The Brewer's bullpen should be an area of focus now. Derrick Turnbow started out as the eighth-inning man, and struggled badly, leading to his demotion to Nashville. Eric Gagne started out as the closer, but also struggled, blowing five of his 15 chances. Salomen Torres took over for Gagne, and for the year has saved 15 of 18 games, including 14 of 15 since taking over for Gagne.
Brian Shouse continues to excel out of the bullpen, against righties and lefties, and is leading all active pitchers with a 1.95 ERA. Mitch Stetter, a second leftie, is second in active pitchers with a 2.53 ERA. The Brewers have two of the best left-handed relievers, but their righties have been very inconsistent.
David Riske, Carlos Villanueva, and Guillermo Mota have been inconsistent all year. Mota has seen his ERA inflate to 5.82. Riske’s last six outings, covering seven innings, have been great, as he has only allowed one earned run. Since April 27, he has a 2.64 ERA and has only given up runs in four of his 17 appearances.
Since being demoted to the bullpen, Villanueva has a 2.33 ERA, but has given up a run in seven of 16 appearances. Mota’s ERA has climbed every month, and in July he has given up eight runs in only three innings. While Gagne has improved since coming off the DL with three shutout innings and a win, it’s obvious that the Brewers could use some help in the bullpen.
Sabathia should help somewhat, because he pitches deep into games, keeping the 'pen fresh and limiting its chances to blow the lead. Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres would be a nice addition to the club, with a 6-3 record in 45 games pitched and a 2.19 ERA. Regardless, the Brewers probably need to add at least one right-handed reliever with a low ERA in order to keep leads late in ballgames.
The eighth inning has killed the Brewers all year, as they’ve been outscored nearly two runs to one. They’re in position to win, and anything short of the playoffs would be a complete disaster in Milwaukee. In order to do so, they must find a good reliever for the eighth inning, and players like Weeks, Hall, and Cameron must step up. Fielder also must show that he can step up big time, because if he gets hot, he can carry the team.
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