Milwaukee Brewers: 3 Reasons the Brew Crew Will Turn Things Around in May

The Milwaukee Brewers are going to turn things around in May. After struggling so far in the 2012 season, the Brewers are going to capitalize on a soft schedule to get the team going. The hitting and pitching will benefit from the soft schedule and the Brewers will have no problem ripping through the month of May.

Schedule

The Brewers' schedule improves drastically during the month of May. They play 11 of their next 16 games at Miller Park, and considering that they are 6-6 at home compared to 6-10 on the road, it's safe to say that they play much better at home.  

The Chicago Cubs and the Minnesota Twins, two of the worst teams in baseball, travel to Milwaukee. The Brewers also have games against the Reds, Mets, Astros, Giants and Diamondbacks, all .500 teams.  

None of these teams are significantly better then the Brewers and the Brewers have the talent to win every single series. The only truly difficult series is four games against the Dodgers in L.A. However, the Brewers took two of three last time they played.

The Brewers will get things turned around on the homestand and their momentum will carry into the rest of the month.

Hitting

The hitting for the Milwaukee Brewers has been well below average in 2012. Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez, Rickie Weeks and Nyjer Morgan are all struggling mightily at the plate.

However, the upcoming homestand is a perfect opportunity to get things going.  

In home games so far this season, Corey Hart, Aramis Ramirez and Rickie Weeks have all seen a significant jump in their average. The majority of Hart and Braun's home run totals have also come at home.  

The pitching staffs for many of the Brewers' upcoming opponents are below average, with the Minnesota Twins having the worst pitching in baseball. With plenty of below-average pitching on the docket, the Brewers' hitters will have no problem getting things turned around at the plate.

Ryan Braun boasts a career batting average of .316 against the Cubs, a .322 average against Houston, a.360 average against the Twins and a .333 average against the Giants.

Ryan Braun is about to really get going, and once he does, the rest of the offense will follow through.     

Pitching

The pitching staff for the Brewers has also seen its share of struggles this year, with Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf and Francisco Rodriguez the major examples.

Gallardo, one of the aces of the staff, has posted a 5.79 ERA so far this season. Randy Wolf has been even worse, boasting a 6.68 ERA. Considering that their career ERAs are drastically lower, 3.72 for Gallardo and 4.13 for Wolf, each is capable of pitching at a much higher level.  

Of the Brewers' upcoming opponents, the Reds, Twins, Diamondbacks and Cubs are all below average offensive teams. Gallardo has probable starts against the Reds, Mets, Twins and Diamondbacks this month, and he is more than capable of shutting them down. The D'backs only hit .203 against him, and the Mets and Twins are both below .250 as well.

Randy Wolf will also get back on track, as neither the Cubs, Astros, Giants or Dodgers, teams that he will likely start against in May, boast an average above .300 against him.

The bullpen has also seen its share of struggles this year as well, with Francisco Rodriguez serving as the most glaring example. K-Rod, the MLB record-holder for saves in a season, is a drastically better pitcher then he has demonstrated this year. On multiple occasions, he has given up at least one run and his 5.65 ERA certainly reflects that.  

However, K-Rod seems to be turning it around, getting one, two, three innings his last two appearances.

Conclusion

The Milwaukee Brewers have struggled so far in the 2012 season. However, things are about to turn around.  The upcoming homestand, coupled with a soft schedule, will get the hitting and pitching turned around and players back in the groove.  

Ryan Braun, Yovani Gallardo and Corey Hart will all have big months. Look for the month of May to provide the momentum needed for the Brewers to go on a long tear.