On Tuesday night, the Toronto Blue Jays had a walkoff win over the New York Yankees on a Melky Cabrera sacrifice bunt attempt. Jose Reyes reached on a double to start the inning, and Cabrera dropped a bunt towards the third base line in hopes of advancing the runner; however, a moment of hesitation over who would field the ball between pitcher Adam Warren and third baseman Yangervis Solarte led to a rushed throw by Solarte that sailed past first base.

This was actually the second time Toronto had walked off on a bunt attempt this season. Less than a month ago, Anthony Gose bunted to Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo, who fielded it and threw low to first. Kevin Pillar scored all the way from first base on the play.

Bunt walkoffs are a fun, but rare, breed of baseball plays^{[citation needed]}, so it is pretty incredible to have a team have two of them in one season and probably even rarer to have a team do so before the halfway mark of the season.

Baseball-Reference's Play Index allows subscribers to look for specific incidents like a walkoff bunt in their Event Finder tool. That search revealed that there have been 37 walkoff bunts since 2001 (the list may be incomplete as a "bunt" event relies on the proper description of a play, which is less reliable than counted events like a single or a home run).

Data from Baseball-Reference. Click to see original tables [2001-2007, 2008-2014].

As you can see, the two that the Blue Jays had this year were their first two in this century; while the Milwaukee Brewers seem to be the King of Walkoff Bunts, recording eight of them since 2001. The 2004 Brewers completed two of them in one season, but the latest team to do it before the Blue Jays were the 2005 Twins. Interestingly, in all three cases, one of the walkoffs were ruled a single and the other a reached on error, and the two walkoffs occurred within a month of each other.

Thanks goes to @simon_shargot for asking the question, although this doesn't really answer it.

Unrelated #1

Colby Rasmus is the best.

Now, in front of Rogers Centre, chicken hot dogs are gonna sell like hot cakes.

Unrelated #2

You know how first base coaches always signal "safe" when a close play happens no matter if their team's runner is safe or not? Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper certainly didn't get that memo:

Hey Tim Leiper, when it's your player running to first, you shouldn't signal "OUT". https://t.co/Zci01j8viC

— Minor Leaguer (@Minor_Leaguer) June 25, 2014

Unrelated 3

The @BlueJays, reenacting the van scene from Inception (thanks to a foul liner). http://t.co/FXQcojPobrhttp://t.co/hJ2KxnIUDa

— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 25, 2014

The Washington Nationals outlasted the Milwaukee Brewers last night in the epic 16-inning game in Miller Park, but both teams will suffer the consequences today when they play the series finale at 2:00 pm EDT.

Of all the impressive things that took place in Milwaukee's Miller Park last night in the epic 5 hour, 22 minute, 16-inning game between the Brewers and visiting Washington Nationals, Ross Detwiler's four-inning, 46-pitch effort in relief stood out for Nats' skipper Matt Williams.

"Det was above and beyond tonight," Williams told reporters after the Nationals' 4-2 win. "Going in we had some guys that were feeling it so we didn't want to got to them, turned out we had to, but Det was fantastic, he really stretched it for us."

Detwiler took the Nats from the 10th to the 14th while the two teams battled it out. Ryan Zimmerman's 16th inning home run was all that kept Williams from having to take desperate measures.

"If we didn't score there it was [Adam LaRoche]," Williams said, meaning he was going to turn to a position player to spare his beleaguered bullpen. "I told him after his at bat make sure he gets to the cage and throws a little bit, but it turned we scored, so big home run by Zim."

Jerry Blevins took over once Jordan Zimmermann was done with six innings on the mound. Aaron Barrett, Craig Stammen, Detwiler, Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard got the Nationals through 15 innings. Rafael Soriano was available, but that was it. Zimmerman's home run robbed LaRoche of the opportunity to take the mound.

"I'm certain that he's okay with not having to pitch," Williams joked with reporters. "That's one of those games that you just... we had a chance to double switch when we brought [Stammen] in, but he's thrown so many games in the last week that we don't want to take him past an inning either, so Detwiler really stepped up."

Even with Detwiler's effort, the bullpen, Williams said, is spent.

Nationals 4-2 over Brewers on Ryan Zimmerman's 16th inning home run! #TKCHZ!

Photo © Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports

"We're gassed," he admitted. "[Stammen] is okay. [Blevins] is okay. Certainly [Soriano] would be okay, but yeah, it's gassed."

Williams was asked if the Nationals might call someone up to help out in the series finale in Milwaukee?

"We'll see how everybody is after the rave stops," he said, referring to the fog machine and music clubhouse celebration which regularly follows Nats wins. "And we'll see how we go tomorrow, but I'll talk to everybody tonight and see what we've got."

According to several reports this morning, the Nationals are planning on calling up 25-year-old right-hander Taylor Hill to help out:

Sounds like Taylor Hill, starter who's thrown well at Class AAA Syracuse, is joining Nats in Milwaukee. His college coach tweeted such, too.

— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) June 25, 2014

We talked about the Nationals' extra innings win, Zimmerman's home run and more on Nats Nightly at 2:00 AM EDT last night/this morning...

The Washington Nationals needed help in the bullpen after last night's 16-inning marathon in Milwaukee, and this afternoon they announced that 25-year-old right-hander Taylor Hill was being called up from Triple-A to provide some support.

As usual these days, the first reports about the Washington Nationals calling a player up broke long before the actual announcement was made. At around 9:00 am this morning a report by Tommy Bryan in The Wilson Post, a local Tennessee newspaper, revealed that 25-year-old Old Hickory, Tennessee-born, Vanderbilt-educated right-hander Taylor Hill was being called up to the majors for the first time.

Drafted in the 6th Round of the 2011 Draft, Hill has been solid at Triple-A Syracuse so far this season with a (9-2) record and a save in 15 games, 14 starts and 93 ⅔ IP over which he's put up a 1.92 ERA, a 3.44 FIP, nine walks (0.86 BB/9) and 65 Ks (6.25 K/9).

Hill's college coach, Tim Corbin tweeted that Hill was being called up an hour earlier than The Wilson Post's report:

3 yrs ago, @TaylorHill was with us here in Omaha. 2day he heads to Milwaukee to join his Washington teammates...congratulations #whatakid

— Tim Corbin (@TimCorbin) June 25, 2014

Washington Post writer James Wagner and MASN's Dan Kolko have since confirmed that Hill is in the Nationals' clubhouse in Miller Park, joining a Nats' bullpen that Matt Williams told reporters last night is "gassed" after the 16-inning affair with the Brewers:

Taylor Hill is the clubhouse. He got the word of call-up at 2 am. Greg Dobbs looks like the corresponding move.

— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) June 25, 2014

Taylor Hill is here. He's been called up from Triple-A. First stint in the big leagues.

— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) June 25, 2014

The Nationals have since confirmed the news while also announcing that veteran bench bat Greg Dobbs has been designated for assigment to make room on the major league roster:

The #Nats have selected the contract of RHP Taylor Hill from Triple-A. Greg Dobbs has been designated for assignment: http://t.co/MgtJEM8EFr

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

Dobbs, 35, was signed as a free agent after the Miami Marlins released him in early May. In 30 plate appearances with the Nationals, he was 6 for 28 with a double.

The Nationals also announced some additional roster moves, including the release of right-hander Christian Garcia, the injury-plagued reliever whose impressive 2012 season was followed by a year-plus of injuries which have limited his time on the mound:

Additionally, INF/OF Jeff Kobernus was reinstated from 60day DL & optioned to AAA. RHP Christian Garcia was released: http://t.co/MgtJEM8EFr

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

Stephen Strasburg was hit hard and knocked out early in the series finale in Miller Park and and the Milwaukee Brewers avoided being swept at home with a 9-2 win in which Marco Estrada held the Nats to just two runs on two hits.

Cream City Top 5:

5. Quick Recap: Washington Nationals' first baseman Adam LaRoche took a nine-pitch, second inning walk from Milwaukee Brewers' starter Marco Estrada, moved up when Anthony Rendon took a walk in the next at bat and took third when Ian Desmond grounded into a force at second. Nate McLouth grounded to first in the at bat that followed and Lyle Overbay made an ill-advised throw home that arrived too late to get LaRoche. 1-0 Nats early in the series finale in Miller Park.

#Nats get on the board first! A grounder to 1B by Nate McLouth with runners on second & third scores @e3LaRoche! Nationals take a 1-0 lead.

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

With the score 1-0 Nats after one and a half innings in Wisconsin, the Brewers loaded the bases with two down in the bottom of the second and second baseman Scooter Gennett took a 2-1 fastball to right-center for a grand slam and a 4-1 lead over the Nationals.

GRAND SLAM! Scooter Gennett clears them all with a blast to right! #Brewers lead the Nats 4-1 in the 2nd. #VOTEBREWERS

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 25, 2014

Watch Scooter Gennett crush a grand slam in the 2nd: http://t.co/iyD1jwIbgi#VOTEBREWERS

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 25, 2014

Ryan Zimmerman walked to start the Nationals' fourth and took second on a wild pitch, but two outs later he was still standing at second base when Ian Desmond came up against Marco Estrada and lined an RBI double to center field to drive Zimmerman in and cut into the Brewers' lead, 4-2 after three and a half.

A half-inning after the Nationals got within two, Brewers' left fielder Khris Davis jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Stephen Strasburg and hit a solo home run out to left field in Miller Park to give Milwaukee its three-run lead back.

5-2 Brewers.

The Brewers added to their lead in the fifth with Khris Davis hitting a bases-loaded single to right to drive in two more runs and end Strasburg's outing with the score 7-2 in Milwaukee's favor.

Scooter Gennett drove in his fifth run of the game with an RBI single to left in the sixth. 8-2. A swinging bunt by Carlos Gomez brought Gennett in to make it 9-2 Brewers.

Eleven hours and 26 minutes after the final out was made in their game from Tuesday, the #Nats and #Brewers are underway!

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

4. Strasburg in Miller Park: Last time out against Atlanta in the nation's capital, 25-year-old right-hander Stephen Strasburg gave up nine hits and four runs in six innings on the mound in which he struck out nine batters.

The Nationals' right-hander wasn't particularly sharp, even giving up rare hits on two-strike pitches, something that hasn't happened often against the '09 no.1 overall pick this season.

"It happens sometimes," manager Matt Williams told reporters after the 6-4 loss to the Braves.

"But he was aggressive within the strike zone today. It's not easy to hit them with two strikes against him, but they did."

"I felt pretty good out there," Strasburg told reporters. "I just didn't pitch enough. Got too one-sided on the plate and they made the adjustment."

The outing, in which he received no decision, left Strasburg (6-5) on the year with a 3.24 ERA, a 2.43 FIP, 20 walks (1.80 BB/9) and 121 Ks (10.89 K/9) in 16 starts and 100 IP.

In four June starts, Strasburg put up a 3.51 ERA in 25 ⅔ IP before today in which he has walked just one batter (0.35 BB/9) and struck out 31 (10.87 K/9) while holding opposing hitters to a .262/.269/.427 line.

In his 17th start of the season this afternoon, Strasburg took on the Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park.

On the road this season, the righty posted an ERA (4.22) that was significantly higher than it was in Nationals Park (2.51), with a FIP (3.21) that is higher than it is in D.C. (1.86) and a .270/.314/.429 line against, as opposed to a .253/.298/.342 line in the Nationals' home.

Before this afternoon, he'd faced the Brewers just once in his five major league seasons, throwing seven scoreless innings last July in Washington in which he gave up three hits and four walks while striking out eight.

His second career start against Milwaukee took place in Wisconsin today...

1st: Scooter Gennett flew out to Denard Span in center. Jean Segura flew out to Nate McLouth in right. Carlos Gomez dumped a 1-0 curve into center for a two-out single, and stole second with Lyle Overbay up, but a 2-2 change got the Brewers' first baseman swinging to end an 11-pitch bottom of the first.

2nd:Mark Reynolds singled to left on a 2-2 change in the first at bat of the Brewers' second. Khris Davis took a 93 mph 0-2 fastball for a ride to center, but Denard Span went a long way to track it down and catch the first out of the inning. Brewers' right fielder Elian Herrera went with a 93 mph 2-2 fastball outside and doubled to left, sending Reynolds around to third. Martin Maldonado fell behind 1-2, but worked the count full and walked to load the bases with one out. Marco Estrada K'd swinging at an 0-2 change for out no.2. Scooter Gennett got ahead in the count and hit a 94 mph 2-1 fastball out to right-center for a grand slam and a 4-1 lead. Jean Segura singled to center on Strasburg's 34th pitch of the inning. One pitch later, however, Segura was thrown out on the basepaths. 35-pitch frame, 46 total after two.

3rd: Carlos Gomez sent a bunt back toward the mound that Stephen Strasburg handled for the first out of the home-half of the third. Lyle Overbay lined out to first for out no.2. A fly to left by Mark Reynolds ended a quick, seven-pitch, 1-2-3 frame that left Strasburg at 53 pitches.

4th: Khris Davis jumped on a 94 mph center-cut first-pitch fastball from Strasburg and hit a solo home run out to left to make it 5-2 Brewers a half-inning after the Nats cut into the lead. Groundouts from Elian Herrera, Martin Maldonado and Marco Estrada followed in a quick but damaging 10-pitch inning that left Strasburg at 63 pitches.

5th: Scooter Gennett lined out to first base to start the Brewers' fifth. Jean Segura grounded out to short for out no.2, but Carlos Gomez extended the inning with a triple to center that bounced off the wall and got away from Denard Span. Lyle Overbay walked with two down. Mark Reynolds stepped in with two on and two out and walked to load the bases and a fly to right off Khris Davis' bat dropped in for a hit and made it a 7-2 game.

Twenty-seven pitches into the inning, Strasburg was lifted in favor or debuting right-hander Taylor Hill.

That's all for Stephen Strasburg today. On comes Taylor Hill to make his Major League debut here in the fifth.

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

• Stephen Strasburg's Line: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 Ks, 2 HR, 90 P, 58 S, 5/4 GO/FO.

3. Estrada, Marco: The Washington Nationals drafted Marco Estrada out of Cal State Long Beach in the 6th Round of the 2005 Draft. The right-hander out of Sonora, Mexico made his MLB debut with the Nats in August of 2008 at the age of 25. Two years later, in February of 2010, he was selected off waivers by the Brewers after two seasons and 15 games with the Nationals. Since then he's made 115 appearances and 67 starts for Milwaukee, over which he's put up a 4.25 ERA in 460 IP.

In 15 starts in 2014 before this afternoon's outing in Miller Park, Estrada was (6-4) with a 5.22 ERA, a 5.77 FIP, 28 walks (2.81 BB/9) and 81 Ks (8.13 K/9) in 89 ⅔ IP over which opposing hitters have put up a .254/.313/.519 line.

In three games and two starts against the Nationals before today's, Estrada put up a 5.73 ERA with three walks (2.45 BB/9) and 11 Ks (9.00 K/9) in 11 IP over which Nats' hitters put up a combined .304/.360/.543 line.

The Nationals went down in order in a seven-pitch first inning in the series finale, though Denard Span came close to hitting HR no.25 of the year out to right field.

Nats' first baseman Adam LaRoche and third baseman Anthony Rendon took back-to-back walks from Estrada in the top of the second, but Ian Desmond grounded into a force at second base in the next at bat. LaRoche took third on the play. Nate McLouth grounded to first in the at bat that followed and Lyle Overbay made an ill-advised throw home that arrived too late to get Adam LaRoche, 1-0 Nationals after one and a half.

The 28-pitch second left Estrada at 35 pitches overall.

Given a 4-1 lead to work with, Estrada retired the Nationals in order in a 15-pitch third that left him at 50 pitches total after three.

Ryan Zimmerman walked to start the fourth and took second on a wild pitch to Adam LaRoche. LaRoche worked the count full but lined out to center. Anthony Rendon K'd looking for out no.2, but Ian Desmond came through with a two-out RBI double on a liner to center that brought Zimmerman in, 4-2 Brew Crew.

Estrada needed just 10 pitches to retire the side in order in the top of the fifth, leaving him at 85 pitches total after five.

A 15-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth left Estrada at 100 pitches.

After giving up a one-out single by Ian Desmond and a walk to Nate McLouth, Estrada was lifted with two on and one out in the seventh...

• Marco Estrada's Line:

• Random Bryce Harper Update:

Bryce Harper's rehab assignment will continue tomorrow with Double-A Harrisburg in Akron, OH, #Nats Manager Matt Williams said.

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

2. Nats' 3B Come Through:Anthony Rendon's eighth inning home run last night tied things up and eventually sent the second game of three for the Nationals in Milwaukee into extra innings where Ryan Zimmerman's first home run since returning from the DL put Washington up 4-2 after 15 ½ innings with the Brewers.

Nationals' skipper Matt Williams talked afterwards about the importance of coming out on the winning end in games like last night's.

"It's good when you win," Williams said, "if you lose games like this it's really tough. But still, it's taxing on everybody, so we'll have to look at the lineup tomorrow, we'll have to look at the bullpen and see where we're at."

Zimmerman's home run saved the Nationals from some tough decisions, with Williams admitting that he told Adam LaRoche to throw some pitches to get loose because he was next in line to take the mound with the bullpen spent after fifteen innings.

"We've been scratching and clawing and trying to get a run across," he said. "And we had some opportunities, but that's a big swing for us right there. These guys are tough, tough to play here, they play really well at home, so to get this one was important."

As for Rendon's home run, Williams said it was more evidence of how good a hitter the Nats' 2011 1st Round pick out of Rice is already at just 24 years old.

"He understands what the opposition are going to try to do, and certainly didn't want to let them beat him to his pull side, so he just stayed on a ball and hit it to right-center. [Carlos] Gomez made a nice effort for it, but just out of his reach."

In Marco Estrada, Milwaukee's starter for the series finale, the Nationals were facing a pitcher who was susceptible to the long ball, having surrendered an NL-high 24 HRs in 89 ⅔ IP (2.41 HR/9).

Marco Estrada has allowed 24 HRs-most in MLB. He has allowed a HR in 12 straight starts and 14 of 15 total

— Dave Jageler (@DaveJageler) June 25, 2014

The Nationals managed just one hit off of Estrada through six innings, though the scored two runs.

1. The Wrap-Up: After Nats' starter Stephen Strasburg gave up a two-run double to right by Khris Davis in the fifth, he was replaced on the mound by debuting right-hander Taylor Hill, the Nats' 2011 6th Round pick out of Vanderbilt who was called up this morning to help out of the bullpen. Hill needed five pitches to get the final out of the inning on a line drive to second off Elian Herrera's bat. 7-2 Brewers after five.

Five pitches, one out for @TaylorHill in his Major League debut!

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

Martin Maldonado singled off Hill to start the Brewers' sixth, and after he was bunted over by Marco Estrada, he scored on an RBI single to left by Scooter Gennett to make it 8-2 Brewers.

Gennett scored on an excuse-me single by Carlos Gomez, 9-2.

Brandon Kintzler took over on the mound for Milwaukee with two on and one out in the seventh.

Hill needed 11 pitches to retire the Brewers in order in the bottom of the seventh.

The Nationals went down in order against Alfredo Figaro in the eighth.

Nationals now 41-36

"If you get behind in the count you ask for trouble," Nationals' skipper Matt Williams told reporters after the Nats dropped a 9-2 decision the Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park with Stephen Strasburg struggling on the mound and out early.

The Washington Nationals' bullpen was spent after Tuesday night's 16-inning affair in Milwaukee, so the Nats needed a strong start from Stephen Strasburg in the series finale with the Brewers in Miller Park this afternoon.

What they got was the 25-year-old right-hander's second-shortest outing of the season and perhaps his worst start of the 2014 campaign to date.

Strasburg was knocked out after throwing 96 pitches in just 4 ⅓ innings in an April 5th game against Atlanta in the nation's capital when the Braves scored six runs, three earned, on eight hits and three walks in his shortest start.

Today in Wisconsin, Strasburg gave up eight hits, three walks and seven runs in 4 ⅔ IP in which he gave up a two-out second-inning grand slam by Brewers' infielder Scooter Gennett on a 2-1 fastball up in the zone, a solo home run on a first-pitch fastball to Khris Davis in the fourth and a two-out, two-run single by Davis in the fifth which followed a two-out triple and back-to-back, two-out walks.

Strasburg was 27 pitches into the fifth when Nats' skipper Matt Williams was forced to go to the bullpen for debuting right-hander Taylor Hill, who was called up as insurance since the rest of the bullpen was taxed.

The Nationals' '09 no.1 overall pick was at a loss to explain his struggles telling reporters, including The Washington Post's James Wagner, that his mechanics were "not right."

Asked what was wrong, Strasburg said he wasn't sure:

"'Still trying to figure that out. Just doesn’t feel the same. Doesn’t look the same.'"

Williams chalked it up as a bad outing by the Nationals' starter, who walked more batters today than he did in 31 ⅔ IP over his previous five starts and threw 90 pitches total in 4 ⅔ IP .

"That's going to happen sometimes," Williams said after what ended up a 9-2 loss. "Got the bases loaded and got one out over the plate to Gennett and Davis hit a fastball as well. Just wasn't as pinpoint as he wanted to be today. We were limited so we hoped he'd go further, but [Taylor] Hill threw the ball good, saved our bullpen today."

Strasburg's problem, Williams said wasn't fastball command, though he did give up the two home runs on fastballs up in the zone.

"I don't know if it was fastball command so much today," Williams said, "but his changeup wasn't as good today so he couldn't go to it. He was missing with that and he got behind in the count, they took advantage. This team swings at fastballs and they hit them. And if you get behind, you can get in trouble."

That's not just a problem for Strasburg, but any starter.

"I think that's the case with anybody, " Williams said.

Nationals drop series finale, 9-2 Brewers win

Photo © Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports

"If you get behind in the count you ask for trouble and that would be the case with Doug [Fister] or Jordan [Zimmermann] or Tanner [Roark] or anybody. So, the key for Stephen is going to be to continue to have fastball command early, be able to throw his breaking balls for strikes and use the changeup off of that and today it was a little backwards and he got one up in the zone and they hit it."

The Nationals took two of three from the Brewers, leaving the NL Central leaders 48-32, with the second-best record in baseball (behind Oakland, 48-30). The Nats head to Chicago to take on the Cubs with a 41-36 record and a 1.0 game lead in the NL East.

Washington Nationals' right-hander Stephen Strasburg was out after just 4 2/3 IP in the series finale with the Milwaukee Brewers in Miller Park, at which point Taylor Hill entered the game, 14 hours after he learned that he was being called up to the majors for the first time.

Taylor Hill, 25, got the call at 2:00 AM on Wednesday morning, caught a flight around 6:00 AM and the Washington Nationals' 2011 6th Round out of Vanderbilt made his MLB debut in Milwaukee's Miller Park around 4:00 PM in the fifth inning of the Nats' series finale with the Brewers.

"He didn't get any sleep last night," Nationals' Manager Matt Williams said after Hill gave up five hits and two runs in 3 ⅓ IP in the 9-2 loss in Wisconsin.

"Got here this morning, went through everything with regard to the signs and all that stuff and went out there and pitched. And he did well. He threw a lot of pitches, but it's okay, he's been used to that, and he was excited, so different circumstance it could be a better day for him, but nonetheless he's excited to be here."

Hill was (9-2) with a save in 15 games, 14 starts and 93 ⅔ IP at Triple-A before he was called up, putting up a 1.92 ERA, a 3.44 FIP, nine walks (0.86 BB/9) and 65 Ks (6.25 K/9) in his first full season with the Syracuse Chiefs.

"Hill threw the ball good, saved our bullpen today," Williams said.

Taylor Hill is back out to start the bottom of the 6th inn. for the #Nats. As a starter for the @SyracuseChiefs, Hill averaged 6.2 IP/start

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 25, 2014

And he hit Carlos Gomez. Ian Desmond said there was no way he did it on purpose. Gomez was mad enough that he went in late and hard at second on an inning-ending double play in the eighth, sparking a bench-clearing incident that fizzled out quickly when "cooler heads prevailed," "nothing came of it," "no punches were thrown..." etc...

Which leads us to today's Big Story and all of today's links, which start... RIGHT NOW!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!:

• "'In a World Series game, you slide like that. In a seven-run differential game, there’s no time for that.'" - Ian Desmond - "Benches clear after Ian Desmond takes issue with Carlos Gomez’s hard slide" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• Hey, Did you hear the benches cleared?:

• "Hill said he didn't intend to hit Gomez. 'I was just trying to go inside. There was no intent there...'" -"Nationals Pastime: Desmond on scrum with Gomez, Strasburg on struggles, Hill on debut" - Josh Land, MASNSports.com

• "For the second time this season, Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez was at the center of a bench-clearing altercation." - "Benches clear over hard slide in Brewers-Nationals game" - Nick Schwartz, For The Win

• "Gomez had been hit by a pitch prior to the play, though it didn't seem to have much malice to it." - "VIDEO: Benches clear in Milwaukee after Carlos Gomez slide" - Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com

• "Carlos Gomez and Ian Desmond came together for a brief colloquy in the bottom of the eighth of today's Nationals-Brewers game..." - "Benches Clear After Carlos Gomez Tries To Break Up Double Play" - Samar Kalaf, Deadspin

• "Desmond offered a much more serious take on the dust-up, which occurred during the eighth inning of the Brewers' 9-2 win." - "Nats, Brewers keep cool after benches clear" - Adam McCalvy, nationals.com: News

• NATS BEAT:

• "Last season, in a 15-inning game against the Braves, LaRoche was the next pitcher up, but he hit a home run in the top of the inning to help win the game." - "Adam LaRoche was next to pitch in the Nationals’ 16-inning win" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "The unconditional release of Garcia ends a once promising stint with the Nationals." - "Nats DFA Greg Dobbs, cut Christian Garcia, call up Taylor Hill" - Chase Hughes, Nats Insider

Huge shout out to my guy @TaylorHill making his debut today! Let's show this guy some love! #Nats#MLBDebut

— Aaron Barrett (@aaronbarrett30) June 25, 2014

• "Hill is having a tremendous first full season at Triple-A, tying for the International League lead with a 1.92 ERA..." -"Nationals Pastime: Taylor Hill on callup: 'It's definitely a dream come true'" - Josh Land, MASNSports.com

• #VoteRendon: "One could argue that Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon deserves to be in the All-Star Game." - "Nats' hitting coach sees Rendon as a Star" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

"He's very, very balanced, has great raw power along with a line drive stroke..." #Nats' GM Mike Rizzo on Anthony Rendon, 2011 #VoteRendon

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) June 25, 2014

• "Gio Gonzalez is slated to start the first game at 1 p.m. Eastern time, and Treinen will start the second game at 7:15 Eastern time." - "Blake Treinen to start Saturday; Bryce Harper to rehab with Harrisburg" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

Thanks everyone for the support! What an unforgettable experience. Now it's time for the dores to bring it home tonight!

— TaylorHill (@TaylorHill) June 25, 2014

• "Hill is a starter by trade, but he will be coming out of the bullpen for the next couple of days." - "Nats recall Hill as reliever, designate Dobbs" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "Next up, the Nats will likely need to make another roster move with catcher Wilson Ramos in line to return from the disabled list Thursday in Chicago." - "Nationals Pastime: Williams on roster move, Ramos, Harper, Saturday doubleheader" - Josh Land, MASNSports.com

• "This week, facing a 47-30 Milwaukee team, the Nationals won the first two games of the series and held the Brewers to two runs in those games." - "Strasburg looks to complete sweep in Milwaukee (Brewers win 9-2)" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "There's no doubt Travis Wood is happy to stay home and pitch at Wrigley Field." - "Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs - June 26, 2014" - Steven Petrella, MLB.com Preview

• "Perhaps the Nationals would score early runs against a struggling starter, and maybe Strasburg could hit a groove against a weakened lineup." - "Stephen Strasburg stumbles in Nationals’ 9-2 loss to Brewers" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "Gennett's home run proved to be the decisive drive, and it was enough for Brewers right-hander Marco Estrada to pick up his seventh victory of the season." - "Washington Nationals at Milwaukee Brewers - June 25, 2014" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com WSH Recap

• "We just went out there and calmed it all down. He slid past the bag, but it was a good feed by Desi and a good turn by (Kevin Frandsen)...'" - Matt Williams - "Nationals Pastime: Williams discusses Nats' 9-2 loss to Brewers" - Josh Land, MASNSports.com

• Your Daily Message from the Dalai Lama on Twitter (@DalaiLama):

We need to see that anger is never any use in solving problems, but that patience and compassion are helpful.

— Dalai Lama (@DalaiLama) April 11, 2014

• NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

• "Though he is a starting pitcher by trade, Hill will be asked to work as a long-man out of a Nationals bullpen that was in need of an extra arm after a taxing couple of days." - "Ex-Vanderbilt pitcher Taylor Hill called up to Nationals" - Nick Cole, The Tennessean

• "Milwaukee remained one of only two teams in the major leagues that has not been swept this season. The other is the Los Angeles Dodgers." - "Brewers 9, Nationals 2 - Gennett, Davis power Brewers to victory in series finale" - Todd Rosiak, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

• "Consistency isn't the most enthralling attribute a pitcher can have, which must be why Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann flies so far under the radar." - "Jordan Zimmermann is getting better" - Alex Skillin, Beyond the Box Score

• "In order to keep their rotation set, the Cubs will call up RHP Dallas Beeler, and he will make his big league debut as the starting pitcher of the first game of said double-header." - "Chicago Cubs RHP Dallas Beeler to Make MLB Debut on Saturday" - Dan Schmelzer, VAVEL.com

• "Bryce Harper is honest and self-aware if anything." - "Bryce Harper wears great 'I love bad pitches' T-shirt" - Larry Brown Sports

• NATS MINORS:

FEATURE: College teammates Davidson, Langlois begin pro career together with Auburn Doubledays http://t.co/HDDlIDGh3W#Ddays

— Jeremy Houghtaling (@CitizenHough) June 26, 2014

• "The Potomac Nationals (43-32, 5-1) are now eleven games over the .500 mark on the 2014 season and own a (19-18) record in their road contests this season." - "McQuillan Three-Run Bomb Carries P-Nats Over Pelicans 7-4" - Potomac Nationals News

• "Taylor Hill Gets The Call (UPDATED)" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• "Sean Nicol, also released Sunday, is open to new opportunities in the game but is prepared if those opportunities aren't ideal." -"Sean Nicol reacts to his release from Nationals; Senators finish series in Richmond this afternoon" - Geoff Morrow, PennLive.com

• "Runion, 25, signed a minor-league deal with his third different professional baseball team (the Washington Nationals) last week." - "Fresh start for Runion" - Andrew Pearson, Citizen-Times

Impacts beyond the diamond: Sean Nicol, community luminary, and @jay_bloxom, surprising softy, gone from @HbgSenatorshttp://t.co/CxY7HmFDoA

— Geoff Morrow (@RageAgainstGMo) June 25, 2014

• "The Syracuse Chiefs lost their staff ace on Wednesday when Taylor Hill was promoted to the Washington Nationals." - "Washington Nationals recall pitcher Taylor Hill from the Syracuse Chiefs" - Lindsay Kramer, syracuse.com

• "Who knew that the Syracuse Chiefs would be closing in on July looking like the '27 Yankees, Lombardi's Packers and Russell's Celtics rolled into one?" - "Syracuse Chiefs have best record in all of professional baseball since May 1" - Bud Poliquin, syracuse.com

• "By consensus, experts rate Cole the No. 2 prospect in the Nationals’ system, behind only 19-year-old flamethrower Lucas Giolito." - "Nationals expected to promote A.J. Cole to Class AAA Syracuse" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post

• NATSTOWN:

• "In Wednesday's 53rd edition of the contest -- which was cut short by lightening and thunderstorms in the top of the seventh inning -- the Democrats again crushed the Republicans in a 15-6 victory at Nationals Park." -"Democrats defeat Republicans in 53rd annual Congressional Baseball Game" - Daniel Popper, nationals.com: News

AUDIO: #Nats Nightly = @NationalsDSP + FBB talking about the #Nationals' 9-2 loss to the #Brewers in Miller Park: http://t.co/6LRyGksPqd

— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) June 25, 2014

• "Stephen Strasburg: 'I'm not right mechanically'" - Nats Enquirer

• "After burning through the bullpen in the 16-inning affair Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals needed starter Stephen Strasburg to play 'stopper' and give the pen a needed rest." -"Washington Nationals Game 77 Review: Strasburg, Nats out of gas in 9-2 loss to Brewers" - Dave Nichols, District Sports Page

• "Last night’s win may have been momentous, but today’s loss may have been as much of a letdown." - "Brewers Hammer Nats, Prevent Sweep" - Andrew Flax, The Nats Blog

• "The offense - Part 1" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Watch Bryce Harper blast a 3-run home run in his rehab start Tuesday night" - Nats Enquirer

• "The Washington Nationals bullpen as a unit are having a fantastic season in support of their more acclaimed starting rotation brethren." - "Statistically Speaking: Bullpen Efficiency" - Stuart Wallace, District Sports Page

Some happier(?) reading over at @NationalsDSP— #Nats’ Bullpen Efficiency: http://t.co/ETCJ3a4ru7

— Stuart Wallace (@TClippardsSpecs) June 25, 2014

• "They’ll work on the day before Christmas or through New Years Eve, but there’s one midsummer tradition Congress isn’t going to miss..." -"Congress hustles … to make baseball game" - Colby Itkowitz, The Washington Post

• "Quick thoughts on Garcia and Hill Moves Today" - Todd Boss, Nationals Arm Race

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Phillies: "Boy, I could go for some good Cole Hamels. Fangraph of Dom Brown's martyrdom..." - "Phillies 2, Marlins 3: Good God, What Was That?" - RememberthePhitans, The Good Phight

• Mets: "Though Curtis Granderson is the only outfielder assured of at-bats nearly every game, Lagares likely will be penciled in alongside him in center field consistently." - "Lagares’ return means Collins faces some tough decisions" - Howie Kussay, New York Post

• Braves: "Now, Freeman is hoping to be able to maintain his status as one of only three National League players who have started each of their team's games this season." - "Freeman OK after getting elbow hit by pitch" - Mark Bowman, braves.com: News

A lesson in grammar tonight, courtesy of @Andrelton and @BulldogBeingpic.twitter.com/QlAETw8iKQ

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 26, 2014

• Marlins: "Neither Henderson Alvarez nor A.J. Burnett came anywhere close to throwing a no-hitter like each once did with the Marlins." - "Miami Marlins’ Henderson Alvarez walks tight rope in victory over Phillies" - Clark Spencer, MiamiHerald.com

Despite a .219 BA in the last month and a pair of dropped pop-ups we all agreed to never talk about, Chase Utley is still going to be the NL's starting second baseman.

The camera will find him during the introductions up the Target Field baseline, and he'll flash that awkward smile and give them the old Chase Utley, All-Star Game charm.

Following the close of whatever that was last night, Chase was hitting .219 since May 28, with 21 hits, two doubles, and a home run. His OPS sits at an inglorious .571 and he's walked ten times while striking out 13.

"Wow!" said someone reviewing that material. "That's not very good!"

Suddenly, their body tightened and convulsed, and they fell to the ground, a decorative poison dart protruding festively from their neck. A huge, green assassin stole away into the night.

The Phillies ask that you kindly don't point out the unimpressive nature of those numbers, because Chase Utley will be the National League's starting second baseman in the All-Star Game. You can't stop it now, and even if you could, a Phanatic Phun Dart would find you all too easily.

But like I literally just said, you can't stop it. Chase leads the pack of exhausted, mediocre middle infielders by over 750,000 votes, so Neil Walker is going to have to get a lot more productive and a lot more handsomer if he wants to make this at all interesting. And Dee Gordon? Dee Gordon will have to lead be a little more impressive than the "league leader in stolen bases and triples" if he wants to catch Chase, who leads the league in "nothing."

There could have been some silliness as Scooter Gennett climbs up the charts, but fortunately, the Brewers' second baseman on the All-Star ballot is listed as Rickie Weeks, so Gennett's adorable little power surge is of no threat. Though he did have the first five-RBI game in a Brewers uniform since Marquis Grissom in 1999...

/Nods menacingly at Phanatic standing nearby with his hands behind his back. Phanatic excuses himself from room and disappears.

Now let's all watch some terrific Chase Utley defensive plays and forget this nonsense.

Ha, ha. Boy, that is some terrific defense.

Yesterday Noah discussed the possibility of acquiring David Price. Today we'll look at some lower profile, but perhaps more realistic trade targets.

Yesterday Noah talked about the notion of trading for David Price. I'm inclined to agree that it's a near impossibility and very likely a bad idea anyway. To me, that only makes it more interesting that the Brewers had scouts at the Rays' game. That's because I see some players who might be available that make a lot or at least some sense for the Brewers.

Before I get into that, I wanted to discuss how I go about evaluating trade targets. The first thing I do is look at the Brewers and discern what they're lacking and where they can easily upgrade. In my opinion the Brewers need a left-handed bat off the bench, preferably one with power. They could also probably benefit from an upgrade to their utility infielder position. I also think they could benefit from a high leverage reliever, though I know I'm in the minority.

It's important to understand that an improvement is an improvement. I've seen a lot of talk dismissing the idea of acquiring a reliever because the bullpen is an area of strength for the Brewers. I don't disagree about the bullpen, but it's not like it can't be improved. If you're adding a high leverage reliever and sending down Rob Wooten or even Brandon Kintzler, you've made a real improvement (no I'm not disparaging Kintzler, I like him too). The other thing people always say is that bullpens are volatile and relievers are a fungible asset. I say, yes and no. Not all relievers are created equal and top notch relievers are not easily found or created.

Also part of "an improvement is an improvement" is the idea of marginal improvements (every little bit helps). I don't see it often, but sometimes I'll see people scoff at a trade target because he's a platoon player or he's not great just good. I get that trading for the Prices and Sabathias of the baseball world is really exciting, but unless your team has gaping holes it's usually unnecessary. The Brewers don't have a single position where I think the starting player is killing this team. So that just leaves the bench. Think of all the times the Brewers sent Logan Schafer or Elian Herrera or Irving Falu to the plate to pinch hit for the pitcher or worse yet, in an important scoring opportunity. It didn't work out too often, did it? Now imagine if instead of one of those guys they could insert a Scooter Gennett type player. That's better, isn't it?

After I'm done addressing the Brewers' roster I like to go to Cot's Contracts and take a look at the target team's roster. Cot's is great for a couple of reasons. Each teams' page contains detailed contract information for each player on that team. There is also a link to a spreadsheet that is really great for a quick look at salary figures over multiple years and more importantly, when a player reaches free agency. The one I'm talking about is listed as "2014-19 payroll obligations." Most of the players that are going to be available on the trade market will reach free agency either next year or possibly the year after. At least that's what I expect for any trade target the Brewers are interested.

David Price trade rumors: Brewers Have a Scout at Rays Game

It likely isn't a big deal at all, but that doesn't mean we can't write way too many words analyzing what the Brewers possibly scouting David Price means.

With all that in mind, I took a look at the Rays' roster and made a list of players I found interesting. Top of that short list is ultra versatile Ben Zobrist. He's played mostly second base this year, but has also played some shortstop, and both corner outfield positions. He's having a bit of a down season so far, but both ZiPS and Steamer project him to bounce back. He's certainly an upgrade to Elian Herrera at short and an upgrade to Rickie Weeks at second.

While Jean Segura is a better option defensively, Zobrist's bat is much better and his defense won't kill you. I'm not suggesting he replace Segura all together or anything. Thinking down the line though, he might be a better option at shortstop in the postseason. At the very least he would give the Brewers options.

What's really interesting about Zobrist is that he would make Weeks expendable. Zobrist is a switch hitter, but hits better right handed. That's the perfect platoon partner for Scooter Gennett. If the Brewers can find someone to take Weeks, even if they have to pay most of his salary for this year, it would greatly help roster flexibility. They could return Logan Schafer (replacing Herrera) and still have a spot for that left-handed power bat (replacing the 8th reliever). That's a lot of moving parts though, and trading Weeks is easier said than done, so it might not be realistic.

Zobrist also won't come cheap as he has a favorable salary this year ($7 million prorated to whenever he's acquired) and an option for $7.5 million next year with a $0.5 million buyout. He isn't a superstar anymore but he very likely could be a solid starting second baseman on a lot of teams, even if he never regains his previous form. It's for that reason he might not be a realistic option for the Brewers. Though if he could be had for the right price I'd be all over it.

The second and last player on my list is Matt Joyce. For me, Matt Joyce is basically the poor man's Seth Smith: Less power, not as good defensively. Joyce is a left-handed hitter capable of playing in either corner outfield position, though he does seem better suited to left. If there's a knock on him it's his defense, but he's not any worse than Khris Davis. The fact that's he's spent significant time in right field over his career suggest he's better defensively than Davis.

This year he is hitting 286/387/418 with a 126 wRC+ vs right-handed pitching. It's weird because he's had better slugging numbers in the past, but his current batting average and on-base are much better. Perhaps it's intentional. He's hitting doubles at a normal rate, he's just missing the home runs. Maybe he's just become a more disciplined hitter. Instead of selling out for home runs he might just be trying to put the bat on the ball. Regardless, those are good numbers and if the power were to return while maintaining that average and OBP he'd be a great addition to the Brewers. There's reason to be hopeful as Miller Park could very well help boost his home run numbers.

The Brewers do have Caleb Gindl who seems to be a similar player. I think Joyce is more of a safe bet though. Gindl did well for the Brewers in a short tint last year, but he's not even hitting that well in AAA this year.

I originally believed Joyce was a free agent after this year but I was mistaken. He actually enters his third and final arbitration year in 2015. That increases his value and in turn the cost to acquire him. It might even be a reason for the Rays not to deal him at all. It at least gives them some leverage. He is a platoon player though, so the cost wouldn't be exorbitant.

What do you guys think? Do you like either Zobrist or Joyce? Hate them? Did I miss a player? Let me know your opinions in the comments.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• David Price trade rumors: Brewers have a scout at Rays game
• Brewers 9, Nationals 2: Unbowed. Unswept. Unbroken.
• Brewers call up Alfredo Figaro, send Mike Fiers back to Nashville
• Brewers vs Nationals: Milwaukee looking to avoid a sweep
• MLB trade rumors: Brewers could be in play for a pair of Padres relievers

Among NL players listed on the ballot at second base this season, Anthony Rendon is tops in both Fangraphs and Baseball Reference WAR. If you're more of a traditional stats person, he also leads in HR (12), RBI (43), and Runs (49). However, when you check the top five in All Star balloting at the position where he's listed, he doesn't make an appearance. What's up with that?

I'm not much of an All Star Game guy. I've never been a huge fan of the way that the starters are selected. We often see campaigns (what is this article then?) and fanbases that stuff the ballot boxes with their favorite team's players... even the ones who aren't particularly deserving in that particular season. More often than not, we don't get to see the best players in the All Star Game, but the most popular ones.  I've heard mention several times recently on both Nats Nightly and in the game threads about how Nationals 3b Anthony Rendon belongs in the All Star Game, and it's time for me to state his case.

First off, let's have a look at the most recent NL Voting Update... Remember that when the season began, Rendon was expected to be (and was, prior to Ryan Zimmerman's thumb injury) the Nationals starting 2b, so that's where he is listed on the ballot.

SECOND BASE
1. Chase Utley, Phillies: 2,090,110
2. Neil Walker, Pirates: 1,328,959
3. Dee Gordon, Dodgers: 1,129,759
4. Rickie Weeks, Brewers: 849,316
5. Brandon Phillips, Reds: 798,784

Some of these players are having fine seasons.

• Utley leads all 2b on the ballot in OBP (.357) and Doubles (24). He's also second in both fWAR (2.3) and bWAR (2.2).  He'll obviously always have the Phillies fans coming out in droves to vote for him, and he would be considered the proven star of the group... even if age and injury have taken their toll a bit the past few seasons.  He's having a nice rebound season (well... he's stayed healthier) in 2014.
• Walker is second among NL players on the ballot with 11 HR and second in OBP (.353).  He has the resurgent fanbase of the upstart Pirates behind him. In a sense, he's their Ryan Zimmerman... a hometown kid who made good with the local nine.  This only adds to his popularity in Pittsburgh.
• Gordon leads the majors in Stolen Bases (39) and has been good with the glove while being acceptable in the batter's box. He plays in a major market and has been quite a pleasant (and cheap!) surprise on a team full of expensive superstars.
• Phillips is a fading star who still has a great glove at 2b even if his offensive prowess has dropped off the past few seasons. After his wOBA dropped from .353 (2011) to .325 (2012) to .307 (2013) the past few seasons, it seems to have stabilized this season. He's compiled a .308 wOBA that's roughly equivalent to last season, but far from his peak level production. His batting average is up a touch from last season, but his walk rate has gone from poor to dismal and both his power production (a .119 ISO that's 36 points below his career rate) and stolen base production (1... in his prime, he was a 25/25 threat) have dropped off significantly. He's below league average offensively (92 wRC+... 100 is average) at this point... I wonder if there's a way Reds fans would vote for a better player on the 2b ballot.
• Weeks is a platoon bat, and ranks fourth in the voting. Heck... He's even on the soft side of the platoon, and generally only plays against LHP. He has just 128 plate appearances this season, yet the Brewers fans are going out to vote for him... probably in large part because they have some players who are extremely deserving (Lucroy and Gomez) that are in tight races. From there, they must either be voting only for Brewers players or they can't think of another 2b who really deserves the spot. If only there were a way to get them to vote for the best player on the ballot at 2b instead of Weeks..... Hmmm...

Weeks and Phillips are why I'm going to urge us as Nats fans to vote for a couple of deserving All Stars at their own positions (namely C and 3b) at the end of this article. Why? We'll hope it's reciprocated from their fanbases rather than them just voting a straight ticket. We'll help them get their team's deserving players in if they help us get the Nationals' deserving players in.

If You're Into That New-Fangled WAR Stuff (Yes... I am), Ant Is Your Guy!

• I'm using Fangraphs for the table and have sorted it by fWAR. Rendon also leads all NL players on the 2b ballot with 2.7 rWAR (Baseball Reference WAR.... Utley is second with 2.3).
• We can also see that Rendon has a healthy lead in both Slugging Percentage (18 points over Scooter Gennett) and Isolated Power (34 points over Neil Walker).
• Rendon also leads all players on the ballot with a .355 wOBA and is tied for number one with Walker with a 126 wRC+.
• He leads all 2b on the ballot in WAR despite a three week slump in May that took a bit of a toll on his triple slash line. While his AVG and OBP fall more towards the middle of the pack because of this, he's been so much more productive in terms of power production than the rest of the players listed (save for Walker, maybe) that he's been the most productive all-around player on the ballot.

If You're a Traditional Stats Person, Ant Is The Man!

More of a traditional stat person?  Here we go.

• Who is the leader among players on the 2b ballot in HR? Anthony Rendon, with 12.
• Are you an RBI person?  Ant leads again, with 43.
• Your leader on the ballot in terms of Runs Scored? Oh, that would be Anthony Rendon as well, with 49.
• Heck... He even runs! Rendon stole his sixth base in seven tries in Tuesday night's marathon against the Brewers. That SB total places him fifth among this group, which is impressive considering how much he blows the rest away with his power production. I removed the BsR (Baserunning Runs Above Average) in the above section, but Rendon ranks second to Dee Gordon with 3.6.

The Narrative

The narrative that I'll bring up is something that's brought up more often in MVP discussion at the end of the year, but let's think about this for a second. Wilson Ramos has spent two stints on the disabled list.  Ryan Zimmerman missed nearly two months. Bryce Harper will have missed two months by the time he's back next week (knock on wood).  Adam LaRoche had a DL stint as well. Denard Span, Jayson Werth, and Ian Desmond have been... inconsistent.  Danny Espinosa is a great defender, and that's all I'm going to say about him.

We've heard a lot in the past few years from Tigers fans that Miguel Cabrera deserved the MVP because he "carried his team on his back to first place." Well.. The Nats are in first place right now, and Rendon's 2.8 fWAR doubles the contributions of any other position player on the Nats (Adam LaRoche is second at 1.4). As the team has dealt with a ton of injuries and a lack of consistency from most of the other players that have been healthy, Rendon has been the driving force in keeping the Nats offense afloat.

#VoteRendon

Yeah... It's too late to get him into the All Star Game as the starter. Chase Utley has over 2,000,000 votes already.  As we can see, The Mighty Ant has less than 800,000. He most certainly deserves to be in Minneapolis on July 15, and will likely be considered by Cardinals manager Mike Matheny as a reserve. Fans around the league recognizing the season that he's having and making a push for him in the voting could help nudge Matheny in the right direction, though. Also, consider this an early push to get behind the Ant just in case he ends up in the final vote.

What's one way that we can get fans (around the league.. not just Nats fans) to recognize just how great Rendon has been? We can recognize the great performances of a couple of players from other teams who have been the best at their position on the ballot this season. Hopefully, their fans will reciprocate and stop just voting a straight ticket with their own team's players.  Let's have a look at a couple of those guys....

#LockInLuc

I don't know how many of you have seen this awesome All Star ad for Brewers Catcher Jonathan Lucroy, but if you haven't click the link.... Heck, even if you have, watch it again! While most of current leader Yadier Molina's supporters will talk about how Molina's contributions aren't as measurable because of the value he provides on defense, they're ignoring what Lucroy does with the glove.

The fact of the matter is that Lucroy is a fine defensive catcher in his own right.  Since taking over as the Brewers regular catcher in 2010, Lucroy has probably been the best pitch framer in the league. According to StatCorner, Lucroy was the best pitch framer in terms of RAA (Runs Above Average) in 2011, 2013, and so far in 2014.  He was third in 2010 and fifth in 2012 despite missing more than half of each season. He doesn't have Yadier Molina's gaudy CS%, but there are other ways a catcher can contribute defensively as well.

What else doesLucroy have going for him? He's been far and away the best offensive catcher in the National League Major Leagues this season (with apologies to Devin Mesoraco, who might have been but for 2 DL stints, and Nats rival Evan Gattis, who has had a fantastic season with the bat). Among NL qualifiers for the batting title (at all positions), Lucroy ranks 3rd in batting average (.330), 9th in OBP (.404), and 17th in Slugging (.514). He ranks 11th in wOBA and wRC+ as well, while he's 3rd among all NL hitters in fWAR (3.4).

The man shouldn't need a campaign. He's been the best catcher in the National League in 2014.  With Wilson Ramos having spent two stints on the DL himself, there's no reason for Nats fans not to jump on the #LockInLuc bandwagon... and hope that the Brewers fans will start to vote for Anthony Rendon instead of platoon 2b Rickie Weeks as a response.  Nats manager Matt Williams certainly showed how he feels about Lucroy in Tuesday's win, intentionally walking him with two outs in extra innings not once but twice in front of another one of the NL's best hitters, Carlos Gomez.

How About Frazier!

Despite the fact that Brandon Phillips is having a mediocre season, Reds fans are casting their ballots for him. He's fifth in NL All-Star voting for 2b... ahead of Rendon. How can we convince Reds fans to start voting for the best 2b (eligible) in the NL?  By voting for the best 3b in the NL so far this season. I'd love to say that's Rendon, but it's been Todd Frazier of the Cincinnati Reds.

I brought up Rendon's performance in terms of WAR among players eligible at 2b earlier.... Rendon ranks second in both fWAR and rWAR among (actual) NL 3b this season. The player who he ranks behind is none other than Todd Frazier (2.9 fWAR, 3.0 rWAR). Frazier has had a magnificent season to this point, and leads all NL 3b with 17 HR and 8 SB.  His .517 Slugging Percentage leads Aramis Ramirez (2nd) by 27 points!  His .375 wOBA and 138 wRC+ also blow Ramirez (second in both categories) out of the water.

He deserves to be rewarded for his performance this season. Unfortunately, if you click that link at the top that shows the current leaders, Frazier (like Rendon at 2b) doesn't rank among the top five in voting at 3b. Perhaps if Nats fans start throwing their support behind Frazier in the voting, Reds fans will stop voting for their declining former star at 2b and toss their support behind The Mighty Ant!

Don't Just Vote! Shout It Out!

In today's day and age, social media is a great tool in getting the word out. When you cast your ballot that includes Anthony Rendon (and maybe Jonathan Lucroy and/or Todd Frazier), don't just vote. Tweet it out with a #LockInLuc (and #VoteRendon) hashtag as well.  Let Brewers fans know that the Nationals fanbase is getting behind the #LockInLuc campaign. Let Reds fans know that they aren't the only ones who see what a great season Todd Frazier is having.  At the same time, let them know that they should start paying attention to the season that Anthony Rendon is having in DC and cast their vote for him. If only we had a cool catchphrase like Mr. Lucroy does in Milwaukee...... Ideas are welcome in the comments section!

Irving Falu spent limited time with the Brewers and wasn't terribly good so losing him isn't a blow.

Brewers announced today that the Padres have claimed Irving Falu off waivers. I'll give you a moment to digest that and mourn the loss. Just kidding. In 12 plate appearances he was hitless and in that 1 game he started he made 2 pretty egregious throwing errors. Falu was never going to be a big part of the Brewers and his departure is interesting for reasons not actually related to the player.

Falu's absence means that Elian Herrera is currently the only other shortstop on the 40-man roster besides starter Jean Segura. So for the time being that means Herrera isn't going anywhere, which is fine. Of the three utility infielders Herrera has probably performed the best, though that's not saying much. He can also fake center field well enough and that has proved valuable as illustrated by the current 25-man roster including 8 relievers.

Secondly, and more importantly, Falu's departure opens up a spot on the 40-man roster. I assume the spot stays empty until the Brewers are forced to make a move. This could be as simple as returning Jeff Bianchi to the 40-man. It could also be used for a player acquired in a trade. Unless there is an injury I expect this to be the eventual outcome.

More on Potential Rays Trade Targets

While David Price doesn't fit with the Brewers, there are a couple of Rays that might.

The fact that they put Falu on waivers now might even suggest such a roster move is imminent. I only say that because I'm not sure why else they would put Falu on waivers now if they didn't need the roster spot. That's just my opinion though so maybe don't get too excited. It could also be that the Brewers, knowing they weren't going to call him back up, are just doing him a solid by letting him go to a team that might actually use him.

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Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• World Cup Open Thread
• More on potential Rays trade targets
• David Price trade rumors: Brewers have a scout at Rays game
• Brewers 9, Nationals 2: Unbowed. Unswept. Unbroken.
• Brewers call up Alfredo Figaro, send Mike Fiers back to Nashville

After a difficult homestand against the Brewers and Cardinals, the Rockies take the road to face the...Brewers?  In what seems a horrible scheduling job by MLB, the Rockies have the face the Brewers with many of the same pitching matchups at a time when the Brewers are hot and the Rockies are cold.  Thanks MLB.

I would say that it would be impossible for Christian Friedrich to have a worse outing than his last against Milwaukee, but with this team, who knows anymore.  That last game was the inexplicable bases clearing wild pitch that should have been a passed ball error on the catcher and a stuipidy error on Friedrich.  But I digress.  Tonight we get to see if being several thousand feet below Denver can help Christian and his 6.00 ERA.  Other than that one play he didn't have that bad of an outing in his last start.

Wily Peralta takes the mound for the opposition.  Last week the Rockies were able to score four runs, three earned, over 7+ innings against Peralta. One would think that the team would need at least this much production to earn a win tonight.

The rest of the lineups will show up in the Game Thread because they have not shown up yet anywhere I have looked. Of note, the Rockies' injured list is so long that ESPN doesn't even provide all of the players on it when discussing Colorado.

It would be really nice for this team to start the road trip off right with a win.  GO ROCKIES!

The Padres claimed infielder Irving Falu off of waivers from the Brewers today. I'd heard of the guy before, but his name and the fact that he was drafted by, but didn't sign with, the Padres in 2001 were just about the extent of my knowledge on him. Turns out he's a Quad-A-type infielder who had 12 hitless plate appearances with the Brewers this year after 11 years in the Royals organization including 25 games up with the big club in 2012 and '13.

Derek Harvey over at Brew Crew Ball seemed far less concerned with losing Falu than he was intrigued about how the Brewers would use the newly opened spot on their 40-man roster, so that tells me a lot about how Falu is viewed by those who have watched him play. In turn, my mind has wandered from thinking about Falu himself to wondering what the Padres will do to wedge him in roster-wise. Actually, give me a second; I'm going to check Twitter to see if anything regarding that has popped up since I started writing this.

Hey, what do you know?!

#Padres have claimed #Brewers INF Irving Falu. He'll report to San Diego sometime this weekend. Erlin to 60-day DL to open up 40-man spot.

— Jeff Sanders (@JeffSanders_UT) June 26, 2014

Man, this day and age we live in is remarkable. Remember back when you had to wait for tomorrow's newspaper or sit through hours of radio idiots just to find out something like that?

It's only been three games since the Brewers completed the three game sweep in Colorado. Now the Rockies come to Milwaukee. Will they win a game this time?

The Brewers just faced the Rockies so this is going to be a bit abbreviated as nothing has changed since then and there are only two different starting pitchers they'll face. What a wild series it was in Colorado. Even though the Brewers swept them, I feel like things are more in their favor this time around.

I don't normally put much stock in home/road splits but with the Rockies I think it's worth while to note that they are a completely different team on the road. I think it's noteworthy because of the extreme park effect in Coors Field. We saw that first hand over the weekend. At home the Rockies hit 326/376/526, 121 wRC+. That's the best mark in all of baseball. On the road they have hit 237/290/387, 86 wRC+ which ranks 21st. That is a stark contrast and I'm inclined to believe it's a meaningful one, to a point. Troy Tulowitzki is still awesome and Justin Morneau is still solid. After Corey Dickerson it gets pretty dismal.

Thursday June 26th, 7:10 pm CT: Wily Peralta vs Christian Friedrich

Friedrich didn't fare all that well against the Brewers, giving up 4 runs over 6 innings. I'm not sure he'll do any better in his second major league start in two years. Tough luck for him he faces the same team twice in a row.

Friday June 27th, 7:10 pm CT: Kyle Lohse vs Tyler Matzek

Brewers rocked Matzek for 5 runs in 5.1 innings. I'm feeling pretty good about round two.

Saturday June 28th, 3:10 pm CT: Matt Garza vs Jorge de la Rosa

Former Brewer alert! I always liked Jorge de la Rosa. I thought eventually he was going to put it all together, but outside of a couple of solid seasons, it looks like he isn't going to be anything great. This year in particular he hasn't been very good. He's not striking guys out and he's issuing too many walks (7.2 K%-BB%, that's bad). He's mostly 4-seam, cutter, and change. He'll also toss in a slider and a curve, but nothing is overpowering.

Of note for the Brewers: de la Rosa is the third lefty in a row the Brewers will face this series. I wonder if perhaps Gennett will get a start against one of them. It might be here if only to give Garza the best possible defense behind him, which has been a frustrating issue in his starts.

Sunday June 29th, 1:10 pm CT: Yovani Gallardo vs Jhoulys Chacin

Padres Claim Irving Falu

Padres claiming Irving Falu is interesting for what the open 40-man roster spot might mean

You know how I said de la Rosa's K%-BB% was bad? Chacin's is worse: 4.2 K%-BB%. It's not even that far off from his career norms. He's just not very good. His fastball sits in the high 80's and he compliments it with a slider, change-up, and curve. Sometimes these junkballers get the best of the Brewers, but I don't think it's going to happen this time.

Conclusion

After a series loss to the Nationals dominating pitching staff it's really great the Brewers get to face the Rockies again. Their offense is pretty pathetic on the road. Their pitching is awful wherever they are. Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez looked kind of banged up in the Nationals series so I wouldn't be surprised to see one or both of them get a day off in this series. Braun already sat out the last game against the Nats. I'm confident enough in this offense that I think they can win most any game with one of those guys sitting, doubly so against the Rockies. I'm making the (bold?) 3 out of 4 prediction with a realistic chance at the season series sweep.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

More from Brew Crew Ball

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• Padres claim Irving Falu
• More on potential Rays trade targets
• David Price trade rumors: Brewers have a scout at Rays game
• Brewers 9, Nationals 2: Unbowed. Unswept. Unbroken.
• International Signing Period Fast Approaching

Hey, we just did these guys. Boy, the baseball season gets boring this time of year when your team is out of it. Since our last Brewers KYF, the Crew swept the Rockies (boo hiss) and lost two of three to the resurgent Washington Nationals. The points made last week still stand: this is a good team. So in lieu of actual analysis, a one act play.

Int: Brewers clubhouse. The room is empty and the lights are dim. Jonathan Lucroy sits alone at a table, poring over a sheaf of papers spread across the surface. Carlos Gomez enters.

Gomez: Hey, Jon Boy. What're you up to man?

Lucroy: Practicing my taxes.

Gomez: What?

Lucroy: Practicing my taxes.

Gomez: Why on earth are you doing that? Tax season isn't for months.

Lucroy: Fiscal responsibility is a year-round obligation.

Gomez: Jonny, you're rich. I'm rich. We are all rich. People like us, we hire guys to do our taxes for us.

Lucroy: There's nothing more satisfying than taking ownership of your personal finances, believe me.

Ryan Braun enters

Braun: Hey Lou, burning the midnight oil?

Gomez: He's practicing doing his taxes. Can you believe that?

Braun: Haha, you're one of a kind Lou. Say, I know a guy in Florida that could definitely help you out, he'll get you some breaks that you wouldn't even dream of...

Gomez: Nah, Jon wants to take ownership of his personal finances. Hey Brauny, want to hit the cages?

Braun: uh, not right now. I need to take some, uh, vitamins. In private. Like, over there, out of sight. See you later.

Ryan Braun exits

Carlos Gomez pantomimes taking a swing, dropping the bat, and admiring a towering home run.

Gomez: Hey Jon, who we playing tonight?

Lucroy removes glasses, rubs his eyes.

Lucroy: We're playing the Colorado Rockies. They've lost eight of their last nine and are currently 35-43, 11 games back in the NL West. Left hander Christian Friedrich is on the mound today. He has a 6.00 ERA.

Gomez: Friedrich huh? Never heard of him.

Lucroy: You faced him literally five days ago. You hit a single.

Gomez pantomimes another swing.

Gomez: Whatever. I'm going yard tonight.

Lucroy: Y'know, it wouldn't hurt you to try to go the other way once in a while. Base hit to right, move some runners, help the average.

Gomez: Screw that. I'm going yard. All the way yard. As yard as a ball can possibly go, that's how yard I'm going.

Ryan Braun enters. His eyes are wide and he looks slightly wired.

Braun: Whoooo, I'm having a big game today gents, I can feel it. Swing feels good, body feels good, but you know what's more important? The mind feels good. The mind is a steel trap today, it's a Swiss watch, not missing a thing, not one thing. I know what pitch the pitcher's gonna throw before he even knows, I got this on lock down.

Gomez: So yard. Ding city, that's me today. 450 feet minimum.

Braun: That's what I want to hear! Gomey, I don't tell you this enough, but I dig your attitude, I dig it hardcore. Come in here for the real thing.

Braun and Gomez chest bump.

Braun: HAHAHAHA there it is! Who are we facing today?

Lucroy annoyed, Gomez excited, simultaneously: Friedrich!

Braun: Alright alright alright, I can get behind that, we destroy lefties, we mash those guys into oblivion. Hey Gomey, I'm gonna hit the cage, wanna come with?

Gomez: Hell yeah m'man!

Braun: Great! Hey look, it's Scooter. What's up Scoot?!

Scooter Gennett: Guys, look, I asked in Spring Training that y'all call me Steve, my real name, not--

Braun: HA! You kill me Scooter. Beep beep! Let's go Gomey.

Braun and Gomez exit.

Gennett, to Lucroy: I hate those guys.

With tonight's win the Brewers take the season series and keep a potential season series sweep alive.

Winning Pitcher: Wily Peralta

Losing Pitcher: Christian Friedrich

SV: Francisco Rodriguez

HR: Rickie Weeks (3), Aramis Ramirez (11), Scooter Gennett (6)

Boxscore

Win Expectancy Chart

It didn't take long for the Brewers to gain the lead. After a relatively easy inning for Wily Peralta that saw him strike out the first two batters and end the inning on a pop up from Troy Tulowitzki, it took Rickie Weeks all of 1 pitch to hit a lead off home run. Ryan Braun drew a walk. Jonathan Lucroy struck out and Carlos Gomez popped up before Aramis Ramirez launched a 2 run home run. Khris Davis struck out but the Brewers left the first inning with a 3 run lead.

Peralta ran into some trouble in the fourth inning. Three back to back singles loaded the bases. Peralta was able to get a strike out however the next batter, Ryan Wheeler, hit a grand slam. All told, Peralta gave up 4 singles, a grand slam, and threw 31 pitches for a total of 77. It was an unfortunate affair as the first three innings went swimmingly. Rockies up 4-3.

The fifth inning was met with a lead of double by Rickie Weeks for his 3rd hit of the night in as many plate appearances. Weeks was unable to score on a line drive by Braun, but he did advance to third and with no outs Jonathan Lucroy stepped to the play with the hopes of a better outcome than last time. A better outcome was indeed the result. He hit on to deep deep center after a 9 pitch at-bat. Drew Stubbs made a jumping grab but was unable to keep it in his glove. Rickie Weeks scored but Braun was only able to make it to second base and Lucroy only wound up with a single, but it's the longest single I might have ever seen! Ramirez drew a walk to load the bases and Khris Davis would drive in a run on a sac fly to give the Brewers a 5-4 lead.

Wily Peralta was okay after the fourth. He pitched two more scoreless innings before his night was over. He did allow those 4 runs on the grand slam and gave up 8 hits and 2 walks but he also got 7 strikeouts. Not the best night of his season but he left with a lead for those of you that care about such things.

Rob Wooten started the seventh inning. He got the first out but removed for Will Smith after a base hit followed by a walk. Morneau struck out on three pitches, Tulowitzki drew a walk to load the bases, and then he made Dickerson look silly on strike 3 with his slider of death. It was a little nerve wracking but a lot of fun to see.

Brandon Kintzler was able to work around a lead off double to pitch a scoreless eighth inning. He induced back-to-back ground balls before getting a strikeout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth Mark Reynolds led off with a single and went to third on the sac bunt by Segura. Yet another passed ball sent Reynolds to third base. It would prove unnecessary as Scooter Gennett knocked one over the right field fence for a 2-run pinch hit home run.

The Brewers got those two insurance runs but it was still a save opportunity so Ron Roenicke sent Francisco Rodriguez to the mound. He retired the Rockies in order with a ground out, fly out, and ground out.

Brewers improve their record to 49-32. The Cardinals are still play so until that game is decided, the Brewers will have a 5 game lead in the NL Central. Game 2 of this 4 game series against the Rockies starts a 7:10 pm CT tomorrow was Kyle Lohse looks to keep the sweep alive against Tyler Matzek.

Other notes:

Starting catcher Wilin Rosario exited the game early with "lower back tightness and is day-to-day."

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Carlos Gomez slide: Was Nationals SS Ian Desmond right in being upset at Brewers OF?
• Will the Brewers continue the sweep: Rockies series preview
• Padres claim Irving Falu
• World Cup Open Thread
• More on potential Rays trade targets

This Day in So-So Pitching and more from the Brewers minors

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 40-37
Lost 11-1 vs New Orleans Zephyrs (MIA) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 50-28
Won 4-1 vs Montgomery Biscuits (TBR) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 41-33
Won 4-2 vs Lakeland Flying Tigers (DET) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 41-35
Lost 5-0 at Kane County Cougars (CHC) (box / pbp)

Helena Brewers (Rookie) 4-6
Lost 7-3 vs Great Falls Voyagers (CHW) (box / pbp)

AZL Brewers (Rookie) 4-2
Lost 7-5 at AZL Dodgers (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

The Cardinals sit a handful of games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, but the reigning NLCS Champions are poised for yet another playoff run.

The St. Louis Cardinals left their Spring Training complex in Jupiter, FL in March as near unanimous favorites to win the National League Central in 2014, and for good reason.

They brought with them a starting rotation as deep as any in the majors, a farm system stocked with power bats and power arms, a talented and balanced roster lacking any albatross contracts, and a low payroll relative to their peers with flexibility if needed.

While there were certainly some potential flaws in their setup - as many as six positions were to be manned by different players than in 2013 - what made the Cardinals such presumptive favorites was the talented depth they had as fallback plans.  If rookie 2B Kolten Wong failed to impress, he could be replaced with steady veteran Mark Ellis.  If either Allen Craig or Matt Adams failed to hit like in 2013 or faced defensive issues with their position changes, the Cardinals could call up Oscar Taveras, the top hitting prospect in the minors.  If a top young pitcher faltered or got hurt, another one from their highly touted stable could be brought up to fill in.

The Cardinals will have played exactly half a season after their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday night, and the 80 games in which they've played so far have shown exactly why the Cardinals were such overwhelming favorites in the Central.  In reality, not a whole lot has gone right for them in 2014.  The 3.79 runs per game they score ranks 26th in the majors and 13th in the NL, their team's .367 SLG % also ranks 13th in the NL, their 46 HR ranks dead last among NL teams, and a recent rash of pitching ailments has sent a pair of starting pitchers to the DL while causing another two to miss starts.

Still, the Cardinals sit six games over .500 at 43-37, and a season that hasn't gone the way they'd hoped for in the box scores still has them in possession of a Wild Card spot.  The team will certainly be BUYERS as the trade deadline approaches, and there may be no team in baseball in a better position to swing a big deal than St. Louis.

★★★

Starting Pitching

A healthy St. Louis rotation needs no augmenting, but unfortunately that's not the scenario the team is up against right now.  Jaime Garcia's injury troubles have continued to plague him, and aggravation to his surgically repaired left (throwing) shoulder landed him on the 15-day DL earlier this week.  Fellow starter Michael Wacha, the MVP of last seasons' NLCS, hit the 15-day DL the same day with an apparent stress fracture in his throwing shoulder, and Shelby Miller was forced to exit his most recent start with a lower back issue and is a question mark for his next start.  Even resident ace Adam Wainwright was shelved for a start earlier in June with elbow tendinitis, though he's since returned to the rotation with his usual success.

The team's collective 3.09 ERA from their starters to this point is tied with the Dodgers for the best mark in all of baseball, but it will be hard for them to continue to replicate that with the injury troubles continuing to mount.  They're currently counting on Carlos Martinez's transition from the bullpen being formidable enough to fill one open position, and Joe Kelly should be healthy enough to return to the rotation in the next two weeks after having been on the 15-day DL since late April with a hamstring issue.

St. Louis could still field a quality 5 man rotation with Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Miller, Martinez, and Kelly while Wacha and Garcia recover should the health consistency improve, but the Cardinals have the high-end prospects in their system to swing a trade for any of the top arms reportedly on the market.  They've been rumored as suitors for Tampa's David Price, and while his presence next to Wainwright would form one of the best 1-2 pitching punches in baseball, the Cardinals would likely have to surrender one of Martinez or Taveras along with additional prospects to get a deal done.  That may cause them to dip into the next tier of available starters along the line of Kyle Kendrick or Jason Hammel, or they may simply choose to give Tyler Lyons another shot at proving himself at the big league level.

Trade Likelihood:  Moderate

Bullpen

The Cardinals' bullpen strategy will be tied directly to the health of their starting pitchers and any potential rotation trade scenario, largely due to the importance placed on Carlos Martinez's electric right arm.  The talented young right-hander has made 50 of his 53 career appearances in the majors as a reliever over the last two seasons despite 67 of his 68 career minor league appearances having been starts, and while the Cardinals see his long term future as a key cog in their rotation, they had been counting on the 22 year old as the go to right-handed option in their bullpen for 2014.  As was mentioned before, injuries to other arms have thrown a wrench in those plans, and Martinez has been gradually stretched out as a starter over his previous two appearances and, if successful, may be counted on as a starting pitcher for at least the next few months of the season.

That would open a rather large void at the back end of the St. Louis bullpen, one that John Mozeliak would be keen to fill.  Another right-handed reliever to help Seth Maness and Pat Neshek hand the ball over to closer Trevor Rosenthal would be on the GM's to-add list, though the healthy improvement of former closer Jason Motte could mitigate the importance of reaching too deep into the pockets for that move.  Joakim Soria of the Rangers might cost more in prospects than the Cardinals would be willing to surrender, but his impeccable control and 12.3 K/9 would fill the void left by a permanent move to the rotation by Martinez.  The Padres' Joaquin Benoit would also be another qualified addition.

St. Louis could also look to improve on their left-handers in the pen, as 38 year old Randy Choate has been pressed into more action than they'd like (and is on pace to throw his most innings since 2010).  The forearm and shoulder injuries that have sidelined Kevin Siegrist for a month will also help determine the Cardinals' trade interests, as having him back gives their pen a hard throwing strikeout pitcher from the left side that few teams match up well against.  If he's to be out for an extended period, however, a play for a guy like Miami's Mike Dunn could help reduce the dependence on Choate.

Trade Likelihood:  Moderate

Second Base

When the Cardinals placed 2B Kolten Wong on the 15-day DL a week ago, it became the second stint this season in which the club was without the player penciled in as the everyday 2B for 2014.  Wong began the season in a bad slump before eventually being sent to Triple-A Memphis to get a few things sorted out, and after hitting well initially after being recalled, he's battled a nagging shoulder injury that sapped his production before being shut down.  At just .228/.282/.304 on the season in 171 PA, his production hasn't been what St. Louis had hoped for when they moved Matt Carpenter back to 3B to open a spot for him.  The production from the veteran brought in to be his backup, Mark Ellis, has been even worse, and the 37 year old has struggled to just a .197/.286/.230 line in 143 PA.  As a result, the Cardinals have the second worst OPS from 2B in the majors, and targeting an upgrade could be in the cards.

Ben Zobrist is the biggest potential name on the 2B trading block, and he'd be a natural fit in the Cardinals organization.  While he's not having his best season, Zobrist still provides solid OBP ability, a good switch hitter, and the kind of positional versatility the Cardinals have an affinity for (see:  Carpenter and Craig, for instance), and with an option is under contract for a relative pittance given his track record.  Zobrist will be in high demand, however, so the club could seek an out-of-the-box rental like Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera (who hasn't played a lot of 2B recently), instead.

While it's a long shot, the club does have the prospects to spare should they choose to pursue a blockbuster with Philadelphia for Chase Utley, though the probability of that seems slim.

Trade Likelihood:  Moderate

Yes, that Bobby Abreu. Hear me out.

Doug Melvin recently told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN that he's on the look out for a bullpen arm. For better or worse, I'm certain they'll acquire one before the trade deadline. I hope they don't stop there because the Brewers could benefit from a left-handed bat, preferably one with power. The obvious positions that could support such a bat come at first base and the outfield. I don't think the Brewers are going to drop Lyle Overbay, again for better or worse, so I think if they do get that bat, it'll have to be an outfielder. Though I do very much want them to get that bat, the one thing I desperately want to avoid in any trade is stripping the farm system. That's where the left-handed hitting Bobby Abreu comes in.

I know what you're thinking. The dude is 40 years old for crying out loud! Well, so what? We're not building a team around him. We're not even talking about giving him a starting job. Hell, we're not even really talking about inserting him into a platoon. We're talking about adding a bench piece that could start a few games here and there.

Despite his age, he's having a pretty nice season. The caveat here is sample size. He's played in 47 games and started only 20 of them (mostly in right field) for a total of 106 plate appearances. But that's okay because that's the exact role he'd have with the Brewers. In those 106 plate appearances he's hitting 286/368/418 with a 125 wRC+. If we break that down further, in 93 plate appearances versus right-handed pitching he's hitting 295/387/449 with a 139 wRC+.

I mentioned recently that I thought Matt Joyce made some sense for the Brewers bench. Seth Smith is another name that I hear often. Then you have the in-house option of Caleb Gindl. Let's see how they stack up to each other when facing right-handed pitching.

Right away I was surprised to see how well Gindl is doing versus righties, but it's important to recognize that he's doing this at Triple-A. That's why there's no wRC+. I had to go to his B-Ref page to find his splits and they don't use that stat.

To me, Bobby Abreu looks like the most tantalizing option on that list. In limited plate appearances, his bat is second only to Seth Smith. Unlike Gindl, we have evidence that suggests he can survive in a bench role. While neither is exactly an above average defender, we can infer that Abreu could be better considering almost all of his time comes in right, while Joyce is limited mostly to left. Unlike Smith he isn't going to cost much to acquire.

In fact, the cost to acquire Bobby Abreu might be the best thing about him. The Mets signed Abreu to a minor league deal worth $1.8 million dollars if he got called up, which he did. We're already at the half-way point of the season so right now he'd only add $900,000 to the payroll. That doesn't really move the needle at all. The contract is only for this year and since he's old and since he's not a starter, the Mets have almost zero leverage in trade talks. This is the kind of deal that sends non-prospects or cash considerations to the other team.

Bobby Abreu is old, he's not a starter, and we only have a limited sample size to make out assessments with. For that reason I'm not sure I'd want to jump on a trade for him right now. However, if it really does take a non-prospect or cash, then there's no real danger in that either. Worst-case: He's not any good and they're out some money and an org player. He could be DFA'd and they wouldn't be any worse off than they are right now.

They have that 8 man bullpen and an open spot on the 40-man roster so all it would take to get him on the active roster would be to send a reliever to AAA. They're planning on doing that anyway. I have no idea if this is something the Brewers are looking to do, but if they are I hope they're not overlooking Bobby Abreu.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Fangraphs

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• What we learned today: June 27, 2014
• Minor League Notes, 2014-06-27
• The sweep is alive: Brewers beat Rockies 7-4
• Carlos Gomez slide: Was Nationals SS Ian Desmond right in being upset at Brewers OF?
• Will the Brewers continue the sweep: Rockies series preview

Poor fundamental baseball doomed the Rockies in the bottom of the ninth inning after Josh Rutledge hit a game-tying home run in the top half of the frame.

Of all of the holes the Rockies have (and there are a lot), one of the biggest is the defensive black hole behind the plate. That weakness came back to haunt Colorado again on Friday in its 3-2 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Wilin Rosario, who is the target of most of the negativity surrounding the Rockies' catching situation, was benched on Friday because of a sore lower back. That left Michael McKenry -- the guy who entered the game having thrown out precisely zero of 14 attempted base stealers this season -- behind the plate, and as is often the case with his fellow purple-clad backstop, things didn't go so well.

McKenry whiffed on a Matt Belisle breaking ball in a key situation in the bottom of the ninth, turning a potential double play scenario into one in which the Brewers had two runners in scoring position with only one out. Belisle was able to punch out Rickie Weeks for the second out, but Ryan Braun's sharp liner to center field easily plated Mark Reynolds, who in all probability would not have scored if he hadn't advanced on the brainless passed ball.

It's just one more notch on the headboard for those who feel the Rockies haven't done a good enough job compiling talent. Though McKenry had a couple of hits to raise his average to .327, he's really poor behind the plate, and it doesn't mesh well with the Rockies' pre-season strategy -- and it was a good one -- of focusing on run prevention. DJ LeMahieu isn't great with the bat, but damn if he isn't one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. Nolan Arenado's bat wasn't expected to be great. Brandon Barnes and Drew Stubbs are hugely valuable outfielders, whether they're simply used as bench depth or otherwise. But the catching situation? Yuck.

And that's to say nothing of the bullpen, which again failed to keep the opposing team off the board. Colorado's relief unit has been a problem for most of the season, and it's an issue that only manifests itself when the starting pitcher is pulled after throwing only 83 pitches. Tyler Matzek was excellent tonight, and he deserved a much better result than a no-decision. Such is life in baseball, but it sucks to know that he performed so well and wasn't given the opportunity to finish what he started.

It should be noted that my annoyance with Matzek being lifted prematurely is not directed at Walt Weiss, but is actually directed at the offense's overall lack of big hits. They went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position, and perhaps one more hit would have made it so Matzek could have gone another frame or two. Again, not Weiss' fault, especially because the Rockies scored on an extremely well-executed bunt by Brandon Barnes, who was the pinch hitter for Matzek.

Weiss is also probably going to get some flak for not choosing to walk Braun with first base empty in the ninth inning, but Jonathan Lucroy is probably going to be an All-Star largely due in part to his bat, so that's not something for which Weiss should receive too much blame. McKenry deserves a ton of the finger-pointing, though Belisle isn't completely off the hook due to the fact that he missed badly on the decisive pitch to Braun.

The worst part about all of this -- well, aside from the fact that the Rockies have now lost 10 of their last 11 games -- is that the offense finally did come up with a big hit. With one out in the top of the ninth, Josh Rutledge homered off of Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez, who blew just his third save in 29 chances, to force a 2-2 tie. Rutledge was terrific at the plate, going 3-for-4 and falling a triple short of the cycle.

I'll end the rant here. I need a drink.

The Rockies will try to avoid losing yet another series when they send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound to face Matt Garza.

Source: FanGraphs

Ryan Braun had two different RBIs to put the Brewers ahead, the second giving them a walk-off win.

WP: Francisco Rodriguez (3-2)
LP: Matt Belisle (2-3)

HR: Josh Rutledge (2)

MVP: Ryan Braun (+.508)
LVP: Francisco Rodriguez (-.209)

Box Score

Win Expectancy Graph

I was at the game tonight, so I'm just going to hit the highlights of the game quick:

• Kyle Lohse made the start for the Brewers and was dominant, allowing one run in seven innings. Though he did give up seven hits and two walks, his stuff was very good and he kept the Rockies in check.
• On the other side, Tyler Matzek bounced back from a rough start his last time against the Brewers. He only allowed one run in six innings, allowing five hits and striking out three.
• After a pitchers duel for five innings, the Brewers got on the board first in the sixth. Rickie Weeks doubled to start the inning, then Jonathan Lucroy brought him home with an RBI single.
• The Rockies answered in the seventh with small ball. Josh Rutledge led off the seventh with a double, and Ryan Wheeler moved him up with a single. After a Michael McKenry groundout, Brandon Barnes laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Josh Rutledge scored.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Khris Davis led off the inning with a double and Mark Reynolds walked to put two runners on. A Jean Segura sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third, and then came the chess match between Ron Roenicke and Walt Weiss. Roenicke sent up Lyle Overbay to pinch hit. Weiss responded by putting Rex Brothers in the game. Roenicke countered with Martin Maldonado. After an embarrassing attempt to walk on ball three, Maldonado struck out. Rickie Weeks followed that with a walk, and Weiss decided to put Adam Ottavino in to face Ryan Braun. The result: an RBI HBP that gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
• Both sides went in order in the eighth inning. Will Smith went 1-2-3 in his half of the inning. Adam Ottavino allowed a single to Carlos Gomez, who then tried to steal second. At first, he was called safe (and checked out for a potential head injury), but the play was reviewed and overturned. Ramirez and Davis went down in order to end the inning.
• Francisco Rodriguez came in to pitch the ninth. He got Corey Dickerson to pop out, but Josh Rutledge homered to tie the game at 2-2. Rodriguez finished the inning with strikeouts of Ryan Wheeler and Michael McKenry.
• Matt Belisle came on to pitch for the Rockies in the ninth. He started off allowing a single to Mark Reynolds. Jean Segura laid down another sacrifice bunt to get Reynolds to second. Scooter Gennett came in to pinch hit, but was intentionally walked. Rickie Weeks followed that with a strikeout, but a passed ball in the at-bat allowed Reynolds and Gennett to move up. Ryan Braun came up with two outs, and hit the first pitch right up the middle for a walk-off RBI single.