Series 30 - Milwaukee Brewers vs Colorado Rockies July 7 - July 10 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WIAfter sweeping the Pirates, things were looking pretty good with the Rockies coming into town. In any other division, the Rockies season would be over, but since they play in the dismal NL West, they are still in it this year despite sporting a record of 37-51. They are only 7 games back of the division leading Diamondbacks, and they still can catch them if they get hot in September like they did last year (when they won like 20 out of 21 games to close out the year). No matter what the record is, you can never count out a team that is still in contention. I took this series and this team lightly, and I don't mean to spill the beans, but we should've done more in this series than we did. There are some teams that we are supposed to beat (like the Pirates this weekend and the Rockies this week), and although it is a tall order to ask the Brewers to win a 4 game sweep, you should be able to take the series when you have McClung, Bush, Sheet and Sabathia going. Wait..what? That's right, I said Sabathia, as in CC, the former ace from the Cleveland Indians. You already know that the Brewers dealt Matt LaPorta and other prospects for a 3 month rental of Sabathia (who is a free agent after this season), but that won't stop me from gushing all over for the rest of the season. Ok, I really got to get caught up here, so on with the wrap-up.
Game 1 (Monday) - Seth McClung (5-4, 4.15 ERA) vs Ubaldo Jimenez (4-8, 4.21 ERA)
This is one of those games that the Brewers should have won. They play terrific ball at home, but for some reason they couldn't win today. It must be because everyone was so head over heels about the recent trade that sent Matt LaPorta and 3 other prospects to Cleveland for CC Sabathia. It must have been on Seth McClung's mind today, as he only went 4 2/3 innings. The Brewers offense tried to make a comeback in the 8th inning, but they could only muster up 3 runs. Those 3 runs would not be enough, since McClung and Villanueva had each allowed 2 runs. The Brewers ended up losing by a score of 4-3, and after the 3 game sweep of the Pirates, things weren't starting out the way that I hoped they would have. Fielder hit another homerun today, but it just wasn't enough to grab the victory away from the Rockies. But it was a good sign that the big man is getting hot, and we'd need his bat to get going if we wanted to win this year. He's an integral part of this team, and although he's struggling a bit when compared to last year (which I think was a career year, since you can't expect someone to hit 50 homeruns and 119 RBIs every year) if he comes around this team will be alright. Today is easily forgettable, especially since CC Sabathia will be making his much anticipated and well publicized debut as a Milwaukee Brewer tomorrow. Final score Rockies 4, Brewers 3.
Brewers record : 49 - 40Game 2 (Tuesday) - CC Sabathia (7-8, 3.79 ERA) vs Mark Redman (2-4, 7.07 ERA)
I've wished for many things in my life. I've wished for a million dollars, the ability to fly, or to find the girl of my dreams, but I now wish more than anything that I could have been there for CC Sabathia's debut as a Brewer. My stupid job got in the way, so I had to settle for watching it on ESPN's gamecast during the game and Time Warner's DVR later that night. How's that for some product placement? CC wasn't sharp today, but it was one of those games that you could tell that everyone on the team banded together and wanted nothing more than to get him the win in his first start as a Brewer. He only lasted 6 innings, and he gave up an unusually high 5 walks, but I would attribute that to nerves. He is being touted as the "missing piece" and "savior of our season", but he is just a man, and that man can only take the mound every 5th day. It was a sellout crowd today, so I can understand how electric it was inside that joint. I don't blame CC one bit for being a bit erratic today. No one since Neo in the Matrix (who was asked to be the One and save the world) has been asked to do more. Ok, so I guess Jesus Christ was asked to do more since God told him to die so that mankind's sins could be forgiven. But CC is right up there with Neo and Jesus Christ in turns of being called upon to be the savior of mankind. Yeah, I just said that. Call me blasphemous. Do what you got to do. CC did get the win, and the Brewers offense backed him up. Ryan Braun gave him a 3 run cushion in the 1st inning, when he belted a homerun to make the score 3-0 from the beginning. They scored another 3 runs in the 7th inning, and the home crowd went nuts as CC and the Brew Crew won the game tonight. It sucks to give up Matt LaPorta, and I know that this won't be the last time that I mention it, but if we make the playoffs, it will be worth it. I'll mortgage the future for chance to win now. I'm sick and tired of this waiting bullshit; I've been waiting for 25 years. The Sabathia deal is arguably the best thing that has happened to Wisconsin sports since 1996 (when the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl) and I know for a fact that this will be one long and exciting ride in 2008. CC wasn't perfect in his Brewers debut, but at least he left some room for improvement. Final score Brewers 7, Rockies 3.
Brewers record : 50 - 40
Game 3 (Wednesday) - Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.85 ERA) vs Glendon Rusch (2-3, 6.25 ERA)
People always talk about following up a tough act. If the opener kills the crowd, then the headliner needs to go out there and straight up murder the crowd. My friend and former roommate Aaron Spiering took me to see Chris Rock at the Pabst Theater back in like 2005. Rock's good friend J.B. Smoove opened up for Rock, and he was drop dead hilarious. Although I knew that Chris Rock would be funnier, it was hard to imagine that it was possible at the time because J.B. was ridiculously funny. Smoove did his thang, and made way for Rock, who brought the house down with his comedy act. Why do I bring this up? Is it so that I can state the obvious and tell you that Chris Rock is one funny mother fu#&er? No, because you already know that. I bring this up because Ben Sheets has huge shoes to follow, as he is suddenly thrown into a rotation where he is now the co-ace of the pitching staff. Sheets was decent, as he went 6 innings and struck out 11 Rockies, but that turned out to not be enough as the offense was not able to overcome the 3 earned runs that Sheets allowed, and the bullpen was unable to keep this game close. There are very few times that I get flat out pissed off during a Brewers game, but this was one of them. Do you remember Glendon Rusch? Yes, the same Glendon Rusch who went 11-28 as a Brewer with a plus 5.00 ERA as member of the 2002-2003 Brewers? Yeah, that guy. Turns out that guy dominated us tonight and held us to 1 freakin' run. That's right ladies and gents, he out dueled Milwaukee Ace Ben Sheets tonight, and it is simply atrocious and uncalled for that he was able to keep us in check tonight. Color me disappointed with the offense tonight. So Big Ben only gave up 3 runs, so we should win, right? Wrong. Guillermo "say No Ta" Mota came in and gave up 4 runs in the 8th inning, and put this game out of reach. This game summarizes everything that is wrong in this world - Glendon Rusch dominates us and Mota still has a job. Damn it. This game is a perfect example of the thinking that there is always tomorrow. Final score Rockies 8, Brewers 3.
Brewers record : 50 - 41
Game 4 (Thursday) - Dave Bush (5-8, 4.39 ERA) vs Jorge De La Rosa (3-5, 7.26 ERA)
Talking about how good Dave Bush pitches at home is the same as talking about how much of a surprise Seth McClung has been in the starting rotation - overdone and overplayed. Dave Bush outdid himself today. Do you remember when he took a no hitter into the 8th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays? This game was better, as he went 8 inning giving up 1 run on 3 hits and striking out 13 batters, a career high. Bush has always been known as a pitcher that pounds the strikezone, but today he really poured it on. And like always, he chose to be perfect on a day when he didn't have to be. Just as Dave Bush exploded off the mound, the Brewers offense exploded at the plate, scoring 11 runs off of 12 hits. Corey Hart and JJ Hardy hit homeruns today, but it was really a team effort as the Brewers steamrolled the Rockies today. There's npt really much else to talk about today, as the score really tells the whole story here. Now that's what I call domination. Final score Brewers 11, Rockies 1.
Brewers record : 51 - 41
So there was 1 great game (the Dave Bush start), 1 eagerly anticipated game (the CC Sabathia start), 1 disappointing game (the Ben Sheets start) and the close game that the Brewers should have won (the McClung start). There's a little bit of everything; it's just too bad that that we split this series instead of winning it. After the series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend, a split against the Rockies is viewed as a let down. We really should have taken 3 out of 4, but to be quite honest with you, it's really tough to do that. You expect your team to win 2 out of 3 at home, but a 4 game series is almost always split between the 2 teams. We have no choice but to take it. At least we split the 4 games, it could always be worse. We do have the Cincinnati Reds coming to town next, and so far this year they have been consumed with fighting off Pittsburgh and Houston for the "dubious" title of NL Central loser. Here's hoping that we finish off the first half on a good note, but since I already know how the Cincinnati series ended, I can't say that I am happy about it. Sorry to let the cat out of the bag, but if you don't know about the Brewers current situation, then you truly have been living underneath a rock. I've never lived underneath a rock (although I have been to the House on the Rock) so I don't know what it is like to be out of the loop. If you are one of those people, then let me know if it really sucks to be you. If I don't hear from you, then I'll just make an assumption that it does suck to be you. But lest I forget that if you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption. Touche.
Next up - Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds July 11 (Friday) - July 13 (Sunday) at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI
Next up - Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds July 11 (Friday) - July 13 (Sunday) at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI
- pookon -
email: pookondotcom@gmail.com
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