Series 40 - Milwaukee Brewers @ Los Angeles Dodgers August 15 - August 17 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CAI really wanted to be in Los Angeles for this series. It has been far too many years since I have been to Southern California, and I've been itching to go back. My Aunt and Uncle lived out there for much of my childhood, so we would go visit them every year around Christmas. When my Dad was working for Miller Brewery, my Mom and brother and sister moved out there for 6 long months. I went back to visit family and friends out there for several years, but that all changed when my Dad moved away from California. As far as I can recall, I haven't been back there since 2005 when we went out there for our friend Craig's Wedding. For someone who used to go there every year, it's been a little odd to go this long. I have since supplemented my need for West Coast mentality and In-N-Out Burger by making a yearly pilgrimage to Las Vegas for the World Series of Beer Pong, but it just isn't the same since there is no Ocean in Las Vegas. I was planning on going to see Craig, and also take some time to hang with the Film 101 Crew (the guys behind Last Cup : Road to the World Series of Beer Pong, the documentary that I am in) but I just couldn't do it. I spent all of my reserve money going to Las Vegas for the film premiere in mid June, and used up all of my vacation time when I went to Afterglow during the last week of July. With no money and no time, I had no choice but to watch these games from the safety of my living room on the East Side of Milwaukee. While I have no doubt that it would've been a sweet trip, my lack of vacation time and lack of funds made it impossible for me to know the truth. Besides, judging from the end results, 2 out of the 3 games would have been tough to watch. Uh-oh, I just spilled the beans. Not like you didn't already know. Ok then, on with the wrap-up.
Game 1 (Friday) - Manny Parra (9-6, 4.12 ERA) vs Chad Billingsley (12-9, 3.10 ERA)
Game 1 (Friday) - Manny Parra (9-6, 4.12 ERA) vs Chad Billingsley (12-9, 3.10 ERA)
Remember when Manny Parra was 9-2? I remember a little bit, but it is quickly fading. What started out as a very promising rookie campaign (although he technically is not qualified as a rookie because of service time) has headed south as of late. And you know, it's not like he's getting rocked for like 8 runs every time out, it's like he just isn't as sharp as he was midseason. I know that people are going to point out that he has exceeded his inning limit already this year, and that he should be used sparingly to avoid injury, and they may say that he's tired. I don't think that he is tired yet, but you can definitely see how much more pressure there is in during a full year at the Major League level versus the Minor Leagues. He's feeling it, and although has said that he will keep his rotation in place throughout the rest of the year, something has to be done to avoid Manny breaking down due to overwork. After all, we need him for the stretch run and possibly the playoffs. The Brewers scored 3 early runs, courtesy of Gabe Kapler's 2 run homerun. Kapler has been filling in for the injured Braun, and he has been doing a fantastic job. It's great to have quality veteran backups. Kapler is right up there with Torres and Kendall as best signing ever by Doug Melvin. I can't possibly heap any more praise upon them then I already have. But I certainly will try. Oh yeah, and Parra gave up 4 runs off of 10 hits in just 5 2/3 innings. Ugh. After the 1st 2 innings, the Brewers were basically shut down by the Dodgers pitching staff, and this game was over. Not a very good way to start off the series. Final score Dodgers 5, Brewers 3.
Brewers record : 70 - 53, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card
Game 2 (Saturday) - Dave Bush (7-9, 4.26 ERA) vs Derek Lowe (9-10, 3.99 ERA)
I should really be ashamed of myself. Although I was available to watch the game in its entirety, I chose to drink and work on my website. I'm a bit behind, so I decided that I could kill two birds with one stone (I hate myself for using that common and overused idiom) by typing and keeping the Brewers ESPN Gamecast open on the side of the screen. Since I was in the middle of moving, I only had 1 TV in my room (which is a rarity) and had to flip between the TV and my computer to watch the game or type. I was all liquored up, and when I do that, I usually feel like working on the site. I couldn't deny my inner creative genius from coming out and knocking out some of those long awaited web pages. Turns out that I missed one hell of a game to have my attention divided. Kapler, Cameron, and Hart each made fantastic unbelievable catches to save extra base hits, runs from scoring, and in Kapler's case, homeruns. Kapler's catch took him into the stands in left field, and it outdid Hart and Cameron because robbing a homerun always takes precedence on SportsCenter's web gems. If they allow more than 10, then all 3 catches would have made it. But they usually choose the best of the 3, and Kapler's catch will surely go down as one of the best defensive gems for the Brewers all season. Bush got lucky with the defense playing well behind him, but he also was good as he only allowed 2 runs off of 5 hits in 7 innings. JJ Hardy had himself a roller coaster 8th - 10th innings though. In the 8th, he hit a 2 run homerun that put the Brewers up 3 -2, then committed a costly error in the 9th that tied the game at 3 and cost Bush the win. But then he came through in the 10th inning with a single that scored Ray Durham from 2nd. Riske flirted with danger in the 10th, but struck out Manny Ramirez to end the game and I jumped around my empty room with drunken glee. Then I settled down, took a couple of victory shots, then resumed work on the sight. Great night all around. I just wish that I was able to watch the game and move at the same time. Moving is a real bitch. Final score Brewers 4, Dodgers 3.
Brewers record : 71 - 53, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card
Game 3 (Sunday) - Jeff Suppan (8-7, 4.62 ERA) vs Clayton Kershaw (2-3, 3.59 ERA)
(Written before the game) I hope that Jeff Suppan got a little bit of home cookin' at his LA area restaurant Soup's Grill, because he's going to need all the sustenance he can get to perform at an elevated level. The Brewers desperately needed a win to close out the road trip, so that the long ass flight from LA to Milwaukee isn't spent sulking. We want them to spend in celebrating and harassing the stewardesses...errr....flight attendants.
This game was as exciting as harassing flight attendants, getting arrested by the air marshal on the plane, being thrown in jail, appearing in court and paying fines; and it was just as painful too. Despite being a Sunday, I was unable to watch this game because I was moving all of the shit that I was not able to move on Thursday. So while Paul and I were carrying desk, dressers and couches up and down the stairs, the Brewers were busy getting beat by the Dodgers. Soup had a Suppan like day, as he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 6 innings. The offense was kept in check for 8 innings, but then suddenly awoke and remembered that they were playing baseball in the 9th inning. When I last heard the score, it was 5-1 in the 9th inning, and I was outside of radio contact from then on. When I heard that the Brewers scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th inning, I was ecstatic. The Brewers manufactured 2 runs, then Ryan Braun, playing in his first game in nearly a week, hit a 2 run homer in the 9th to tie it all up at 5-5. But then Villanueva gave up a walk off homerun to Andre Ethier with a man on 1st, then suddenly that comeback was wiped away and the Brewers were walking off the field while the Dodgers ganged up on Ethier at home plate. I'm almost glad I didn't see/hear it, because I don't know that I can handle that up and down influx of emotions. But I wish that I would have seen it, because a true Brewer fans rides along with the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, and the wins and the losses. I consider myself to be true Brew. But I just couldn't this day, because moving just really kicked my ass. Rough day all around, but I'm glad that it is over. Final score Dodgers 7, Brewers 5.
Brewers record : 71 - 54, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card
So it didn't end exactly like we wanted it to, and although we lost this series, we still went 3-3 on this West Coast roadtrip. That's better than anything that we have done in years past, and in no means is it something to hang your head over. Although the Brewers are without a doubt better than both of these teams on paper, it is still a tall order to ask a visiting team to win or sweep the the series on the road. Baseball is one sport where there is such a homefield advantage, because the home team can decide the fate of the game with one swing of the bat and then it is over. Case in point - Ethier's walk off homerun in the 9th inning of Sunday's game. The Brewers scrapped so hard to come back and tie it, and all it takes is one homerun and the game is over. There's no extra innings, no shootouts or overtime. Game over man, game over. That's it. THAT IS IT. 1 team goes home happy and one team goes home sad. But it's ok, because the Dodgers have a bigger uphill climb to make it to the playoffs, but they can thank their lucky stars they only have to beat the Diamondbacks. We still have to beat the Cubs and Cardinals, the 1st and 3rd best teams in the league. But hey, I'll take a 3-3 roadtrip then come home to face the Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Play .500 on the road and clean up at home, and you'll be rockin' in the playoffs. But enough with that playoffs talk, we still have September to go until we can worry about the postseason. We gotta finish what's left on our plates before we even consider desert. Mmmm.... desert.
Next up - August 18 (Monday) - August 20 (Wednesday) Milwaukee Brewers vs Houston Astros at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI
- pookon -
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