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Cubs 4, Brewers 0: Jason Hammel's Big Day

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The big Cubs righthander shut down the Brewers Sunday afternoon.

For 5⅓ innings Sunday, it looked like Cubs fans might have something really special to cheer for.

Jason Hammel had shut down the Brewers for the first 16 outs, with only a walk and a Starlin Castro error responsible for Milwaukee's two baserunners to that point. Carlos Gomez put an end to any hope for a no-hitter for Hammel by slicing a double down the left-field line just out of the reach of Mike Olt.

After a walk Hammel was able to get out of the inning, and wound up throwing seven innings (and one batter into the eighth). He allowed only Gomez's double and two other singles, leading the Cubs to a 4-0 victory over Milwaukee. The win snapped a four-game losing streak and was the Cubs' first shutout of the 2014 season.

Hammel's WHIP actually went up slightly after Sunday's game; the five baserunners allowed through walk or hit raised it from 0.687 to 0.692. That still tops all major-league starters; Hammel has been a revelation, similar to Scott Feldman a year ago. And similar to Feldman a year ago, Hammel will undoubtedly be wearing a different uniform at the end of July.

While Castro made that error on what should have been a routine play, he also provided the bulk of the offense with three hits, including a pair of home runs. That gives him four homers on the season and, with the month of April nearly complete, gives him a .292/.320/.448 line, much more similar to his Aprils in 2011 and 2012 than his bad start to last season. That's encouraging and gives the thought that Castro could recover his All-Star level of play from 2011 and 2012.

The Cubs also stole two bases, one by Nate Schierholtz and one by Ryan Kalish. Kalish, hitting leadoff for the first time this year, had two hits as did backup catcher John Baker. For Baker, they were his first two hits of the season.

Pedro Strop relieved Hammel after Hammel allowed a single to lead off the eighth, and got out of the inning easily, including inducing an inning-ending double play. With that leadoff single, Hammel became just the second Cubs starter to pitch in the eighth inning this year (Jeff Samardzija was the other, last Wednesday before the bullpen meltdown.

With a four-run lead, there was no save to blow! So, Hector Rondon was summoned to finish -- not "close" -- the game in the ninth inning. Rondon was awesome, striking out Jonathan Lucroy, Aramis Ramirez and Khris Davis on 97 mile-per-hour fastballs. If I had to guess, I'd guess Rondon will get the Cubs' next save opportunity, whenever that is. For once, the Cubs appear to have gotten themselves a useful Rule 5 pick.

Incidentally, credit to the four men who wore shirts saying "CHA," "MPI," "ON'S" and "PUB" in the first row behind the plate, getting nine innings' worth of free advertising for a Milwaukee-area bar -- likely worth every penny they paid for those tickets on a day when Miller Park was sold out.

The Cubs head to Cincinnati to begin a three-game series Monday evening with Samardzija facing Alfredo Simon. That is, of course, weather permitting -- which it might not, given this forecast.


MLB All-Star Game: The Case for Jonathan Lucroy

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Can Jonathan Lucroy make the All-Star team for the first time in his career? Let's take a look at the resume he is putting together.

Yesterday, voting for the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field started.  In the past, many of the Brewers have received their share of league honors in the years they have been in the league.  Of the current roster, here are the players with at least one All-Star Team appearance:

Ryan Braun
Zach Duke*
Yovani Gallardo
Carlos Gomez
Aramis Ramirez*
Francisco Rodriguez*
Jean Segura
Rickie Weeks

* - Appearance was made with another team.

One player that has eluded this list for so long is Jonathan Lucroy.  As he continues his fifth season in the majors, it's time for that to change.  It's time to get Lucroy into the All-Star Game.

When you look at the numbers for Lucroy, it all looks good for him.  He's tied for fourth in MLB and tied for third in the NL in fWAR at 0.9.  The batting line is strong at .333/.402/.487.  He's putting up a good combination of offense and defense, and he's doing it as a full-time catcher while others are in platoon situations.  He has improved every year and is on track for another year of improvement.

In addition, this is the player that the Brewers should be pushing to make the All-Star team.  While the Brewers have worked their way to the best record in baseball, perception outside of Milwaukee has gone down.  Lucroy is the type of player that is hard working and very likable.  This is the guy that should be a representative for the Brewers.

Unfortunately, it's a big hurdle to clear to make the All-Star team at catcher, especially in the National League.  The biggest problem that Lucroy faces is the competition for the position.  Here are the 15 players listed on the ballot this year (in alphabetical order by last name):

NameTeamGames/PAHRRRBIBatting LinefWAR
Wellington CastilloCubs17 G / 72 PA369.242/.286/.4090.2
Travis d'ArnaudMets19 G / 69 PA144.213/.294/.2950.2
AJ EllisDodgers7 G / 29 PA010.167/.310/.167-0.2
Evan GattisBraves17 G / 63 PA5712.311/.333/.6070.9
Yasmani GrandalPadres19 G / 54 PA135.250/.333/.3540.2
Jonathan LucroyBrewers20 G / 87 PA188.333/.402/.4870.9
Russell MartinPirates16 G / 73 PA2911.242/.342/.3550.6
Devin MesoracoReds13 G / 53 PA31013.468/.509/.7871.3
Yadier MolinaCardinals21 G / 87 PA31011.361/.391/.5421.1
Miguel MonteroDiamondbacks23 G / 96 PA2813.269/.375/.4100.5
Buster PoseyGiants22 G / 83 PA4910.219/.313/.3970.5
Wilson RamosNationals1 G / 3 PA000.000/.000/.000-0.1
Wilin RosarioRockies21 G / 84 PA3613.241/.274/.4050.2
Carlos RuizPhillies19 G / 80 PA1166.269/.388/.4630.6
Jarrod SaltalamacchiaMarlins21 G / 76 PA3106.250/.368/.4530.8

When you look at this list, there are the two big names that jump out: Yadier Molina and Buster Posey. Those are the two players to beat.  Going back to last year's voting, Molina won with 6.8 million votes, and Buster Posey was second at 6.4 million. Jonathan Lucroy finished in 6th with 1.1 million votes. That's a major gap that would have to be closed for him to make it as a fan selection.  Even with Posey's slow start this season, he's still got the star power and fan base to take a lot of votes.

There are some things that will help and hurt this year. Two of the players ahead of Lucroy in last year's vote (John Buck and Brian McCann) are no longer in the NL, so there are votes to come from there.  Unfortunately, there are candidates that can come in above him as well. Devin Mesoraco is off to an incredibly hot start despite playing in more of a platoon situation. Evan Gattis is stepping into the void that Brian McCann left well for the Braves.  Jarrod Saltalamacchia has also had a terrific start for the Marlins. All of them could pull votes and make it harder for Lucroy to make the team.

I expect to see the candidates thin out a little as the season goes on.  Voting is open for two months so there is a lot that can happen in that time.  Personally, I say that we should get a campaign going to get Lucroy into the all-star game. The team typically has three catchers, and Lucroy has played so well in his career that he deserves the honor. His fWAR of 8.1 since 2012 is third among NL catchers, and that's even with missing time due to a hand injury. He's been one of the most consistent performers on the team and around baseball since his arrival.  It's time for him to get the credit that he is due.

Cubs Minor League Wrap: April 27

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Not only did the major league team beat the Brewers in Milwaukee, the minor league system went 3-0 against Brewers farm clubs.

Iowa Cubs

Rained out in Colorado Springs. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on June 26.

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies' pitching staff one-hit the Huntsville Stars (Brewers) on the way to a 2-1 victory.

Starter Pierce Johnson allowed only one run on one hit over four innings. OK. That's the good news. The bad news is pretty bad. Johnson had no control in this game as he walked eight batters in the four innings he pitched.  He threw 75 pitches, only 26 of which were strikes. That he only allowed one run is a bit of a miracle. Johnson struck out one, the last batter he faced. Johnson had one wild pitch.

The good news here is that the Smokies bullpen retired the next 15 hitters to close out the game. Hunter Cervenka got the win after tossing three perfect innings, striking out one. Armando Rivero fanned four in two innings as he got his third save.

First baseman Dustin Geiger broke a 1-1 tie in the 7th inning with his fifth home run of the season. Geiger was 1 for 3.

Catcher Rafael Lopez doubled to lead off the second inning and scored on a wild pitch. He was 1 for 3.

Third baseman Kris Bryant was 0 for 3 with a walk, snapping his nine-game hit streak.

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs beached the Brevard County Manatees (Brewers), 2-1 when Willson Contreras plated Jeimer Candelario with a walkoff single in the bottom of the ninth.

It was a good start for Tayler Scott, who allowed only one run over six innings. Scott was touched for four hits and he issued three walks. Scott struck out four.

Michael Jensen went the rest of the way, tossing three scoreless innings, allowing only two hits. He struck out four and walked no one as he collected his first win of the season.

Third baseman Candelariohad a hand in Daytona's other run, as he singled home Dan Vogelbach (who had walked and stolen a base) in the fourth inning. Candelario was 2 for 4 and he doubled with two out in the ninth before Contreras's walkoff.

Contreras was 1 for 4.

Second baseman Gioskar Amaya was 3 for 4. Right fielder Bijan Rademacher was 1 for 4, extending his hitting streak to ten games.

Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars defanged the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 10-2. The win was the Cougars' sixth straight.

Jen-Ho Tseng improved his record to 2-0 as he also allowed only one run on one hit, this time over five innings. Tseng also had some control issues, but nowhere near Johnson's day as he "only" walked four. Tseng did strike out seven, however.

Catcher Will Remillard hit his first professional home run in the sixth inning today. It came with the bases empty. Remillard had another big day as also had a two-run double in the seventh inning as part of a 3 for 4 afternoon.

Center fielder Jacob Hannemann was 3 for 4 with four RBI and one run scored. DH Daniel Canela went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

Second baseman Danny Lockhart scored twice and knocked in one as he went 2 for 4. Third baseman Jordan Hankins was 2 for 3 with a walk and scored once.

Milwaukee Brewers Sporcle: Longest Brewers Hitting Streaks

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A few dozen Brewers have had hits in 16 consecutive games or more. How many can you name in ten minutes?

Working my way across the web in preparation for Monday's Frosty Mug, I stumbled across something fun at Lookout Landing: A Sporcle quiz asking you to name the players with the longest hitting streaks in Mariners franchise history. The correct answers are mostly three Mariners you'd probableyguess off the top of your head, although there's one former Brewer that made me laugh out loud.

So, I took a break from what I was doing and produced this quiz: How many of the players responsible for the 37 longest streaks in Brewers franchise history can you name in ten minutes?

If the quiz isn't displaying correctly for you here or you'd simply prefer to take it over there, follow this link to take the quiz at Sporcle.com.

The quiz also includes five bonus answers: Players who collected at least 1000 career hits as Brewers but never had a streak longer than 15 games.

For what it's worth, Ryan Braun has the longest streak by a Brewer in 2014: Seven games, from April 6-13.

For more from Kyle, check out the new Frosty Mug at Milwaukee Magazine, follow him on Twitter @BrewFrostyMugand like his new Facebook page.

Minor League Notes, 2014-04-28

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Where 3 out of 4 Brewers starting pitching prospects were excellent

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 12-11
Won 8-5 at Oklahoma City RedHawks (HOU) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 15-9
Lost 2-1 at Tennessee Smokies (CHC) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 11-12
Lost 2-1 at Daytona Cubs (CHC) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 10-12
Lost 10-2 at Kane County Cougars (CHC) (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
Caleb GindlNashvilleCF5221010.2502B, HR
Taylor GreenNashvilleDH4141000.283
Jeremy HermidaNashvilleRF4132110.300HR
Hunter MorrisNashville1B4111100.266HR
Mitch HanigerHuntsvilleCF3001000.188
Orlando ArciaBrevard CountySS4000120.222
Brandon MaciasBrevard County3B4020020.2682B
Victor RoacheBrevard CountyLF2000120.167
Tyrone TaylorBrevard CountyCF4000000.198
Clint CoulterWisconsinC4021110.3332B
Omar GarciaWisconsinLF4000110.176
Michael RatterreeWisconsinRF4010110.229
PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
Jimmy NelsonNashville7.06222601.97W, 3-1
Taylor JungmannNashville6.24224614.23L, 1-3WP
Jed BradleyBrevard County5.03113903.42
Barrett AstinWisconsin5.112881113.62L, 3-2WP

How much does a team's early-season record inform their playoff odds?

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How many games do teams need to play before making educated guesses on their playoff chances? It might be fewer than you think.

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post discussing how well early season records translate into making the playoffs, using the example of the starts of the Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks as polar opposites. In the meantime the Brewers have continued to play good baseball (18-6 through Saturday) and Arizona, despite winning two of three against the Cubs are still mired at 8-19 (also through Saturday).

This is the time of year when announcers, talk show hosts and web columnists start asking "How many games does a team need to play before we know what kind of team they really are?" So far this year, I've heard anything from 30 all the way to 60. I almost choked when I heard 60 -- at that point the season is almost 40% played, and absent drastic and unpredictable events (trades, injuries, phenoms like Yasiel Puig who totally outperform any reasonable expectation) the team has moved beyond the prediction phase to that of actual. This table shows performance at the 60-game mark since 1995, when the divisional playoff level was added:

Playoffs_9_medium

Of the teams playing at less than .400 at the 60-game mark (a 23-37 record or worse), none made the playoffs. Conversely, almost 72 percent of teams with a record of 36-24 or better eventually made the playoffs. The demarcation point seems pretty clear -- at the 60-game mark, teams need to be playing around .550 ball (33-27) in order to have reasonable chances of making the playoffs.

I don't find these numbers surprising, but I'm more curious how many fewer games can be played before reasonable inferences can be made. This chart breaks it down more:

Playoffs_13

Regardless of the number of games played, be it as few as 20 or as many as 60, teams playing .400 baseball or worse rarely made the playoffs. Teams that did after slow starts include the 2002 Angels (6-14 after 20 games). It can happen -- it just rarely does.

There is a world of difference between probability and actuality -- probability states how often a given event has occurred given explicit criteria vs. the actuality that even long odds can be overcome under the right circumstances. The2005 Astros famously caught fire after a 15-30 in start to eventually make it to the World Series, and the 2003 Marlins were the eventual World Series champions after firing Jeff Torborg following a 16-22 start and hiring Jack McKeon. Teams can overcome slow starts, but history suggests it isn't easy to do.

What can be predicted for 2014? In the American League, the Yankees, Rangers and A's are all off to decent starts, nothing too surprising, with the possible exception of the Yankees. The Rangers and A's have many games against the Astros (16 and 15, respectively) to fatten their records, and if the Yankees can keep their lineup healthy, they have a chance, but nothing is guaranteed in what appears to be a very competitive AL East. In the National League, Atlanta and Los Angeles are off to strong starts to the surprise of no one, and the mystery will be how the Brewers perform.

It's a fine line between recognizing a team on a hot streak as opposed to a team that is simply good, and that's the distinction the Brewers will be answering as the season progresses. They have excellent players in Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Jonathan Lucroy, and if their pitching holds up, the odds will be in their favor. No other team in the NL Central is off to a good start, and after this weekend's series will have 15 games left against the Cubs (my prediction -- the Cubs will lose 20 of these games).

With five playoff teams in each league, every game takes on increased significance as the number of wins between the final playoff team and the runner-up grows smaller. This chart depicts team's 60-game record and percent that made the playoffs stratified by number of playoff teams:

Playoffs_12

Clearly more playoff slots allows for teams to overcome slow starts, but the overall point remains -- with few exceptions, teams that start slow aren't just shaking off the rust and seeking their natural rhythm, they're often bad teams meeting low expectations. Even teams playing around .500 are just that -- good teams that might be a player or two away from contention, but even that isn't assured. This is the limbo the 2014 White Sox find themselves in --with a 12-13 record through Saturday, are they making improvement on their horrendous 2013 season or still in the midst of a multi-year improvement program? In their case they have too many questions marks -- how will Jose Abreu perform? Will Gordon Beckham fulfill the promise that made him the eighth pick of the 2008 draft? Will Chris Sale be out for 15 days, or more? The trends suggest they are what they are: a .500 team, give or take a couple games.

By the time this is posted on Monday most teams will have played around 25 games. For the most part, the teams on the field are the teams that will continue to be run out every day, since the rash of injuries to pitchers like Patrick Corbin, Kris Medlen, Clayton Kershaw and Matt Moore have already been factored in. There will be teams currently around the .500 mark who will make the playoffs, but it's safe to say enough games have been played to make educated guesses on playoff potential, and that the increased number of playoff slots makes it easier to make these predictions earlier in the season. I state this will a fair degree of certainty -- Cubs fans, wait 'til next year.

Data gathered using the Streaks function of the Baseball-Reference.com Play Index feature. Any mistakes in amalgamating the data are the author's.

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

KBO third baseman Jeong Choi wants to play in MLB next year.

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The Brewers may have need of a third baseman in 2015. Could Jeong Choi be on their list?

Over the weekend Jon Heyman reported Korean third baseman Jeong Choi intends to make the jump to MLB in 2015. Choi will be 28 next season and has played in parts of 11 seasons, including this year, in South Korea's major league.

It's hard to know how his talents would translate to the MLB, but he's a career .291 hitter with 154 home runs. That average is actually a little deceptive as he's hit well over .300 for the last four years. He's also hit more home runs later in his career. On the negative side, his strike outs have also steadily risen for several years. As it gets closer to winter, scouting reports will start to surface and we'll have a better idea of what his skill set really is.

Choi could be entering the market at a financially inopportune time as it appears third base could be rather robust next off season. Chase Headley, Pablo Sandoval, and Hanley Ramirez all figure to enter free agency then. However, it is likely those players would receive qualifying offers which could Choi that much more desirable. I have no idea what kind of salary he might demand so I'll not even hazard a guess.

In addition to those free agents, Aramis Ramirez could also be on the market as the Brewers have a mutual option on him. Here's where things get interesting for us. Ramirez is almost certainly not going to turn down his side of the $14 million contract. If he did the Brewers would probably extend a qualifying offer and that would substantially quell interest in the aged third baseman. Were the Brewers to decline the option they'd owe him a $4 million dollar buyout which would be deferred to a later date.

That's a lot of money for a team like the Brewers, but they also don't have much going in the minors at that position. Something tells me Jason Rogers, Taylor Green, and Nick Delmonico are not going to factor in there long term.  If Mark Attanasio is truly serious about building a perennial contender, he and Doug Melvin are going to have to address third base going forward.

Financially the Brewers may find themselves in a good position to make a splash in free agency. As I already noted Ramirez's salary could come off the books next year. That's $10 million shed. Rickie Weeks will almost certainly be gone and that's another $11 million. Tom Gorzelanny, Francisco Rodriguez, Lyle Overbay, and Mark Reynolds will also become free agents. Their total salaries come to approximately $10 million. Yovani Gallardo's contract includes a team option, but I expect the Brewers to pick it up. There are several players who are due raises and a few will hit arbitration for the first time next year. Even factoring that in, depending on what happens with Ramirez, the Brewers could have well over $20 million to spend with first and third bases likely being the only major holes to fill.

In the last few years the Brewers have made a concerted effort to increase their international presence. Last year they signed two international prospects to the largest contracts for that type of player in franchise history. Early reports have the Brewers tied to one of this year's top international prospects Gilbert Lara. Even though they lost out to the White Sox, Brewers were reportedly one of several teams to make a substantial offer to early season superstar Jose Abreu. Signing Jeong Choi might just fit into their current philosophy.

Tons of things can happen between now and the end of the season so it's way too early to talk about 2015 roster construction. However the Brewers may find themselves with the need, the desire, and the funds to make a legitimate run at a guy like Choi. Therefore it's something we should be aware of so just file this under "off season conversation starters" and come back to it in December if that's your thing.

Prospect Note: Scott Carroll, RHP, White Sox

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Late last week, we took a look at a pair of soft-tossing Triple-A right-handed pitchers, Mike Fiers of the Milwaukee Brewers and Josh Smith of the Cincinnati Reds. I could easily have included White Sox right-hander Scott Carroll in that article and I wish I had done so: he made his big league debut yesterday and thrived, pitching 7.1 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing six hits, two runs, two walks, and fanning three, picking up the victory. Here's my take.

Scott Carroll, RHP: Carroll was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round in 2007, from Missouri State University. He pitched decently in the lower levels of the system as an inning-eater type but never really stood out as a prospect. He had a rough season in Triple-A in 2011 (5.39 ERA, 89/47 K/BB with 186 hits in 145 innings for Louisville) and was pretty much written off as a prospect at that point. He converted to relief in 2012 but continued to struggle (5.90 ERA in 40 innings). He was released at mid-season, signed with the White Sox as a free agent, then moved into the starting rotation for Triple-A Charlotte and was suddenly more successful (3.78 ERA in 48 innings).

He promptly blew out his elbow in winter ball and missed most of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Carroll wrote about the injury and his rehab experience in this Chicago Now article.

Healthy again for 2014, he looked great in four starts for Charlotte before his promotion, with a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings, with a 13/9 K/BB and a 2.69 GO/AO ratio. From those numbers you'd expect him to be a strike-throwing sinkerballer and that's exactly what he is, working his sinker at 87-90 while mixing in a curve, changeup, and a few sliders. Throwing strikes and changing speeds are his keys.

With the exception of his high ground ball rates, Carroll's track record doesn't stand out sabermetrically and he hasn't drawn big praise from scouts. That said, you have to root for him. He's worked hard to get where he is, and while he is not a good bet for long-term success, any team should be happy to get some useful big league innings out of a guy who was signed to fill a Triple-A roster spot.


Cardinals vs Brewers Preview: April 28-30

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St Louis (14-12) hosts the NL Central leading Milwaukee Brewers (18-7) for a trio of games to close out April.

Schedule

Mise-en-Scene

This series presents an excellent opportunity for the Cardinals to make up a game or 3 in the division, as the Brewers are expected to be without 2 of their top players, Ryan Braun and Jean Segura. Braun has a strained intercostal muscle and is expected to miss several days. Prior to the injury on Saturday, Braun inadvertently hit Segura in the head with his bat while stretching on the clubhouse steps. Like Braun, Segura avoided anything major, but is not expected to appear in the upcoming series.

Aramis Ramirez, Jonathan Lucroy, and Carlos Gomez are still excellent hitters, and Khris Davis' power showed up in the last week (3HR), but the bottom of the lineup will be particularly weak, featuring punchless utility players Jeff Bianchi and Elian Herrera.

What to Watch for

The brand new shiny Cardinals! They're still in their original packaging! Take a look at these pieces on Randal Grichuk (link) and Greg Garcia (link) from this spring. It's pretty clear that Grichuk will simply take over Sugar Shane Robinson's role of defensive replacement and RH PH, but I'm very interested to see how Garcia gets used in relation to Daniel Descalso.

It will be interesting to see what kind of arsenal Michael Wacha employs tonight. In last week's game against the Mets, Wacha had electrifying early success while nearly abandoning his esteemed changeup entirely. His curveball was the sharpest it's ever been as he struck out 9 batters in 3 innings before losing his command in the windy Citi Field conditions. I expect to see the changeup back in the fold, but his curve appears like it might be ready for its close-up.

Pitching against Wacha, Yovani Gallardo is off to an excellent start (1.42 ERA) after 3 straight years of declining peripherals. His K-rate is plummeting this season, but so have his walks and homers allowed. This fangraphs article suggested a change in approach, but I don't think that his usage data bears this out. It's early yet, and tonight's game won't make any firm declarations either way, but it's something to keep an eye on. We can say definitively that his 89% strand rate won't hold season-long. Not even Joe Kelly could do that!

The Milwaukee bullpen has been terrific so far. Francsico Rodriguez, Will Smith, Tyler Thornburg, Brandon Kintzler, and Zach Duke have combine for over 50 innings while allowing all of 4 runs.

Speaking of the bullpen, Trevor Rosenthal's fastball velocity has been the subject of some minor consternation in this young season. While he's not quite back to where he was last year, he breached 99 in 2 of his last 3 games, and his game average is climbing back well over 97. Look for that to continue to improve.


Who the hell is that?

That's Scooter Gennett! Let's run down the pesky player checklist to see if Scooter fits the mold:

Short and skinny: 

Gets an irksome number of hits: 

Plays up the middle and is annoyingly cromulent at it: 

Has no or little power: 

Isn't even that fast and oh god that's irritating about him too: 

Oh hell did we just WALK him?: X No. Probably not.

Bonus round

Plays on a division rival: 

Is fucking named Scooter: 

So yes, he has strong pesk about him. He has no particularly good tools except hitting the ball with his bat, and he's pretty good at that. Currently, he's on the heavy side of a platoon with Rickie Weeks, who recently probably said of the situation: "I didn't think so much of him at first. But now I get it, he's everything I'm not."

To be fair to Scooter (gah!), he actually has a little bit of power, but won't be truly consistently irritating unless he can develop a better eye. At the moment, he's probably just good enough that we'll all remember just how annoying it was the handful times he did contribute against the Cardinals in key moments. Won't that just be the worst?

Keys to the Series

  • Please don't let Scooter beat the Cardinals
  • Or anyone else
  • But especially Scooter

Closer Rankings: K-Rod, the zombie reliever

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The ex-star closer is back from the dead in a big way, and has been the best reliever in fantasy so far this season.

I have questions.

You guys, seriously. Questions. This guy's career was over a few years ago. The Mets hated him and couldn't be more eager to get rid of him. He was traded to the Brewers for Danny Herrera (claims to fame: short; traded for Josh Hamilton) and Adrian Rosario (claim to fame: who?) when the Mets were done with him.

The Brewers used him as little more than John Axford insurance ("If you don't straighten up and act right, John, mama will have to call in Francisco!") until they dealt him to Baltimore last year. Even then, he pitched in 23 games, had no saves, put up a 4.50 ERA and a 1.364 WHIP. He became a free agent in the offseason, and nothing much happened. It took until February for him to get a contract, and even then it was just a one-year deal as nominal insurance, only this time it was for Jim Henderson.

Only, he got the Brewers closer job in spring this year, and dude's been insane. Like, insane insane. In 14 games, he's pitched 14 innings (cool how that works). He's allowed eight baserunners (five hits, three walks). He's struck out 21. He's allowed no runs. He has 11 saves and has been worth 0.7 fWAR, which already matches his combined 2012 and 2013 totals.

Now, to be fair, he's almost certainly on a hot stretch, as his .208 BABIP would be his best since 2003, and 70 points below his career average. He (obviously) has a 100 percent strand rate, which also seems unlikely to sustain. And his ground-ball rate, which has typically hovered in the low-to-mid 40s, sits at 54.2 percent right now.

In the long run, odds are Rodriguez sinks back. He's not, you know, Craig Kimbrel and Dennis Eckersley's love child. Yeah, he'll regress, as will the Brewers at large. But in the short run, he's a prime ride-the-streak candidate. I don't believe in hot and cold streaks as far as being predictive goes - a guy is hot until he's not, then he's cold until he's hot again, etc. - but a closer with a prime job is an obvious must-own, and it seems unlikely you'll get anyone to pay you big bucks for Francisco Rodriguez right now, as everyone assumes regression.

For now, though, I'm bumping Rodriguez up in the closer rankings. Dude's earned it.

This is this week's rankings. The first one is who you'd want for right now, the next week or two. The second list is long-term, accounting for guys like Aroldis Chapman and such. Enjoy:

Right-Now Rankings

RankPlayerTeamLast WeekThoughts
1Craig KimbrelATL2Last seven days: 3 IP, 3 baserunners, 6 K's. He's fine.
2Greg HollandKCR3Go read what Rany Jazayerli had to say about Ned Yost's closer usage Saturday, then cry for the team.
3Koji UeharaBOS4Giving up his first run Saturday proved he's human, only not by much (0.96 ERA).
4Kenley JansenLAD1On pace for 100 games, 87 innings. Maybe reel that in, Dodgers?
5Glen PerkinsMIN5Gave up 4 runs in first 3 IP; has given up 1 in 8 since.
6Sergio RomoSFG6Only bad outing came in that 12-10 extra-inning game. I'm inclined to give him a mulligan.
7Trevor RosenthalSLC7At some point, he'll have to get more dominant; maybe his 1 IP, 3 K save Friday is the start of that.
8Francisco RodriguezMIL12Never would have guessed he'd climb this high.
9Mark MelanconPITNRHe's got the closer gig with Jason Grilli hurt, and I think he keeps it.
10Joakim SoriaTEX15Has faced a total of 16 batters in his last 15 outs, and that one baserunner was on an error.
11Huston StreetSDP11Eight baserunners in 10 innings; only run allowed came on a Brandon Belt homer.
12David RobertsonNYY27No runs on the season, though DL stint means he's only pitched in six games.
13Joe NathanDET13Might rank higher, but it seems the Tigers really aren't going to work him hard.
14Steve CishekMIA8I still trust him despite Friday's loss.
15Rafael SorianoWAS9Perfect so far on the season; I probably ought to start moving him up.
16Jonathan PapelbonPHI16Gave up 3 runs in 0.1 IP April 2; 0.00 ERA in 11 IP otherwise.
17Addison ReedARI17Allowed runs in three of his last five outings.
18Grant BalfourTBR10Friday's outing was abysmal, and he's walked 9 in 10.1 innings.
19John AxfordCLE22Team stuck with him after struggles of a couple weeks ago, and he's been strong since.
20Jonathan BroxtonCIN19His 0.00 ERA is almost as surprising as K-Rod's, even if his is in only 5 innings.
21Tommy HunterBAL2010 hits, 3 runs in his last 6.2 innings. Oh, and only three strikeouts.
22Sergio SantosTOR29Will get every chance to perform, with Casey Janssen back on the shelf.
23Joe SmithLAANRHis name might not even be real, but Ernesto Frieri is out, so, whatever, weirdest Witness Relocation ever.
24LaTroy HawkinsCOL23Maybe it's just ageism, but who the heck feels confident in a 41-year-old closer with less than 4 K/9?
25Matt LindstromCWS211:1 K:BB ratio; 18 baserunners in 11 innings.
26Chris WithrowLADNRI feel like the Dodgers have to give Jansen a break, and Withrow has been tremendous.
27Kyle FarnsworthNYM26Are they really going to let Daisuke Matsuzaka get saves? I can't see it.
28Fernando RodneySEA24I'll just let Jeff Sullivan discuss this, but no, dude. No.
29Luke GregersonOAKNRSigh. No, I don't know who will get Oakland saves, just like last week.
30Jim JohnsonOAKNRGregerson has been getting the opportunities, but Johnson has been better of late.

Rest-Of-Season Rankings

RankPlayerTeamLast WeekThoughts
1Craig KimbrelATL1
2Kenley JansenLAD2
3Greg HollandKCR3
4Koji UeharaBOS4
5Glen PerkinsMIN5
6Sergio RomoSFG6
7Aroldis ChapmanCIN7His return draws ever nearer.
8David RobertsonNYY17
9Trevor RosenthalSLC8
10Joakim SoriaTEX14
11Huston StreetSDP11
12Joe NathanDET13
13Steve CishekMIA9
14Rafael SorianoWAS10
15Jonathan PapelbonPHI15
16Francisco RodriguezMIL18Like I said, short-term, go for it, but regression will bite eventually.
17Addison ReedARI16
18Grant BalfourTBR12
19Mark MelanconPITNROn talent, he'd rank higher, but Grilli still might be heard from.
20Tommy HunterBAL20
21Sergio SantosTOR28
22John AxfordCLE21
23Jim JohnsonOAK29Look, I don't know about Oakland. Stop asking me, it makes me sad.
24Joe SmithLAANR
25LaTroy HawkinsCOL25
26Matt LindstromCWS24
27Kyle FarnsworthNYM27
28Fernando RodneySEA23How many more Rodney-esque outings before Danny Farquhar gets his chance?
29Chad QuallsHOUNRJosh Fields has been pretty danged bad lately; I guess it's Qualls' time.
30Pedro StropCHC30Best of a bad lot in Chicago, and now Jose Veras is hurt.

Brewers @ Cardinals series preview

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The Brewers meet the Cardinals for the second time this year and first time in St. Louis. They're looking to avenge their 2-1 series loss at home.

The Brewers offense has scuffled a bit here and there and it's truly been the pitching that has carried them to a major league leading 18-7 record. The same can be said of the Cardinals, however their offense has been far worse. As a team they rank 22nd with a 90 wRC+. They did make some roster changes last night sending down Kolton Wong and Shane Robinson for Randal Grichuk and Greg Garcia so perhaps that will help jump start something. It seems unlikely to have a huge impact though as both will be bench players for now. Brewers are 13th at exactly 100 wRC+ but will be without Ryan Braun and Jean Segura. Cardianls' pitching ranks 10th with a ERA/FIP/xFIP triple slash of 2.76/3.19/3.51. They've been really good at getting strike outs and their team 23.6% K rate ranks third, just above the Brewers' 23.5%. Their walk rate is a little more mediocre at 8.3% (20th). What kind of surprised me is the Brewers have the lowest walk rate in MLB with 6.1%.

Monday, April 28th 7:15 pm CT: Yovani Gallardo vs Michael Wacha

Gallardo has always had trouble facing the Cardinals. I don't really believe in that sort of thing, but I suppose it's possible it's gotten in his head and messed with his confidence which could mess with his pitches in some fashion. That kind of thinking seems like a bit of a stretch though. Besides, this is a new Gallardo with a new pitching philosophy. I'll be interested to see how his pitch-to-contact approach plays against what has to date been a pretty sub par Cardinals offense. As a team they've hit the 9th most ground balls at 48.5%.

The good news is the Brewers will again miss Adam Wainwright. The bad news is they will face Wacha for the first time this year. This guy has been ridiculous so far. He's struck out 28.5% of batters face. That's probably going to come down a bit at some point, but even last year he struck out a quarter of the batters he faced. He doesn't walk guys or give up home runs either and his opponents batting average was .216 last year and .206 this year. The Brewers offense will be without Ryan Braun and Jean Segura so they're really going to earn it if they can win this game.

Tuesday, April 29th 7:15 pm CT: Kyle Lohse vs Lance Lynn

Kyle Lohse will be facing his former club for the first time this year. He's been very good so far and he's coming off his best start where he pitched 7 innings allowing 2 runs (1 earned). I see no reason to worry about this start for him. His strikeouts are coming back down to Earth, but again, that's never really been what he tries to do. Busch Stadium will help suppress home run power but the Cardinals have hit the fewest fly balls in MLB and their 7.5% HR/FB rate is among the lowest as well.

Last time the Brewers faced Lynn he held them to 3 hits and 0 runs through 7 innings. He throws mostly fastballs and sliders with an occasional curveball and change to keep hitters guessing. He's a solid pitcher but it just seems like the Brewers let him off easy last time. I want to believe sooner rather than later they're going to be able to punish a guy with his stuff.

Wednesday, April 30th 12:45 pm CT: Matt Garza vs Shelby Miller

Matt Garza has kind of gotten beaten up this year. He's had two really excellent games and three pretty mediocre to bad games. One of those mediocre games game against the Cardinals when he allowed 4 runs through 7 innings. The Cardinals offense is just so bad this year, or at least it has been. Hopefully this time around Garza will be able to find a way to expose that.

Shelby Miller has been the Cardinals worst starting pitcher this year as evidenced by his 5.62 FIP. He's also been the luckiest as evidenced by his 2.86 ERA. Sooner or later he's either going to have to get better or meet some regression. I'd like to say there's hope for the latter but he seems to have righted the ship since facing Milwaukee the first time around. He held the Brewers to 3 hits, allowing 1 run and striking out 7 in 6 innings. Since then he's not allowed a run in 12 innings across two starts. That sounds grim.

Prediction

Ugh. I hate the Cardinals. Tony LaRussa is gone and so is Albert Pujols so at this point I mostly just hate Yadier Molina and the fact that the Cardinals always seem to crush the Brewers. This series looks kind of miserable on paper. I can't find an argument that isn't just pure optimism to say the Brewers should win this series. They could, but they've got several things working against them. The Cardinals pitching has been almost as good as the Brewers'. Their offense blows but the Brewers haven't exactly been juggernauts either. Plus Ryan Braun and Jean Segura will likely both be unavailable for the entire series. I'm going to predict two rain-outs and a 1-1 double header on Wednesday. What? That's only kind of cheating. It could happen...

Statistics courtesy of FanGraphs

Cards vs Brewers Recap 4/28: Wacha pitches well and is backed by homers: Cards lose to Brewers anyway

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All is vanity.

In a game that was decided in twelve innings, the Cardinals lost to the Brewers 5-3.

Matt Holliday and Allen Craig each hit a home run, and Michael Wacha pitched a great game but made the mistake of being imperfect when it mattered most: namely, when Pat Neshek and Seth Maness were pitching. The Brewers tied the game in the seventh inning when Neshek beaned in a run, and scored the game-winning runs in the twelfth inning off Maness.

Jhonny Peralta came to bat in the bottom of the twelfth representing the winning run but grounded out to end the game instead. St. Louis will never now win that game.

Michael Wacha

As Aaron Finkel (a fink) mentioned in his series preview--and as Jeff Sullivan covered at more length on Fangraphs--Wacha's last start was unusual: against the Mets on Wednesday he threw only two changeups total. It was unclear at the time just why he and Yadi would do such a thing, though it was reasonably assumed that the incredibly windy conditions at CitiField were probably to blame.

Here is a sentence reminding you that Michael Wacha possesses one truly plus-plus pitch, and that pitch is his changeup. The question coming into tonight's game, then, was if he would return to using his changeup as the great whiff-inducer that it has heretofore been, or if he would continue to rely more heavily on his other pitches.

Turns out it was the wind, folks. Wacha and Yadi returned to employing Wacha's changeup as a potent tactical weapon: i.e., as a strikeout pitch. Because here is how Wacha gets a lot of strikeouts:

Plot_profile_php_medium

via www.brooksbaseball.net

So that right there is evidence of both his changeup's potency and Wacha's great command of it. He throws it seemingly into a righty's or a lefty's wheelhouse--that is, down the middle of the plate--but the ball ends up down or down and in. His changeup is good and I'm happy he's throwing it again.

However, if you haven't updated your personal Wachapedia, know that he is now a much more versatile pitcher than he ever was last year, and he showed off this versatility to great effect last night. While his increasingly competent curveball has produced more discussion on VEB, Wacha's cutter is another important addition. He's already thrown it several times more often than he did through all of last season, and against the Brewers he induced two strikeouts with the cutter, to go along with three strikeouts on fastballs and four on his impossible changeup.

He pitched a very good game Monday night--6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 9 K, 2 BB. He also theoretically hit two batters in the sixth inning, but since neither Brewer scored I'll skip the close reading of the videos and just say that Wacha struck out Khris Davis to end the inning. Which led to the bottom of the sixth and--

¡Quadrangulares!

After Wacha escaped the sixth inning with a 1-0 lead, Matt Holliday and Allen Craig each hit solo home runs to increase the Cardinals' lead to 3-0.

Remember earlier this season when Matt Holliday missed a home run at Great American Ball Park because it hit the tippy-top of the outfield wall and bounced back for a single? He almost lost another one last night, this time because of Carlos Gomez's glove. Here's how close it was:

Hollidaygomezhr_zps48af3e6b_medium

via i744.photobucket.com

Very close. And here is Craig's home run, which he pulled to left-centerfield:

Tortytater_zpse377ff9e_medium

via i744.photobucket.com

Even if it's just one swing, it's encouraging to see Craig's front leg planted so strongly in that way that makes it seem like he's about to hyperextend his knee.

A good inning, the sixth. Alas!

The Seventh Inning

Here is the sequence of events, with Wacha starting the inning at 83 pitches:

- Mark Reynolds struck out swinging. One out.--The water, it is wet.
-
Jeff Bianchi walked. Wacha at 92 pitches.
-
Elian Herrera singled to center. Jeff Bianchi advances to second.--This is where I would have replaced Wacha with Carlos Martinez. I said this to my girlfriend (a Brewers fan who made me promise to mention Hank the dog) at the time, so it's not mere second-guessing.
-
Lyle Overbay pinch hits for Yovani Gallardo, singles to center, scoring Jeff Bianchi. Herrera advances to second. Wacha at 97 pitches.
-
Carlos Gomez bunt single to third. Bases loaded. Wacha at 99 pitches.--This was Wacha's fourth PA against Gomez.
- Scooter Gennett singles to right scoring Herrera.--Down with all (Wisconsinin) Scooters!
- Pat Neshek replaces Wacha and strikes out Jonathan Lucroy.
-
Aramis Ramirez is hit by pitch, scoring Lyle Overbay and tying the game at 3-3.--Let us not allow the passive voice to hide Pat Neshek's culpability here: Pat threw a slider that slid not unlike a poorly thrown fastball right into Ramirez's back.
- Khris Davis flies out to left to end the inning.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that many of us wanted Matheny to replace Wacha at some point before he did. It's also probable that most people would've wanted Martinez or Siegrist to enter before Neshek, even though it wasn't the eighth inning. It's also curious that Carlos Martinez pitched just the one very brief inning, when Matheny replaced him with Trevor Rosenthal for no good reason except that it was the ninth inning.

On that last issue in particular, what's worrisome is not so much the divvying up of outs between Rosenthal and Martinez--they're both fantastic and should get as many innings as their arms and the vagaries of the season allow--rather, what's worrisome is the choice of a clearly inferior pitcher in the most important situation of  the game. Maybe Matheny would say that statement's reductive, but I just can't think of any good reason to complicate it.

The Tenth Inning

In the bottom of the tenth, after Matt Holliday led off with a double, Matheny had Peter Bourjos pinch hit for Rosie, asking him to bunt. Not a bad idea in this situation--one run wins the game--but also not one without risks: (1) Bunting is hard at all times, but especially so when the other team knows a bunt is coming. (2) Matt Holliday is not a fast or nimble baserunner, and again, the margin for error in a situation where the defense knows exactly what you're going to do is very slim. (3) Baseball.

Bourjos bunted toward third base, but too hard, and Holliday was easily caught in a rundown. It was not a great bunt, which the announcers were quick to point out, but look at this--

Bourjosbunt_zpsca87f190_medium

via i744.photobucket.com

--right before Bourjos lays down his bunt, the Milwaukee third baseman is charging straight in, the shortstop is almost two-thirds of the way to third already, and Holliday? Holliday's momentum is heading back toward second and I assume he's running on contact. Practically the only bunt that would work in this situation is one of those liners toward the second-base gap. I have nothing but sympathy for Bourjos here.

Randal Grichuk and Greg Garcia

In his first appearance in the Show, Garcia employed the strategy of not swinging at bad pitches, and as a result he was walked by Milwaukee relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg. Grichuk entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth. He then came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run on second, no big deal, and after a nice PA ended up popping out to shallow left field. In the top of the twelfth inning, Grichuk was switched over to center in a series of moves by Matheny that I'll just set down here for you to judge:

- Randal Grichuk moves from right field to center field.
- Daniel Descalso is now playing third base, batting 4th.
- Matt Carpenter moves from third base to right field.
- Seth Maness starts the inning for the Cardinals, batting 2nd.

Seth Maness started the inning and made sure it was the final one, giving up two runs and taking the loss.

One final note:

  • This was Tim McCarver's first night as a sporadic announcer with FSMW, with Dan McLaughlin. He pronounced "laud" as "loud" and I thought that was weird, but he also talked about the greatness of Ted Simmons and rooming with Bob Uecker and said that when you get called up to the Bigs for the first time, "You feel imperial--no that's not the right word." So I'm in.

Don't look at this WPA chart:


Source: FanGraphs

The second game of the series takes place tomorrow at 7:15 central, Lance Lynn going up against Kyle Lohse.

Cub Tracks Wants Out Of April

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It's been a largely terrible month. There are some good signs, but we all hoped the W/L record would be at least a little better than this. But Starlin builds trust, Mooney does a Gordo, so does Gordo, and Moises Alou was the king of discipline.

It's an emotion-filled day here at CT, apparently.

From Comcast SportsNet

From Cubs Den

From Cubs.com

From ESPNChicago.com

From the Chicago Tribune

From the Chicago Sun-Times 

Miscellaneous

  • FiveThirtyEight tackled the subject of who are the most disciplined hitters in the game. Turns out 2002 Moises Alou was the most disciplined hitter they found. Gotta say... I'm awfully surprised to see no Cubs on the worst decision maker list, though Starlin Castro made that list among active players. The upside? There are still a lot of effective hitters on that "worst" list.

Today's food for thought

Minor League Notes, 2014-04-29

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2 rainouts, and one start by a top Brewers prospect that was kind of all wet

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 12-11
Postponed vs New Orleans Zephyrs (MIA)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 15-10
Lost 4-1 at Tennessee Smokies (CHC) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 12-12
Won 6-5 at Clearwater Threshers (PHI) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 10-12
Postponed vs Burlington Bees (LAA)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
Mitch HanigerHuntsvilleRF3010000.193
Nick RamirezHuntsville1B4111010.225HR
D'Vontrey RichardsonHuntsvilleCF3010000.250
Jason RogersHuntsville3B4000020.232
Brent SuterHuntsvilleP2010012.444
Orlando ArciaBrevard CountySS5000011.209
Brandon MaciasBrevard County3B4131001.3002B(2)
Yadiel RiveraBrevard County2B2100200.187
Logan SchaferBrevard CountyCF2011000.5002B
Tyrone TaylorBrevard CountyLF-CF4131100.222HR
PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
Brent SuterHuntsville5.05331401.80L, 3-1HBP
Jorge LopezBrevard County5.27530714.50W, 2-2HBP

BCB Community Rankings: Brewers TV announcers

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Awful Announcing says the Brewers have the eighth best TV crew in Major League Baseball

Noah posted a quick news hit yesterday about Awful Announcing's rankings for all 30 MLB TV Crews. I can't be the only one that was surprised the Brewers group was ranked so high.

Then I realized we all tend to focus more on the negative than the positive - so while we do pretty much despise Augie and Davey (or maybe that's just me) and roll our eyes every time Rock starts talking about the no-hitter - those are just the things we complain about in game threads and on Twitter and aren't necessarily indicative of our overall feelings towards the crew.  So instead of just taking Awful Announcing's overall grades I thought we could break down the broadcast a bit more and then vote on each member of the team below.

Bill Schroeder often gets called out as being a homer, but it's unclear why that's considered a negative for his role. He's basically an employee of the team, a former player for the team and he spends all of his time around the players. His entire worth comes from his being so ensconced in the team. He isn't meant to be objective nor should anyone reasonably expect him to be. He's there to share his expertise and while a lot of that is minutiae related to his years as a catcher, most of that comes from his closeness to the club and the players.

One of Schroeder's most under-rated talents has been his adaptability. He's shown himself amazingly adept at putting on a good broadcast regardless of who's handling the play-by-play responsibilities alongside him. The someone fluid PBP role next to him the past few years could have meant for a lot of awkward airtime, but if that existed, it was never Rock's fault. He seems to find chemistry with whomever is sharing the mic with him and that's a talent in and of itself. Even when the viewers have been subjected to three hours of Davey Nelson or Craig Coshun, Schroeder manages to keep the air from being too staid or dead. He's got a slight self-deprectiation that he's clearly learned at the knee of Bob Uecker.

The biggest thing you can ding Schroeder for is his seeming ham-handed handling of advanced stats and new media. He treats both as fads and seems to revel in the fact that he's "old school" and "out of touch." He clearly doesn't understand Sabermetrics and he has no desire to learn. He's a good 'ole boy who tends to make jokes to cover for his lack of knowledge or understanding when Anderson tries to incorporate advanced metrics into the broadcast.

The addition of Matt Lepay this season makes it more glaringly obvious that Brian Anderson is not long for this market. Anderson used to just get pulled to do national baseball broadcasts. You could also hear him doing Saturday football calls for Fox Sports, usually before a night time home Brewers game. Now he's been pulled to do NBA Finals. We already knew BA is one of the best play-by-play guys in the business, but now that he's apparently a three-sport threat, it can't be long before he's on a major network payroll.

Anderson is the straight man to Schroeder's buffoon. It almost feels like he's trying to slip in knowledge and get one past both Rock and some old school guard when he drops a pitchers WHIP or gives an explanation of WAR in trying to determine Carlos Gomez' true value.

If that is indeed the case, Lepay seems to be doing an admirable job of stepping into the role. He's had some slip ups early on where he's stumbled on the score or the inning, but one would imagine that will continue to ebb as he becomes more comfortable in the roll. He's got a great voice for the call, Schroeder ensures the chemistry and Lepay is a voice we're all comfortable having in our living rooms. Our most recent change was Joe Block coming to the radio call and the most frequent criticism I hear about him is that his voice is too monotonous - that it puts people to sleep. Lepay doesn't fall prey to that.

Anderson likes to talk about easing into the season - he talks about how you can't give a "10" call in April, regardless of the play, because that leaves no room for more excitement to build and where do you go from there for the rest of the season? It seemed early on that Lepay was in danger of not understanding this axiom of broadcast - he was getting very excited very quickly, but he seems to have dialed that back.

But is Lepay the best option for replacing BA, should Anderson depart FSWI? Is Lepay even available for that role once we get into the late season? When football season resumes in mid-August, how much does Lepay need to be back in Madison (or wherever the football team is traveling)? Presumably Saturdays are out, but if it's an early morning game (as Big Ten games tend to be), his Friday evening availability is likely somewhat compromised as well. If Lepay will himself need a stand in for two to three months of the season, is he a good candidate? Would Craig Coshun be that fill in? He was not great in the role last season. Is this where Craig Counsell steps in again?

Of the recent "sideline" reporters, Sophia Minnaert feels above average. Her Spanish-speaking abilities lend an additional layer, though also lead to head-scratching when she pronounces things in a very "gringo" sort of way (Joe-haan Santana was recent eye-brow raising pronunciation). She certainly brings more interest to the game than Craig Coshun did, but I'm not sure she shows more personality than Telly. She's young and this appears to be her first regular gig, so she may just be settling into a comfort level.

I personally have yet to understand what exactly either Davey Nelson or Jerry Augustine add to the broadcast, but maybe someone who likes them could enlighten me in the comments. I'm usually so distracted by their disjointed, stuttering and often rambling delivery that I don't ever hear the words they are saying. They may have incredibly insightful things to share, but they are so lost in the presentation that I would have no idea.

Aside from the grades you'll be giving below, what are your thoughts on the current team? Who's your favorite sideline reporter of recent memory? Do you have a favorite call or moment? Share a link in the comments. There's always Sophia getting hit by the baseball last season....


Hunt and Peck: Links of the Weekend

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Your links, in four words or less.

Like our resident almost-pharmacist, Joe, I too, have finals this week (although mine are probably not near as difficult), which has really cut into my link time. So without further ado, here are your links, in four words or less!

What Else is Going on In Baseball...

What the Cardinals Are Up To...

  • Wong demoted, chaos ensues. - Sports IllustratedMLBViva el Birdos
  • Yesterday's game was frustrating. - Cards Conclave
  • Kelly, Lynn, sunflower seeds. - Tumblr
  • Kevin Spacy's throws... woof. - MLB
  • Clutchiest Clutcher, Allen Craig? (thanks flood!) - Fox Sports
  • Raising them right, Goold.

  • Reminder: Do not forget!
KNOW THINE ENEMY

The NL Central

The Milwaukee Brewers

Weekend Scoreboard:
Friday, April 25Pirates0Cardinals1Recap
Saturday, April 26Pirates6Cardinals1Recap
Sunday, April 27Pirates0Cardinals7Recap
Monday, April 28Brewers5Cardinals3Recap

Tonight the Lance Lynn and the Cards take on Kyle Lohse and the Brewers at 7:15pm. Check out the game on Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Wisconsin, or KMOX 1120 .

Send me links! Tweet me @lil_scooter93 or e-mail me at lil_scooter93@msn.com!


Brewers split squad squash the Cardinals 5-4 in extras

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The battered and bruised Brewers were forced to use a lineup consisting mostly of back-up players. They had no chance to win this game and yet...

Winning Pitcher: Tyler Thornburg

Losing Pitcher: Kevin Siegrist

SV: Francisco Rodriguez (13)

HR: Carlos Gomez (6)

Boxscore

This ball game felt like it was over in the first inning after Kyle Lohse gave up a 3-run home run to Yadier Molina. It seemed like it was going to be a quick inning after he got the first two batters to strikeout and flyout. He issued a walk to Matt Holliday and a base hit to Matt Adams. That's when Molina came to the plate. Lohse did get the next batter to strikeout but the damage was already done.

Randal Grichuck got his first major league hit to lead off the second inning.  He was later erased when Lance Lynn bunted into a fielder's choice. Lohse ended the inning with a strike out, his third of the day and the second against Matt Carpenter.

In the top of the fourth inning Scooter Gennett singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A Khris Davis ground out would move him to third for Overbay whose single gave the Brewers their first run of the night. After a Mark Reynolds' walk, Jeff Bianchi grounded into a fielder's choice but was able to advance Overbay to third. Martin Maldonado then loaded the bases on a four pitch walk. It seemed elementary with Kyle Lohse coming to the plate but he was able to fight off Lance Lynn for 6 pitches to get an RBI single tying the game! Lynn would get Carlos Gomez to strike out but he threw over 40 pitches in the fourth inning. The ball game no longer felt like it was over.

If you believe in momentum, Kyle Lohse kept it going by retiring the Cardinals in order, including his 5th and 6th strikeouts.

Somewhat surprisingly, to me anyway, Lance Lynn returned for the fifth inning. He had around 95 pitches entering the inning. It proved to be the right call or the lucky call as the Brewers went down in order. It only took Lynn 7 pitches.

Lohse led off the bottom of the fifth by hitting Greg Garcia who pinch hit for Lynn. Fortunately Garcia never moved off of first base as Lohse got the next three batters to hit into outs.

After using 5 relievers in last night's game the Cardinals pen must have been thin because Friday's projected starter Tyler Lyons came into the game for the 6th inning. He iced the Brewers 3 straight.

Lohse led off the sixth inning with his 7th strikeout of the night, but followed that by allowing two singles. It really started to feel like one of those stupid Cardinals black magic, BABIP the Brewers to death innings. As if to say "calm down," Kyle Lohse got strikeout number 8 against Grichuk and number 9 against Mark Ellis!

Lyons returned to the mound in the seventh for his second inning of work. He worked over the first two batters. Then gave a hungry Carlos Gomez a meatball. Solo shot! Brewers took a 4-3 lead.

Will Smith took over for Lohse in the seventh inning. He walked Peter Boujous who pinch hit for Lyons. Matt Carpenter hit into a fielder's choice that was way too close for comfort. Allen Craig then tied the game on a ball that got past a diving Elian Herrera who then spiked the ball on the throw. It was the sort of thing you'd expect to see in the first half of a movie like "Major League." It was an unfortunate way for Smith to give up his first run of the season as Carpenter may never have crossed home plate had Herrera played the ball straight up instead of diving. Craig would make it safely to third base. Matt Holliday drew a walk and Matt Adams stepped to the plate with one out and runners at the corners. Smith got him to strike out. He ended the inning by striking out Yadier Molina.

Pat Neshek and his wacky, almost-balk, wind-up retired the Brewers in order in the eighth inning.

I'm not going to lie to you guys. By the bottom of the eighth inning I was kind of a nervous wreck so when Jhonny Peralta led off with a stupid ground ball single I was dreading the worst. Thankfully Jim Henderson was able to get Grichuk to hit into a double play almost immediately after. He also got the left-hander Mark Ellis to strikeout. It was just Mark Ellis but still nice to see him get the LHH out that way.

Neshek returned for a second inning and carved up Jeff Bianchi and Elian Herrera. Jean Segura made an appearance pinch hitting for the pitcher. He attempted to bunt for a hit but was unsuccessful.

With the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th, Tyler Thornburg took the mound. The Cardinals went down in three with 2 strikeouts and a ground out.

Kevin Siegrist barreled through Gomez, Herrera, and Gennett in the top of the 10th.

Thornburg returned for the bottom of the 10th. He got Matt Adams to fly out and struck out Matt Holliday but gave up a walk to Yadier Molina. Jhonny Peralta would be the 16th strikeout victim of the night for the Brewers and the game would go to the eleventh inning.

In the top of the 11th Khrush double to lead off and Overbay shoved some of that BABIP magic up the Cardinals rear-ends. Davis scored the go ahead run on a dribbler up the middle that the second baseman just couldn't get to. The ball's momentum was slowed just enough that the center fielder had no chance at Davis.

Francisco Rodriguez came on for the save and of he got it. How could he not. He did allow a base hit to Daniel Descalso of all people but it didn't matter. The Brewers were destined to win this game. I don't believe in those things, but the evidence is clearly undeniable.

The Crew is back at it tomorrow afternoon at 12:45 pm. They look to complete the sweep as Matt Garza takes on Shelby Miller.

Recap 4/29: Cardinals lose again to Brewers in extras 5-4

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Lance Lynn loses the plot in the 4th, Brewers pitchers strikeout 17.

The Set-Up

This evening's contest pitted old friend Kyle Lohse against our own pitcher / Missouri black bear Lance Lynn.

Lohse is off to an excellent start (4-1, 2.38 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 3.49 xFIP coming into tonight), and his K/9 was sitting at 8.21 in contrast to 5.69 over his career. Maybe the Brewers' clubhouse is giving him two orange slices with his Orange Slice now.

Lynn has also been very good (4-1, 3.30 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 3.00 xFIP) on the young season. Tonight he would try to match Wainwright, Kile, Tewksbury, and Denny as the only Cardinals to have won 5 games in a single March/April.

Coming into the game, the Brewers owned the best record in MLB at 19-7 (.731). The Cardinals were looking up at them, 5.5 games back.

The Lineup

Currently, the Brewers are a M*A*S*H unit, with Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, and Jean Segura all out with injuries. A Ram left early last night after being hit by pitch on the elbow. Mix in a night off for Jonathan Lucroy and the Brewers lineup looked pretty thin.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals slotted Randal Grichuk into CF for his first major league start.

Lynn apparently does not have a personal catcher, as Yadier Molina started rather than Tony Cruz.

And some additional availability notes from the indefatigable Cardinals beat writers:

The Game

Things started well enough. Lynn had a 1-2-3 first, taking him 20 pitches to put away the three batters.

In the bottom of the frame, an Allen Craig walk and a Matt Adams double set the table for Molina. Then Yadi took a belt-high sinker deep to LF for a 3 - 0 lead.

In the second, Grichuk covered a lot of ground to make a nice sliding catch on a Lyle Overbay fly to left center.

Later in the inning Randal would record his first MLB hit, a liner into left for a single. In the third he showed off both his speed and his arm a little. The first three innings, at least, were a nice preview of what Grichuk can do.

The fourth is when it all came undone for Lynn. Scooter Gennett lead off with a single and after that, Lynn had trouble putting anyone away. The low point came with two out when either by design or misfortune Lance walked the 8th place batter Martin Maldonado on four straight to load the bases. As if in answer to this hubris, Lohse dumped a base hit into left that scored two and tied the game. The inning featured two walks, two wild pitches, and a high overall pitch count for Lynn.

Despite the high pitch count, Lynn came back out for the fifth. Likely due to his spot leading off in the bottom of the inning and the recent bullpen usage. Surprisingly the inning went 1-2-3.

Meanwhile Lohse pitched well, scattering 6 hits with 9 K's and 1 walk over 6 innings.

In the seventh, Carlos Gomez took Tyler Lyons deep to left for a solo shot and a 4-3 lead. The home run came with two outs in Lyons' second inning of work. He hadn't allowed a baserunner up to then.

In the bottom of the seventh, pinch-hitter Peter Bourjos lead off with a walk, Matt Carpenter would trade places with him on a fielder's choice, then Craig would drive him home with a triple (a triple!) down the RF line. It didn't hurt that Elian Herrera laid out for it and came up short. Tied again at 4-4.

Pat Neshek threw two solid innings covering the eight and ninth to get the game into extras.

Cardinals bats were unable to do much of anything in extras against the Brewers Tyler Thornburg and Francisco Rodriguez.

In the 11th Khris Davis doubled off Kevin Siegrist. After Lyle Overbay failed to get down a sac bunt on 3 attempts, he drove him home with a single up the middle off Ellis' glove to take the lead 5-4. Ballgame.

The FanGraph


Source: FanGraphs

Highest WPA: Craig .289, Neshek .228, Molina .211

Lowest WPA: Grichuk -.287, Carpenter -.279, Siegrist -.189

The Next Game

Tomorrow (okay, later today) Matt Garza takes on Shelby Miller at 12:45 Central to wrap up both this series against the Brew Crew as well as the month of April. Personally, I'm ready to see what May has to offer.

Random note: The Cardinals are 0-4 on Wednesdays this season.

The Game Notes

Cardinals Game Notes

Brewers Game Notes

The Scorecard

Cardinals Scorecard 2014-04-29

Scorecard courtesy Thirty81Project.com

The Video

Condensed Game -- Video Highlights

Minor League Notes, 2014-04-30

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Brewers prospect excitement as Tyrone Taylor rides his cycle over Clearwater and more

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 12-12
Lost 9-4 vs New Orleans Zephyrs (MIA) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 15-10
Postponed at Montgomery Biscuits (TBR)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 13-12
Won 20-0 (no, this is not a typo) at Clearwater Threshers (PHI) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 10-12
Postponed vs Burlington Bees (LAA)

Once again, that score in the Florida State League is NOT a typo. Tyrone Taylor had 5 hits and hit for the Manatees' first franchise cycle.

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

BatterTeamPosABRHRBIBBSOEAVGNotes
Caleb GindlNashvilleCF4220100.2622B (2)
Hunter MorrisNashville1B4122010.2772B
Eugenio VelezNashvilleLF3021001.414
Orlando ArciaBrevard CountySS7340000.2372B (2)
Cameron GarfieldBrevard CountyC4143200.2532B
Michael GarzaBrevard County1B6223010.2333B, HR
Michael ReedBrevard CountyDH3323300.247SB, HR
Yadiel RiveraBrevard County2B3321000.205HR
Victor RoacheBrevard CountyLF7022021.176SB
Logan SchaferBrevard CountyCF2100100.250
Tyrone TaylorBrevard CountyRF5553100.2632B, 3B, HR
PitcherTeamIPHRERBBSOHRERADecNotes
Ariel PenaNashville3.04866215.29L, 0-2WP (2)
Hobbs JohnsonBrevard County6.05000602.33W, 2-3WP
Martin ViramontesBrevard County2.00000202.45

What we learned: April 30, 2014

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Today's lessons include superheroes, TV rankings, and more.

Yesterday's Results

Brewers 5, Cardinals 4

With Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, and Jean Segura all recovering from injuries, and Jonathan Lucroy needing a day off, it was the B-lineup in for the Brewers yesterday. Not many expected the Brewers to win, yet they somehow pulled it off.  Kyle Lohse gave up a three-run home run in the first inning, then settled down and kept the Cardinals off the board for the rest of his start.  He also chipped in with a two-run single in the three-run fourth inning.  The game went to extra innings for the second straight night, and Lyle Overbay put the Brewers ahead with an RBI single..  Francisco Rodrgiuez closed the game for his 13th save and the Brewers 20th win.

We found out who the Brewers superhero equivalents would be.

Monday was National Superhero Day.  It's probably one of those holidays made up to sell greeting cards (though I don't know of any greeting cards for this holiday), but it did get Noah thinking about something.  What superheroes would the members of the Brewers relate to?  Yesterday he dug into this idea and came up with comparisons for some of the players.  There's not much to think about here, but it's one of those things that can be fun to wonder about.

The community may feel differently about the state of the Brewers broadcasters.

On Monday rankings came out from Awful Announcing that rated the different TV broadcasts for the different teams, and the Brewers team came in at eighth.  It's a nice ranking, but despite that, there are some problems that many people see.  How would the Brewers fans rate the broadcast?  That's the question that Nicole asked yesterday, looking for ratings on each individual broadcaster.  It's true that some are better than others, so what will the people say in this poll?

Cram Session

Injury Updates

Success of the Brewers

Other Notes

Minor League Update

TeamLevelRecordYesterdayToday
Nashville SoundsAAA12-12New Orleans 9, Nashville 4New Orleans @ Nashville
(Doubleheader)
Huntsville StarsAA15-10Huntsville @ Montgomery
(Postponed)
Huntsville @ Montgomery
Brevard County ManateesA+13-13Brevard County 20, Clearwater 0Brevard County @ Clearwater
Wisconsin Timber RattlersA10-12Burlington @ Wisconsin
(Doubleheader / Postponed)
Burlington @ Wisconsin
(Doubleheader)

News & Notes

Check out morineko's daily minor league update for a more in-depth look at yesterday's minor league results.

Division Update

TeamWLGB
Brewers207-
Cardinals14146.5
Reds12147.5
Pirates10169.5
Cubs81711
  • Reds 3, Cubs 2: Billy Hamilton went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI on a home run. Meanwhile, Alfredo Simon held the Cubs to two runs in six innings, and the bullpen chipped in three scoreless innings.
  • Pirates @ Orioles was postponed due to rain.

Today's Games

  • Pirates (Charlie Morton) @ Orioles (Chris Tillman) - 6:05 pm
  • Cubs (Edwin Jackson) @ Reds (Tony Cingrani) - 6:10 pm

Today's Action

The Brewers conclude their three-game series against the Cardinals with a Wednesday matinee.  Matt Garza looks to complete the sweep, and Shelby Miller hopes to salvage one game in the series.  First pitch is at 12:45 pm, and MLB.com has the preview.  Today's game will be on MLB Network for those of you outside of the Brewers & Cardinals blackout zones.

(Don't forget to make your predictions.)

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