Colorado has continued their struggles in the month of June.

With the continued dive the Colorado Rockies are on, the news about the team is very light.  What little there is today focuses mainly on players trying to return from injury.  As the season continues to unfold it is not too early to pay attention to Rockies' prospects and you can submit your vote for the PURPs list here.

Rox run out of chances amid Barun's walk-off 1B - Caitlin Swieca

While everyone can find the post game wraps they want to read, I wanted to link this one because of the Walt Weiss quote in it.  He takes the blame for Matt Belisle pitching to Ryan Braun.  While I applaud his honesty, I am not a big fan of the decision.  It is written as if it was a choice of which player do you want to hurt you, Ryan Braun or Jonathan Lucroy, but really it was a decision on whether to pitch to Scooter Gennett or Ryan Braun.  The inning started with a single and then a sacrifice bunt.  That makes it one out with a runner on second base.  The Brewers don't score without a hit but the Rockies need two outs.  The next three batters are Gennett, Weeks, and Braun.  Intentionally walking Gennett means Braun is coming to the plate and then the passed ball against Weeks made it that much harder.

Rockies' Wilin Rosario out with back tightness - Patrick Saunders

Patrick Saunders posted this piece before the game last night.  While it discusses the injury, the article makes a bigger point to how when Wilin is struggling to hit it creates a big hole at the catcher position.

Nolan Arenado, Brett Anderson awaiting their triple-A rehab stints - Patrick Saunders

Updated information on Nolan Arenado and Brett Anderson who may be the first two to return for the struggling lineup and rotation.

Rosario remains day-to-day with back tightness - Caitlin Swieca

This article on mlb.com also talks about Nolan Arenado and Brett Anderson.  For those looking to enjoy major league talent at a reduced price, you may want to think about going to Colorado Springs for their July 2nd game against Oklahoma City.  Barring any setbacks, this game should have Brett Anderson pitching and Nolan Arenado playing third base.

The best rookies of all time - David Schoenfield

Troy Tulowitzki makes this list on espn.com by David Schoenfield.  After looking at the rest of the list, it is not bad company for him to be in but the comparison to Nomar Garciaparra concerns me for the injury similarity.

Rockies look for a win in Milwaukee with Jhoulys Chacin on the mound.

First things first, what major league team starts a game at 3:10 local time on a Saturday afternoon? That's just odd. Second, who is the calligrapher that wrote out the Brewers lineup? Excellent work.

Now, on to the game. The Rockies are looking for the rarest of rare things these days, a win. To try to find it they'll send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound. Since returning from injury, Chacin has been thoroughly unimpressive in 2014, with the control issues from earlier in his career having returned this season. Chacin has posted a 4.84 ERA and 4.2 BB/9 in 10 starts this season, but does have a 2.63 ERA in two career starts at Miller Park.

Against the righty. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke has restored left-handed hitters Scooter Gennett and Lyle Overbay to his lineup this afternoon in place of Rickie Weeks and Mark Reynolds.

Milwaukee will have veteran right-hander Matt Garza on the mound today. The 30-year-old (does he seem a lot older than that to anyone else?) has been pretty average since signing a four-year, $50 million contract this winter. In 16 starts with the Brewers, he has posted a 4.01 ERA in 101 innings. He has a 4.81 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies.

The Rockies will restore Wilin Rosario to the lineup behind the plate and DJ LeMahieu at second base, with Josh Rutledge moving to third and Ryan Wheeler to first, with Justin Morneau getting a day off.

Here’s how the #Rockies line up today vs. the Brewers: pic.twitter.com/4pR3TwziWa

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 28, 2014

#Brewers lineup vs. Rockies this afternoon. First pitch at 3:10 CT on @fswisconsin and @620wtmjpic.twitter.com/lZdYQT57aX

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 28, 2014

Aaron Hill became the latest Diamondback to deliver a walk-off hit, doing so on Tuesday against the Brewers. But how many of the 20 D-backs with multiple walk-off hits can you guess?

The Rockies played, and lost, their sixth game of the season against the Brewers as the wait for players to return from injury continues.

I'll be honest, I can't really say I can't muster up any emotion over the latest in this string of Rockies losses, probably because I had no expectation of them winning this game either before or during it. The Rockies did live up (or down) to my expectations, losing again, 7-4, to the Brewers.

Jhoulys Chacin's rough season continued as he allowed seven runs on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out four. The Milwaukee onslaught against Chacin began early, as he allowed one-out singles to Ryan Braun and Jonathan Lucroy before serving up a three-run home run to Carlos Gomez to give the Brewers an early 3-0 lead.

The Brewers tacked on three more in the fifth thanks to a two-run triple for Braun, who then scored on a Lucroy ground out to give Milwaukee a 6-0 lead.

The Rockies finally got on the board in the sixth against Brewers starter Matt Garza. Three straight singles from DJ LeMahieu, Chacin and Charlie Blackmon loaded the bases for Drew Stubbs, who blooped a single to center field, scoring LeMahieu. Chacin then scored on a sacrifice fly from Troy Tulowitzki, cutting the Rockies deficit to 6-2.

It was 7-2 when Wilin Rosario and Ryan Wheeler led off the top of the seventh with a single and a double and both came around to score on LeMahieu's single, cutting the Milwaukee lead to 7-4. The Rockies had Charlie Culberson at the plate as the tying run with two outs in the eighth, but Tulowitzki was cut down on a baffling double steal attempt, ending Colorado's last threat of the game.

Source: FanGraphs

The Rockies will probably lose another embarrasing game at the MLB level today, but that's okay since we're all watching Nolan Arenado anyway.

Despite their better judgement, the Colorado Rockies will play another baseball game today.

If recent history is any indication, they will lose this game in specacularly ugly fashion. Jorge de la Rosa is in line for the blame start today as he takes the hill in attempt to yadda yadda the Rockies out of this blah.

The Brewers will toss whoever because it doesn't really matterYovani Gallardo who will likely stifle the Rockies AAA team plus Tulo all day until narrowly giving up the lead, knowing that his offense will destroy the Rockies bullpen in the later innings anyway.

The Rockies come into this one having lost aprroximately 1,000 of their last 22 games and so are looking for something positive -- anything positive -- to come out of this game. Maybe Troy Tulowitzki will hit a home run or make a fancy play! Maybe this will be the one day the bullpen doesn't allow any runs, though I'm sure we could still find a way to lose under those circumstances.

The most promising thing moving forward for this Rockies team won't take place in any MLB game but instead will be the continuation of 'Nado Watch 2014. Nolan Arenado's presence had been proving him to be the second most indispenable player on this team and now his absence has cemented that notion, driven over it in a tank, and tattood "we need Nolan Arenado" into the collective conciousness of all of Rockie Town.

But hey, we still gotta play the games in front of us, right? Right? I'm getting confirmation that this is correct. We will play today. Sorry everyone.

It wasn't pretty, but we'll take it. The Rockies come away from the Brewers series with a win on the strength of a Wilin Rosario little league home run (E6, E2) on a ground ball to third. That'll teach 'em!

Welp, can't lose 'em all.

I've chalked some Rockies losses (when they were healthy) up to just being one of those games thrughout the course of a 162 game schedule that you are going to lose. Regardless of sport, I call these "Murphy's Law" games and that's what hapenned to the Milwaukee Brewers during their 10-4 loss at the hands of the Colorado Rockies.

The Brewers repaid the embarrassment the Rockies endured by having three runs score on one embarrassing play by allowing three runs to score on one embarrassing play in the top of the fifth.

When your catcher hits what amounts to a three run home run on a grounder to third, the universe wants you to win that game.

Wilin Rosario scored Troy Tulowitzki and Corey Dickerson on a play that saw errors from third baseman Aramis Ramirez and catcher Jonathan Lucroy in a play that would cause a little league coach to lose his mind.

Karmic justice? Sheer galactic humor? Just a fun opportunity for the twittersphere to flood with comments like "did these teams just trade jerseys?" Either way, I'll take it.

If the Rockies had done the same thing today, it would be proof of organizational dysfunction. Ah, the glories of winning games in the now. Today's fiasco of gifts (which also included several miscues from left-fielder Khris Davis who looked like he had never played the position before) only serve as a reminder that even the teams with the best records have their moments of looking completely incompetent.

Troy Tulowitzki had a nice day at the plate, going 3-5 with two runs scored.  Corey Dickerson keeps Corey Dickersoning with two hits, runs, and RBI each though he gave us a scare when he came out of the game after apparently twinging something in his left leg.

Please don't take another oh great and powerful injury gods. We'll never do it again, whatever it was, we're sorry!

All-in-all regardless of how much help they received, it was a sigh inducing and much needed win today. If the goal right now is to stay afloat until reinforcements arrive then every win before the all-star break is huge. These kinds of games can build (at least offensive) momentum though the pitchers on the schedule in Washington may kill that thought before it gets a chance to fly.

Decent day on the mound considering the lineup and the fact that Wilin was really struggling to block balls in the dirt. Jorge de la Rosa pitched a gutsy six innings without his best stuff giving up four earned runs which was impressive if you consider Ryan Braun can score on de la Rosa like Kevin Durant on an open net.

Nothing much to get excited about here for the long term (can't count on Culberson hitting too many no-doubt bombs) but at least for one day, the Rockies stopped digging the hole.

Here's to hoping they don't dig so deep that Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez can't dig them out.

Source: FanGraphs

Baseball is all about trying to overcome adversity, and two members of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are experiencing that right now.

Good afternoon and greetings from Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, where the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers will take on the Burlington Bees in matinee baseball at 12:05. 20-year-old Venezuelan right-hander Victor Diaz is scheduled to take on Daniel Hurtado in the final game of a four game series, which Burlington currently leads 2-1.

Today's game is the third game back for second baseman Chris McFarland, who is coming back from spending over a month on the disabled list. McFarland was one of Wisconsin's best hitters before getting hurt, and said it's hard not to try to make up for lost time when coming off the DL.

"The first game I was pressing too hard, trying to make sure I was on time and stuff. I didn't relax," McFarland said of Saturday's game, when he went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. "This last game (Sunday) I was just trying to relax and pretend I didn't miss any games. It's always hard to come back and get your timing."

When players come back from injury in the major leagues, they frequently go out on a rehab assignment to ease back into facing live pitching. Minor leaguers at the lower levels don't always get that luxury, so they try to get ready to come back with the tools available to them.

"I took some live BP off some of our pitchers, and in the cage I'll work and turn the machine up and try to see hard stuff, but nothing really compares to actual game action," McFarland said.

McFarland is still only 21 and is hitting .270/.333/.466 in 43 games for Wisconsin, including a 2-for-4 game with a double on Sunday.

Meanwhile, first baseman Garrett Cooper is out of the lineup again today. Cooper, who was with Wisconsin for 32 games at the end of last season, opened the 2014 season with Brevard County but was returned to the Timber Rattlers after hitting .219/.317/.314 in 32 Florida State League games.

"I started the first half off a little slower than I expected, and now I'm just back down here trying to find my swing, get back up on the horse, drive in some runs and help this team win," Cooper said.

Cooper has been off the last couple of days after straining his quad running out a hit on Friday. He hasn't been placed on the disabled list, and hopes to be back in the day or two. In the meantime, he's taking advantage of the opportunity to get some rest.

"Day-in, day-out, you've got to get your rest," Cooper said. "It's a long season and you don't have many days off during the season, so get your rest, come out here with a good attitude every day because there are so many games."

Cooper's three-hit game on Friday was his first of the season. He has ten hits in his first 28 at bats since coming back to Wisconsin, and said he hasn't had any issues staying focused while changing teams.

"That's part of minor league baseball, you're always moving around. That's part of the job."

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

Wisconsin fell to 6-5 in the second half with a home loss today.

While the Brewers were enjoying an off day on Monday, the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers were wrapping up a four-game series with the Burlington Bees at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. 2,172 fans braved the threat of thunderstorms and came out to the park for a beautiful day but an unfortunate result, as Wisconsin lost 4-3.

All four Burlington runs scored in the sixth inning against Wisconsin starter Victor Diaz and reliever Trevor Seidenberger, who combined to allow the first four batters they faced in the inning to reach on two hits and two walks. The first three runs were charged to Diaz, snapping a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless innings for the 20-year-old Venezuelan right hander.

Those three runs were the only blemish against Diaz, who allowed six hits and two walks over five innings. He also had a 16-inning scoreless streak in May and has a 3.59 ERA on the season despite being two full years younger than his average opponent in the Midwest League. He threw 84 pitches in the game and 52 were strikes.

"He was trying to get ahead with the fastball, paint it inside and outside and play with (the hitters') mind, and when they got two strikes just try to use his off speed to his advantage," Timber Rattlers shortstop Angel Ortega said, translating for Diaz.

"He's been doing a nice job every time he goes out there," Wisconsin manager Matt Erickson said. "He's a great competitor, throws the ball over the plate and mixes his pitches well. Unfortunately in that sixth inning he kind of got a flare into right field, then another base hit and a walk. We were hoping we could keep him in there and maybe get a ground ball double play out of the situation and see if he could finish the inning. But once we had the walk and the bases loaded 'Berger (Trevor Seidenberger) was ready to go and we thought that was going to give us the best option in that situation against those hitters."

The Timber Rattlers have been using Diaz in a tandem system as a pitcher, designed to limit the strain on young arms and allow more pitchers to remain stretched out as starters. As a result, Diaz has pitched mostly shorter outings this season while sharing opportunities with other pitchers. Diaz said he was still "feeling great" when he ran into trouble in the sixth inning and wouldn't use fatigue as an excuse, but his 84 pitches were the most he's thrown in a start this season.

"Victor was rolling pretty good there and doing what he's been doing, putting up zeroes," Erickson said. "He did a nice job. His pitch count got up a little bit, we had the bases loaded and nobody out and Seidenberger ready to go for a situation. We put him in there and he threw some good pitches, it's just unfortunate we had two pitches get away, and the walk and the base hit. A lot of times when you give up big innings they come back to haunt."

The big inning came back to haunt Wisconsin today, as they fell behind 4-2 and were unable to respond. They plated a single run on Taylor Brennan's bases loaded walk in the eighth but couldn't capitalize further, and also stranded runners in both the seventh and ninth innings. Second baseman Chris McFarland had two hits in the game but was caught stealing and picked off first base. Shortstop Steven Halcomb also had a pair of singles, and scored the run in the eighth.

Timber Rattlers outfielder Omar Garcia scored a run in the game, going 1-for-4 with a double and his 31st stolen base of the season. He also survived a scary moment in the top of the ninth when he collided in the outfield with center fielder Johnny Davis. Garcia was down for several minutes but is expected to be ok.

"Him and Johnny both move pretty well, that was a pretty good collision. But he just got the wind knocked out of him, he'll be fine," Erickson said.

Even with the loss, Wisconsin went 17-8 in the month of June. They're 6-5 in the second half of their Midwest League schedule, which continues on Tuesday when they host Cedar Rapids in the first of a three-game series.

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

The Brewers come into town for a quick two-game set today and tomorrow with both games getting underway in the afternoon. Today is of course Canada Day so hopefully you're enjoying the day off and the Blue Jays can make the holiday a little sweeter for us up north. The Brewers have had a similar season to Toronto in the sense that they weren't favourites to win their divisions but they both currently sit atop them, with Milwaukee currently sporting a 51-33 record that puts them a fair number of games up on anybody else in the National Central.

The Brewers have gotten great performances from their obvious stars like Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun (BOO), but they've also gotten massive contributions from relative unknowns such as Scooter Gennett and Khris Davis. Gennett has pretty much wrestled the starting second baseman job away from Rickie Weeks with a .351 OBP this season and has quietly become a top 2B in the game (he currently has more WAR than Robinson Cano).

The pitching matchup today sees Drew Hutchison going up  gainst Marco Estrada this afternoon. Estrada is a Mexican righty who will turn 31 on Saturday. He's pitched horribly this year and has had horrible luck to boot so he'll be looking to try and get his season going in the right direction today. The problems of Estrada's season can be summarized in one little graph:

via www.fangraphs.com

That's a 2.25 HR/9 rate (17.3% HR/FB) to go along with a 34.8% GB%, which has caused all sorts of problems for the Brewers starter. His repertoire is extremely simple with 55% of his pitches being fastballs, while changeups and curveballs make up the difference. No one is whiffing on his pitches and his fastball and changeup are being launched into orbit at an alarming rate.

Hopeful Lineup

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Melky Cabrera LF
3. Jose Bautista RF
4. Edwin Encarnacion 1B
5. Adam Lind DH
6. Colby Rasmus CF
7. Dioner Navarro C
8. Juan Francisco 3B
9. Munenori Kawasaki 2B

Find The Link

Find the link between Marco Estrada and the former 2014 Blue Jay on the Nashville Sounds PCL team.

Gut Feelings

1. Marco Estrada is going to get crushed today.
2. Belgium is advancing over USA this afternoon.

Two players named players of the week for their respective divisions and both of their teams got walloped. Also, another great performance from Tyler Anderson.

Tulsa Drillers 9, Corpas Christi Hooks 8: Anderson with another solid performance

Tyler Anderson continues to pitch very well, if not especially economically. He did give up eight hits in this game but limited the damage to just two runs in five innings, striking out five. He didn't walkd a batter and one of the runs came on a solo home run from second baseman Tony Kemp.

Anderson did commit an error that cost him but still managed to leave the game up 7-3. Unfortunately, the man who relieved him wasn't much relief as Josh Mueller failed to record a single out giving up four runs on four hits and walking two before being pulled in favor of Ken Roberts.

Roberts came out of this one with an interesting line: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, Blown Save, Win.

In 28 games and 48.2 innings pitched, Roberts has an ERA of 2.40. Batter are hitting .168 against him.

It's worth noting again that Tyler Anderson has pitched phenominally this season, besting Jon Gray's ground ball ratio and Eddie Butlers stikeout percentage.

Offensively, Tulsa got multi-hit days from Joey Wong, Taylor Featherston, Brian Humphries, and Jared Simon who hit is seventh home run of the season. Featherston hit his tenth, both were two-run shots.

Trevor Story (playing shortstop and hitting third) went 1-4 with a double, a run, an RBI, a walk and a strikeout. A little of everything for Story who is settling in for the Drillers.

Asheville Tourists 2, Greensboro Grasshoppers 20: Tourists lose a laugher

What the hell?

Here is a link to the box score if you really want to get to the bottom of what happened in this disaster.

Only eight of the Grasshoppers runs were earned (really, only eight?) as the defense did the horrifying pitching a solid by commiting five errors on the day.

Andrew Brown gave up 10 runs in the first 1.2 innings though only four of them earned and the team was pretty much sunk.

For statistical purposes, there were some nice signs on offense as David Dahl grabbed two doubles in a 2-4, one walk performance. Raimel Tapia went 3-4 with an RBI (Ashevilles only one) raising his season average to .325.

Ryan McMahon also smacked a double in four plate appearances but the offensive star lately for the Tourists (though hard to classify anyone in this game as a star) has been outfielder Jordan Patterson who was just named player of the week for the SAL league. He kept chuggin' along with a 2-4 game, scoring a run and a double and bringing his average to .287.

In his last ten games, Patterson is hitting .472/.545/.778. From MiLB.com:

(.538/.594/.923, 7 G, 14-for-26, 4 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 SB)

Patterson, a 2013 fourth-rounder out of the University of South Alabama, entered June with a .221 average after subpar months in April and May. The number slowly rose as the summer progressed before completely popping last week. The left-handed slugger went 12-for-18 with two homers, three doubles, 10 RBIs and two steals in a four-game stretch from Thursday to Saturday alone. He's now batting .284 with eight homers, 39 RBIs and a .817 OPS in his first full season in the Rockies system.

Colorado Springs Sky Sox 6, Oklahoma City Redhawks 10: Garcia's perfect day not enough

Shortstop Drew Garcia was 3-3 with two doubles an RBI and a walk but it wouldn't be enough as the combination of Mike McClendon and Wilton Lopez buried Colorado Springs from the hill.

McClendon gave up three runs on seven hits, Lopez three on four, while errors from Garcia and Angelys Nina provided a four run buffer for the Redhawks.

Nolan Arenado was 1-5 in another rehab start though the only important thing right now is that he looks healthy according to reports.

Kyle Parker added two hits of his own including a double and two RBI settling his season average at a nice .301. Ben Paulsen walked twice and scored twice.

Modesto Nuts 1, High Desert Maverick 6: Devin Burke roughed up in loss

Starting pitcher Devin Burke only managed to get through four innings, surrendering six runs on nine hits and two walks without striking out a batter.

That would be enough as the Nuts offense didn't exactly provide much help. They scattered four hits, all by different players and only Will Swanner's double went for extra bases. Swanner also stole his seventh base of the season which kinda surprised me.

Chris O'Dowd and Matt Wessinger and Dean Espy were the other players to reach base, the latter getting the only RBI for the Nuts as Rosell Hererra, Patrick Valaika, Michale Tauchman, Derek Jones, and Juan Ciriaco went a combined 0-18.

Tri-City Dust Devils 11, Boise Hawks 5: Ryan Garvey's big day powers Dust Devils to win

Oft injured son-of-a-former-major-leaguer, Ryan Garvey, had a day of good things coming in threes. He was 3-3, with three runs scored, three RBI and a triple!

He also hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot that meant he would be just a double away from completing the cycle. Maybe he shouldn't have drawn that walk.

Garvey was joined in his offensive onslaught by a couple of Grand Junction alumni who are known more for their defensive skills. Catcher Robbie Perkins hit a two run home run (also his first of the season) and second baseman Cesar Galvis added two hits and two RBI.

Everyone in the Devils lineup recorded a hit, Sam Bumpers and Drew Weeks both going 1-5 and Fransisco Sosa with a 1-4.

Blake Shouse got the start and pitched five innings, giving up four runs.

Grand Junction Rockies 8, Orem Owls 15

Another ugly beat down in the Rockies system last night, but at least the Grand Junction offense put up a decent number of their own.

Harrison Musgrave got the start but failed to get out of the second inning after giving up eight runs (six earned due to a Kevin Padlo error) in 1.1 innings of work. Marc Magliaro came into the game for only .2 innings and was charged with five runs, though none of them earned.

From the Grand Junction Rockies official site:

Ryan Seiz hit a first inning grand slam to put Orem up 4-0, and after the Rockies cut that lead in half in their second inning, the Owlz erupted for nine in their half of the inning, though only two were earned, and added a pair in the third to take a 15-2 lead. They sent 27 men to the plate in the first three innings, with the top four in their order going 9-for-10 with 2 walks.

Perhaps it's bad luck to have one of your guys win player of the week award. Like Jordan Patterson, Renaldo Jenkins was named player of the week (for the Pioneer League) and his team got spanked.

Jenkins wen 2-5 with two runs scored in this one bringing his season average to a sizzling .444.

From MiLB.com:

(.429/.455/.810, 5 G, 9-for-21, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB, 1 CS)

Jenkins signed with the Rockies during the spring after spending three seasons in the Brewers system and is making a solid first impression with Grand Junction. He had two hits in each of his final four games last week and in six of his first eight games with the Rockies. Through eight games, he is 14-for-31 (.452) with a homer, a triple, four doubles, three RBIs and three steals.

Hamlet Marte was 2-4 (.350 now) and Denvel Richardson grabbed two hits and two runs. Luis Jean and Kevin Padlo each had one hit and two RBI, Padlo's being a triple.

DSL Rockies 4, DSL National 3: Hector Villaroel strong

Hector Villaroel pitched five innings and gave up two runs on two hits, with two walks, and (you guessed it) two strike outs. Anthony Brito was 2-2 with a run scored, two RBI and a walk out of the DH spot.

Ramon Marcelino and Joel Diaz each added RBI of their own to secure the win.

Today's starters:

SAL Asheville Greenville 7:05 pm Balog, Alex (5-3, 3.73) Ball, Trey (1-7, 7.27)
PIO Grand Junction Orem 9:05 pm Palacios, Javier (0-2, 9.22)
PCL Oklahoma City Colorado Springs 9:05 pm Martinez, David (5-5, 4.18) Nicasio, Juan (1-1, 6.35)
CAL San Jose Modesto 10:05 pm Lujan, Matt (1-0, 5.40) Aquino, Jayson (2-4, 6.68)
NOR Boise Tri-City 10:15 pm Ihrig, Tyler (1-0, 3.50) Gagnon, Tyler (0-2, 6.08)

Musing about trade possibilities, strengths, weaknesses, and playoff chances 80 games in.

With the Brewers' season now halfway over, some of the contributors here at BCB have decided to give our thoughts on the team at this point in time. We'll have one a day this week, with each of us answering the same questions. Noah went yesterday (link below), and I'm up second.

At the halfway point, what do you see as the biggest strength of the team?

It's the position players/offense.

In 2011, the Brewers were carried on offense by Braun and Fielder, who accumulated about 12 wins above replacement. That team was also well above average in center field (Morgan and Gomez), 2nd base (Weeks), and right (Hart). But they were far, far below average at short (Betancourt) and 3rd (McGehee, though they patched it up nicely with Hairston for the postseason). Lucroy was not yet Lucroy, and the catcher spot was a bit below average.

The 2014 Brewers are getting the elite production but also are relentlessly above average all around the diamond. An average player earns his team about 2 wins more than a replacement-level player over the course of a year. At the top end, the dynamic duo of Lucroy and Gomez are beyond the halfway point to the Braun/Fielder WAR total from that year. And, remarkably, there's not a glaring hole anywhere. The Gennett/Weeks platoon at 2nd has been one of the most productive 2nd base situations in the league. Davis has proven himself to be a capable slugging left fielder. Ramirez and Braun are two of the best in the NL at their positions, if they can stay healthy. The only position not on pace for roughly 3 WAR is shortstop, and there's actually some hope that Jean Segura can come around. First base has gone from "worst production in the history of the game" to "slightly above average" in a season.

It's important to get star production and career-type years at the top end of the distribution if you're going to contend. But trotting out replacement-level players every single day can hurt just as much as those huge years can help. It sank the Brewers in 2013, and it could have in 2011 if they hadn't had the pitching staff that they did.

At the halfway point, what is the biggest weakness for the team?

It's the obvious call, but it has to be the bench. The rotation has been solid top to bottom, and the bullpen has been better than expected. Do I have concerns about both? Sure. But the bench is the biggest weakness. The only two bench players that should be safe from the dreaded DFA are Maldonado and Weeks. Everyone else the Brewers have ran out there in reserve have been essentially the definition of replacement level.

Noah discussed this yesterday as well, but the biggest problem really is offensive depth. The team can handle a pitcher, or even two, going down without having things fall apart. But an injury to basically any position player that's not a second baseman or catcher and it's replacement level from here on out. A left-handed hitter with some pop that can play the corners is the top item on the wish list. Second is an up-the-middle defender who can at least get the ball out of the infield once in a while. Each would function as an insurance policy, but I put the corner-type higher because a lefty power bat that could play first and left could fill a role on the team even in the best-case scenario of everyone staying healthy by taking Overbay's at-bats at first and potentially spelling Davis against some righties.

How are you feeling about the Brewers' chances to make the playoffs?

Are we counting the 1-game Wild Card playoff as making the playoffs these days? Either way, I put the odds at something like 70%. They have put themselves in a fantastic position. With the right moves at the deadline I really like the chances. If they do win it, I don't think it's by more than 3 games. I have a feeling this isn't going to be a cruise to the finish like '11 was.

Do you believe the Brewers should buy, sell or stand pat at the trade deadline?

Buy. It's very tempting to really go for it in this situation. The team is playing better than expected, and with the addition of a real top line starter (and there are not very many of those available), this team is the favorite to reach the World Series in the NL. But it's not likely to be worth it. The rotation is more deep than it is topheavy, so an upgrade at the top isn't going to bump someone not worthy of starts like, say, getting Sabathia did in '08. And it's not like the Brewers are flush with talent to dangle.

So all this is to say that it's on DM to work his magic again at the deadline. Back in 2011, he got K-Rod and Jerry Hairston Jr. for basically nothing, and the only thing stopping me from really heaping the praise on for his work at the deadline that year was his inability to find (or inability to recognize the need for) a competent shortstop. I have little doubt that he will get a bench player or two, or possibly a reliever if the right situation comes along. Melvin may have his flaws as an executive, but I have full faith in his ability to maneuver around the deadline and solidify the squad for the stretch run.

If you could make one roster move on the Brewers, what would it be?

The bench is the more pressing concern, but there are basically zero in-organization options that I see as obvious upgrades at this point. Jason Rogers may be the exception but unfortunately he both bats righthanded and will probably not be seriously looked at until September at the earliest, having just gotten the bump to AAA. So I'll call up Jimmy Nelson and move him into Marco Estrada's spot in the rotation. Nelson has proven everything he needs to prove at AAA, and he's the Brewers best shot at a legitimate upgrade in the second half.

Okay, so that part of the transaction was easy, but I still have to send someone down to make room. Estrada would slot in nicely as the pen's long man in the absence of Wang, but the Brewers seem to have no intention of sending him back to the Pirates at this point. I don't see a good way to keep both, because I don't trust Estrada inheriting runners the way he's pitching now. But he has to stay on the team in case a starting pitcher does get hurt. So if I'm in charge, I offer Fiers to the Pirates for the rights to send Wei-Chung to the minors, and if they decline that or a similar offer I send him back, say thanks for the memories, and quit playing with a 24-man roster in a pennant race.

Best starting pitcher going forward?

I think it's Wily Peralta. If the Brewers call up Nelson tomorrow I'd be tempted to switch my answer but I'd still say Peralta. Garza, Lohse, and Gallardo are all at or about where I would expect them to be. Wily has pitched as well as any of them, but he also is 25 and has a 97 mph fastball. I'll take my chances with him improving over the other 3.

Best hitter going forward?

I wish I knew what Ryan Braun's real health situation was. I feel like we have not heard much about the thumb lately but clearly he has not been at 100% in the first half. Unless there's some sort of long-term damage we don't really know about, it's Braun.

Ryan Braun's batting line in the second half?

I'll go with .290/.350/.520. For the record that's below his ZiPS rest-of-season projection, which is my slight possible nagging injury adjustment.

Do the Brewers make a high profile trade?

I don't exactly know the scope of "high-profile", but I think they get a reasonable reliever and a fringe starter/bench player. So probably not exactly what you'd call high-profile, but they will still have big effects on the team going forward.

How many wins do the Brewers get in their final 81 games?

43, for a grand total of 94.

Do the Brewers win the division?

I say yes because I think the odds are better than 50%, so if you played this season from here on infinity times, I'd be right more often than I'd be wrong.

Doug Melvin grade through 1st half?

A minus. He filled every hole on this team with the resources he had available. He's had fairly good luck with health and performance so far, and I think he recognizes that and will attempt to fill the big remaining hole-- offensive depth-- around the deadline. The minus is for the Wang experiment, which has basically been a disaster. Working with a 6-man bullpen and 4-man bench is doing no one any good, and that includes Wang.

Ron Roenicke Grade through 1st half?

B plus. Yeah, he pulls the same crap every manager does with bullpen roles, and likes to try to small ball too much. But he has gotten the big things right, and players seem to like him. To his credit, he's stuck with the 2B platoon, and not stuck with the 1B platoon, which has been very fortunate. The lineup has been nice, and it was fun to watch the bullpen earlier in the season when he was actually playing matchups before he settled into Will Smith as the 8th inning guy (TM). He could be better, but he also could be a lot worse.

More from Brew Crew Ball

Follow @BrewCrewBallFollow @SBNationMLB

• Rickie Weeks trade rumors: Blue Jays appear uninterested in Brewers 2B
• Minor League Recaps: One big inning dooms Wisconsin in 4-3 loss to Burlington
• Thoughts on the Brewers halfway through the season
• Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Chris McFarland, Garrett Cooper trying to bounce back
• What we learned: June 30, 2014

A Canada Day Win.

Brewers 1 Blue Jays 4

In a streak of good starts, we, finally, don't waste one. Nice to get a well pitched win on Canada Day, in front of a great crowd.

Drew Hutchison went 7 innings, allowed just 3 hits, 1 earned, 2 walks with 10 strikeouts. He didn't allow a base runner until 2 out in the 5th, a infield single that Jose Reyes tried to make a play on, but his throw was just off the bag at first. It was a good effort.  The only innings Drew had any real troubles were the 6th and 7th. In the 6th he gave up a single to Scooter Gennett and a RBI double to Ryan Braun, the only run Drew would give up. In the 7th, he loaded the bases on 2 walks and a hit batter but got of it. He was having a lot of fun with the high fastball.

Aaron Loup started the 8th inning and hit Rickie Weeks with his 0-2 pitch, bad time to hit a batter. Gibby brought Dustin McGowan in and he got a quick double play, game up a walk and got Carlos Gomez to strikeout. Casey Janssen worked an easy 9th for the 1-inning, 3 run save.

We got enough offense, more would have been ok too, but the way we hit in June, 4 runs seems like a big time breakout for the bats:

• Jose Bautista, in his first game back, hit a home run in the first inning.
• Colby Rasmus homered in the 6th.
• And we got two insurance runs in the 8th. Pinch hitter Adam Lind singled, and was pinch run for by Darin Mastroianni. After roughly 45 pick off throws to first, Melky Cabrera tripled, scoring Darin. If I'm the manager I want my pitch focusing on the batter, but thankfully Rob Wooten let Mastroianni distract him. Edwin Encarnacion followed that with a double, high off the center field wall. Just a couple of feet short of a homer.

We had 9 hits on the day. 4 of them for extra bases. Everyone in the starting lineup had one hit except for Anthony Gose and Adam Lind's hit came in his spot on the lineup.

Lind's at bat was interesting. Brewers lefty reliever Zack Duke finished the 7th inning and was to start the 8th, but Gibbons put Brad Glenn to pinch hit for Gose. The Brewers brought in right-hander Wooten, so Gibby pinch hit Lind for his pinch hitter, making us wonder why he didn't do a similar move yesterday, when the White Sox brought in a left to pitch to Lind. It worked out great today.

Jays of the Day are Hutchison (.356 WPA) and McGowan (.210). I'll give honorable mention to Bautista and Rasmus for their home runs.

No one gets the Suckage number, though Loup comes close with a -.086 for his hit batter.

Source: FanGraphs

We had a nice Canada Day GameThread, 1493 comments. Spor led the way again. Great Job.

We are a little late on this, I got the questions to Noah Jarosh, from Brew Crew Ball, SB's Brewers blog a little late, but better late than never, we'll post.

The Brewers have built up a nice lead in the NL Central, how confident are you that they will keep it up and finish first?

I'm actually feeling pretty good about the Brewers' chances to stay in first place. The nice thing about the team is that they don't really have any weaknesses as far as their starters go. The bench is put together poorly, but the offense has the second-best wOBA in the NL, the startpitching is, at least, league average and the bullpen is strong up top and will get better after a couple of their better relievers come back from injury.

Unlike previous years, the Brewers don't need to rely solely on their strong offense. In any given game the pitching can pick up the lineup and vice versa. That's a pleasant change, and it makes me believe the team should be a little above .500 in the second half. That would put them firmly on pace for 90+ wins, which should win a division unless the Cardinals do Cardinaly things and call up some C level prospect who ends up winning the MVP.

How is our old friend Lyle Overbay doing?

Want him back? In all honesty, his .331 OBP is better than I would have expected him to have at this point and he actually hit really well in June. But the Brewers have two platoons (second base and first base) going where three of the four players involved can only play their respective positions. The second base platoon is more crucial, in my mind, so Overbay becomes the most expendable player on the roster. However, Brewers management loves their gritty veterans and an 872 OPS in June will keep him on the roster. For now, anyway.

Ryan Braun has had an interesting couple of years. What do Brewers fans think of him?

There are some fans on either extreme, but I would say the vast majority of Brewers fans are pretty over the whole thing. Braun is still the best player on the team, despite a recent slump that is probably due in large part to various nagging injuries. As long as he remains productive, fans will be plenty happy to have him on the team. It's not approval of what he did so much as it is acknowledgement that he did his time, has put in an effort to make things right, and is now here to help our favorite baseball team win the division.

I don't know. People make mistakes and Braun got caught. He served a longer-than-typical suspension because of it. I think it's strange that people get so up-in-arms that Brewers fans don't shun him or whatever. People deserve second chances. He didn't pull an Aaron Hernandez, he took a banned substance. He's one of thousands over the course of baseball history who have tried to gain an advantage through less-than-natural means. As long as he keeps hitting baseballs well, I'll be cheering him.

Can we have a quick scouting report of the starting pitchers the Jays are likely to face?

Well, Marco Estrada happened today. Which is a fun match. I'm typing this up in the first inning and dreading this start. The Blue Jays have hit the most home runs in the majors. Estrada has (easily, I might add) allowed the most home runs of any pitcher in the MLB. He can have a good changeup, and can be really good. He'll put up strong strikeout numbers while not giving up a ton of baserunners. The problem is, is all his baserunners end up scoring because all he allows is homers.

Wily Peralta, meanwhile, has the stuff to be an ace in the near future. He has a big fastball and decent secondary stuff and has managed to be very successful early in his career. That being said, after a phenomenal start to 2014, he has cooled down recently. Over his past five starts, he has a 4.22 ERA. The good news is that has happened with him letting opponents post just a 692 OPS. The even better news is that he hasn't been giving up runs due to walking a ton of batters, which was his biggest struggle coming through the majors. Peralta may not be locked in recently, but the fact he is still managing decent results makes me real optimistic for his future.

I haven't seen much of Ron Roenicke, could you give us an idea of his strengths and weaknesses?

I'm not great at judging managers. I think we end up seeing too many of the bad things (oh, he brought in that reliever instead of that one? He's bunting when?) and too few of the good decisions. We're quick to judge managers when something goes wrong, but rarely consider them when it goes right. Overall, I think Roenicke is fine. He's not a special manager or anything, but the players seem to like him and he doesn't display Ned Yost levels of ineptitude. I think his decision to rearrange the lineup and put Braun in the second spot, Lucroy third, and Gomez cleanup is one of the better moves a manager has made recently.

That said, Roenicke does have a perplexing affinity for bunting, the contact play, and aggressive baserunning. These are all things that are fine and good in limited doses, but boy do the Brewers do each of those a lot. It would be nice if the team toned it down a little with the bunting, but, hey, they have the best record in the NL so I won't complain too much.

With the series In Toronto we are playing AL rules, which game do you prefer the AL or NL?

You know, as far as impartiality goes, Brewers and Astros fans are probably the best candidates to answer this question given the fact they are the only two franchises to switch leagues. That being said, I'm young enough that I hardly remember Milwaukee's AL days and prefer the NL no-DH rules myself. I think one of the great joys in life is watching a pitcher hit for himself and it seems that several starters would tell you they relish the opportunity to step up to the plate.

I get why some people think the DH makes games more exciting to watch because it creates more runs and prevents an empty spot in the lineup. But it's just way too much fun to see a pitcher swing like it's the first time he's picked up a bat. Or when they actually catch a break and pick up a hit. Or hit the only home run of their career when they are nearly 40.

Who is your favorite Brewer to watch?

Oh, that's an easy one. Watching Carlos Gomez is an absolute treat. I'll put him up there as one of the most exciting players in baseball just because of all the different things he'll do over the course of a game. Home runs, stolen bases, baserunning gaffes, enormous cuts that spin him around at the plate, the best center field defense in the league...you never know what he'll do next. One inning he'll fall down rounding third base too hard and get thrown out easily. Then the next he'll rob someone of a home run and follow that up with a homer of his own. He's certainly one of the more passionate players in the game, too, and can get a little, shall we say, 'reactionary' at times. That may rub some people the wrong way, but at least it shows he cares.

The second half of this mid-week two-game set with the Brewers kicks off today at 12:37 as Wily Peralta takes on J.A. Happ. The Dominican right-hander has been the Brewers second-best starter this year (behind Kyle Lohse) and looks to build on the great start to his second full season with Milwaukee. With a 3.20 ERA Peralta doesn't blow anyone away, but the ground-ball pitcher had been consistently putting in solid performances up until about mid-May. Since then, Peralta's ERA has jumped from almost 2.00 to the aforementioned 3.20 mark and opposing teams are getting a lot more hits off the righty.

His pitches are pretty straightforward with a fastball, sinker and slider combination looking to induce weak contact and ground balls from hitters. His fastballs have some jump on them, regularly hitting mid to high-90's on the radar gun. Even his slider is 86 MPH, so obviously everything the Dominican throws comes fast and with movement. As you can see, there isn't a ton of difference between his fastball and sinker:

If his 53.2% GB-rate didn't convince you that Peralta is a ground ball pitcher then this should do it:

Hopeful Lineup

1. Jose Reyes SS
2. Melky Cabrera LF
3. Jose Bautista RF
4. Edwin Encarnacion DH
5. Adam Lind 1B
6. Dioner Navarro C
7. Colby Rasmus CF
8. Juan Francisco 3B
9. Steve Tolleson 2B

Find The Link

Find the link between Wily Peralta and Sunderland AFC's Scottish midfielder.

Gut Feelings

1. A lot of people watching this game are hungover.

Quick lessons today before a rare morning game for the Brewers.

Yesterday's Results

Blue Jays 4, Brewers 1

The Brewers offense never got going in Toronto yesterday. They managed one run on four hits, with the lone run scored coming on a Ryan Braun RBI double. Marco Estrada had a good pitching line, going six innings and allowing just two runs. However, both runs scored on solo home runs, which continued his home run struggles this year. Rob Wooten allowed the other two runs in the eighth inning.

Cram Session

• Our midseason review series continued yesterday with Jordan's thoughts on the first half of the season.
• Prior to the start of the Blue Jays series, Derek looked at the quick two-game series against Toronto and what to expect in each game.
• Platoon is not a dirty word, especially in the situation at second base. Derek explained why the platoon at second base is a good thing.
• The most recent update of voting for the All-Star game came out yesterday, and both Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez maintained their starting spots for the NL team. Jonathan Lucroy remained in second at catcher, Mark Reynolds jumped up to second at first base, Rickie Weeks remained at fourth for second base, Jean Segura held the second spot for shortstop, Ryan Braun remained in the fifth spot in the outfield, and Khris Davis jumped up to seventh in the outfield.
• After sitting out Sunday's game, both Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura returned to the starting lineup on Tuesday. Adam McCalvy looked at some of the reasons as to why Segura is struggling.
• Wily Peralta went 5-0 in the month of June. Ben Tannenbaum of The Brewers Bar looks at why Peralta was so successful in those starts.
• Over on Reviewing the Brew, David S. Grant compared the current rotation to the 1982 Brewers rotation.
• The trade deadline is less than a month away now, but we still are not expecting to see any trades for a while. Adam McCalvy has some quotes from Doug Melvin about his current plan heading towards the trade deadline.
• Jess Lemont of The Brewers Bar notes that Buck Martinez is stuck in an infinite loop.

Minor League Update

News & Notes

• The Brewers are expected to finally sign Gilbert Lara today. Ryan Topp of Disciples of Uecker has a profile of Lara and an analysis of the expected signing.
• Reviewing the Brew continued their review of the Brewers top minor league prospects with a profile of Orlando Arcia.

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

Division Update

• Giants 5, Cardinals 0
• Padres 8, Reds 2
• Pirates 3, Diamondbacks 2
• Cubs 2, Red Sox 1

Today's Division Games

• Reds (Johnny Cueto) @ Padres (Tyson Ross) - 2:40 pm
• Diamondbacks (Chase Anderson) @ Pirates (Charlie Morton) - 6:05 pm
• Cubs (Travis Wood) @ Red Sox (Brandon Workman) - 6:10 pm
• Cardinals (Adam Wainwright) @ Giants (Ryan Vogelsong) - 9:15 pm

Today's Action

The Brewers wrap up their brief two-game road trip to Toronto this morning. Wily Peralta faces J.A. Happ in the second game of the series. First pitch is at 11:37 am, and Jamie Ross of MLB.com has the preview.

Now go make some Prognostikeggers predictions before the game starts.

Brewers 4 Blue Jays 7 Walk-off win.

This game deserves a longer recap, we'll revisit it later. The good news is that Edwin Encarnacion hit a game winning home run in the bottom of the 9th. 2-on, 2-outs, in the bottom of the 9th, Edwin up. I was sure they would pitch around him, even to load the bases, but they didn't and Edwin hit the ball a mile.

There was a ton of stuff that went on in that game:

• Earlier in the 9th, with Jose Reyes on second and Melky Cabrera (who was intentionally walked, I dislike the intentional walk, but, in this case, I wouldn't have done it because it made it far more likely that Edwin would come up in the inning, I'd much rather pitch to Melky than Edwin), Anthony Gose tried to bunt, bunts it back to the pitcher, who goes to third, for the easy force out. I dislike bunting, especially with runners at first and second. The Brewers were crashing the plate, Gose had almost nowhere to put the ball down and get a successful bunt. And, of course, with them crashing the plate, slapping a ball some where fair, has so much more of a chance to work. It didn't help that Darin Mastroianni struck out after. Thankfully Edwin homered.
• Another amazing thing, when Anthony came to the plate, in the 9th, the Brewers took their lefty reliever out to bring in a right-hander. Seemed a silly move.
• In the 7th, we had runners at first and second and Mastroianni up. He bunted one right off the plate, catcher jumped out in front of him and threw to third, getting the out and then they went to first, to get the out. Darin didn't get out of the box quick, I think he felt the ball was foul, and I don't think he wanted to run into the catcher. I think he would have been out easy anyway. It was a quick play. Mostly it was a terrible bunt by Darin. Again, it was tough, the Brewers were crashing the plate, but he had to do better with that bunt. I hate bunting, for some reason people seem to think it always works.
• After the failed bunt, Jose Bautista was on second and, with two outs, Gibby pulled him for Gose to pinch run. I think in part because he didn't want Bautista to have to try to run full out. But, Jose's spot in the order would come up in the ninth. Gibby is closer to the players....I'm sure they didn't want Jose to hurt himself again trying to score.
• The strike zone was terrible. We had a number of pitches high out of the strike zone called against us. And some wide ones.
• J.A. Happ pitched a very good game. He had one bad inning. With a bit of fielding that inning would have been better. He gave up a lead off ground ball single, that bounced just over him. He should have made the play, but then, he was hit in the head last year. I'm sure self preservation is his first thought. After a ground rule double, there was a Ryan Braun hit to the track that Colby Rasmus got to, but had the ball go off his glove for a triple. He should have caught it. As Zaun said, the lack of a real warning track likely worked against Colby. He was worried about the wall while he wasn't close. If he could feel the track he would have known it was further away and, likely, would have made the catch.
• Happ went 7 innigns, allowed 6 hits, 4 earned (I thought Colby's non-catch should have been an error, so some of those runs should/could be unearned). 0 walks (Happ went seven without a walk? wow) with 4 strikeouts.
• Aaron Loup and Casey Janssen pitched a scoreless inning each. Casey gets the win.
• Both managers were thrown out of the game. Roenicke for arguing that Steve Tolleson swung at a pitch that hit him (he didn't). And Gibby for arguing after a replay showed Tolleson was out trying to go to second on a wild pitch. Tolleson was out, but Gibby was frustraited by the lousy strike zone and by a replay that clearly showed Munenori Kawasaki was safe, but wasn't overturned by the donuts in New York.
• Our other runs were scored: on a first inning Bautista home run, a 3rd inning Adam Lind RBI double and a 4th inning Juan Francisco 2-run homer (on a breaking ball!).

There is more, but I have to do real work at some point today.

Jays of the Day are Edwin (.361 WPA), Francisco (.253),  Melky (.126), Reyes (.120), Janssen (.143), Loup (.110) and Lind (.092).  I'm giving honorable mention to Happ....he did a great job today.

Suckage? Mastroianni (-.260, on that terrible bunt and the 9th inning strikeout), Gose (-.108 for the failed bunt), Rasmus (-.122 for an 0 for 3). Kawasaki also had the number, -.117, but some of that came on the single that was called an out, so I'm not giving him one.

Source: FanGraphs We had 1225 comments in the GameThread, pretty good for a weekday day game. T-Ball Gritted out the win. Great job.

Matt Pagnozzi's 2 home runs and more from the Brewers minors

Nashville Sounds (AAA) 46-41
Won 5-0 vs Memphis Redbirds (STL) (box / pbp)

Huntsville Stars (AA) 53-31
Lost 5-1 at Mississippi Braves (ATL) (box / pbp)

Brevard County Manatees (High A) 46-33
Won 4-3 vs Daytona Cubs (CHC) (box / pbp)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low A) 43-39
Lost 6-1 vs Cedar Rapids Kernels (MIN) (box / pbp)

Helena Brewers (Rookie) 7-9
Lost 3-1 vs Great Falls Voyagers (CHW) (box / pbp)

AZL Brewers (Rookie) 7-4
Won 4-2 at AZL Athletics (box / pbp)

Player/Pitcher Points of Interest

Today's lessons include an international signing, more midseason reviews, and ballparks that haven't been seen in a while.

Yesterday's Results

Blue Jays 7, Brewers 4

The Brewers built up an early 4-1 lead, but couldn't tack on any more runs beyond that in support of starter Wily Peralta. The Blue Jays would end up rallying to tie the game at 4, and then hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Brandon Kintzler to win the game.

The Brewers made the Gilbert Lara signing official.

After months of speculation and waiting, the international free agency period opened yesterday. The Brewers made the move that had been reported for a while, signing Gilbert Lara to a deal with a $3.2 million signing bonus. This easily shatters their previous high of a $800,000 signing bonus for a player, and also puts them way over their soft cap limit for international free agents. It's a much different approach to the international market than we have seen in the past for the Brewers. It's definitely a big move, but it's also one that will prevent them from making other moves in the market in future seasons. We will have to see how this plays out.

Cram Session

Yesterday's Stories from BCB

• Our midseason review series continued with Derek's take on the first half of the season.
• Noah had some thoughts on Doug Mevin's comments about the trade deadline.
• With Toronto now off the list, Kyle looked at the other five ballparks in MLB that the Brewers haven't visited this decade.
• Fred pulled together a Confirmation Bias article after the sweep in Toronto.

Kyle Lohse

• On Beyond the Box Score, Justin Schultz looks at how Kyle Lohse has become one of MLB's most consistent starters.
• Meanwhile, on Reviewing the Brew, they continued their series of player profiles with Kyle Lohse.

All-Star Game

• There's only about 15 hours left in voting for the All-Star Game. John & Cait have a reminder of what's at stake in the vote.
• Could Francisco Rodriguez end up on the team? Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel looks at the case that Rodriguez has built this year.

Other Notes

• Both Brewers manager Ron Roenicke and Blue Jays manager John Gibbons were ejected in a span of a few minutes in the eight inning.
• There were two challenges in yesterday's game, and both went the Brewers way.
• Khris Davis was held out yesterday due to an injury, but Adam McCalvy notes that he is expected back for the start of the Reds series on Friday.
• Aaron Somers of Call to the Pen profiled the Brewers and what their situation is with the trade deadline approaching.
• Mark Reynolds has hit a bit of a slump lately. Adam McCalvy looked at the power outage that Reynolds is going through right now.
• Craig Robinson of NotGraphs has eighteen paintings of ballparks, including one of Miller Park.

Minor League Update

News & Notes

• Jimmy Nelson continued his great year for Nashville yesterday, pitching 6 2/3 scorless innings in Nashville's win over Memphis.

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

Division Update

• Cardinals 2, Giants 0
• Pirates 5, Diamondbacks 1
• Padres 3, Reds 0
• Cubs 16, Red Sox 9

Today's Division Games

• Cardinals (Carlos Martinez) @ Giants (Madison Bumgarner) - 2:45 pm
  (Free Game of the Day on MLB TV)
• Diamondbacks (Brandon McCarthy) @ Pirates (Vance Worley) - 6:05 pm
• Reds and Cubs have the day off.

Today's Action

The Brewers have the day off today. They return to action tomorrow and start a three-game series in Cincinnati against the Reds.

The West Coast swing finished with a resounding dud.

All it took was three days in San Diego.

The Reds wrapped up their 10 game, 3 city road trip with a 6-4 record that fails to accurately describe the highs and lows of the excursion.  After wiping the floor with the then 1st place Giants, the Reds were promptly skunked (twice) and punked (thrice) by the Padres, the most underwhelming team in baseball.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

The offense, aside from Todd Frazier's 2 singles and Brayan Pena's NERTY double, did absolutely nothing.  No walks, no nothing.  Therefore, Johnny Cueto gets the nod by near default, as the ace of the Cincinnati Reds pitched well despite not being his absolutely dominant self, and the 3 runs he allowed over 7 IP did nothing to discredit the fact that he was the most imposing player on the field yesterday.

Congrats on your trophy, Johnny.  Congrats on your Honorable Mentions, Todd & Brayan.

Key Plays

• I listened to the Bottom of the 1st on the radio, and if Marty's call of it was any indication, the damage done was nothing more than the steady gnawing of regression eating away at Cueto's stellar season stats.  Remember when Cueto's strand rate was at a comical 99% some 6 starts into the 2014 season?  Remember his absurd ability to escape jams with the bases loaded?  Neither happened in the 1st, unfortunately, and the Padres capitalized.  Both Chris Denorfia and Chase Headley singled with one out, and after Cueto walked Tommy Medica to load the bases, Rene Rivera singled softly to right center on a ball that was nearly reeled in by Billy Hamilton's speed in CF.  Billy barely got to it, but couldn't hang on as he hit the ground, and being that this happened with two outs in the inning, the runners were moving on contact and the bases cleared.
• The Reds took the field, recorded a few outs, went back to the dugout, recorded a few outs, and retook the field a bunch, but didn't do anything else for two hours.  Reds lose, 3-0.

**that doesn't work, either.  This was a terrible idea.

Continuing the midseason thoughts from the different contributors on BCB.

With the Brewers' season now halfway over, some of the contributors here at BCB have decided to give our thoughts on the team at this point in time. We'll have one a day this week, with each of us answering the same questions. Here are the previous entries in the series:

• Part 1: Noah's take
• Part 2: Jordan's take
• Part 3: Derek's take

At the halfway point, what do you see as the biggest strength of the team?

Right now, the biggest strength of the team is the balanced offense. When I look at the regular lineup, it looks formidable. There aren't many weaknesses in it at all. Mark Reynolds has the worst average (which we expected coming in to the season), and Jean Segura is second worst at .239. 5 players have 10+ home runs, and 5 players have 40+ RBI. There's no easy batter to face in this lineup. Pitchers have to issue the intentional walk at their own risk. The next batter up isn't necessarily an easier one. (Interesting fact: Scooter Gennett leads the Brewers with 5 IBBs this season.)

At the halfway point, what is the biggest weakness for the team?

The biggest need for the team is to get another bench bat. Typically, all that's on the bench in a given day is the 1B and 2B platoon non-starters, Martin Maldonado (who has been ok in his limited time), and then...it's rotated between Jeff Bianchi, Logan Schafer, Elian Herrera, Caleb Gindl, and Irving Falu (who isn't with the organization anymore). Take your pick among those candidates, they aren't that great. The big need for the Brewers is a good backup OF bat (potentially a 1B/OF bat), and I'll talk more about that a little later.

The bullpen is a concern, but I don't think a move is as necessary there. Jim Henderson is in the rehab process right now, and Tyler Thornburg isn't too far behind. They will be back at some point, potentially in a month or so. Getting them back would be similar to a midseason trade at this point, and I believe their struggles were both injury related. If they can return, that will give the bullpen the boost it needs.

How are you feeling about the Brewers' chances to make the playoffs?

As of today, I'd give the Brewers a 75% chance to make the playoffs.  That's a 50% chance for the division, and 25% for the wild card.  The Brewers have built a nice 5 1/2 game lead so far, but it's far from safe at this point. With 12 games remaining against the Reds and 12 against the Cardinals, both have plenty of time to make up the deficit. The Brewers have cushioned themselves against the Pirates a little better, but they could also make a big run to make the race interesting as well.

On the Wild Card side, there isn't as much additional threat outside of the NL Central. It looks like 2nd place from the NL West (Dodgers/Giants) will be the main competition for a spot, and 2nd place in the NL East (Braves/Nationals). That will leave around five teams competing for two wild card spots. One of the other three NL Central teams (Cardinals, Reds, Pirates) will drop out at some point, trimming it to four. Again, the Brewers have a good lead here, and that will help them in this race.

The one concern I do have is their ability to play against winning teams. The Brewers record is a little inflated from quality of competition. In fact, they haven't won a series against a team with a winning record since the last Pirates series (early June), and then the Orioles series before that. They have played well against the Pirates, and did have a good series against the Cardinals, but they've also struggled against the Braves, Nationals, and Reds. To feel a little more confident, I need to see them play well against winning teams. They'll have a few chances to do it before the All-Star Break with series against the Reds and Cardinals. These aren't must-win games in any way, but good performances in both will be confidence builders for the rest of the season.

Do you believe the Brewers should buy, sell or stand pat at the trade deadline?

I think the Brewers should buy, but not that much. Doug Melvin has pulled off some good trades at the deadline to fill minor needs, trading borderline minor-league players for a rental bench bat or utility player. I don't want to see the Brewers sell major prospects for big rentals, but a few small trades could fill the holes that are currently in the roster. Injuries could change this, but for right now, any moves should be minor.

If you could make one roster move on the Brewers, what would it be?

The biggest move I would make immediately would be to acquire a good bench bat that can play in the outfield. I would send Elian Herrera back to Nashville, because while he can play a variety of positions, I'm not convinced he can play those positions well. Ideally, it would be a CF acquired, but that could prove tricky. If that's not possible, then a guy who can play both 1B and OF, and then break up the 1B platoon (sorry, Lyle Overbay fans) to bring Logan Schafer back up.

Some people may ask why I wouldn't choose to bring Jimmy Nelson up. While I would like to see Nelson on the team before September, I'd rather keep him as a sixth starter for now. At some point, the Brewers will probably need that 6th SP (maybe due to injury, maybe for another reason), and I'd like to have that option ready to go when that situation comes up. Yes, there's still Mike Fiers in Nashville as well, but I don't feel as confident about him stepping right in to the rotation when that time comes.

Best starting pitcher going forward?

I'm going to go with the veteran Kyle Lohse. He's been consistent so far this year, and he's gone through this several times before. What I have seen from Lohse has given me a lot of confidence in his ability for the rest of the season.

Best hitter going forward?

It's going to be Jonathan Lucroy. He's the most complete hitter on this team, and should get some MVP consideration (though he probably won't win without going completely crazy on the stat sheets). He could also reach 200 hits this season, and would be the first Brewer to do that since Ryan Braun reached that mark in 2009. He's also reaching for Lyle Overbay's team double record of 53.

Honorable mention goes to Scooter Gennett, who has had a great plate approach in his time against right-handed pitchers. If he could find some success against left-handed pitchers, he could be the Brewers full-time second baseman for the next five years.

Ryan Braun's batting line in the second half?

I'll go with .290/.350/.550. I think he will get some of his power back and really get back to who he was before this current slump.

Do the Brewers make a high profile trade?

No, not a high profile trade. I think they will make a trade, but it will be more for filling small gaps instead of bringing in a star player.

How many wins do the Brewers get in their final 81 games?

Brewers are 2-3 so far in the last 81. I think they will go 24-16 at home and 18-18 on the road, finishing with 44 wins in the second half of the season. That will get them a record of 93-69 for the season.

Do the Brewers win the division?

At this point, I'm going to give the Brewers a 50/50 shot at winning the division (50% for the Brewers, 50% for the field). The Brewers are in the best position, though the Reds and Pirates are both heating up. Plus, you can't discount the Cardinals and a late season push. I will say that the Brewers will win the division, but it won't be an easy ride.

Doug Melvin grade through 1st half?

I'll give Doug Melvin a A-. There have been some very good moves to start the year (the Will Smith trade, signing Mark Reynolds and Zach Duke) that have really helped the team. However, there's also been a few more questionable moves with some of the Nashville callups. Most of those have been minor, so I won't dock him too much for that.

Ron Roenicke grade through 1st half?

I'll give Ron Roenicke the same grade, an A-. There hasn't been much to question about his managing style this year. He's recognized problems when they have come up (underperforming lineup, bullpen issues) and done what he can to fix them. I feel like the few problems he hasn't handled are more an upper management issue than his issue. He's done very well for the Brewers this year and we should be happy with his performance.