Brewers @ Cubs 9/16 - 9/18 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 49 - Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs September 16 - September 18 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

And so continues the most wretched roadtrip that the Brewers have ever seen, not only in terms of difficulty, but also in terms of the implications it has on their season. The city of Philadelphia has a longstanding tradition of having unruly fans, and Citizens Bank Park is a hitters park, which wasn't kind to the Brewers considering that Ryan Howard is just mashing the living shit out of the ball right now. Too bad we caught him while he was hot. Too bad, so sad. So that series is over (thank God!) and we can now concentrate on this one. The Cubs are the best team in the NL this year, but for once it doesn't really pain me to say it. It's hard to argue with their style of play. They have the right mix of guys who can hit for average and power, play above average defense, and for the most part, they have a pretty solid pitching staff. Sure, their bullpen is a little weak, but so it every other team's this time of the year. You really can't argue with their versatility and the depth of good quality players on the bench. It seems that anyone on that team can make a spot start and really hurt you. I won't do this often (because I love nothing more than to bash and hate the Cubs), but I have to say that I respect their plate discipline. They show incredible patience at the plate, and don't swing at a lot of garbage pitches outside of the zone. That shows in their batting average (8 players batting at .285 or above) and on base percentage (9 players with an OBP of .350 or above). Compare that to the Brewers batting average (3 players batting above .285) and on base percentage(3 players with an OBP of .350 or above) and you can easily see what the Cubs are leading the NL Central and the Brewers are not. The Brewers are lucky to win 80 + games with a 2nd baseman (Weeks) batting .234, a center fielder (Cameron) batting .240, and a 3rd base tandem batting .224 (Hall) and .227 (Counsell). I'm amazed that we could scratch out as many wins as we did. Up until September, our pitchers have been throwing out of their minds (crazy good) so now that they have come back down to reality, it's no surprise that we are losing games. But the Cubs are guaranteed a playoff spot, and for some reason the Brewers play well here at Wrigley Field. This ought to be an interesting series. It always is between these two clubs. Starting with this series, I am temporarily working normal people hours from 9:30 am - 6:00 pm, so that means I get home at 7:00 pm just in time to take my pants off, pop open a beer, and watch the Brewers game. For the next few hours until bedtime, I would either be clinging to the edge of my couch hanging on for dear life, or nervously pacing around my living room. Brewers-Cubs games always make me tense up because it's never over until it's over. Well, that's enough talk up here in this section, so I'm gonna get moving on with the wrap-up. Oh yeah, and f#*k the Cubs.

Game 1 (Tuesday) - CC Sabathia (15-9, 2.88 ERA) vs Ryan Dempster (16-6, 3.02 ERA)

The big news before this games was that the Brewers fired Ned Yost with 12 games remaining in the season and have given Dale Sveum a chance to lead the team to the playoffs. I won't mention that much here, because I already wrote a separate entry about that. Check it out here, if you have not already done that. The bigger story, in my opinion, is how would the players react from here on out and whether or not it was the right move to get them to the playoffs. So after losing all 4 games in Philadelphia, the Brewers needed to rebound badly with a win today, and they sent the best possibly candidate up to the mound to do it. CC Sabathia has been nearly flawless, with his only tough game coming against these same Cubs back in July at Miller Park. Turns out that the Cubs are the one team in the National League that he can't handle, for whatever reason. The Brewers were going up against Ryan Dempster, and it still pisses me off that he's been this good all year long. He was a decent closer, but he was known to blow quite a few games. As soon as I heard that he was going to be a starter again, I was happy because I knew he would suck. Turns out I don't know shit about the Cubs, and I'd kinda like to keep it that way. But there's no way that he should be a 16 game winner with a 3 ERA. That's just wrong. Sabathia got touched for a run early (the 1st inning) and never looked right out there. He allowed 2 more in the 3rd and 1 more in the 7th (homerun by Soriano), and his night was over. He was responsible for 4 out of the 5 Cubs runs today, which normally wouldn't be too bad, but the Brewers offense has been so sluggish lately. The Brewers did show a little life today, and Prince Fielder was an absolute beast. In the 6th inning, he hit a crowd stunning blast that ended up on Sheffield Ave (outside the right field bleachers) to pull the Brewers within a run to make the score 3-2. But then Soriano hit his homerun to put the Cubs up 4-2. Fielder hit another homer in the 8th inning, this time to center field, to bring the game back within a run. The Cubs then scored 1 in their half of the inning to make it 5-3. So every time the we scored, they scored too. This sucked big time. The Brewers got 1 more run in the 9th inning against Kerry Wood, who is also excelling in his new role. But then Prince Fielder struck out looking on a nasty curveball with the bases loaded to end the game. He already hit 2 homeruns in the game today, so you can't expect him to do it all. He's good, but he's not that good. Very few players can just be totally untouchable, and while Prince may someday get to that level, he's still a pretty young and raw player. So it was tough to watch them lose another one for 2 reasons. 1 - they dropped out of 1st place in the Wild Card lead thanks to the Phillies taking over the NL East division lead. 2 - CC Sabathia was handed his 1st loss as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, which essentially closes the door on his CY Young Chances. He would have had to be perfect to be in contention for that award. But none of those matter right now because we just need to freakin' win. And if we can't win while CC is on the mound, then God help us. Final score Cubs 5, Brewers 4.

Brewers record : 83 - 68, 2nd place NL Central (8 games back of Chicago), 2nd place NL Wild Card (1/2 games behind of the New York Mets)

Game 2 (Wednesday) - Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.98 ERA) vs Jason Marquis (10-9, 4.39 ERA)

So after the disappointing game yesterday, I exhaled a sigh of relief that we would have Ben Sheets going today. That sigh became a scream when Sheets exited after the 2nd inning with arm problems. He has some elbow trouble, and it is doubtful that he will make another start this year. Same old Ben Sheets; we can't even count on him in a playoff chase in a contract year. So this game could have quickly got out of hand, but Sveum emptied out the bullpen and DiFelice, Coffey, Villanueva, Stetter, Gagne, Mota and Torres all saw action. Torres was the only one out of those 7 who allowed a run, and that was in the 9th inning (obviously) of a game that was already over. But with the explosive Cubs offense that has the potential to score big in 1 inning, the game is never over until it is over. Which was why I was so relieved to see out # 3 in the 9th inning. The Brewers scored 3 runs early when Prince Fielder continued his scorching hot streak by clearing the bases with a double. And with no outs in the top of the 1st and 3 runs on the board, the Brewers never looked back. They scored 3 Badger Mutual Insurance runs in the 7th inning to give the bullpen a little breathing room (Sheets allowed a run in the 2nd inning and the Brewers had been clinging to a 3-1 lead) and while I was clinging to the edge of my couch waiting for the other show to drop, it never did, and the Brewers won the game. The Brewers bullpen did a really nice job holding the vibrant Cubs offense to only 2 runs today, but it's going to take a masterful performance by Dave Bush (who has horrible career numbers against the Cubs) and the Brewers offense to take this series tomorrow. But we'll worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. Enjoy the victory today, especially because 84 wins already guarantees a better record than last year's 84-79 season. But 84 wins will not be enough to win the NL Wildcard, so we gotta come back tomorrow and win another one. But Dale Sveum gets hi s1st win as Brewers manager, and the Brewers chalk up 1 more in the W column. Final score Brewers 6, Cubs 2.

Brewers record : 84 - 68, 2nd place NL Central (8 games back of Chicago), 2nd place NL Wild Card (1/2 games behind of the New York Mets)

Game 3 (Thursday) - Dave Bush (9-10, 4.22 ERA) vs Rich Harden (10-2, 2.03 ERA)

Dave Bush did a fine job today limiting the damage to only 2 runs, and the bullpen continued to impress as Coffey, Gagne and Mota each contributed with scoreless innings. But that will all go overlooked as Torres blew a 6-2 lead with 2 outs in the 9th inning in a damaging and ill-timed loss to the Cubs. The Mets won today, so the Brewers fell to 1 1/2 games back in the Wildcard, which could be a whole lot more damaging than this game 3 loss. The Brewers offense was aided by some shoddy Cubs defense in the 6th inning when they scored 4 runs, and with Torres coming on in the 9th with a 4 run lead, this game looked like it was over. But according to Bluto (John Belushi in Animal House), "Over? Did you say 'over'? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!" He ran out of the room, and Torres and the Brewers ran out of steam. They eventually lost the game in the bottom of the 12th inning, and I lost my lunch. I mean it. I literally got sick from watching the Cubs win this game. Today was really tough, but that is why there is always tomorrow. But the Brewers better watch it, because they are running out of tomorrows. Ug-ga-ly loss today. Final score Cubs 7, Brewers 6.

Brewers record : 84 - 69, place NL Central (9 games back of Chicago), 2nd place NL Wild Card (1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets)

It was bad, but honestly it really could have been worse. Had the Cubs swept the Brewers, they not only would have been almost officially out of the Wildcard race, but the Cubs would have clinched the National League Central division title with the Brewers sulking back towards the visiting dugout. Thankfully that didn't happen, but that final game in the series is still pissing me off because not only did I have to watch it, but now I have to talk about it. It still could have been worse though, because some of my friends were at the game and had to witness this devastating loss in person. Although I'd never do it, at least I could've changed the channel on the TV or shut it off. They couldn't shut out the annoying Cubs fans who were jumping around like a bunch of recently freed caged monkeys. They said that some Cubs fans were screaming in their faces and rubbing it in big time. And people wonder why I hate the Cubs. Them and their FIB fans can all go to hell. Thankfully this is the last time that the Brewers have to play at Wrigley Field this year, but those FIBs will all be up at "Wrigley Field North" come the final series of the year. Hopefully I get to kick some of them out for drunk and disorderly conduct. If not, then I'll just cut them off so that they get pissed off that they can't drink any more beer in my section of the stadium. That will show them. So the woeful roadtrip continues on down the line to Cincinnati, and we'll see how that one goes. Oh wait...we already know. But I'm not going to talk about that here - I'll save that shit for a different day. Until then : Ted - don't forget to wind your watch!

Next up - September 19 (Friday) - September 21 (Sunday) Milwaukee Brewers @ Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/

email : pookondotcom@gmail.com

Brewers @ Phillies 9/11 - 9/14 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 48 - Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies September 11 - September 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

This was the beginning of the last roadtrip of the season. It was one that would see us go to Philadelphia for 4 games, Chicago for 3, then finish it up at Cincinnati for 3 games before ending the season at home. It would be a brutal 10 games that could make or break our season. Since Philadelphia currently trailed by 4 games in the Wildcard race, we could either make up some ground on them, remain tied at 4 games up, or fall to a tie for the Wildcard lead. The Brewers were in the driver's seat and had full control over their destiny, so they could chose the road that looked the most passable and free of all detours and road construction. They had all of the chances here to succeed, but as you already know, they pissed it all away and sucked it up big time. I won't waste anymore of your time rubbing it in that the Brewers are playing horribly right now, because that would be like poring salt into open festering wounds. Salt is good on the rims of margaritas, but it doesn't bode well with bleeding cuts. So with that in mind, let;s get on with the wrap-up.

Game 1 (Thursday) - Ben Sheets (13-8, 2.97 ERA) vs Jamie Moyer (14-7, 3.68 ERA)

Count today as one of those roadmarker games in the 2008 Brewers season. When we look back and think about what might have been, this game will always be fresh in my mind. It's because this game is the start of the end of our season. Going in to this game, we were 4 games ahead of the Phillies in the Wild Card race, which is a pretty healthy number. Granted Jamie Moyer has had a pretty good year, and the Phillies offense is something that you don't want to mess with, but I was still in the camp that believed that the Brewers were a better team. Boy was I wrong. Ben Sheets had a chance to prove that he was still that stopper that the Brewers needed to stop the bleeding, but even he couldn't contain the outpouring of suckiness that was flowing free like the mighty Miss filled to the brim with flood waters. He definitely wasn't perfect today, but he wasn't half bad either. The Phillies offense (mainly Ryan Howard, who is on a ridiculous tear right now) just outpowered and outmatched the Brewers, and this game unfortunately was over in the 1st inning when the Phillies scored 2 runs. The Brewers have just lost it, and there's no turning back now. This is by far the biggest and most important series of the year, and since CC Sabathia pitched the finale against Cincinnati, he would be unavailable for this series. That means after the Sheets loss today, Manny Parra, Dave Bush and Jeff Suppan would have to buckle down and lead the Brewers to victory. I don't like those odds, especially with the way that the Brewers have been playing so far in September. Sucks to be a Brewers fan today. It's the cross I have to bear by being a fan. You'd think that they could at ;east win one meaningful game for me, right? Wrong. Final score Phillies 6, Brewers 3.

Brewers record : 83 - 64, 2nd place NL Central (5 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card ( 3 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 2 (Saturday) - Manny Parra (10-8, 4.28 ERA) vs Cole Hamels (13-9, 3.11 ERA)

Friday's game was rained out, and on Friday my cousin Brian texted me and told me some good news - at least the Brewers wouldn't lose today. But since the Brewers are in the middle of totally tanking it, I'm sure that they could find a way to lose a game without even playing today. Kind of like how Ice Cube in the movie Friday got fired on his day off for stealing boxes. If any team could do it, it would be the 2008 Brewers. So they pushed this game back to Sunday night. And the Saturday game went ahead as scheduled, and the results stayed the same. Manny Parra has totally hit the wall, and I don't know if it is inexperience or the gas tank being on empty, but has just lost it. I commend him for everything that he has done this year, and next year I think he will be a fine addition to our pitching staff, but he may have very well thrown his last pitch in 2008. You just can't count on him anymore this year. Parra succeeded in turning in the shortest start for a Brewers starter this year by going a minuscule 1 1/3 innings, and he gave up 5 earned runs in that small time frame. Truth be told, it really didn't matter how many runs that Manny gave up because the Brewers offense can't do shit right now. It may have just as well been 500 runs instead of 5, because we were in a hole that we couldn't dig ourselves out of. You've heard this story before, but I can't help but tell it again - the Brewers pitched poorly, committed some errors, scored some garbage runs late, and ended up losing the game. Sounds like a normal September to me. So the Brewers lost. What else is new? Final score Phillies 7, Brewers 3.

Brewers record : 83 - 65, 2nd place NL Central (6 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (2 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 3 (Sunday afternoon) - Dave Bush (9-10, 4.24 ERA) vs Joe Blanton (7-12, 4.82 ERA)

So we already lost 2 of the 1st 4 games, and we turned to Dave Bush (?) to turn it around. Sure, he's been pretty consistent (12 wins in 2007 and 2006) and had a really good August (4-0 I think), but it was going to take more than that to win a game here in Philadelphia. Bush was actually pretty good today, going 6 innings and giving up only 3 runs. So it was tied at 3-3 in the 8th inning (thanks to homeruns by Durham and Cameron) when Brain Shouse came on to pitch in the 8th inning. Yost chose Shouse because of the matchups, but Shouse failed today and the Brewers gave up the lead. And then the Phillies kept piling on the hurt and ended up scoring 4 runs in the 8th inning to tell this game a bedtime story, tuck it in, and put it to bed for the night. The Philadelphia offense was even kind enough to preemptively pack lunches for tomorrow morning and to also leave some spare change just in case the Brewers wanted to get a snack or a soda out of the vending machine tomorrow. So they really took care of the Brewers in this game, and they sealed the deal on the series victory. The only solace that I could find in this game is that most doubleheaders result in a split between the two games (so since the Phillies took the 1st game, the Brewers were supposed to take the 2nd game). So that means that the Brewers were almost guaranteed to win the 2nd game, right? Wrong. Final score Phillies 7, Brewers 3.

Brewers record : 83 - 66, 2nd place NL Central (6 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (1 game ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 4 (Sunday night, makeup of rainout on Friday) - Jeff Suppan (10-9, 4.85 ERA) vs Brett Myers (10-11, 4.06 ERA)

They played a doubleheader today due to the rainout on Friday, and Jeff Suppan was given the ball to not fail today. They really didn't ask a lot of him. It's not like the Brewers coaches asked him to throw a no-hitter or a complete game shoutout; they just asked him to not suck. Apparently that was too big of a task to ask Jeff Suppan to do today. He followed Parra's start with another short start of his own - 3.2 innings pitched and 6 earned runs. The Brewers signed him to a 4-year $42 million dollar contract for his veteran leadership and playoff experience, and also to start and perform well in games like this. You need a calming presence on the mound to go out there and pitch well and avoid a sweep to a team that is fighting against you to overtake you in the standings, and Suppan was just no match for these Phillies today. Now I like Suppan a lot, and I think that he is a great guy, I certainly appreciate all that he has done for the community and all of the charitable efforts that he has spearheaded and contributed to, but this kind of garbage just cannot fly with a team that is in a win now mode. So the free fall begins (or continues?) and this is turning into a September to forget. Green Day sang "Wake me up when September ends." They must have been looking ahead into the future at the 2008 Brewers season. The Brewers basically gave up today, and the evidence is in the box score. They only mustered up 1 run on 2 hits, and that only run came on a Prince Fielder solo homerun. The other hit was courtesy of Ray Durham in an otherwise meaningless 4th inning. Every loss is tough, but this one really hurt because it put the icing on the cake for this series. Final score Phillies 6, Brewers 1.

Brewers record : 83 - 67, 2nd place NL Central (7 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (tied with Philadelphia)

Wow. So that totally sucked. We came into Philadelphia 4 games up in the Wildcard race, and we leave tied at even with the Phillies. This series really couldn't have gone any worse. But if there is one thing that I have learned from Galaxy Quest it's "Never give up, never surrender." Until the Brewers are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, I will still sit here in my dream world and pretend that Milwaukee has a good baseball team that is capable of making it into the playoffs. C'mon guys! How freakin' hard is it? You were giftwrapped the Wildcard on Christmas morning, but by the time that you saved the supposed best present for last, it turned out to be a giant lump of coal. So all of the other kids are playing with their slingshots and toy trains, and you've got this giant black mineral. Well done sirs. Way to piss of your fan base that has been aching for this moment since 1982. I hope that you guys don't sleep well at night, cause then you will know what it is like to be me. I've tossed and turned in agony over this team and wanted nothing more than to see a playoff team before I die. I really don't think that I am asking too much. Hell, I'm not even asking you to win in the playoffs. I'm just asking you to get there so that we can stop saying 26 years and 1982 in the same sentence time and time again. In the words of Danny Glover, I'm getting too old for this shit. But even Lethal Weapon got 3 sequels, which is more than I can say for the Milwaukee Brewers. They haven't got shit to show for 38 years worth of dismal futility (thanks for the word choice Balkman). Ryan Braun called this series a "complete and total disaster.", and I can't agree with him any more. The Brewers came into town 4 games ahead of the Phillies in the Wildcard race, and they leave town tied for the Wildcard with the Phillies. I don't think I could be any more pissed off than I already am, and they only thing that could make me more mad is if the Brewers fail to make the playoffs. By the way that things are going right now, that's more of a reality than I ever dreamed was possible. But it's not over yet, and I will not give up until the Brewers are mathematically eliminated.

Next up - September 16 (Tuesday) - September 18 (Thursday) Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/

email : pookondotcom@gmail.com

Brewers vs Reds 9/08 - 9/10 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 47 - Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds September 8 - September 10 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

So there have been 5 disaster games out of 7 so far on this homestand, so you'd think that the Brewers would want to win a few to help ease the pain, right? Wrong. Granted they would be going up against a young and up and coming Cincinnati Reds team that just took 2 out of 3 against the Chicago Cubs, but they're still the Reds. I don't care if they have been playing better lately, they are still a 64-79 2nd to last place team. Those are the kind of teams that you have to beat in September if you wish to make it to the playoffs. In August, the Brewers had no problems beating up on teams like these Reds, the Padres, Pirates, Nationals, Astros and Braves. But then the calendar page turned to September, and suddenly the light switch was turned off and the Brewers started playing these teams differently. The only theory that I can come up with is one of the beauties of September - the rosters expand and they call up players from the minor leagues. For those teams (like the Reds and the Padres) who are out of contention, they chose to play their young guys as a semi-audition for the next year. It's like, let's run these kids out against major league pitchers/batters and see how they do and then reevaluate them next year in Spring Training. Since a lot of these players are new to the big leagues, there is little to no scouting reports on them and they have a lot of potential to change the tide of the game against a contending team. So even though they have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, they still have a chance to do some damage and spoil the dreams of another team that is trying to get to the playoffs for the 1st time since 1982. Looks like someone forgot to tell the Brewers that even though it is September, it is OK to beat up on the lesser teams. You have to win games right now at all costs, but it seems like the disappointing homestand just didn't get any better. It was a rough one, but we have no choice but to get on with the wrap-up.

Game 1 (Monday) - Dave Bush (9-10, 4.23 ERA) vs Edinson Volquez (16-5, 3.23 ERA)

Dave Bush had a real rough start in the finale against the Mets, so there was no where left to go but up from there, right? Right actually. Normally when I ask those questions, I usually answer with a wrong and then complain a whole lot. But not today. Well, I will complain today but I'll spare you for the moment. Dave Bush looked like he was that dominating pitcher that he was back in August, and he went 8 innings and gave up only 2 runs. The Brewers offense scored a hefty 5 runs (well, at least hefty for this homestand) and were in position to win the game. Since I promised that I would b complaining on here later on, I have no choice but to keep that promise right now, no matter how much it pains me to type this. With a 4-2 lead, Yost chose to bring in his closer in a must-win situation. It didn't matter that Bush basically shut down the Reds and only threw 99 pitchers, because your closer is supposed to do just that - close out the game. We all knew what happened next. The Reds loaded the bases with recording an out, then Patterson hit a single off of Torres' leg for an infield single. So now 4-3 with no outs. Keppinger then hit a double off the wall in left to score 2 runs, and the Reds had a 5-4 lead. I swear all of North Ave. heard me screaming at the top of my lungs and throwing furniture around my apartment. The bar downstairs must have though that either a grisly murder or a wrestling match was going on upstairs. This was a game that they couldn't afford to lose, but yet somehow they figured out a way to do it. And that is what sets Milwaukee back from the other playoff contenders - the inability to win when it matters. Cordero came in and shut the door for the Reds and the Brewers drop a heartbreaker in Game 1. Bush was great, but Torres couldn't hang on. At least we're OK cause we got Suppan going tomorrow, right? Wrong. Final score Reds 5, Brewers 4.

Brewers record : 82 - 62, 2nd place NL Central (4 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (3 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 2 (Tuesday) - Jeff Suppan (10-8, 4.63 ERA) vs Ramon Ramirez (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

I got off of work at 7:00 pm today, which is really odd for a Tuesday, but I wasn't about to complain. My Dad was in town for a few days, and he was planning on going over to my brother James' house to hang out. When we got there, he already had some burgers on the grill and some cold LandShark Lager in the fridge. Talk about a hospitable host. So I sat down on the leather couch, ate my burger and corn on the cob, and watched the Brewers game on a 56" flat screen TV. 1 of those 4 was bad, and it wasn't the leather couch, the food, or the giant TV. It was the Brewers game. Jeff Suppan was the usual - 5 innings, 4 runs. The Brewers offense was their usual for September - only 1 hit through 6 innings. I was getting tired for no apparent reason (although it may have been getting tired of watching the Brewers suck) so I hitched a ride home with my Dad. On the way home, we drove along Lake Drive, which is a nice long scenic ride. It gave us time to listen to the radio long enough to hear Ray Durham hit a 3-run pinch hit homerun to tie the game at 4. But I got home and watched on TV as the bullpen couldn't hold on as Seth McClung gave up a run in the top of the 11th to put Cincinnati up for good. Francisco Cordero came in for the bottom of the 11th and shut the Brewers down, and they lost their 3rd game in a row and their 7th in this horrifying month of September. Final score Reds 5, Brewers 4.

Brewers record : 82 - 63, 2nd place NL Central (4 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (3 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 3 (Wednesday) - CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.81 ERA) vs Bronson Arroyo (14-10, 4.65 ERA)

CC comes to save the day!! Well, not really, although any other pitcher might have done worse. CC went 7 innings and gave up 3 runs, which should have been enough to keep the Brewers in the game long enough to win it, although they did only score 1 run while he was still in the game. So that means when he exited, he was in line for his first loss as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. If I were a part of that team I would've done whatever was necessary to stop that from happening. But I'm not a part of that team, no matter how much I tend to think that I am. Thankfully that team came through by scoring a solo run in the 7th and a 2 spot in the 8th to go ahead. Torres came on in the 9th and saved a much needed win for the Brewers. CC settled for the no decision, but I'm sure that he was able to revel in the team win. It wasn't the biggest win of the year, but it sure was important to record the victory before heading out on the brutal final roadtrip of the season. Final score Brewers 4, Reds 3.

Brewers record : 83 - 63, 2nd place NL Central (4 1/2 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (4 games ahead of Houston)

I'd call it the worst homestand ever, but making that statement would force me to go back through the archived record books and analyze the data of seasons past to see if there was a worse homestand than this. So I'll just call the worst homestand in recent memory. They are right in the think of the playoff chase leading the NL Wildcard, then they get swept by the Mets, split the series with the Padres, then lose the series to the Reds. That means they finished this homestand with a 3-7 record. Not good for a team that desperately needs to win as many games as possible to secure that Wildcard entry into the playoffs. The Houston Astros made a surprising late season push to get themselves tied for 2nd place at 4 games out with the Philadelphia Phillies, who we will be playing in this upcoming homestand. This next series is the biggest one of the year, because the winner of it will probably make it to the playoffs while the loser gets to sit at home and cry. I'm a man, so I'm not much into crying (except during the end of Aladdin when the Genie gets freed of the lamp's magical spell) so we better not lose. But since I already know the outcome of that series, give me a second while I dry my eyes with these tissues. Damn it.

Next up - September 11 (Thursday) - September 14 (Sunday) Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/

email : pookondotcom@gmail.com

The Wheels have fallen off of the bus

NED YOST IS TOAST! I can see the headlines now. Soon they'll be splattered across every sports section in newspapers and the internet. Some of them (internet) are already displaying the story. In what has become the worst collapse in franchise history (from a team that is known for 2nd half collapses) the wheels have officially fallen off and the end of the Brewers season has begun. Some people think that this will spark a fire under the players' asses (which is what a shake-up like this is supposed to do) but I think that even though Yost deserved to be fired, now was not the time to do it. After the Brewers have lost 11 of 4 games this month, this firing is a panic move because they didn't know what else to do. Sure, it's been a move that has been a long time coming, but most fans will tell you that it should have been made last year. Hell, some people were even calling for Yost's head back in 2006 when they barely finished at .500 (81 - 81 on the final series of the year at Pittsburgh). All arguments (at least the ones that have sufficient data to back them up) have their warrant here, as Yost's decisions and managerial moves were scrutinized more that anything that I've ever seen. Fans screamed bloody murder when he kept on trotting out Gagne and Turnbow, and blasted him for his lineup decisions and constant shuffling of the lineup. Talk radio and newspapers had a field day with the tinkering that Yost did, and honestly I'm pretty sure that I have taken a few jabs at him on this blog here. I don't think that Yost's firing will have any impact on this year's team (and I'll happily eat my words if the players respond and go on a huge winning streak to close out the season and make the playoffs) and knew that it was going to happen during the offseason. Melvin said earlier this year that Yost's 2009 option was picked up on his contract, but that was just to quell the naysayers who were saying that Yost would be fired because it was the last year of his contract. Apparently 2009 doesn't mean shit to Attanasio and Melvin. Not me either. I haven't even begun thinking about the offseason because we are still mathematically eligible for the postseason. When (and if)we are not, then we can start once again looking towards next year like we always do. Time will only tell if firing Yost with 12 games remaining in the 2008 season was the right move to make.

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I'd like to take a second to say some good things about Yost, because I'm almost certain that people will only be saying negative things over the coming weeks.

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1 - He defends his players, sometimes to a fault, which takes the pressure off of the younger players. By refusing to call someone out or chew them right to their face, he instilled some confidence in the players. No one (aside from Gary Sheffield in his late Brewers days) wants to go out and fail at their job. So when Weeks boots a ground ball or when Manny Parra uncorks a wild pitch, Ned didn't yell, he just offered constructive criticism. But sometimes people respond better when you hold them accountable for their actions. Ned never seemed to do that. But he did allow players to work through their struggles. Sometimes the only way to learn is by making mistakes. And the only way to get better is to practice, have continuity and be repetitive. A player cannot break out of a slump by riding the bench. Yost would sometimes stick with players (I hate to say it, but Bill Hall) too long to the point where they were detrimental to the team. He was long known as a players manager, and especially right now, players like Ryan Braun are speaking out defending Yost and saying that he never lost faith in the players, so they didn't lose faith in him. But sticking to his guns and playing favorites regardless of the matchups cost him his job.

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2 - He did end the 13 year losing streak by guiding them to a 81-81 record in 2005, then took them to their 1st winning season since 1992 by finishing 83-79 in 2007 (despite a 2nd half collapse that saw us lose the NL Central division by 2 games). I've been working at Miller Park since the 2002 season, so trust me when I say that I've seen some bad teams. Now it could just be the players assembled by Doug Melvin and Jack Zduriencik (Brewers have drafted arguably quite well in the past few years), but it takes a manager to motivate the individual players and make them work as a team.

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3 - He never tried to make his team something that it was not. Let's face it, this is a power team that hits homeruns and is prone to high strikeouts. He took what he was dealt by Melvin and Zduriencik and ran with it. There's no sense trying to play small ball if you don't have that type of team. Truth be told, he could have tried to change it or use players like Counsell and Durham more often, but he really didn't have much of a choice.

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4 - He was the lightning rod of criticism from the fans, and for the most part he took it. How much would it suck if people were always talking shit about you. How would you respond? The team was better, the expectations were sky high, and maybe we thought that our team was better than it actually was. Maybe now we are seeing the Brewers for what they really are - a mediocre team. Mediocre teams do not make the playoffs, good teams do. In the end, the poor play by the Brewers players cost him his job because people always need somewhere to point the finger when things are going bad, and as manager, all of the fingers were pointing at him. It's not really fair, but in professional sports the coach almost always gets fired before the players are held accountable for their actions.

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5 - Gosh, it's really hard to come up with 5 good things about Ned Yost, which I guess is a reason why people couldn't stand the guy. I guess he deserves some credit for being a former Brewers player, even though he was just a backup. My big thing about Yost was his lack of experience. Did you know that the Milwaukee Brewers are the only Major League franchise that has never hired a manager with post-season experience? Kind of surprising, unless you are a Brewers fan. Everyone around the country is getting used to the fact that it has been 26 years (since 1982) since the Brewers were in the playoffs because it is mentioned in every recent article about them. That really sucks.

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To remedy this situation (which is one of the worst in Brewers history) the Brewers must make the playoffs this year (growing more and more unlikely with every passing day) or go out and hire a proven manager in the offseason, then make the playoffs in that manager's 1st season. If they make the playoffs either way, then maybe it was Ned Yost's fault that we sucked so much even though on paper we should be a very good team. Time will only tell on this one, which is one of the hardest things about it, because we have been waiting so God Damn long for a winning and competitive team, and we are sick and tired of the words "next year." We've spent far too much money and effort investing in this product, and we expect and demand results. So R.I.P. as the manager of the Brewers Ned Yost, but I highly doubt that you will be missed. That is unless someone else comes in here and really screws it up, which will go to show that you were right all along. Best of luck in your future though. But whatever you end of doing, please don't join the Cubs managerial staff then really stick it to us year in and year out. There's payback, and then there is inhumane cruelty. Don't be a dick Ned.

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- pookon -

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email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

Keep me away from the ledge...

...cause I just may jump off. I told my roommates Paul and Joe that I am no longer allowed to go out back on our rooftop patio because I may get the urge to hurl myself off of it because the Milwaukee Brewers are playing so poorly right now. Granted, it is only on the 2nd floor and I might only sustain minor injuries (broken bones and such) unless I landed on my head. This thought got me thinking about something. Is it OK to joke about suicide? I've been depressed at several stages in my life, but I never once thought about ending my life. That's why I always turn to alcohol to solve my problems. That leads to another point then I guess - is it OK to joke about alcoholism too? I really shouldn't poke fun or use them to elicit humor from others, but I guess I just don't have any tact when it comes to conversation topics. It's one of the reasons why I sit alone in my room, drink, and don't talk to anyone besides my cat. On a more serious note, I am 100 % totally against suicide because it is one of the most selfish thing that someone could do. Sure, their problems may be over, but everyone that they left behind will be forced to think about it and deal with it for the rest of their lives. If it is someone who is very close to you, then not a day would go by where you wouldn't think about them and how much you wish that they were still alive. It's complete bullshit that someone would ever think that it was OK to screw over everyone they ever met by doing something so hurtful and uncalled for. But then I guess it begs the question to be asked - am I hurting other people by making jokes about the suggestion of it? At which point does fantasy become a reality? I always tell people that I am all talk and no game, which is a direct result in me never being serious about anything. I can't count how many times that I have broken into laughter when my Mom was yelling at me about something that was not funny, or how many times that I have had to choke back tears at church because I was trying to suppress my laughter. I don't take anything seriously, and it has resulted in me having a worthless life. I told my roommate Paul that the Brewers 2008 September collapse was the worst thing that has happened to me since my parents got divorced and my life got F-d up. He of course was taken aback by it and a little floored by my comparison of a sports team's follies with a major life event, but I kind of meant it. Sure, I was a little drunk at the time, but that's usually when I am the most open on honest. He said that I never set myself up for failure, which is why I am never disappointed. He's got a really good point, as I really never try to better myself in any of life's most important facets. Which is why I guess the Brewers September struggles are hitting me so hard. I've invested a lifetime's worth of Brewers baseball into the last 7 years when I've obsessed over every aspect of the team. I finally gave in to all the hype and believed that this was the year, and although I've been through the ups and downs over the years, there has never been a year quite like this. We opened the month with a 5 1/2 game lead, and as of today, that lead is down to 0 as we share the NL Wildcard 1st place with the Philadelphia Phillies. Sure, by winning 4 games against us they caught up real quick, but there was no reason why it should have ever happened. Without getting into too many details (my Journalism professors always told me to be short and sweet, looks like I didn't listen. No wonder I failed their classes) the Brewers had a spot in the 2008 postseason and it was theirs to lose. And they are not only losing it, but they are giving it away for free. Since my attitude is connected directly to the outcome of every Brewers game, it goes without saying that I should be placed on watch right now so that I don't do anything stupid. Like stumbling out onto the porch and falling over the ledge. Tony would be pissed.

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There's still a chance (be it remote) for the Brewers to turn it around and right the ship so that the passengers (thailers!) won't drown in the stormy sea, but it's looking a little gloomier with every passing day. If alcohol isn't the answer, then what is? I'll tell you what is - victory. Because if the Brewers win, then it doesn't matter what the other teams do. And if they win, then I win. I'm sick and tired of being a loser, and for once I would just like to be a winner like everyone else that I know. Then my family can finally stop referring to me as their loser brother/son/cousin/nephew/grandson. Cause I know that they are all sick and tired of me being the black sheep in the family. I guess we'll know in a few more days whether or not it's going to be another long and bleak "well, there's always next year" winter that we in Milwaukee have grown all too accustomed to. At least we have A-Rodge (Aaron Rodgers) to help ease the pain.

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- pookon -

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email: pookondotcom@gmail.com

Brewers vs Padres 9/04 - 9/07 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 46 - Milwaukee Brewers vs San Diego Padres September 4 - September 7 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

I know that there are a few games left to go in the 2008 season, but I have no doubt that the Brewers vs Padres series (this one) will go down as one of the most disappointing series of the year. If we happen to miss the playoffs (I surely hope that I'm not jinxing it by mentioning it right now) it will be a direct result of this homestand including this series. Sure, they still have 4 games against the Philadelphia Phillies (who trail Milwaukee in the Wildcard) and 6 games against the Chicago Cubs (who lead the NL Central) so they can chose their destiny by beating those teams. But to get to those games, they need to beat the teams that are worse than them, teams like San Diego and Cincinnati. San Diego is one of the worst teams in the National League, but the Brewers certainly beat up on them like they should have. What follows is one of the most ridiculous performances that I have ever seen by a Brewers team, and I used to watch games at Milwaukee County Stadium and the early days of Miller Oark when players like Lyle Mouton, James Mouton and Marc Newfield were roaming the outfield, Mike Matheny was catching, John Jaha was playing 1st, Eric Young at 2nd, Kevin Seitzer at 3rd, Jose Hernandez at SS, and pitchers Scott Karl, Cal Eldred, Glendon Rusch, Jeff D'Amico, Mike Fetters, Valerio de los Santos, Curtis Leskanic, and Nick Neugebauer were on the hill. That's some crazy ass name dropping. So believe me when I say that I have seen some poor Brewers teams over the years. This 2008 team is totally better than all of the previous teams (with the exception of the early 80's and early 90's) yet they aren't currently playing like it. It's almost like they don't want the playoffs, even though it has been gift-wrapped and handed to them on a silver platter. I have to post a warning here, the content that follows is extremely negative because I'm really pissed off that the Brewers are blowing it in September and I may once again have to settle with a normal baseball season that doesn't include scheduled games in October. Oh the humanity. Well, on with the negative and upsetting wrap-up.

Game 1 (Thursday) - Jeff Suppan (10-8, 4.56 ERA) vs Shawn Estes (2-1, 2.97 ERA)

Suppan was his old self again, and not the magical pitcher that he was in August (when he compiled a 5-0 record with a 3.00ish ERA for the month). The nice thing about Suppan's old self is that he's going to pitch 6 innings and give up 4 runs. He's never going to shut down a team, so it is up to the offense to back him up. All Soup can do is limit the offense from the opposing team and the Brewers bats need to step it up just a little bit more. But Soup was a little worse than normal, as he went 5 1/3 innings and gave up 5 runs. It might as well have been 50 runs with the way that the Brewers offense has been playing lately. There was no way that they would have been able to plate 6 runs against some kid named Shawn Estes and the worst team in the National League. To think that they would be able to do that is just silliness. I hate to sound pessimistic and upset, but G D it, I F-ing am! I'm tired of this September losing BS. If Soup couldn't rescue he team (and despite his magical August, no one figured that he would), then who can? The Brewers scored a couple of garbage runs, but this game was already over from the time that the anemic offense came to the plate in the bottom of the 1st inning. We need more than a band-aid to stop this bleeding, and if doesn't happen soon, we can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Thank heavens that CC Sabathia is pitching tomorrow against some guy that I don't know, or else I'd have a panic attack. If you look up the word Savior in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Jesus Christ and CC Sabathia eating a picnic lunch on a blanket in the park. They'd be laughing, sharing a bottle of wine, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, laughing and recalling memories from the good old days, and enjoying each other's company. Now that's a party that I'd like to be invited to. Final score Padres 5, Brewers 2.

Brewers record : 80 - 60, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

Game 2 (Friday) - CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.77 ERA) vs Josh Geer (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

The Brewers offense was damn near horrid again, but that was ok because CC is basically flawless. Richard Kessler (who wants to be your jeweler) was jealous, because CC has more flawless facets than even his most pure 81-faceted Kessler 81 diamond. If you want a diamond that burns with all the fire and brilliance Mother Nature intended, the Kessler 81 is the diamond for you. But if you want a pitcher that burns with all the fire and brilliance that Major League Baseball intended, then CC Sabathia is the pitcher for you. Take that Kessler. The Brewers were barely clinging to a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning (CC only made it through 7 innings and topped out at 106 pitches today) thanks to the horrendous offense, but then CC was denied his 10th victory with the Brewers from the moment that Eric Gagne toed the rubber. When he came into the game, fans started the preemptive booing because they knew exactly what was coming next - Gagne was about to blow the game. You don't need ESP to see that shit coming. Gagne allowed a homerun that tied the game at 2, and since the Brewers offense is horrible at the moment, it took us until the bottom of the 11th inning to scratch across the winning run. Rivera led off with a single, then Counsell tried to bunt Escobar (in for Rivera as a pinch runner) over, but hit into a fielder's choice at 2nd. Durham followed with a single that moved Counsell to 3rd, then JJ Hardy (who was 0-5 today) hit a single to left and all of Brewers nation exhaled. Then they shouted really freaking loud. Sure, it was just a win over the Padres, but when you are 0-for-September and in a 4 game losing streak, it's exhilarating to end it with a win. I almost lost it, but thankfully the Brewers saved me from ending up in the hospital with a heart attack. If you can't win against the worst team with MF-ing CC Sabathia on the mound, then you don't deserve to represent your league in October. There's still hope for us, but it's time to get our asses in gear. Final score Brewers 3, Padres 2.

Brewers record : 81 - 60, 2nd place NL Central (4 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (4 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 3 (Saturday) - Ben Sheets (13-7, 2.82 ERA) vs Jake Peavy (9-10, 2.63 ERA)

Jake Peavy is the reigning NL Cy Young award winner (given out to the best pitcher in each league) and Ben Sheets is having a career year in his last as a Brewer (setting a career high in wins at a paltry 13). So I knew going into this game that we were going to see an old fashioned pitcher's duel that the bandwagon fans would hate because of the lack of offense. They have no respect for the game, and make t-shirts like "Bernie digs the long ball" because they get all excited when Bernie goes down the slide. I guess homeruns are nice because they can change the game, but I'm getting tired of this "if we can't score homeruns via the homerun, then we just aren't going to score runs at all" bullshit mentality that the Brewers employ in their offensive scheme. I for one, enjoyed every second of this game. How could you not love a Sheets/Peavy matchup? Are you high or something? All of the offense came in the 3rd inning, when Braun hit a tapper towards 3rd, which Peavy fielded and threw low to first, allowing Braun to reach on an infield single. It could have easily been ruled an error. Fielder then ripped a scorching liner over the head of Giles in right field, which allowed Braun to score from 1st. And that's all the Murder, She (Angela Lansbury) Wrote. There really wasn't much else here, as Sheets eases everyone's injury concerns by throwing a 120 pitch complete game shutout. Looks like our pitchers need to be damn near perfect because our offense forgot that you need to have runners cross the plate in order for there to be numbers under the letter R on the scoreboard. Today Sheets was, but it's impossible to ask all of our pitchers to pitch like this every time out. We're in big trouble if we can't get some runs. So like an awkward teenager in high school , we are going to have to figure out how to score so we don't get laughed at in college for being a virgin. Final score Brewers 1, Padres 0.

Brewers record : 82 - 60, 2nd place NL Central (4 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (4 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia)

Game 4 (Sunday) - Manny Parra (10-7, ERA) vs Chris Young (5-5, 4.48 ERA)

I was working this game, but I almost wish that I wasn't. It was Corey Hart bobblehead day, so naturally the game was sold out. For the first time since I began buying tickets for the bobblehead games to get my bobbleheads (instead of purchasing them off of EBay) I got one of the 5,000 limited edition retro bobbleheads. Most people would be stoked about that, but I was pissed because I don't want the players in the retro uniforms because that's not what they wear. The bandwagon fans dig the old ball and glove logo, and although I will admit that it is the most clever logo in the history of sports, it doesn't belong on the uniforms of current players. Fan demand brought it back, but it seems to me like they always lose when they wear those unis. Thankfully some guys sitting by my friends Casey, Lorge, Denise and Amanda didn't want theirs, so I was able to get a normal one of Corey in the home white uniform to keep the consistency in my collection. I wanted to go home, but I was getting paid, so I decided to stick around. Oh yeah, and because I'm a true fan of the game of baseball, I wanted to see if Chris Young could complete his bid for a perfect game. He had not allowed a runner to reach 1st base via a hit, walk, or error going into the 8th inning, then it all changed when Gabe Kapler (with 2 outs no less) hit a homerun to left to put the Brewers on the board and break up the perfect game. Everyone stood and cheered and clapped their hands, but the true baseball fans in attendance were clapping for Chris Young and not Gabe Kapler. It's not every day that you get to see a no hitter or perfect game, but I was glad that Kapler broke it up. I watched on TV on June 12, 2007 when Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers threw a no-hitter against the Brewers. That was tough to watch. Interesting tid-bit, I was planning on going to Detroit with Kanz for this series, and I was just about to make hotel reservations when Kanz found out he couldn't get off of work. So I would have been able to see it in person, which would have been cool from a baseball standpoint, but not from a Brewers standpoint. No one wants to see their team get no hit. So we now know how Chris Young did during the game, so how did Manny Parra do? 5 innings, 6 runs allowed (but only 1 earned thanks to Bill Hall's costly error) and the Brewers lost this one easily. The only other redeeming part of this game was Matt Gamel's 1st Major League hit (a double) in the bottom of the 9th inning. Hopefully that is the 1st of many to come when he makes it to the big leagues. Where he will end up playing will be the subject of many drunken debates between my friends and I. That much I am sure of. You know what else I am sure of? The Brewers sucked today. Real bad. There's always tomorrow, but I don't think I'll like tomorrow cause we head off to the City of Brotherly Love (yeah right) to face the Philadelphia Phillies. Good luck Crew. Final score Padres 10, Brewers 1.

Brewers record : 82 - 61, 2nd place NL Central (4 games back of Chicago), 1st place NL Wild Card (4 games ahead of Philadelphia)

So there we go. We scored a total of 7 runs in 4 games (spanning 38 innings). That's an average of 1.75 Runs per game. Luckily we were playing against one of the worst teams in the NL and 2 of our pitchers (CC, Sheets) were flawless in the games that we were able to win. It's not as bad as it could have been (we could have lost the series of got swept by the Padres) but it was pretty damn close. This late in the season, you have to take advantage of the games that you are supposed to win (at home no less) against inferior opponents. Not taking advantage of it is like letting that golden opportunity slip away. Since we currently have the lead in the NL Wildcard, all we have to do is split the remainder of our games (play .500 baseball the rest of the year) and we should make the playoffs, right? Sounds easy enough. But it's not. If it were easy we would already have been in the playoffs during the years 1983-2007 and wouldn't keep talking about the playoff drought that has been going on for 26 years. If they keep this shitty play going on, it is soon to be 27 years. I don't want to see that happen, so they better get their asses in gear and win a couple of games against Cincinnati. If they don't, you'll bet that I'll be on here bitching about it. See you then with hopefully some good news, but from the way that it has been going lately, it's hard to believe that anything good can happen to this team. It's like God hates us or something. God, if you're listening - just what the heck did we do to piss you off?

Next up - September 8 (Monday) - September 10 (Wednesday) Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinatti Reds at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

- pookon -

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Brewers vs Mets 9/01 - 9/03 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 45 - Milwaukee Brewers vs New York Mets September 1 - September 3 at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

The New York Mets are currently in 1st place in the NL East, but since the Philadelphia Philles are nipping at their heals, that puts both of these teams somewhat in 2nd place for the NL Wildcard. Whichever team is not in the lead of the division is a danger to us in our pursuit of the playoffs, so every game against either team is huge because we need to beat them, gain a win, and hand them a loss. It goes without saying (but never does because I keep saying it) that every single game is September is huge, but this series was bigger, because if the season were to end today, we would be playing the New York Mets in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Cubs would play the Diamondbacks because the Diamondbacks have the worst record out of all the teams in the playoffs. Normally the team with the best record (the Cubs) would play the Wild Card winner, but some rule stipulates that you cannot play a division opponent in the 1st round, so that is why the playoff structure shakes out like it does. If we end up making the playoffs as the Wild Card winner (because we still have a chance to win the division with 6 games remaining against the Cubs), we will play the Mets or the Philles, so this series is a pretty good preview of things to come. We will also play the Phillies from September 11 - 14, so then we'll see how we stack up against that team. Since this Mets series is done and gone, I can say that we better figure out how to play ball with the big boys before we meet them in October. The Mets didn't really manhandle us, they just straight up outplayed us, and showed the Brewers that they were a better, more complete team. While I think that it is an accomplishment and a step in the right direction to just make the playoffs after a 26 year drought, losing in the playoffs is going to be devastating because after this year we lose CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets. And then suddenly the pitching staff that has been carrying us during the 2nd half of 2008 now has a ton of question marks. But enough worrying about that; we'll figure that all out in the offseason. For now, we need to learn how to beat teams that are just as good as we are if not better than we are. Beating team like the Mets, Cubs and Phillies has just become our #1 priority for the 2008 season, because those are the teams standing between us and that magical month called October. And if this series is any indication, they have to learn to do it quick, or else it will be the October that they have been quite accustomed to - the one where they get to watch playoff baseball from their couches in the comfort of their own living rooms. Let's hope they get to watch it from the cold hard pine of the dugout bench. But until then, on with the wrap-up.

Game 1 (Monday) - Ben Sheets (12-7, 2.97 ERA) vs Johan Santana (12-7, 2.71 ERA)

I was super excited to go to work today on Labor Day. Most people would be pissed that they had to work when everyone else has the day off, but since I was getting holiday pay from my real job, I didn't mind working at Miller Park and getting holiday pay there as well. That means I would be getting paid like a prostitute today, except that the money was all mine and I didn't have to pay my pimp. What a sweet deal! Even if I wasn't working, I would have found a way to get into sold-out Miller Park for this marquee matchup of Sheets vs Santana. I am never worried about us going against Santana, since we have seen him many times over the years when he was with the Twins. Don't get me wrong, he is one of the premiere pitchers in the league, but it is my opinion that we always play pretty well against him. I'd look up Santana's career stats against the Brewers, but you all know that I'm too lazy for that shit. So I didn't worry about that. So my profound thanks goes out to Ben Sheets for giving me something to worry about. Sheets left the game in the 5th inning with tightness in his groin (how many times have I told you to stop pulling your groin Benny, you'll go blind that way!) and although it was seen as a precautionary measure, everyone in Milwaukee knows this one all too well. We were just waiting for the other show to drop and see Ben Sheets' name on the disabled list, which would almost kiss our season goodbye. But he made his next start against the Padres, so I now know that everything is ok. But back to this game. The Brewers had a 2-0 lead going into the 7th inning, but Shouse allowed a run, but still left the Brewers with a 1 run lead. Then Automatic Gagne came in in the 8th inning and allowed 3 runs (2 of them on a homerun to Delgado) to put the Mets up 4-2 and crush Ben Sheets' hope at winning a career high 13th game. I call Gagne Automatic (a term which is usually reserved for someone who is close to 100% perfect) because I can use it ironically because it's almost a given that Gagne will blow it or give up a few runs. He's this year's Derrick Turnbow even after this year's real Derrick Turnbow was sent down to the minors back in April. It's no wonder that that capacity crowd of 41, 476 joined in a chorus of boooooos and rained them down on the worthless Canadian. If I wasn't in the kitchen counting out my money and getting free eats, I would have joined them. I normally don't like to boo my own players, but Eric Gagne sucks. He really sucks. He sucks more than, uh... (I guess since I'm being unrated because no one reads this blog) a prostitute. Whore. Slut for money. It was awful. So the Mets take game 1, Sheets leaves with an injury, and Chicken Little says that the sky is falling. Right now I'm almost willing to believe him, but I still won't take the kid who cries Wolf seriously. Go figure. Final score Mets 4, Brewers 2.

Brewers record : 80 - 57, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

Game 2 (Tuesday) - Manny Parra (10-6, 4.10 ERA) vs Jonathon Niese (0-0, 15.00 ERA)

Manny Parra had a tall order today - succeed where others before you had failed. He had to go deep into the game, since obviously our bullpen can't be trusted with a lead. Sheets left after the 5th inning, and that really didn't work out too well for us. Like he has too many times of late, Manny wasn't up for the challenge. He only went 5 innings and gave up 5 earned runs, but when he left the game, the scored was tied at 5. So I guess you really can't blame him for the loss today, because the Brewers had every chance to win this one. After the Brewers rallied for a 4 run 5th inning to tie the game, they pretty much shut it down. They brought in Torres with a tie game in the 9th, and he kept it tied, but the offense failed to walk this one off. And then Ned ran Torres out there for the 10th, and although I know that he's a durable multi-inning pitcher, I think that it is a mistake to allow your closer to pitch 2 innings. Wanna know why? Because this shit happens. Torres allows men to reach base and there are runners at the corners with no outs. A sac fly scores the runner, and the Mets take the lead. The Brewers then fail to score and the game is over. I know that there aren't really any other options in the bullpen as far as reliable pitchers, but Torres can't throw every inning of relief and still be counted on as the closer. He should not have been pitching the 10th inning today, and it cost the Brewers the game. I hate to point fingers, especially since he has been so good (6-4 record, 2.47 ERA, 26 saves) but Torres should only pitch multiple innings when he has to come in for the 8th, then he should stick around for the 9th. I hate to bash Ned Yost because it is as trendy as Crocs, but maybe it's time to get a manager who can recognize trends and mistakes, then learn from them. I wouldn't mind giving an established managers with post-season experience a chance to skipper this team, because it seems like Yost's Brewers always have a 2nd half fall-off. More on that later, I'm sure. Final score Mets 6, Brewers 5.

Brewers record : 80 - 58, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

Game 3 (Wednesday) - Dave Bush (9-10, 4.33 ERA) vs Oliver Perez (10-7, 3.86 ERA)

So if you think Manny Parra was given a tall order, then what the hell was Dave Bush given? He was asked to prevent a 3-game sweep at home against the Mets. And how did he respond? Poorly. Very poorly. The Mets scored 6 runs in the 1st inning, and this game was over before the majority of fans even took their seats. It's too bad they weren't carrying radios, because if that were me, I would've heard the score, then turned around and headed back to the parking lot. I call myself a pretty big Brewers fan, but even the diehards know when to admit defeat. I'd still listen to the game on my radio in the Miller Park parking lot, but the beer and food would be a hell of a lot cheaper and it would cost less money to get drunk enough to forget about this abismal series. I don't really even want to talk about this game anymore, but you knew that this game was officially over in the top of the 9th inning when Brad Nelson was playing 1st base, Alcides Escobar was playing shortstop, and Matt Gamel was playing 3rd base. And Mike Rivera, who previously was playing 1st base, replaced Kendall as the catcher. And at that moment we looked like the Brewers that I knew all too well over the course of the years - playing the September call-up players in preparation for next year because you've already given up on this year. It sucks that it happened, but at least Escobar got his 1st major league hit. Despite the team loss, that's got to be a good individual feeling. I wouldn't know... Final score Mets 9, Brewers 2.

Brewers record : 80 - 59, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

So that was rough. Rough like sandpaper. Rough like sandpaper when it is the only kind of paper that you have been given to wipe your ass with after taking a poop. Sorry for the graphic image, but I just had to demonstrate how rough it really was. So not only did we fail against the Cubs at Miller Park back in July, but we now failed against another playoff contender in the Mets. These Brewers are not instilling me with a lot of confidence, and I'm trying so hard not to push the panic button. My fingers are dangling nervously above it, but until we are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, I refuse to panic. But that doesn't mean that I'm not really uneasy during every game, sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my finger nails and looking for a drop or swig of alcohol to ease my pain. I wish that Kazaam would pop out of his magic jukebox so that I could wish that Shaq never made that movie, and then I would use my 2nd wish to get the Brewers to the World Series in whichever way possible. Then I would use my 3rd wish for an unlimited supply of money, because if you've got money, you can do just about everything. Even SuperModels. But it would all be a moot point since when I used my 1st wish to wish Shaq never made Kazaam, Kazaam would disappear and void my remaining wishes, so the Brewers won't make the playoffs and I won't have dollars to trick SuperModels into going out with me. But I would be given the key to every city on Earth, because I would have rid the World of Shaq's abomination of a movie. And with notoriety comes money and chicks. The only thing missing would be the Brewers in the World Series. But if I had money, I could build a super team. So maybe there is a way that I can make everything work. I'll have to figure that out. The only thing that I know is that Shaquille O'Neal and Kazzam have something to do with it. That is the first piece of the puzzle. What happens from here on out is the mystery...

Next up - September 4 (Thursday) - September 7 (Sunday) Milwaukee Brewers vs San Diego Padres at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/
email : pookondotcom@gmail.com

Brewers @ Pirates 8/29 - 8/31 : Series Wrap-Up

Series 44 - Milwaukee Brewers @ Pittsburgh Pirates August 29 - August 31 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA

PNC Park has always been a house of horrors for the Brewers, but now they love it just as much as visiting fans do. It's because the Pirates are really that bad. You hate to guarantee anything, but now it seems like a game against the Pirates is a guaranteed win. We are better than them in every single way, except for the logo of course. Sorry, but a cursive script and a stick of barley ain't got shit on a growling pirate. I can probably say that I like beer more than I like pirates, because beer is more real to me, but we aren't the Milwaukee Beers. That team name is reserved for Coop, Remer, and Squeak. We're the Milwaukee Brewers, the guys that make the beer. So what if we're not as cool as pirates; we brew cold fresh joy for thousands. We brew 10,000 bottles of beer a day, and I drink 45 off of the assembly line and I'm the asshole. God damn brewery! I'd give anything in the world to have that feeling back again. A lot of my friends have made the road trip out to Pittsburgh to see the Brewers play the Pirates, and they all conclude that PNC Park is by far the nicest looking stadium in Major League Baseball. Looking at pictures like the one above and watching it on TV make it really look sweet, but I've been told that they really don't do it justice. It's right on the river, and the downtown area unfolds in the backdrop so that you have something to look at when the Pirates are batting. Ouch. Sweet burn. I've always held off going to PNC Park because of the Brewers horrid record there, mostly because I don't like traveling 554 miles to see a loss. Wait, Pittsburgh is only 554 miles from Milwaukee? That's like a 9 hour drive. What the hell have I been waiting for? Unfortunately this was the last time in 2008 that the Brewers would be playing at PNC Park, and I obviously did not go. If I would have, it would have been the first thing that I talked about in here and I would be simply gushing about how sweet of a trip it was. I've just made it my #1 priority for 2009 to make a road trip out here. As soon as the Brewers 2009 schedule comes out, I'm going to block out the days and ask off of work so that I can get out here and visit this gem and see it with my own eyes. I'm sure that I can get some kids willing to go out there. Unless the Pirates somehow figure out how to be a good baseball team, it's almost a guaranteed series victory. Just like this one was. So on with the wrap-up.

Game 1 (Friday) - Dave Bush (9-9, 4.12 ERA) vs Tom Gorzelanny (6-9, 6.61 ERA)

This game was the wild card of the 3 for the Brewers since Suppan is currently 4-0 in August and CC is well, CC. But lest we forget that Dave Bush has also been performing above expectations in the month of August, and we are going against Tom Gorzelanny, who probably isn;t too happy to see us again. In the 2 times that he has faced the Brewers in 2008 (1 start at PNc and 1 star at Miller) he got absolutely shelled by the Crew. In the 1st inning, it looked like the same old Gorzelanny that Brewers fans knew and loved. Rickie Weeks lead off with a single, then JJ Hardy took a walk. Ryan Braun then lasered a shot into the first row bleachers for a quick 3-0 lead. I thought that they were going to keep piling it on against Gorzelanny, but he settled in after that and those 3 runs were the only ones that we would score for the remainder of the game. It was ok though, because Dave Bush was on his game today and he limited the Pirates to 1 run over 6 2/3 innings. Shouse, Gagne, and Torres came in and kept the Pirates off of the scoreboard. So with a win today, things were looking really good going into the rest of the series. Final score Brewers 3, Pirates 1.

Brewers record : 78 - 56, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

Game 2 (Saturday) - Jeff Suppan (10-7, 4.49 ERA) vs Paul Maholm (8-8, 3.81 ERA)

I've previously mentioned that Suppan was 4-0 in the month of August. Well, make that 5-0 now. He's been helping himself by going 7 innings and giving up 3 or less runs, but a 7 run cushion from the offense doesn't hurt either. The Brewers scored a few runs early, including Corey Hart's 20th home run of the year in the 2nd inning, giving him the distinction of being the only player in Brewers history to have back-to-back 20/20 seasons (20 homeruns, 20 stolen bases). With great players like Yount and Molitor in their history, that's a pretty sweet distinction. Maholm is a pretty good pitcher, and he kept us in check for most of the game, but we ripped him apart for a 5 run 6th inning that put the game out of reach. Cameron once again was the hero of the day as he finished 2-4 with 4 RBIs, 2 runs scored, and 1 homerun. Not be overlooked, Billy Hall had himself a nice little Saturday too. He went to Home Depot, maybe Bed Bath and Beyond - he doesn't know if he'll have enough time. But he did go 2-5 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored. The Brewers kept tacking on runs throughout the game, which is something that they usually fail to do. Case in point - scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning yesterday and then shutting it down. Thankfully the pitching staff keeps shutting down inferior teams like the Pirates. Truth be told, the Brewers really only needed to score 4 runs today, but hey bring on the pain boys. Score them runs, because no lead is safe when the bullpen (Gagne, Riske, Mota) come in to pitch. I personally would have no problem if the Brewers went out and scored 11 runs every game, but that is probably one of the most obvious statements that I have ever made. It would be damn hard for even the worst pitching staff of all time (for example 10 Derrick Turnbows on 1 team with 1 Gagne thrown in for good measure) to lose more than they win when their offense scores 11 runs per game. Since we don't always score 11 runs a game, I'm gonna sit back and enjoy this one. And I'm done. Final score Brewers 11, Pirates 3.

Brewers record : 79 - 56, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

Game 3 (Sunday) - CC Sabathia (15-8, 2.82 ERA) vs Jeff Karstens (2-4, 3.62 ERA)

The pirate is supposed to be fierce, shifty, sneaky, dangerous, crafty and merciless. These Pirates are none of the above. They should just start calling themselves the Pittsburgh Pilates. You know, the exercising method that involves breathing, centering, concentration, control, precision, and flow and efficiency of movement that chicks do. And now I have successfully pissed off a baseball team, the city that loves them, their fan base, and women everywhere. I knew that I had it in me. Truth be told, most teams look silly against CC Sabathia, but the Pirates looked especially silly because they only managed 1 hit in this game that shouldn't have even been a hit. Andy LaRoche hit a check swing bunt towards 3rd base, Sabathia went to bare hand it, picked up the ball, then dropped it, allowing LaRoche to reach 1st base. The official scoring was a base hit, although any pitcher makes that play 10 times out of 10 if they field the ball cleanly. The Brewers tried to argue the call, and even sent in a video and explanation to major league baseball in an attempt to get the call reversed, but the league officials stuck with the original call and Sabathia was denied his 1st career no-hitter. But hey, a 1-hit complete game shut-out is nothing to hang your head upon though. Rickie Weeks lead of the game with a homerun, and like always, that is all that Sabathia needed. That didn't stop the Brewers from tacking on 6 more runs in the 7th and 8th innings though. They decided to kick the Pirates while they were down, and for once it was nice to be on the kicker side of this fight than the kickee side. The Pirates didn't have a chance from the moment that CC stepped on the mound, and this win was an easy one. Hmm... maybe a little too easy. Final score Brewers 7, Pirates 0.

Brewers record : 80 - 56, 2nd place NL Central, 1st place NL Wild Card

I like Pittsburgh. I like it a lot. Prior to the 2008 season, I didn't really care for it, but now they are my new best friend. I like a best friend that lets you continue to beat them up and doesn't put up too much of a struggle. We still have 3 more games at Miller Park against these Pirates (from September 23-25) so we'll see if we can improve on our current 9-1 record against them. I really don't think that it will be too hard, and it looks like we'll have 3 practice games against this AAA team before the final series of the year against the hated Chicago Cubs. If the Brewers do keep playing this well against Pittsburgh at PNC Park, then I will definitely go there next summer. Who's with me? I know of a few people that I can count in, but I'm looking for someone with a reliable car that could drive my ass out there. Applications will be provided here on Pookon's Ill Blog sometime next year - but only serious parties need apply. So Amanda Hugandkiss, Seemore Butts, Heywood Jablowme, and Oliver Pantsoff : don't even bother. If I see your name on the top of the application, I'm discarding it, no matter how sweet your resume looks. But if you have a car that you are willing to drive me in, then you automatically get the job. I'm looking at you Heywood. Grrrrrrr. Oh, and for the record, Heywood is a chick. Don't you dare be getting the wrong idea Sir or Madam.

Next up - September 1 (Monday) - September 3 (Wednesday) Milwaukee Brewers vs New York Mets at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI

- pookon -

http://www.pookon.com/

email : pookondotcom@gmail.com