A day full of top pitching prospects

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 5-8
Lost 7-1 vs Memphis Redbirds (STL) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 8-5
Lost 3-0 at Mississippi Braves (ATL) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 9-4
Won 1-0 vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (DET) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 8-4
Won Game 10-7 (8 inn.) vs Lansing Lugnuts (TOR) (box / pbp)
Won Game 2 1-0 (7 inn.) (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

Thanks to a "worst" breakthrough by quantum baseball linguist Phrozen, I present to you my list of the five worst monsters in baseball history, each of whom is worse than the others. Yes, this is possible. TRIGGER ALERT

Phrozen played Niels Bohr today (or perhaps Werner Heisenberg) with this comment. By following in his footsteps, I am trying to be Robert Oppenheimer, but actually I can't be -- this week's role of "Death, destroyer of worlds" is instead played by the worst baseball player ever:

1. Evan Gattis. It wasn't just last night, either. It was also Evan Gattis two days before with his 2 homer game. And Evan Gattis last year, in another 2 homer game, and the game in which he became the first MLB player to split the atom.  Fucking Evan Gattis -- he's the WORST!  Except for...

1.  Dan Uggla, who is even worstier.  Gattis is a heart-warming story of a man overcoming obstacles to get to the majors, blah, blah, blah. Uggla is a strange dude who has an Ed Savitz-like fetish for child-sized uniforms. And, of course, he is history's worst monster.  Which brings me to the worst baseball player ever,

1.  Ryan Braun.  His 3 homer, seven RBI game was worse than Gattis and worse than Uggla and they are all worse than each other. The PEDs and his lemur-like good looks only add to the trauma. And the fact that Bud Selig probably licks Braun's ears tenderly after games in post-Brewers game sausage parties.  I hate Ryan Braun. Braun is not the worst, he is the WURST. Except for

1. Cody Ross, who is worsted than the rest.  Remember this?  Christ. And the devil himself appears here. Just look at that face. It makes me want to, well, I probably shouldn't write things like that.  Cody Ross is the WORST. Except for

1. Chipper Jones the Worstlitzer. This was the second time in 2012 that he did this. And the war crimes of Chipper Jones are legion and familiar territory for all of us.  Still, he's old and gone and fading.

Venting can be therapeutic, but don't dwell on it or wallow in it. That is a maladaptive response to stress, and it doesn't help.  Drinking to excess, however, I can heartily endorse. And watch more baseball. Like this. God, I hope Atlanta burns. Again.

The rest of the NL Central will know this soon enough.

You might be surprised to see the Brewers in first place in the National League Central, and why wouldn't you be? They had a poor 2013 season, and while they did have a productive winter, it wasn't the kind that makes you sit up and notice if you aren't already invested in the Brewers. The truth, though, is that they weren't all that far off from being a legitimate contender in 2014 thanks to the moves they did make: all they needed was for things to go according to plan for once.

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A year ago, the Brewers' rotation should have been great, as it featured Yovani Gallardo, Kyle Lohse, Marco Estrada, rookie Wily Peralta, and Mike Fiers, who had surprised but had been great in his 2012 rookie campaign. Lohse and Estrada were as good as hoped, but Gallardo was horrendous for months, Peralta took a few lumps too many in his first full season, and Fiers threw just 22 innings in the majors all year, resulting in Tom Gorzelanny as the pitcher with the fifth-most starters for Milwaukee with just 10.

The lineup also should have been productive, but Corey Hart didn't step to the plate once thanks to lingering issues in both knees, and Rickie Weeks continued his rapid descent from all-star to gaping chasm in the lineup. This led to a first base situation involving Juan Francisco, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Alex Gonzalez, three light-hitting infielders who should have exactly zero time at first in their career: predictably, they combined for lineup-killing production, batting .206/.259/.370, nearly 40 percent worse than the average first base output. As for Weeks, he collected 399 plate appearances en route to his career-worst OPS+ of 82, a season that helped lead to the loss of his starting gig in 2014.

They also lost Ryan Braun to a 65-game suspension for his involvement with the anti-aging PED clinic, and third baseman Aramis Ramirez only appeared in 92 games thanks to continual knee problems. Despite all of this, the Brewers still finished with a league-average offense in the NL (spoiler: almost all the good lineups were in the AL) thanks to strong efforts from the likes of catcher Jonathan Lucroy and explosive center fielder Carlos Gomez. So long as Milwaukee could solve the issues at first and second while having both Braun and Ramirez around more often than they were in 2013, they had a very good chance of producing one of the better lineups in the National League.

Ramirez has quietly been one of the game's better hitters for a decade. Photo credit: Tom Lynn

Second base still seems to be in flux in 2014, as Scooter Gennett is disappointing offensively to the same degree Weeks was a year ago, but both Braun and Ramirez are playing and mashing and Mark Reynolds is helping out at first base in a way no one was capable of last summer. Sure, the Brewers would probably like better than Reynolds' current .198/.286/.459 line, but it's good for a 97 OPS+ thanks to all that power: considering what they're upgrading from, that'll do, especially if Lyle Overbay either picks up the slack in his starts there, or stops getting time at all.

Milwaukee also needed a reliable fifth starter to add to what was a strong, but still-lacking base on the pitching side. While Matt Garza is no ace, he's an above-average starter who has a history of success in the National League, much like Lohse, who was signed a year prior. Garza, Lohse, Estrada, and Peralta in his sophomore year had the makings of a high-quality rotation, but it would be an even better one if Yovani Gallardo was able to pitch more like he did in the second half of 2013 than in the first, more like the Gallardo of old.

To this point, he's accomplished that goal, with 13 strikeouts against three walks and just a pair of runs allowed in three starts. It's difficult to overstate how much better the Brewers are when Gallardo is able to pitch like that, and given his pre-2013 history as well as his post-DL numbers from last year -- in which Gallardo posted a 2.41 ERA, limited opponents to a 604 OPS, and struck out nearly three times as many as he walked in his final 52 innings after recovering from a thigh strain -- there's no real reason to assume they won't see the productive version of Gallardo for the duration of the season. If Garza, Lohse, Peralta, and Estrada pitch to their recent capabilities, and Gallardo takes his place as the rotation's top starter, then the Brewers have one of the best rotations in the game from top to bottom.

Winning nine games in a row, as the Brewers have already done in 2014, doesn't mean all that much, other than that those wins are in the bank and can't be taken away. The Blue Jays, who finished 74-88 and in last in the AL Central, rattled off 11 wins in a row in 2013, the second-longest such streak in the majors that year. The difference between the Brewers and the Jays, though, is that Toronto's push came far too late after they had already dug themselves a hole they couldn't climb out of, with a roster that just didn't have the talent to keep it going. The Brewers are starting off the season by winning, and are doing so before they've even reached their maximum potential on the offensive side. So long as some of the early concerns in the lineup don't stick around long enough to become actual problems, the Brewers should remain contenders in the NL Central. The Cardinals, who just took two of three from the Brewers while ending their nine-game winning streak, are the only team that is clearly superior right now, as they have fewer questions in the lineup to deal with, and their typical Cardinals' depth to lean on. If by mid-season, however, Reynolds is still hitting for power, Gennett has picked up the slack at the keystone, and Khris Davis has started to remind everyone of why they were excited about him and his power last year, then it's maybe a topic worth debating.

Depsite losing the series to the Cardinals, the Brewers are off to a great start and they’re looking to keep that going in PNC Park where they take on the Pirates in a four game series.

Thursday 6:05 pm CT Yovani Gallardo vs Edinson Volquez

Gallardo has been pretty good this year but he’s not getting results by the same methods he used to use. Instead of trying to strike guys out he’s been inducing a lot ground outs. As a team the Pirates have the 10th highest ground ball rate so that plays right into this strategy. In their first meeting this season Gallardo held the Pirates to 2 runs, both earned, in 6 innings pitched, striking out 6. He also had a 53.3 GB%.

Edinson Volquez has been nearly as effective for the Pirates using basically the same strategy as Gallardo. He also held the Brewers to 2 runs, one earned, in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out 4 and had a 47.4 GB%.

Friday, 6:05 pm CT: Kyle Lohse vs Charlie Morton

Kyle Lohse has been a bit of a surprise this season. He’s hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in any of his first three outings which we've come to expect. What is surprising is his 25% strike out rate. That’s probably not going to continue much longer if only because he’s traditionally a very effective pitch to contact guy. Thus far he’s given up more fly balls than ground balls, but PNC is going to keep a lot of them in the park. Last time Lohse held the Pirates to 1 run in 8.2 IP while striking out 9.

Charlie Morton is another starter that doesn’t get a lot of strike outs but does induce a high amount of ground balls. So far he has a 51.9% ground ball rate which is actually a bit below his career average of 54.7%. In their first meeting this season the Brewers scored 4 runs but only 2 were earned. Morton struck out as many batters as he walked (3) but also induced a 50% ground ball rate.

Saturday, 6:05 pm CT: Matt Garza vs Wandy Rodriguez

Matt Garza has been mostly solid so far. He is coming off his worst start of the season (7 IP, 4 runs) but even that isn't horrible. His biggest problem has been home runs. He’s allowed 3, including 2 in his last start. Again, PNC Park should help him out with that. His 20% strike out rate is pretty decent and his 4.7% walk rate is excellent. Garza has not faced the Pirates since last year.

This will also be the first time of the season Brewers will face the Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez. I would say it’s unfortunate since he’s been awful, but they swept them so it’s a wash. His 18% strike out rate and 6.9% walk rates are decent if not impressive. It’s the home runs that have killed him. He’s allowed 6 in 16 innings pitched. Based on both starters' profiles, if any game will devolve into a home run derby it’s this one.

Sunday, 12:35 pm CT: Marco Estrada vs Gerrit Cole

Estrada hasn’t faced the Pirates either. His first two starts of the season were about what you’d expect. If anything I'd expect his strikeout rate to rise and his walk rate to dip. His last start was his "worst" of the season and even then he gave the Brewers a quality start. He seemed a little off only striking out 3, but also only allowing 1 walk. Estrada is another fly ball pitcher so hopefully the locale will benefit him too.

Gerrit Cole represents the toughest pitching matchup of the series. Much like Wily Peralta, he throws in the mid to upper 90’s and induces a lot of ground balls. So far he’s also striking out 19.5% of the batters he faces. His 8.9% walk rate is a little high, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue for him against the Brewers’ hyper aggressive approach.

Prediction

I think the Brewers are a better overall team than the Pirates. I also think PNC Park will help the Brewers pitchers more than it’ll help the Pirates pitchers. The best chance for the Pirates to win comes on Sunday and after the spanking the Brewers doled out the last series I’m not betting against them. Ultimately I think the Brewers will take 3 out 4.

All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

When teams get off to a hot or cold start, is it predictive to see if they will make the playoffs?

As the 2014 season began, the Arizona Diamondbacks were a huge question mark--were they a team on the rise with solid young pitchers like Patrick Corbin and Trevor Cahill, supplemented with one of the best young hitters in baseball in Paul Goldschmidt? Or were they just another NL West team without enough talent throughout the lineup to challenge the Dodgers? Corbin was injured during spring training and underwent Tommy John surgery, Cahill is off to an 0-4 start and while Goldschmidt is hitting for average, he has fewer home runs than Mark Trumbo. This has helped contribute to a 4-12 record through Monday.

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Contrast them with the Milwaukee Brewers, off to a 10-3 start (also through Monday), their best start since 1987 when they began the season 13-0. Carlos Gomez is playing as well as he did in 2013 and Aramis Ramirez has recovered nicely from injury, not a given for a 36-year-old player. Two of their three losses were tagged on Matt Garza, during which the Brewers scored exactly zero runs (isn't the win a useless statistic? Someone should look into it!). In a very competitive NL Central, the Brewers hot start has them poised to remain competitive with the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates. They also have all 18 games against the Cubs remaining, which is probably one reason why the Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds lists them with a 51.9% chance of making the playoffs.

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Do teams that start hot increase their chances of making the playoffs? Do teams that start slow effectively throw their postseason chances away? There's a little-known feature of the Baseball-Reference.com Play Index under the Game Result Search Tool called Streaks, and these questions can be investigated.

Beginning with the Brewers, this table shows how teams starting 10-3 have finished--since 1903, 101 teams (not including the Brewers) began the year 10-3, of which 53 made the playoffs, just over half. Since 2000, these are the teams beginning 10-3 and how they fared:

Clearly an expanded number of playoff slots was a factor when 8 of these 11 teams made the playoffs. This chart breaks it down by number of playoff slots:

As the number of playoff slots increased, the number of teams with good starts that made the playoffs rose right along with it, perfectly understandable. If baseball ever adds a sixth playoff spot (they will, I'm against it) the percentage of teams with good starts who make the postseason will rise even higher.

How about the Diamondbacks--should they just pack it in, wait for Corbin to heal and trade off all their assets and reset themselves for a run in 2015? Maybe--since 1903, 72 teams started the year 4-12, of which only two made the playoffs, the 1951 Giants (that team rings a bell for some reason) and the 1981 Astros in a year in which a divisional format was used after the season was split in two due to a strike, and their second half record was the reason they made it.

Are early season records an accurate predictor of making the playoffs, or is it more a factor of good teams being good and bad teams being bad? Referring back to the chart of 10-3 teams since 2000--most of those teams were good. In other words, they didn't necessarily make the playoffs because they got off to a hot start, but because they were good teams whose good starts were a reflection of their excellence. Contrast this with the recent 4-12 teams:

If the preseason predictions for these teams were reviewed, it's doubtful many predicted success for these teams. This suggests teams don't necessarily get off to bad starts as much as there are bad teams, and sometimes the beginning of their seasons aren't good. As much as the 35-5 start for the Detroit Tigers in 1984 was a huge factor in them making the playoffs and eventually beating the Padres for the World Series, they were good, probably even outstanding. Chances are they were good enough to make the playoffs without that record-setting start.

A writer for whom I have tremendous respect didn't have many good things to say about the Brewers in a preseason preview, and my daughter has been texting me about how good the Brewers have been playing so far. I'm still unsure about the Brewers--they could be good enough to make the playoffs, but they're in a difficult division and need many things to go right. I don't advocate they begin printing postseason tickets just yet, but history, particularly recent history, is on their side. It's a very real possibility that the Brewers aren't off to a hot start as much as they are a good team playing very good in the short term. They won't maintain a 10-3 pace, but that pace could be the marker of a team good enough to make the playoffs.

About the Diamondbacks, though . . .

All data from Baseball-Reference.com

Scott lives in Davenport, IA. Follow him on Twitter @ScottLindholm.

Just in case you're inclined to read about Reds baseball on a day when they don't play.

I like Bob Steve, you like Bob Steve, we all scream for ice cream!  Robert Stephenson is the most prominent pitching prospect seen in the Cincinnati Reds system since the guy who just signed a $105 million extension wasn't old enough to buy a beer, and Bernie Pleskoff - former MLB scout and writer at MLB Pipeline - seems to think he's got all the makings of a future big league stud, too. Pleskoff notes how Bob struggled a bit when given a chance to show his stuff in Spring Training, and we know he's had a few up and down starts in AA to start the season, but once he ghostride's his WHIP down to where it's been in previous seasons, he's going to be just fine.  More than fine, probably.

The Reds had been slumping horribly.  The Reds are no longer slumping, according to Joe Kay of the AP. I like the non-slumping version of peteyhendrix's favorite team, and I'm pretty sure you do, too.  If you're still not convinced of the potential possessed by this team, have a CK fresh take on things and get back to me.

Speaking of teams that really are for real, Marc Normandin really feels the Milwaukee Brewers qualify. I think the Brewers are definitively better than they were in 2013, a season rife with injuries to key players, poor performances from key pitchers, and suspensions to key assholes, but I still don't think they stack up with the best in the NL.  Normandin notes their strong starting pitching, and it's true - they do have decent starting pitching.  The only problem is that everyone has strong starting pitching these days, so that doesn't really set them apart.  A mid 3's ERA isn't really much of anything in this day and age, and I don't see anyone on their staff looking to beat that this year.  Remember when the 2013 Colorado Rockies started 13-4 and were in first place in the NL West?  You don't?  I didn't think so.

Chis Welsh is the craftiest lefty in Redsdom these days, stepping into the huge shoes left by Joe Nuxhall.  That's as crafty and accomplished as most any crafty lefty duo could expect to be, and with the imminent returns of Sean Marshall and Aroldis Chapman, the Queen City franchise is about to be as lefty driven as any in baseball.  With that in mind, give Jack Moore's article on the origins of crafty left-handedness a read, as The Hardball Times' scribe delved into the long history of leftsplotation in the game of baseball. Being left handed, it appears, has a long and complicated history.

You might remember Tracy McGrady as the high-flying, dunks-on-dudes-who-are-8-feet-tall star of the NBA throughout the late 90's and early 2000's, and if so, you'd be right.  McGrady rather casually stepped away from the game that made him rich and famous, though, and he's giving one of his oldest dreams a shot these days:  baseball. McGrady's been working on his pitching ability, and the Sugar Land Skeeters were willing to give him his shot.  The man who once dropped 62 points on the Washington Wizards got his first live action last night, tossing one inning in independent ball, and I kind of like the guy for making the transition without much fanfare.  This is no publicity stunt; rather, it seems like this is something the guy just really wants to do.  Props.

What's your ideal length for a Reposter?  In the early days of Red Reporter, links got dumped at a furious pace, with most of the blabbing you see here removed from the equation.  You'd get 6, maybe 7 links squeezed into a 200 word post, and you could fly through a Reposter in 5 minutes, tops.  Nowadays, they've become long, drawn out affairs that put plenty of people to sleep before they're halfway done reading them.  Grant Brisbee took a look at them...wait a minute...his article is about baseball games. Well, now I feel like an ass.  I guess the point still stands, though.

And finally, since you've made it this far on a night without Reds baseball, a few questions that are seriously important.  Seriously.

• Who is the one living person that you would least likely want to see naked?
• You're writing a hero/heroine novel and need to name your hero/heroine...go.
• For the benefit of mankind, you can lock one person - and one person, only - up and throw away the key.  Who's that person?
• I've been pining for something new to add to my cooking arsenal.  What's the one dish you think you cook the best?  How do you do it?
• If you had to play a video game - and beat someone at it - for a chance to win a million bucks, which one would you pick?

More from Red Reporter

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• The Man Too Fast for Technology
• Series Preview: Reds at Cubs
• A PSA for Reds Fans: It Gets Better
• Red Renderings: Ecto Cooler, Mesomorph, Welsh Reporter
• Farmers Only: Ben's Lively

Yovani Gallardo was very, very Yovani Gallardo, exhausting himself to keep the Brewers in the game before it slipped away in the late innings.

W: Edinson Volquez (1-0)
L: Rob Wooten (0-1)

MVP: Josh Harrison (.272)
LVP: Rob Wooten (-.379)

Box score/win probability

The Brewers' and Pirates' usual suspects sparred in the early frames: Aramis Ramirez' RISP hitting frenzy continued with a 2-out single in the top of the 1st; Andrew McCutchen countered with a towering 2-run blast in the bottom of the inning, and Jonathan Lucroy tied it up in the 3rd with another 2-out RBI single.

Edinson Volquez held his own with a dizzying array of breaking balls, scattering 8 hits and a walk over 7 innings. Gallardo worked his keister off through 6 agonizing innings, allowing nothing in the run column after the McCutchen homerun despite 3 more hits, 4 walks, and 114 total pitches.

The tension finally broke in the 7th when Josh Harrison tagged Rob Wooten for a 2-run homer, and the Pirates added one more on a fielder's choice to make it a three-run lead. The Pirates took an absolutely sterling step toward getting their Taiwanese left-handed youngster back, tagging Wei-Chung Wang for a whole bunch of runs in the 8th inning. Six not-cheap-at-all runs, including two homers. Hopefully the Brewers don't fall for it. Not yet, anyway. Kid's got to build character. Moral victory, folks. Moral victory.

Let's face it: the Brewers were due for one like this. I think Ron Roenicke may have missed trusty Brandon Kintzler tonight.

The Brewers will try to bounce back and hack at Charlie Morton tomorrow behind Kyle Lohse. Game time is 6:05.

Hiram Burgos and Brent Suter strike out a lot of people, and more

Nashville Sounds (AAA)
vs Memphis Redbirds (STL) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 9-5
Won 1-0 at Mississippi Braves (ATL) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 9-4
Suspended after 1st inning vs Dunedin Blue Jays (TOR) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 8-5
Lost 4-3 vs Great Lakes Loons (LAD) (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

Jeffress returns to the organization that drafted him.

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed flame-throwing reliever Jeremy Jeffress to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Jeff Passan was the first to report a possible deal.

Jeffress was DFA'd by the Blue Jays roughly two weeks ago, and after clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A, the 26-year-old right-hander refused his assignment, electing to become a free agency instead. The Brewers were among a number of teams reported to be interested in Jeffress. Chris Cotillo had reported earlier today that up to 15 teams had been in contact with Jeffress, including the Cardinals and White Sox. Jeffress is represented by respected agent and Baseball Prospectus author Joshua Kusnick.

Jeffress' signing marks a return to the team that originally drafted him in the first round (16th overall) of the 2006 draft. Ranked as a top-100 prospect by Baseball Prospectus four times, Jeffress was converted to relief in 2010, and found himself throwing 10 innings with the big league club that season as a 22-year-old. That offseason, Jeffress was shipped to Kansas City as part of the Zack Greinke deal, but he has enjoyed little success since (4.47 career ERA, 1.32 K/BB), and was traded to the Blue Jays for cash in 2012.

Jeffress throws an electric fastball capable of reaching triple digits, but struggles mightily with his command, evidenced by a 6.5 career BB/9. He had allowed four runs in just 3.1 innings for Toronto this season prior to him being designated.

Jeffress, who suffers from juvenile epilepsy and severe anxiety, has had several run-ins with Major League Baseball regarding his marijuana use. He has been caught three times, and suspended twice, including a 100-game ban in 2009. As part of baseball's three strikes rule, Jeffress' next positive test would result in a lifetime ban. Fortunately for Jeffress, marijuana is not among the drugs tested at the major league level.

In one of the strangest games we will see this season, the Brewers worked around four errors and some other strange plays to get the win tonight.

WP: Kyle Lohse (3-1)
LP: Charlie Morton (0-2)
SV: Francisco Rodriguez (5)

HR: Carlos Gomez (5)

MVP: Martin Maldonado (+.199) with an assist to a destroyed baseball (pictured above)
LVP: Jean Segura (-.073)

Box Score

Win Expectancy Graph

If you have been to Miller Park, you have probably seen the ads with the highlight videos of baseball bloopers.  If that company wanted to update their videos, they could make one of those ads from this game alone.

I couldn't accurately describe this game if I tried.  Let's start with this:  There were four errors in the game.

- Fielding error by Mark Reynolds in the first inning, where Mark Reynolds and Aramis Ramirez collided trying to catch a routine fly ball.
- Throwing error by Martin Maldonado in the first inning when he tried to catch Starling Marte stealing second and threw the ball into center field.
- Fielding error by Carlos Gomez in the third inning on a bad throw that allowed the baserunners to advance.
- Throwing error by Jean Segura in the seventh inning on a bad throw that went wide of Reynolds at first base.

That's not what you want to see from the defense.  Of course, that doesn't even include the other mistakes that happened in the game, such as Jean Segura caught stealing and Khris Davis getting thrown out at home plate.

Luckily, Kyle Lohse was up to the challenge of keeping the Brewers in the game.  He pitched 6 1/3 innings today, allowing four hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  Along with the four errors, that led to three runs allowed, but only one of those was earned.

Martin Maldonado got the start today as Jonathan Lucroy got a day off, and he ended up having the strangest day of everyone.  He did have the throwing error, but also had a good day at the plate.  He went 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  The strangest part of the game came in the sixth inning, when Maldonado hit a routine ground ball to third base, but the cover came off the ball when he hit it.  The cover was so far off that Pedro Alvarez had no chance to throw Maldonado out at first.

Thankfully, the offense did show up today overall, because the Brewers needed it.  In the fourth inning, Ryan Braun led off the inning with a double and Aramis Ramirez followed it with a walk, then Khris Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Mark Reynolds flew out for the first out of the inning, then Scooter Gennett doubled to bring home the first two runs, but Khris Davis was also thrown out trying to score.  Martin Maldonado followed it with an RBI single to score Gennett.

The Brewers added on another run in the fifth inning thanks to a monster solo home run from Carlos Gomez.  Then, in the sixth inning, Reynolds singled to lead off the inning, and then Martin Maldonado "singled" on that infield ground ball that had the cover come off.  Lohse advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt, and Carlos Gomez brought in a run with a single.

In the bullpen, Tyler Thornburg pitched 1/3 inning and allowed a hit, followed by Will Smith pitching 2/3 inning and allowing a hit.  Jim Henderson worked around a walk in his 2/3 inning, and Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.  The last out came on a lucky play, where Mark Reynolds knocked the ball into the air and caught it to end the game.

The Brewers continue their series against the Pirates tomorrow night at 6:05 pm.  Matt Garza starts for the Brewers, and Wandy Rodriguez pitches for the Pirates.

Chris Anderson was chased before he could finish the first inning of his Cal League debut but on Friday, he pitched 6 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts

Minor League Player of the Day– Chris Anderson (A) - 6 IP, 0 R, 2 hits, 4 BB, 7 K's.  Chris Anderson pitched 6 innings and did a nice job in his longest outing of the young season.  Honorable mention:  Isotope catcher Griff Erickson had a great game going 4 for 4 with 3 doubles and a home run.

AAA– The Isotopes took a 9 - 1 lead over El Paso (Padres) and they eventually won the game 10 to 6.Red Patterson had a solid start going 7 innings, giving up 2 runs, 6 hits and 4 strikeouts.  Griff Erickson was 4 for 4 with 3 doubles and his first home run.  Joc Pedersonwent 3 for 5, Nick Buss was 2 for 4, and Clint Robinson had 2 hits.

AA – Chattanooga was shut out 6 - 0 by Suns (Marlins). Starter Garrett Gould pitched 5 innings gave up 6 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk and 7 strike outs.  The Lookouts had 5 hits, no one had more than one and no hitter in the lineup is batting higher than .237.

HiA – The Quakes led 4-0 after 6 innings but the Rawhide (Diamondbacks) was able to mount a rally and won the game 7 - 4.  Chris Anderson put 6 solid innings of work and left the game with the lead but Jharel Cotton's first game of the year was memorable for the wrong reason as he gave 4 runs in one inning of work.  Matt Shelton had held teams scoreless for 9.1 innings but he gave up 3 runs in the 8th to provide the margin of victory.  Corey Seagerhit his first home run of the season.  Adam Law went 1 for 3 with 2 RBI.

LoA– The Loons scored 2 in the top of the first but then gave up 5 to fall behind by 3.  But a 5-run 4th inning and a solid bullpen effort notched win number 10 with a 7 - 6 victory over the Timber Rattlers (Brewers). Luis Chirinos started and got the win but it was the bullpen (Michael Johnson, Victor Araujo and Jacob Rhame) that pitched the last 4 innings and gave up just 1 run.  Malcolm Holland stole 2 bases giving him 14 for the year (with no caught stealing), Jacob Scavuzzowas 3 for 4 with a doubleand Joey Curletta had 3 hits.

Coming up– Julio Uriaswill be making his first road start of the season for the Quakes, Greg Harris will be on the mound for the Loons, and Carlos Frias will try to continue his good start to the season for the Lookouts.  Stephen Fife will pitch for the Isotopes

Minor League Transactions – A:  Pitcher Jharel Cotton was activated from extended spring training, Pitcher Jack McGeary was assigned from Great Lakes, Pitcher Arismendy Ozoria was placed on the disabled list.  LoA:Pitcher Victor Araujo was assigned from Ogden

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

Suspended games resumed and more strikeouts occurring

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 7-8
Won 5-1 vs Memphis Redbirds (STL) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 10-5
Won 13-0 at Mississippi Braves (ATL) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 9-6
Lost Game 1 4-0 vs Dunedin Blue Jays (TOR) (box / pbp)
Lost Game 2 1-0 (7 inn.) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 8-6
Lost 7-6 vs Great Lakes Loons (LAD) (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

This homestand features a divisional rival and Derek Jeter's final trip to Wrigley.

Dates and times:

Brewers: May 16 (1:20), May 17 (1:20), May 18 (1:20)

Yankees: May 20 (7:05), May 21 (1:20)

As always, face value only for tickets. If comments to this post are closed, email me and I'll reopen them.

Late inning heroics in the 9th by Ryan Braun gave the Brewers a win in an otherwise ugly game.

Winning Pitcher: Jim Henderson

Losing Pitcher: Jason Grilli

Save: Francisco Rodriguez (6)

HR: Mark Reynolds (4), Ryan Braun 2 (5)

Boxscore

The game started off well for the Brewers offense. In the first inning, Jonathan Lucroy hit a double and Khris Davis drove him in. In the second inning Jean Segura gave us all a glimpse of his former self. He launched a double to deep center. With two outs Ryan Braun grounded into what looked like a fielder's choice. However, while in the rundown Jean Segura was somehow able to deftly avoid the tag by Neil Walker. That left runners at first and second for Aramis Ramirez who continued his torrid pace with runners in scoring position by singling in a run. The hits didn't stop there as Lucroy hit his second double, driving in the Brewers' 3rd run of the night. Mark Reynolds joined the fun in the fourth with his 4th home run of the season giving Brewers their 4th run. Fourth. Nothing much else happened that inning, but Rickie Weeks did draw a walk on 12 pitches which was fun to see.

Matt Garza started the night with a clean first inning. In the second the Pirates doubled twice to score 1 run that at the time tied the game. In the bottom of the 4th Garza walked Andrew McCutchen. He then got Pedro Alvarez to ground into what should have been an easy double play, but Weeks bobbled and everyone was safe. The next batter hit a liner to third that probably should have been caught by Ramirez, but instead it went for an RBI single cutting the Brewers lead to 4-2. Garza walked the next batter to load the bases. My heart skipped a beat as Walker flew out to right field. Braun was able to hold the runner on third and the bases remained loaded. Clint "Of All People" Barmes then tied the game with a line drive 2-RBI double. The Pirates added 2 more runs on a single by Travis Snider. It was really unfortunate that this inning went the way it did. It's easy to say that if it weren't for the errors blah blah blah, but you still have to get the outs afterwards so Garza has to share some of the blame. It was a failure of an inning all around.

The Brewers, much like the Goonies, never say die. In the top of the fifth Braun absolutely SCORCHED a slow dirppler up the third base line that Pedro Alvarez tried to let roll foul. However through sheer willpower from yours truly, I was able to Jedi mind trick the ball fair. Braun reached safely. However this meant that Aramis Ramirez would bat simply with a runner on and not a runner in scoring position. This would not do so I further abused my Jedi powers by inducing a wild pitch, allowing Braun to advance to second base. Unfortunately a Sith must be active in the Pirates fan base as Ramirez was only able to advance the runner to third on a ground out. Lucroy did almost the exact same thing, only this time it resulted in a run to get the Brewers within a run.

The bottom of the fifth inning gave Garza some more trouble. I'll spare you the details because after everything else that already happened, I don't think your fragile hearts could stand it. It has nothing to do with me going to get food and missing a few at-bats. All you need to know is that with the bases loaded and two outs Garza got Clint "I Like My Pizza Without Cheese" Barmes to ground out.

Rob Wooten pitched the sixth inning. He was able to get two outs before Russell Martin grounded a ball right back to the mound that kicked off Wooten's foot. He couldn't find the ball and Martin reached. Andrew McCutchen drove him in with deep fly ball. Alvarez struck out to end the inning but the Pirates regained their two run lead.

It didn't take long for the Brewers to get that run back though. Ryan Braun hit his 4th home run on a laser to center. Jonathan Lucroy would hit his third double of the night but that was it for this inning.

Wooten stayed in long enough to get the first out of the 7th inning. With left-handed hitting Ike Davis up next, Ron Roenicke brought in Zach Duke. He struck Davis out and got Neil Walker to fly out on the first pitch.

Jim Henderson came on for the 8th inning. He was able to get a strikeout and a flyout before giving up a single to Marte. For the final out he got Martin to ground out. It was another good outing from Henderson.

The Brewers faced staggering odds as the Pirates called on Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli to close out the game. Melancon had no issue getting through the 8th. However, as one intrepid young writer once noted, neither the Goonies nor the Brewers ever say die. Gomez struck out to start off the ninth inning. Jean Segura was able to lift a liner just out of reach of the shortstop. Braun came to the plate and I swear I could hear "Eye of the Tiger" playing softly in the background. Grilli threw the ball, Braun hit the ball, no one caught the ball. Braun hit his 5th home run of the season and second of the night to give the Brewers the 8-7 lead.

Francisco Rodriguez came on for the save. He got McCutchen to ground out and then hit Pedro Alvarez. With the runner at first base Rodriguez got Jose Tabata to ground into a sanity saving double play. BREWERS WON!!!

They finish their series against the Pirates tomorrow at 12:35 pm CT as Marco Estrada faces off against Gerrit Cole.

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Rickie Weeks in lineup for Brewers against Pirates
• Minor League Notes, 2014-04-19
• Despite four errors, Brewers win strange game over Pirates 5-3
• Jeremy Jeffress agrees to minor-league deal with Brewers
• Jonathan Lucroy sitting against Pirates Friday night

Third straight game that Quakes lose a lead, Carlos Frias pitches well, Jacob Scavuzzo adjusting well to Midwest League

Minor League Player of the Day–Jacob Scavuzzo(LoA) - 3 for 5, 1 RBI. Scavuzzo is hitting .339/.453/.484 in 16 games.

AAA– The Isotopes fell behind the Bees (Angels) early and lost big 12 - 2. Steve Smith was the first of six Isotope pitchers and he took the loss. Paco Rodriguez made his first appearance and pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit. Joc Pedersonwas 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and Trayvon Robinson homered.

AA – Chattanooga won the first of a five game series by a 3 - 2 score over the Generals (Mariners). Carlos Friashad his second start this week where he pitched into the 8th inning, going 7.1 IP, 2 runs, 6 hits, 4 walks and 1 strikeout. MikeThomas and Jarret Martin held the Generals scoreless to close out the game. Erisbel Arruebarrena made his debut at SS and he walked and scored a run. Scott Schebler and Jeremy Hazelbaker were the offensive stars, Schebler went 2 for 4 with a double, Hazelbaker tripled, drove in 2 and scored a run.

HiA – The Quakes had another big lead, this time leading 8 - 2 after top of the 6th but the Rawhide (Diamondbacks) scored 6 in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game and then one more in the 8th to win the game 9 - 8. Geoff Brown started in place of Julio Urias, Urias was pushed back a start for rest. Brown pitched well but Rob Rogers saw 6 runs score to tie the game. Blake Smithgave up the winning run. For the offense, James Baldwindoubled and homered, Tyler Ogle also homered.

LoA– The Loons fell 5 - 2 to the Timber Rattlers (Brewers). Greg Harris gave up 4 runs, 6 hits and 3 walks. Jacob Scavazzo was 3 for 5, Kyle Farmer, Paul Hoenecke, Joey Curletta, Justin Chigbogu, Brandon Trinkwon and Dillion Moyer each had 1 hit.

Coming up– Tyson Brummett will start for the Lookouts. Matt Magillwill toe the rubber for the Isotopes, Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga are off.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Pitcher Steve Smith was activated from disabled list, pitcher Red Patterson was assigned to Ogden (Rookie). AA: SS Erisbel Arruebarrena was activated from extended spring training, outfielder Casio Griderwas placed on the disabled list, pitcher Ryan Adamswas activated from the disabled list, outfielder Jon Garciawas assigned to Rancho Cucamonga (A).

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

Minor League Central - Daily Dodger Recap

Ranking and tiering the two-start pitchers for Week 4, including Dillon Gee, Wily Peralta and Travis Wood.

Last week's selection of two starters was subpar, and two of my recommendations (Brandon Morrow and Robbie Erlin) had rough first starts. Jesse Chavez and Juan Nicasio both came through and tossed quality starts, however, with the latter picking up my lone victory of the week. All four arms are scheduled to go today with four more wins up for grabs.

Results (through Week 2):

4-2
6.34 K/9
1.35 BB/9
2.98 ERA
0.88 WHIP

Start!

Jose Fernandez: Tue-@ATL (Wood), Sun-@NYM (Gee)
Yu Darvish: Mon-@OAK (Straily), Sun-@SEA (Hernandez)
Felix Hernandez: Mon-HOU (Keuchel), Sun-TEX (Darvish)
Adam Wainwright: Tue-@NYM (Gee), Sun-PIT (Volquez)
Chris Sale: Tue-@DET (Verlander), Sun-TB (Odorizzi)
Cliff Lee: Mon-@LAD (Maholm), Sat-@ARI (Arroyo)
Masahiro Tanaka: Tue-@BOS (Lester), Sun-LAA (Richards)
Justin Verlander: Tue-CWS (Sale), Sun-@MIN (Pelfrey)
Anibal Sanchez: Mon-CWS (Danks), Sat-@MIN (Hughes)
Cole Hamels: Tue-@LAD (Ryu), Sun-@ARI (McCarthy)
Johnny Cueto: Tue-@PIT (Volquez), Sun-@ATL (Teheran)

Tier 1

Andrew Cashner: Mon-@MIL (Peralta), Sat-@WSH (Roark)
Francisco Liriano: Mon-CIN (Leake), Sat-@STL (Lyons)
James Shields: Tue-@CLE (Salazar), Sun-@BAL (Gonzalez)
Julio Teheran: Mon-MIA (Koehler), Sun-CIN (Cueto)
Hyun-Jin Ryu: Tue-PHI (Hamels), Sun-COL (De La Rosa)
R.A. Dickey: Tue-BAL (Gonzalez), Sun-BOS (Lester)
Jon Lester: Tue-NYY (Tanaka), Sun-@TOR (Dickey)

Tier 2

Dan Straily: Mon-TEX (Darvish), Sat-@HOU (Keuchel)
Clay Buchholz: Mon-BAL (Chen), Sat-@TOR (Morrow)
Dillon Gee: Tue-STL (Wainwright), Sun-MIA (Fernandez)
Wily Peralta: Mon-SD (Cashner), Sun-CHC (Wood)
Travis Wood: Tue-ARI (McCarthy), Sun-@MIL (Peralta)
Jason Hammel: Mon-ARI (Arroyo), Sat-@MIL (Estrada)
Ian Kennedy: Tue-@MIL (Gallardo), Sun-@WSH (Jordan)
Jake Odorizzi: Tue-MIN (Pelfrey), Sun-@CWS (Sale)
Danny Salazar: Tue-KC (Shields), Sun-@SF (Vogelsong)
Scott Feldman: Tue-@SEA (Ramirez), Sun-OAK (Milone)
Mike Leake: Mon-@PIT (Liriano), Sat-@ATL (Hale)

Tier 3

Zach McAllister: Mon-KC (Guthrie), Sat-@SF (Lincecum)
Tanner Roark: Mon-LAA (Richards), Sat-SD (Cashner)
Jenrry Mejia: Mon-STL (Lyons), Sat-MIA (Koehler)
Miguel Gonzalez: Tue-@TOR (Dickey), Sun-KC (Shields)
Garrett Richards: Mon-@WSH (Roark), Sun-@NYY (Tanaka)
Dallas Keuchel: Mon-@SEA (Hernandez), Sat-OAK (Straily)
Tommy Milone: Tue-TEX (Scheppers), Sun-@HOU (Feldman)
Edinson Volquez: Tue-CIN (Cueto), Sun-@STL (Wainwright)

Not this week

Bronson Arroyo: Mon-@CHC (Hammel), Sat-PHI (Lee)
Wei-Yin Chen: Mon-@BOS (Buchholz), Sat-KC (Guthrie)
John Danks: Mon-@DET (Sanchez), Sat-TB (Ramos)
Jorge De La Rosa: Mon-SF (Vogelsong), Sun-@LAD (Ryu)
Jeremy Guthrie: Mon-@CLE (McAllister), Sat-@BAL (Chen)
Taylor Jordan: Tue-LAA (Skaggs), Sun-SD (Kennedy)
Tom Koehler: Mon-@ATL (Teheran), Sat-@NYM (Mejia)
Tyler Lyons: Mon-@NYM (Mejia), Sat-PIT (Liriano)
Paul Maholm: Mon-PHI (Lee), Sat-COL (Nicasio)
Brandon McCarthy: Tue-@CHC (Wood), Sun-PHI (Hamels)
Mike Pelfrey: Tue-@TB (Odorizzi), Sun-DET (Verlander)
Ryan Vogelsong: Mon-@COL (De La Rosa), Sun-CLE (Salazar)

My Week 4 Picks

Dillon Gee (STL, MIA)
2014: 1-0, 5.74 K/9, 2.36 BB/9, 40.5 GB%, 3.71 ERA, 0.98 WHIP

Gee picked up his first win of the season on Wednesday, holding the Diamondbacks to three hits and no runs over seven innings. The 27-year-old right-hander has gone six-plus innings in three of four starts while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. Nothing Gee does is spectacular, and he doesn't appear to be much different than his 2013 version, but he's reliable and rarely hurts your ratios. Still available in over 70 percent of ESPN leagues, Gee gets two home starts in Citi Field, where he owns a 3.26 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 43 starts. The only concern is a leaky Mets' bullpen spearheaded by Jose Valverde, which has already cost Gee one win.

Wily Peralta (SD, CHC)
2014: 2-0, 6.38 K/9, 2.45 BB/9, 61.8 GB%, 1.96 ERA, 1.09 WHIP

Peralta exited Wednesday's stellar start against the Cardinals (6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) with back tightness, but he's fully expected to make his next start against Andrew Cashner and the Padres on Monday. The 24-year-old has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any start, limiting the opposition to 15 hits in 18 1/3 innings of work. Peralta throws in the mid 90s with extreme groundball tendencies (52.3 percent in career, 61.8 percent in 2014), which helps with his home starts in Miller Park. This week the righty faces the Friars and Cubs, whose offenses are 27th and 29th, respectively, in wOBA. Start Peralta with confidence.

Travis Wood (ARI, @MIL)
2014: 0-2, 9.50 K/9, 2.00 BB/9, 46.6 GB%, 3.00 ERA, 1.39 WHIP

Wood has pitched much better than his 0-2 record would indicate; he's tossed two quality starts and hasn't allowed more than three earned runs through three turns in the rotation. The 27-year-old received the major's lowest run support a year ago (3.03 runs per game), and so far his offense is backing him with just two runs per game. Wood's biggest gains have come in the strikeout department (6.86 K/9 in career, 9.50 K/9 in 2014). While a strikeout per inning more than likely isn't in the cards the rest of the way, there is some room for improvement. Wood posted a 7.54 K/9 with the Reds in 2010, and he's shown even better swing-and-miss stuff in the minors.

Going Deeper

Jason Hammel (ARI, @MIL)
2014: 2-1, 6.97 K/9, 2.18 BB/9, 40.0 GB%, 3.05 ERA, 0.73 WHIP

Hammel flew under the radar and signed a one-year, $6 million contract to round out the Cubs' starting five, and the early returns have been impressive. The 31-year-old veteran is off to a 2-1 start with his new club, posting a 3.05 ERA and 0.73 WHIP across three starts, including 16 strikeouts in 20-plus innings. Hammel registered a career-high 22.9 percent strikeout rate two seasons ago, making him an interesting sleeper heading into 2013. Things didn't work out as planned, however, as the starter recorded a 4.97 ERA and won just seven games in his final season in Baltimore. Now back in the National League, Hammel's strikeout rate is on the rise, and he's been equally stingy with improved control (five walks in 20 2/3 innings). I don't think this is going to last all season long, but ride him while he's hot.

Elian Herrera will stay on the roster and likely see his playing time increase as Schafer sits for two weeks.

The Brewers made a roster move Sunday, placing Logan Schafer on the disabled list retroactive to April 18 and activating Lyle Overbay fro the paternity list, reports Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel.

Schafer apparently strained his hamstring while in the on-deck circle during Thursday's game. He said he felt a small pop and would be forced to bunt in the Brewers' loss to the Pirates in a pinch-hit situation. So the curse of the hamstring returns. The Brewers had several players miss time with similar injuries in 2013, including Rickie Weeks, Yovani Gallardo, Jean Segura, Marco Estrada and Jim Henderson.

A quick look at the newest Brewer, Elian Herrera

Taking a look at Elian Herrera, who will likely see his playing time increase with Logan Schafer out

It doesn't sound like Schafer will miss more than the minimum 15 days. That would put him on pace to return May 2.

In the meantime, the Brewers are now left with Elian Herrera as the only back-up outfielder while Khris Davis continues to battle through a tough slump. Herrera was called up when Overbay was placed on paternity leave. Given the fact that Overbay could only miss up to three days, it seemed Herrera would only see time in an emergency situation.

With Schafer out, Herrera has already gotten the opportunity to play, coming in as part of a double-switch Friday and pinch-hitting Saturday. He has struck out in both of his plate appearances thus far.

These next two weeks could prove to be crucial to Herrera's career moving forward. If he is able to maximize his production in any playing time he receives, the team could view him as an option to remain on the team for a longer stint. The fact that he is an above-average defender at 43 different positions is a huge plus, especially for a Brewers team with little flexibility. However, if he continues to flounder at the plate even his defense and versatility won't make him look good.

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Jeremy Jeffress agrees to minor-league deal with Brewers
• Brewers take the series lead in a wild one beating Pirates 8-7
• Minor League Notes, 2014-04-19
• What we learned: April 18, 2014

Yesterday's incident involving Carlos Gomez and Gerrit Cole was just another example of people taking the game too seriously and not respecting cultural differences.

By now everyone is aware of the incident that happened in yesterday’s game, but I’ll give you a quick recap anyway. Carlos Gomez hit a pitch off Gerrit Cole, flipped his bat and started slowly jogging to first base before he realized it wasn’t a home run. Then he put on the afterburners and slid safely into third base at which point, Cole approached him and yelled something which included a certain profanity that only totally grown up people who respect the game use. This set Gomez off and then a number of other players got involved. Gomez, Travis Snider, and Big Bad Jerry Narron were all thrown out of the game. Later today there are sure to be one or more suspensions handed out and more than a few fines.

It was stupid and frustrating and there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides. Unfortunately a lot of people on Twitter, a bastion of civility and calm discourse if there ever was one, seem to be heaping the majority of blame (and name calling) on Carlos Gomez. You’ll even hear some TV personalities, especially on that one network that shall remain nameless, join that cause.

This isn’t an isolated incident and it’s not just Gomez that I see this happening to. For example, Yasiel Puig gets a lot of overbearing criticism for the way he plays as well. I can only assume, based on what they’re being disparaged for and the words used to describe them that if outright racism isn’t a large part of it, it’s at least a lack of cultural understanding, appreciation, and acceptance.

There are some parallels between yesterday’s incident and the kerfuffle between Gomez and Brian McCann last year. The strange thing is, their roles are basically reversed this time around but people are still pointing the finger at Gomez. Last year Gomez stepped over the line, reacted poorly to something, and McCann responded inappropriately. This time, Cole stepped over the line, reacted poorly to something, and Gomez responded inappropriately. The difference is people treated McCann, a white player, as though he were the savior of baseball and now people are treating Gomez, a noticeably non-white player, as though he’s some kind of criminal. At best it’s incredibly hypocritical and at worst it’s racist.

Before anyone gets on their soapbox (you have to get your own because I won’t share mine), I’m not saying everyone upset with Carlos Gomez is racist. I myself am upset with him. He lost his temper yesterday, and even if he didn’t start the fight (and he didn’t) he shouldn't have responded the way he did. I’m saying that racism plays a role here and to think otherwise is naive.

The multitudes on Twitter who decided that the word "thug" was an appropriate descriptor for Gomez are definitely racist. If they were to claim otherwise then that makes them painfully ignorant. Seriously, go search Twitter for "Carlos Gomez thug" and/or "Yasiel Puig thug" if you want to lose hope for humanity. That term is only ever applied to dark skinned athletes. It’s embarrassing to see people use it with impunity and it needs to stop.

The other thing that needs to stop is this whole "respect the game" war on celebration. Did you watch the World Baseball Classic last year? I did and I remember how the players from teams such as Venezuela, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic acted throughout the game. Everyone in the dugout jumped and screamed and cheered when their guys got hits and scored runs. It’s was awesome. It was fun. It wasn’t disrespectful. It was part of the game to them because it’s how they grew up playing it.

Why is it wrong when they do it in the major leagues? Some people would tell you that you can’t "show up" other players because it’s disrespectful. They'll tell you there’s a "right way to play the game." What they really mean is their way is the right way.

They’re wrong. They’re just so damned wrong on so many levels. There isn't a right way to play the game and the "American" way sure as hell isn't the only way. Clearly there are plenty of people that disagree and that makes me sad. I’d rather they perceive me as disrespecting their game if it means respecting other cultures, because where they see disrespect I see love. I see guys playing the game the way they learned to when they were kids. I see them having fun and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Brewers and Pirates brawl: Carlos Gomez will appeal any suspension
• Brewers 3, Pirates 2 (14 innings): And in extra innings, Khrush Davis rose again
• Aramis Ramirez sitting as Brewers look to win series against Pirates
• Logan Schafer hamstring injury: Brewers OF on disabled list, Lyle Overbay activated
• Brewers take the series lead in a wild one beating Pirates 8-7

He is able to light up the radar gun, but command issues continue to plague him

The knock against Johnny Hellweg, the Brewers number four prospect, has been his lack of command (330 BB in 477.0 IP and 80 WP in his 6+ MiLB seasons) and he struggled with it again Sunday afternoon in a start at Omaha - issuing five bases on balls and hitting one batter in 3.2 innings of work in a game Nashville eventually lost, 7-6.

The 2013 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year for Nashville (where he was 12-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 23 starts) topped out at 98 mph and his sinker induced a number of ground outs, as is usually the case (coming into action, he had induced 26 groundouts and four flyouts in his first three starts) but the 6-9, 25-year-old righty was just too wild to be effective.

He did leave with an undisclosed injury, so that may have been a contributing factor, but John Sickels graded Hellweg a C+ before the season in his Milwaukee Brewers Top 20 Prospects for 2014 post, due primarily to Hellweg's command issues.

I talked to Nashville play-by-play radio announcer Jeff Hem after the game to get his take on Hellweg's overall progress and here's what he had to say.

"The big thing that has been pretty well publicized over the past few years is, he was drafted by the Angles [in 2008] at 6-4 and he's now 6-9, so he grew five inches later than a lot of guys would have a growth spurt," Hem said. "And he was a reliever at the lower levels of the minor leagues so he's still working on repeating his delivery that has some moving parts."

Hellweg, who was part of the Zack Greinke trade between the Angels and Brewers in 2012, has only been a full-time starting pitcher since 2012. He got a chance to make seven starts and one relief appearance for the Brewers in 2013, going 1-4 with a 6.75, walking 26 in 30.2 innings of work. He also hit eight batters.

"Over the winter, he put on 35-40 pounds on purpose because he felt like he wore down a little bit at the end of last year and got tired, so he put on some weight to help him with that," Hem continued. "That's the biggest difference from last year to this year, but mechanics-wise, he's still a work in progress, like you saw today. He left the game with a possible injury, so that may have had an impact, but even so, his command just kind of comes and goes. In his last outing, he had three 1-2-3 innings and he looked amazing, but every now and then he loses his command.

"There's no one obvious thing that is still a factor, but he's still just a work in progress as a tall guy who throws hard and has tremendous movement on his pitches. He just has those spurts where's he not exactly sure where it's going."

Being in the dog house isn't a bad thing when you're a dog.

If you dislike Hank the Dog -- whom the Brewersadopted during spring training -- then we can't be friends, but maybe this will finally soften your cold, dead heart:

We think he likes it! #Brewers#BallparkPup#HankHousehttp://t.co/iMy7G7gByupic.twitter.com/PWvtB8lQkt

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) April 21, 2014

It's a mobile dog home that will move around the park all season long, so if you're lucky, Hank will be relaxing by your seat this summer.

It sounds like there's a dude saying, "He's gotten chubby" during that video. Listen, Hank is just living large post-adoption. He's earned it. I mean, look at him. LOOK AT HIM.