brewers beat the Pirates 4-1 at County Stadium. Jeff Cirillo hit a two-run double and Scott Karl allowed a single run on seven hits over 7.1 innings, walking none and striking out four in the first-ever meeting between these two franchises.

The game was hardly treated as a historic event at the time, as just 17,539 fans came out to witness the Friday night contest. It was, however, the first of 249 meetings in the all-time series, with the 250th scheduled to be played tonight. Here are some quick stats on the matchup:

• Even after Wednesday's loss, the Brewers lead the all-time series 139-110. Most of that advantage is relatively recent, as the Brewers went 11-4 against Pittsburgh in 2012, 12-3 in 2011 and 13-5 in 2010 before losing ten of their first 15 games against the Pirates this season.
• These two teams have played 17 games at Three Rivers Stadium (Brewers lead 12-5), 21 games at County Stadium (Brewers lead 11-10), 105 games at Miller Park (Brewers lead 71-34) and now 106 games at PNC Park (Pirates lead 61-45).
• The Brewers' largest shutout victory of all time was a 20-0 win over the Pirates in April of 2010.
• Ryan Braun is a career .318/.408/.589 hitter against the Pirates, and leads all Brewers with 116 hits in the series. Prince Fielder had 27 home runs in 98 games as a Brewer against the Pirates.
• Longtime Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson had 120 hits against the Brewers to lead all Pittsburgh players. Brian Giles leads all Pirates with 15 homers against the Brewers, while current Brewer Aramis Ramirez is tied for sixth with eleven.

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

• Brevard County Manatee Brent Suter, who turns 24.
• 2000-01 Brewer Henry Blanco, who turns 42.
• Seattle Pilots manager Joe Schultz, who would have turned 95. We covered his birthday in this space two years ago.

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 54-85
Won 6-1 at Oklahoma City RedHawks (HOU) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 65-65
Lost 4-3 vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (DET) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 59-71
Lost 4-2 vs Quad Cities River Bandits (HOU) (box / pbp)

AZL Brewers (Rookie) 23-33
Won 4-3 (10 inn.) vs AZL Indians (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

Some things to read while going casual.

If you're rooting for the Pirates to win the NL Central, then last night's game might have been a little easier to stomach. Pittsburgh is back within half a game of the division lead after beating the Brewers 7-1, and Nicole has the recap if you missed it.

Other notes from the field:

• Aramis Ramirez was hit by a pitch for the 107th time in his career last night. Plunk Everyone has more on the accomplishment.

The series wraps up tonight when Yovani Gallardo takes on Gerrit Cole at 6:05. Kevin Massoth has the MLB.com preview.

Gallardo, by the way, is both the only Yovani and the only Gallardo in MLB history. He's one of three current (including Norichika Aoki and Burke Badenhop) and several former Brewers on Value Over Replacement Grit's list of unique names in baseball history.

Carlos Gomez had two hits last night but is still batting just .176/.296/.250 in his last 21 games. GammonsDaily.com notes that his .752 OPS since the All Star break is only the tenth best among MLB center fielders.

Aramis Ramirez was on base twice last night, getting a single in addition to the aforementioned HBP. Adam McCalvy has a look at how his numbers stack up against some of the game's all-time great third basemen.

Marco Estrada is scheduled to start the middle game of the Angels series this weekend as he looks to build on his recent hot streak. J.P. Breen of Disciples of Uecker says he's one of the key arms for the 2014 team.

We're just a few days away from September, which means roster expansion is coming next week. It's hard to tell what role he'll play, but it sounds like Mark Rogers will be a September callup: Mass Haas of Brewerfan.net has a look at his rehab situation, which calls for him to be activated from his minor league assignment at the end of the month.

If you've been watching the Brewers on FS Wisconsin this season, you'll likely find yourself nodding along with several items on this list: Enrique Bakemeyer of The Brewers Bar has a look at some of Brian Anderson and Bill Schroeder's favorite cliches.

In the minors:

• Congratulations are due out this morning to Johnny Hellweg, who has been named the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Year. He posted a 3.16 ERA over 22 starts for Nashville, allowing just five home runs over 119.2 innings in the hitter-friendly league.
• The affiliates went 2-2 yesterday, and Alfredo Figaro allowed a single run on four hits over five innings in Nashville's 6-1 win over Oklahoma City. You can read about that and more in today's Minor League Notes.
• Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio has highlights and more from Wisconsin's 4-2 loss to Quad Cities.
• Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com took a look at the rosters for this year's Arizona Fall League teams and gave the Surprise Saguaros, the team the Brewers share with four other organizations, the league's lowest prospect rating.
• Wisconsin Sports Tap has a look at Nashville starter R.J. Seidel.
• The Boldt Company is donating 60 trees to the City of Appleton's Forestry Department in acknowledgement of 60 broken bats in Wisconsin games this season.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Signed pitcher Edinson Volquez.
Indians: Placed outfielder Ryan Raburn on the DL with an Achilles strain.
Rays: Released pitcher Cory Wade.

Let's go around the NL Central:

• The Reds bounced back from Tuesday's loss with a 10-0 rout of the Cardinals on Wednesday. Jay Bruce drove in five runs as Cincinnati chased Adam Wainwright from the game with nine runs in the first two innings.
• Dale Sveum was ejected in the first inning and took the Cubs' bats with him as Chicago lost 4-0 to the Dodgers. Ricky Nolasco pitched eight innings in the game and held the Cubs to three hits.
• The Pirates, of course, beat the Brewers.

You can read about those games and all of yesterday's action on Noah's Thursday edition of Around the Bases at SBNation.com.

Here are today's updated standings and probables:

This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks the 16th anniversary of the first-ever meeting between the Brewers and Pirates. Today is also 2000-01 Brewer Henry Blanco's 42nd birthday, and Plunk Everyone notes that his nine career HBP are the fifth most ever for a player born on August 29.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go change.

Drink up.

Tonight's game is the 13th of 13 consecutive against likely NL playoff teams (the Reds, Cardinals and Pirates), and the Brewers are 6-6 in the first 12. A winning record over that span would be a pretty impressive feat.

They'll get a shot at that elusive seventh win at 6:05 tonight when they take on Gerrit Cole (3.81 ERA, 3.34 FIP), the former #1 overall pick from the 2011 draft. Cole is making his 14th start in his first major league season, and his first since allowing two runs on a career-high ten hits over six innings against the Padres on Wednesday.

Cole has been slightly more hittable lately, posting a 4.43 ERA over four starts in August and allowing opposing batters to hit .282/.319/.388. Some of that might just be luck, though, as his opponents are batting .344 on balls in play over that time. He'll throw a mid-to-upper 90's fastball about two thirds of the time, mixing in a slider, curve and changeup.

Cole pitched a quality start against the Brewers on June 28, holding them to three runs on eight hits over six innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Carlos Gomez went 2-for-3 against him in that game, and Norichika Aoki went 1-for-2 with a walk.

He'll face veteran righty Yovani Gallardo (4.61 ERA, 4.02 FIP), who continues to search for consistency in a frustrating year. Gallardo inched across the finish line with a quality start on Friday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits over six innings with two walks and five strikeouts.

Tonight could be just the third time all year Gallardo has pitched three consecutive quality starts, matching streaks from April and June. To do it, though, he might need to improve his strikeout numbers. He's striking out just 6.2 batters per nine innings since July 1, down from 8.9 for his career.

Gallardo has faced the Pirates three times already this year, starting two Brewer losses and one win. Combined over those three games he has a 3.71 ERA over 17 innings, walking eight and striking out 17. Nine current Pirates have faced him ten times or more:

Tonight's lineup is as follows:

Scooter Gennett 2B
Jean Segura SS
Jonathan Lucroy C
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Carlos Gomez CF
Khris Davis LF
Caleb Gindl RF
Juan Francisco 1B
Yovani Gallardo P

And in the bullpen:

• John Axford pitched one inning (12 pitches) last night.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched .2 innings (12 pitches) last night.
• Tyler Thornburg pitched .2 innings (two pitches) last night.
• Burke Badenhop pitched .1 innings (eleven pitches) last night.
• Rob Wooten pitched 1.2 innings (24 pitches) on Tuesday.
• Jim Henderson pitched one inning (20 pitches) on Tuesday.
• Brandon Kintzler pitched one inning (nine pitches) on Tuesday.

Last night I said it was going to be a nice night for baseball in Pittsburgh and got surprised by rain. Tonight also looks nice, though, with a game time temperature in the low 80's without a cloud in the sky and light winds.

August 30 5:10pm - FOX Sports West, FOX Sports Wisconsin

Jered Weaver (8-7, 3.46 ERA)

#36 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-7

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 04, 1982

August 31 4:10pm - FOX Sports West, FOX Sports Wisconsin

Jerome Williams (5-10, 4.80 ERA)

#57 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-3

Weight: 240

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Dec 04, 1981

Marco Estrada (6-4, 4.44 ERA)

#41 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 5-11

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 05, 1983

September 1 11:10am - FOX Sports West, FOX Sports Wisconsin

C.J. Wilson (13-6, 3.36 ERA)

#33 / Pitcher / Los Angeles Angels

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Nov 18, 1980

Kyle Lohse (9-8, 3.39 ERA)

#26 / Pitcher / Milwaukee Brewers

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 04, 1978

W: Yovani Gallardo (10-9)
L: Gerrit Cole (6-7)

HR: Aramis Ramirez (9)

MVP: Yovani Gallardo (+.315 WPA)
LVP: Juan Francisco (-.063 WPA)

win expectancy graph | box score

On a night where everyone is off watching the Packers play preseason football (or in my case, stuck listening to it because the Brewers are on AM and I live under power lines) the Brewers of course carry off a shutout. Not only that, a shutout where they scored four entire runs.

Yovani Gallardo has pitched 7 innings or more in 8 starts out of 26 this season and has pitched 6 innings or more in 19 starts. We know about the Brewers' difficulty with complete games this year but even with the lack of 9-inning starts, Gallardo has consistently gone out there and kept the bullpen out of it for the most part. Brandon Kintzler put in his 6th appearance of 2 innings or more in 2013 to close it out. I was listening to the Pirates broadcast and they were saying nice things about Kintzler, so perhaps people outside Milwaukee are coming to appreciate the reasonably consistent job he's done as setup man this season.

Scooter Gennett had another singles night as he went 3 for 4 with a run scored. With Aoki not starting, this was probably all you could ask for. I can't complain that much about the top 5 or 6 batters in this lineup. 7 and 8, though...the jury's still out on Gindl, and Francisco is swinging at everything.

The Brewers return home tomorrow for exciting interleague action against the Angels at 7:10. Wily Peralta will pitch for the Brewers. Of course, the Brewers batters get stuck facing Jered Weaver. Of course.

On Saturday, I mentioned on Twitter that Reds first baseman Joey Votto may be a little overrated in fantasy leagues due to his low home run and RBI totals. I wrote about the same in Sunday's Roto Roundup as well. I received a lot of responses, which I expected, as Votto is a favorite of many in fantasy circles. Don't get me wrong, he is very valuable in leagues where OBP and OPS are used as scoring categories, but in standard 5 x 5 leagues, he provides excellent value in runs scored and batting average, and that is it. Maybe this will change down the road, but right now, his home run and RBI totals diminish his value a bit, and knock him into the mid-second round for me.

Today, I am going to take an early look at my top 20 hitters for 2014, along with some brief comments on each. So, let's dive in.

Top 20 Hitters for 2014

1. MIguel Cabrera, DET

Best hitter in the game, capable of winning the Triple Crown categories for the next few seasons.

2. Mike Trout, LAA

Could be the best fantasy hitter over the next decade, capable of hitting 25-30 home runs and stealing 40+ bases in any given season.

3. Chris Davis, BAL

Davis proved his 2012 breakout season was no fluke and currently leads the majors in home runs with 46, and is second in runs scored and RBI. Barring injury, he could put up another 40 home run season in 2014.

4. Carlos Gonzalez, COL

He is injury prone, but hits in a hitters park, hitting for average, and had put up 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases four times in his career.

5. Ryan Braun, MIL

Oh, he has risk. We don't know how long Braun has been using PEDS, right? Well, I think he will be hell-bent on proving himself to his team, his coaches, the Brewers fans and other players in baseball.

6. Troy Tulowitzki, COL

For me, he and Hanley Ramirez are the top two fantasy shortstops, but both have proven to be injury prone. Tulo is capable of a 30-100-.290 season every year.

7. Andrew McCutchen, PIT

Not many hitters are as consistent as McCutchen is. McCuthen is on pace for his third consecutive 20-20 season.

8. Hanley Ramirez, LAD

One of the top two fantasy shortstops in the game. Projecting his 2013 stats over a full season puts him at 30 HRs and 100 RBI with 20 stolen bases.

9. Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

Goldschmidt is now one of the top power hitters in the game, and will rank as my 2nd ranked fantasy first baseman for 2014 behind Chris Davis.

10. Robinson Cano, NYY

Coming into the season, Cano was the number one fantasy second baseman for the last three years, but he now has competition from the hitter just below. Cano will be a free agent at the end of the season, and should he leave New York for another team, he may fall out of my top 20 hitter rankings.

11. Adrian Beltre, TEX

Beltre is one of the more consistent hitting hitters in baseball, and age has yet to catch up to him. He is on pace for another 30-100-.300 season for the second straight season, and just missed by .004 in batting average in 2011.

12. Edwin Encarnacion, TOR

Encarnacion is another hitter proving his 2012 breakout is for real, and is on pace to duplicate his 42 HR, 110 RBI 2012 season.

13. David Wright, NYM

Wright is always good for solid power, speed and batting average and will probably rank third in my third base rankings heading into 2014, just behind Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Beltre.

14. Bryce Harper, WAS

I projected Harper to put up a 25 HR, 25 stolen base season in 2013, then he ran full speed into the right field wall at Dodger Stadium, missing a month of the season. I will project the same in 2014, with a chance for 30 bombs.

15. Giancarlo Stanton, MIA

This list is filled with guys who can't stay healthy and Stanton might be at the top of the list alongside Tulowitzki. In a year where he can stay healthy and play 150 games, Stanton is a slam dunk for 40+ home runs, with a chance at 50. Best power hitter in the game. When healthy.

16. Jason Kipnis, CLE

I will probably go back and forth about 50 times before our 2014 consensus position rankings are published in January about who to rank as my #1 fantasy second baseman: Kipnis or Cano. I am leaning Kipnis due to the overall power-combo he provides.

17. Joey Votto, CIN

I have discussed Votto above, so I won't rehash my thoughts about him here.

18. Matt Kemp, LAD

i think Kemp's shoulder injury affected him all season, and he couldn't stay healthy in 2013. I think he returns to the 2011 Matt Kemp next season with 30 HRs and 20 stolen bases.

19. Adam Jones, BAL

Jones proved that his 2012 season was for real and is pace for a career high in home runs, runs scored, RBI and stolen bases.

20. Evan Longoria, TB

Longoria is on pace for a career high in home runs and strikeouts this season, but if he ever puts it all together, he could duplicate what Beltre is doing for Texas.

21. Jose Bautista, TOR

Bautista is one of the more consistent power hitters in the game, but is beginning to show his age as he has missed time due to injury a few times this season.

22. Carlos Gomez, MIL

Gomez has quietly put up another terrific season at the plate, and is on pace for a 20+ HR, 35+ stolen base season for the first time in his career.

23. Yasiel Puig, LAD

Well, we will certainly find out whether his 2013 rookie season was for real or not in 2014. Puig has all the tools to put up a 20-20- season with a .300 batting average for several seasons.

24. Buster Posey, SFG

Posey is the best fantasy catcher in the game, but the power is down this season, but he still hits for a high average, and is on pace for 17 home runs and 80 RBI.

25. Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS

Ellsbury is a free agent at the end of this season, so there is no telling where he will land. Ellsbury is on pace for 50+ stolen bases, leading the major leagues, and 100+ runs scored. Depending on where he lands will determine whether he stays in the top 25, moves up or drops out altogether.

Last night Tom Haudricourt reported the Brewers were working on a deal to trade a reliever, and it turns out he was right: This morning they announced they've dealt John Axford to the Cardinals for a player to be named later.

Axford will likely always be best remembered for his lights-out stretch as a closer during the Brewers' NL Central championship run in 2011, where he set a franchise record with 46 saves. He's struggled to live up to that expectation since then, though, posting a 4.57 ERA over 137 appearances since the start of the 2012 season. He's recorded 35 saves over the last two years but has been removed from the closer role for at least part of each of those seasons.

Axford (106) and Dan Plesac (133) are the only Brewers in franchise history to record over 100 saves. He's eighth on the Brewer all-time list with 268 games pitched, and sixth with 268 relief appearances. Among pitchers who threw at least 250 innings, Axford is the only Brewer ever to record more than ten strikeouts per nine innings (10.87).

Andrew Gruman is reporting that Alfredo Figaro will rejoin the team to fill Axford's roster spot.

As for the return for Axford, all we know at this point is that we don't know much right now. Adam McCalvy talked to Doug Melvin and wasn't able to get any kind of confirmation about the type of player coming back, but Melvin did say he expects to name the player next week.

The Cardinals acquired Milwaukee Brewers reliever John Axford on Friday for a player to be named later, St. Louis announced.

Axford served as the Brewers closer from 2010-2012, compiling 105 saves for Milwaukee over three seasons. He began the 2013 campaign in the closer's role, but struggled to begin the year and was moved to set-up man.

The right-hander carried a 9.00 ERA in mid-May, but has settled down recently, posting a 2.70 ERA over his last 40 innings. Overall, Axford has a 4.45 ERA over 54 2/3 innings with 54 strikeouts and 23 walks.

St. Louis enters Friday with a 3.56 ERA from their relievers, the eighth-best mark in the NL. Acquiring Axford gives the Cardinals some insurance for closer Edward Mujica while giving the team more flexibility.

The Axford addition allows St. Louis to move one of their young starters, most likely Michael Wacha, out of the bullpen and into the rotation, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mujica has also been battling "arm fatigue," so Axford may close games if Mujica is unavailable, though, Trevor Rosenthal remains an option as well.

More from SB Nation MLB:

• Sports agent Ron Shapiro on Jay-Z, A-Rod and more

• Brandon Phillips has a complex

• Brisbee: Yasiel Puig, workplace obstacle

• Yasiel Puig benched in Dodgers’ win | Gains clubhouse respect

• Should the Cubs replace Dale Sveum in 2014?

Here are this week's BotW nominees:

Khris Davishad five hits in five starts this week and all five went for extra bases, including three doubles and two home runs (both hit against the Reds on Friday). He hit .263/.333/.737 and was worth +.615 WPA.

Marco Estradapitched seven shutout innings against the Reds on Sunday, holding them to a single hit and two walks while striking out nine. He was worth +.398 WPA this week.

Yovani Gallardomade two starts this week and allowed a combined three runs (two earned) on 12 hits over 13 innings, walking three and striking out ten. He was worth +.183 WPA this week.

Scooter Gennetthad ten hits in six games this week, including a double and a home run. He hit .435/.417/.609 this week and was worth +.195 WPA.

Aramis Ramirezhad eight hits in six games this week, including a pair of doubles and two home runs. He hit .348/.400/.696 and was worth +.432 WPA.

Honorable mentions: Norichika Aoki, Brandon Kintzler, Wily Peralta

To help us get ready for this weekend's series, we've enlisted the help of Rev Halofan of Halos Heaven to answer some questions about the Angels.

BCB: Obviously Brewer fans are disappointed with the way 2013 has turned out, but their sadness has to pale in comparison to that of Angels fans who were expecting much more. Is the general consensus that 2013 is a blip on the radar, or a sign of some lean years to come?

HH: The faithful are having a hard time seeing hope. The Angels farm system is dry. The high payroll prevents fixing issues with a checkbook (although that can be a good thing). The trial balloons of trading Howie Kendrick and Erick Ayabr for pitching should telegraph desperation from the front office totally mystified by the collapse. For 2014 the optimists have Mike Trout and the fact that the Albert Pujols injury was not a chronic issue. For the pessimists there is everything else.

BCB: 2012 AL Rookie of the Year and near MVP Mike Trout is back at it in full force again in 2013, where he's carrying a .332/.427/.574 batting line for the season and has actually been significantly better than that in August. Is there any way to slow him down?

HH: Ask your scouts, they passed him up (ha ha, I say this to all 22 teams that passed him up in the 2009 draft). (Editor's note: The Brewers are not one of those 22 teams.). If his game has any flaw it is that he is more prone to the strikeout, but it is a marvel to watch him improve on everything, even on that. He is not running anywhere near as much this season. Is this a Mike Scioscia decision? He has had a tender hamstring issue of late (he sat out a three game Cleveland series earlier this month and the Angels folded instantly) and maybe that has made him reticent to jump as the numbers on the basepaths are a lot lower than last season. But it is almost splitting hairs to fixate on these. He's basically the best young player in baseball in perhaps half a century. In a list of 36 categories of statistical achievements up to and including an Age-21 season, Troutranks in the top ten in baseball history in 17 categories and in ten more for numbers accrued while Age 21. The best way to slow him down will be to wait for his 2032 retirement season.

BCB: C.J. Wilson (who will start on Sunday) has been great this year, but he's the only Angels starter who's pitched a full season at this point. Is the rotation a question mark for this team going forward?

HH: Yes. For the next three seasons it looks like it will be Wilson and Weaver and then make up a funny rhyme.

BCB: Ernesto Frieri has 50 saves since joining the Angels last May, including 27 this season, and is striking out 13.2 batters per nine innings in 2013. What makes him so effective?

HH: What makes him so effective is facing bad hitters on weak teams. He is in a bad stretch right now. Brewers fans will have a chance in the game when he enters it.

BCB: Obviously Mike Trout is awesome, but over the course of the season he's been the only regular on this team under the age of 26. Are there any other future stars on this roster to keep an eye on?

HH: Outfielder Kole Calhoun has been waaaaaayyy better than Josh Hamilton in limited playing time. Want to take Hambone off our hands? We got Grant Green from Oakland for Alberto Callaspo at the trade deadline and he may be the heir to 2B if Howie Kendrick is shipped out in the offseason. Luis Jimenez just came back up from AAA to play 3B, he has an outside chance at being an everyday player, while Green is definitely looking at a few seasons of being in the lineup everyday and Calhoun could even see an All Star Game or two in the next half-decade under the right circumstances.

Thanks to Rev for taking the time, and check out Halos Heaven for more on the Angels!

By now you've probably heard that the Brewers announced a trade this morning, sending John Axford to the Cardinals for a player to be named later. The analytical part of my brain thinks it's a good decision, especially if Tom Haudricourt is right when he says the Brewers were almost certainly going to non-tender the veteran reliever this winter. Getting something, anything of value for a player who was otherwise going to leave for nothing is a good move. We won't know how good, of course, until we see what the Brewers get back.

In the meantime, though, the emotional part of my brain went into my closet and dug out a 2011 NL Central Championship t-shirt. With Axford gone, consider for a moment the 25 players who appeared in a game as a Brewer in that postseason, less than 24 months ago:

Gone: Casey McGehee, Craig Counsell, Francisco Rodriguez, George Kottaras, Jerry Hairston Jr., John Axford, Kameron Loe, LaTroy Hawkins, Mark Kotsay, Nyjer Morgan, Prince Fielder, Randy Wolf, Shaun Marcum, Takashi Saito, Zack Greinke.

Still here: Carlos Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy, Marco Estrada, Rickie Weeks (out for season), Ryan Braun (out for season), Taylor Green (out for season), Yovani Gallardo

Possibly on the way out: Chris Narveson (due to become a minor league free agent), Corey Hart (out for season, free agent after season)

Gone, then back again: Yuniesky Betancourt

15 members of the best Brewer team of my lifetime are already gone, less than two years after the team's final game, and two more may be gone after the World Series. Even among the players who are still here, three are out for the season, one stands a strong chance of being traded this winter (Gallardo) and one is Yuniesky Betancourt.

Thinking about it this way makes October of 2011 feel really far away. We'll always remember the great moments from that season, but the players involved have largely moved on. That's how things work in the world of sports, of course, and there's not much that can be done to prevent it. But that knowledge isn't enough to keep me from getting a little nostalgic today as one of the key players from that team walks out the door for the last time.

And like that, the Axford era in Milwaukee was over.

Last night Tom Haudricourt reported the Brewers were working on a deal to trade a reliever, and it turns out he was right: This morning they announced they've dealt John Axford to the Cardinals for a player to be named later.

Axford will likely always be best remembered for his lights-out stretch as a closer during the Brewers' NL Central championship run in 2011, where he set a franchise record with 46 saves. He's struggled to live up to that expectation since then, though, posting a 4.57 ERA over 137 appearances since the start of the 2012 season. He's recorded 35 saves over the last two years but has been removed from the closer role for at least part of each of those seasons.

Axford (106) and Dan Plesac (133) are the only Brewers in franchise history to record over 100 saves. He's eighth on the Brewer all-time list with 268 games pitched, and sixth with 268 relief appearances. Among pitchers who threw at least 250 innings, Axford is the only Brewer ever to record more than ten strikeouts per nine innings (10.87).

Andrew Gruman is reporting that Alfredo Figaro will rejoin the team to fill Axford's roster spot.

As for the return for Axford, all we know at this point is that we don't know much right now. Adam McCalvy talked to Doug Melvin and wasn't able to get any kind of confirmation about the type of player coming back, but Melvin did say he expects to name the player next week.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: If you're looking for something to do while waiting for tonight's game, Kyle will be appearing on The Sports Den with Downtown Ollie Burrows on SportsFan 100.5 in Wausau at 6:30. Follow that link to listen live. - KL

The Brewers are 13-12 with two games to play in the month of August, meaning they have two chances to secure their first winning month since April.

They'll get their first shot at it tonight at 7:10 when they send Wily Peralta (4.51 ERA, 4.25 FIP) to the mound to take on the Angels. Peralta pitched five innings against the Reds on Saturday and allowed a single run on seven hits, walking one and striking out two. He needed 103 pitches to record 15 outs in that game.

As is frequently the case with young pitchers, Peralta's outings have been all-or-nothing much of the time this season. He has a 1.80 ERA and is averaging almost seven innings per start in his eight wins, but has a 7.77 ERA and has averaged just less than five innings in his 13 losses. His fastball sits in the mid-90's and he'll throw it about two thirds of the time while largely filling in the gaps with his slider and an occasional curve.

Peralta has, of course, never faced the Angels.

He'll face 30-year-old rightyJered Weaver (3.46 ERA, 3.76 FIP), who I thought was much younger for some reason. Weaver is in his eighth major league season and last pitched on Sunday, when he held the Mariners to a single run on three hits over eight innings. The only run in that game scored on a homer, and he's allowed at least one long ball in each of his five starts in August.

Weaver missed most of April and May this year with a broken elbow, ending an impressive streak of durability. He made at least 30 starts in every season from 2008-2012, amassing 1036.1 innings with a 3.21 ERA. His velocity is way down this season, sitting at 86.6 mph after being up around 90 for a long time.

Weaver has pitched in 226 games in his MLB career but this is the first time he's ever faced the Brewers. The only current Brewer who has faced him ten times or more is Yuniesky Betancourt, who is hitting .277/.320/.426 in 50 (!) plate appearances.

Tonight's Brewer lineup is as follows:

Norichika Aoki RF
Jean Segura SS
Jonathan Lucroy 1B
Aramis Ramirez 3B
Carlos Gomez CF
Khris Davis LF
Scooter Gennett 2B
Martin Maldonado C
Wily Peralta P

And in the bullpen:

• Brandon Kintzler pitched two innings (18 pitches) last night.
• Michael Gonzalez pitched .2 innings (12 pitches) on Wednesday.
• Burke Badenhop pitched .1 innings (eleven pitches) on Wednesday.
• Tyler Thornburg pitched .2 innings (two pitches) on Wednesday.
• Rob Wooten and Jim Henderson last pitched on Tuesday.
• Alfredo Figaro pitched five innings for AAA Nashville on Wednesday.

It was hot and rainy in Milwaukee during the afternoon today, but expect it to cool off and calm down by game time. We're looking at a game time temperature around 79 under cloudy skies with winds blowing from left to right.

National League Rules... Angels at Brewers features a pitcher batting just like they did in covered wagon times...

LINEUP:

1. J.B. Shuck LF
2. Erick Aybar SS
3. Mike Trout CF
4. Kole Calhoun RF
5. Mark Trumbo 1B
6. Hank Conger C
7. Luis Jimenez 3B
8. Grant Green 2B
9. Batting NINTH, the Pitcher, Jered Weaver!

Play Ball...

W: Jered Weaver (9-7)
L: Wily Peralta (8-14)

HR: Kole Calhoun (5)

MVP: Wily Peralta (+.123 WPA)
LVP: Rob Wooten (-.179)

The Angels are not a very good team this season, but you wouldn't have known that tonight.

Jered Weaver and friends shut the Brewers out tonight on just six hits, stranding a combined five runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Jonathan Lucroy (infield single and two walks) and Aramis Ramirez (a walk and a single) were the only Brewers to reach base twice.

No support meant no chance for a win for Wily Peralta, even though he had a quality start. Peralta allowed three runs on four hits over six innings, walking two and striking out six. Peralta is the first Brewer to lose 14 games in a season since Ben Sheets in 2004.

Tyler Thornburg, who the Brewers announced today as Monday's starting pitcher, pitched a scoreless inning in relief tonight.

This series continues tomorrow when Marco Estrada takes on Jerome Williams at 6:10.

Final Score in Milwaukee:Angels 5 Brewers 0

The Angels saw their starting pitcher combine with the bullpen to shut out the Brewers 5-0. Jered Weaver pitched six innings of three-hit, three-walk, and three-K baseball while the bats showed up early and late. Kole Calhoun hit his fifth home run in the fourth inning and Grant Green hit a bases loaded double in the seventh to remove all doubt about who would take this one.

Michael Kohn pitched a scoreless seventh and Cory Rasmus blanked the Brew Crew over the final two innings.

The one that got away, Jean Segura, had one hit in five plate appearances for the Halos, but it still hurts in case you are wondering.

With the pitchers batting, Mike Scioscia did the switcheroo of having Peter Bourjos bat for Jered Weaver to advertise to every National League General Manager the brilliance of having a great defensive replacement raring to go on offense. It fizzled as Bourjos was 0 for 2 in the game but they are probably going to trade him anyway.

On this day in 2005 the Brewers hosted the Pirates at Miller Park and trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Lyle Overbay walked to lead off the frame and Ned Yost called upon rookie first baseman Prince Fielder to pinch hit for reliever Derrick Turnbow. The first pitch from Jose Mesa was a strike. The second pitch was a home run as Fielder gave the Brewers a walkoff victory.

To date Fielder has hit 281 major league home runs, but this was the second of just two as a pinch hitter, and his only walkoff pinch hit bomb. It was Fielder's final home run of the 2005 season, but he bounced back with 28 in 2006 and became the youngest player ever to hit 50 in 2007.

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

• Caleb Gindl, who turns 25.
• 1999 Brewer Hideo Nomo, who turns 45.
• 1983-84 Brewer Tom Candiotti, who turns 56.

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 55-86
Won 3-2 vs Iowa Cubs (CHC) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 56-79
Lost 8-5 vs Jackson Generals (SEA) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 65-67
Lost 11-6 at Daytona Cubs (CHC) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 59-73
Lost 6-0 vs Quad Cities River Bandits (HOU) (box / pbp)

Helena Brewers (Rookie) 40-27
Won 11-3 vs Missoula Osprey (ARI) (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest