Bleacher Report - Articles by Ryan Shea

Brew News: July 13

Ryan Shea — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:28:01 -0400

Brew News for July 13th

As of 7/12: 45-43, 2nd NL Central Previous Game: Dodgers 7, Brewers 4

Well now that the Brewers are 3-7 in their last 10 and are only two games over .500 it’s safe to say that this short all-star break couldn’t have come any sooner. They were hands-down embarrassed in all three series. And Yovani? Where the hell has his pitching gone.

This just does not look like the same team that was playing before Rickie Weeks went down. They are 23-29 since then and it leaves me to ponder, WTF is going on here. Rickie was not the best player in the league, so why has his exit rotted the team. Inconsistent lineups day-in and day-out can probably explain the batting.

But not Ryan Braun’s.

Wisconsin Radio Network writes on the Brewers struggles heading into the all-star break after rough third game against the Dodgers. At this point, a three-day break just doesn’t seem long enough to me. I’d prefer a three month break at this point. Check out their snippet.

Quevedo at the Buffett has some choice words for the Brewers, and after the last month, he pretty much hits it on the head. While I won’t repeat much of it on this site, he spits out my ramblings exactly. Definitely a must read!

620 WTMJ has a bunch of one or two sentence lines that sum up the Brewers. Myself, I read a few, but then skipped down to the bottom to read this, “Unless Melvin pulls off a move or two or Ken Macha figures out a way to straighten out the inconsistent hitting, the Brewers are staring 83-79 in the face.”

I have to disagree, I think he has the W-L numbers reversed. Read here.

And on to the All Star break! Decider Milwaukee talks all-stars and tries to determine who the best player on the Brewers is. It seems to change every year. Read!

Trevor Hoffman was announced as an All-Star sub for Tuesday’s game. He will replace Los Angeles Jonathan Broxton who apparently pretended he wasn’t hurt. Trevor definitely deserved it as he’s been lights out 20 out of 22 times for the Brewers. Would be nice if he just never gave up a run. That was some streak he had earlier this season. See here.

And if you’ve been off in la la land, tonight is the Home Run Derby and Prince Fielder will be a participant. I for one am not too thrilled because I’ve seen it hurt peoples swing. I wish him the best since he’s not going to back out, but I pray that he comes back in the second half better than the first. Scope it!

And in a stunning headline, it appears that Bill Hall really does think he’s good. A stretch in itself, it gets better. Bill hall had a meeting with some of the bosses on Saturday and afterwards he spit out one of the best lines of the year. He has a feeling he can get it together, and I hope he’s right. He said the following. Read rest here.

“I still consider myself the best third baseman in the league.”

And it appears that the Brewers will make no play for Roy Halladay. I kind of figured as much since GM Doug Melvin doesn’t want to give up the prospects. I know he is determined in securing the Brewers future. I remember last year when the Brewers were supposed to be one of the deepest teams in the minors. We made the CC trade and now we have nothing it appears. Read Real GM.

OnMilwaukee thinks that it may be for the best.

Maybe the Brewers should just rebuild each off season filling the holes with free agents and such and let the next wave of good pitchers make their way up. Problem being, I don’t see that happening for a long time. Maybe last season really is the best that it gets. Read their thoughts here.

Ryan Cardarella at the Bleacher Report wonders if the recent Manny Parra gem will be a one-hit-wonder or will this be a sign of good things to come? I certainly hope that with Gallardo’s wheels falling off that Parra can pick up the load. Read more.

Dave Bush made his Wisconsin Timber Rattlers start Friday and went 4.1 innings giving up one run on four hits while striking out five batters. Read here. Bushy should be moving up to pitch for AA Huntsville Wednesday before rejoining the Crew on the 20th. Right Field Bleachers had a representative there and have posted some pictures. See that here.

Adam McCalvy has the exclusive on Corey Hart and his Make-A-Wish Foundation contribution. Hart made six-year-old Sam’s wish come true when he got to sing the national anthem Sunday. Hart treated Sam to a tour of the Brewers’ clubhouse as well. See the rest here.

And let’s finish up with some Brewers Trivia and Facts! Take a look!

Brewers Drop Game Three

Ryan Shea — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:54:28 -0400

Brewers Can’t Find Bats in Sunday’s Loss

Yovani Gallardo struggled Sunday afternoon picking up the loss.

The Milwaukee Brewers could not find an answer for the LA Dodgers on Sunday afternoon, losing 7-4. The Dodgers took the series two games to one and left the Brewers just two games over .500 at the all-star break, a far cry from the 12 over they had earlier this season.

Gallardo was only able to go 5.0 innings and gave up five earned runs in picking up his third consecutive loss.

The Dodgers put an early two runs on the board in the first inning then added four runs in the fourth through sixth innings.

The Brewers finally added runs in the seventh and eighth innings but then gave one right back when Orlando Hudson hit his second home run of the game in the eighth.

Ryan Braun continued to slump as well by going 0-5 in the game, only 1-17 in the last four games, and 8-44 with one walk in the last ten games.

Hopefully, the all-star break could help, but he’ll be there, too.

Let’s hope they can turn it around Thursday.

The Brewers and Dodgers meet again August 3-5 in LA.

Brewers Win Game Two

Ryan Shea — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:11:27 -0400

Trevor Wastes No Time Closing This One

Jason Kendall congratulates Trevor Hoffman after earning his 20th save.

Tonight the Brewers faced a slightly familiar situation. Trevor Hoffman on the mound in the ninth with a lead. This time, though, the Crew was up by three and the number of batters Hoffman needed to face to finish this one up.

In a much more entertaining game, the Brewers led the entire way with only a slight three-run fifth as Mike Burns and the Brewers' only hiccups. Mike Burns had an all around good start against an otherwise powerful Dodgers' lineup. He went four solid innings before giving up the three runs on back-to-back home runs by Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier before finishing the inning and earning the win.

J.J. Hardy hit a long double to deep left-center that scored Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron in the eighth inning adding some much appreciated padding for Mike Burns’ lead and Trevor Hoffman’s ninth inning.

Milwaukee had Dodgers' pitcher Jeff Weaver’s number early as Ryan Braun and Fielder had first inning RBI.

In the fourth inning, Frank Catalanotto hit his first home run of the season for the Crew while Burns also helped his cause by hitting an RBI single before being thrown out my Manny Ramirez going for a double.

Mike Burns went five innings striking out seven batters while giving up three runs. After his departure, the Crew got two solid innings from Seth McClung and another from Todd Coffey before Hoffman took the ninth and picked up his 20th save of the season.

The Brewers close up the series with the Dodgers tomorrow and send ace Yovani Gallardo (8-6) to the mound to face Clayton Kershaw (6-5) in the rubber match. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM CT.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
LAD	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	3	8	1
MIL	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	x	6	9	0

W: Mike Burns (2-2) L: Jeff Weaver (5-3) S: Trevor Hoffman (20)

Boxscore

Ryan Braun vs. Doug Melvin: Who Was Right?

Ryan Shea — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:20:35 -0400

After the Brewers suffered their third defeat of a four-game series to the rival Cubs, All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun had seen enough.

In his post-game interview, he expressed his concerns with the starting pitching, the lack of changes made, and the overall direction of the team.

“We need to find a way to throw the ball a little better to have success,” Braun said Sunday. “When you’re constantly behind in games, it’s not easy. It’s not fun. [The Cubs'] starting pitching was clearly a lot better than ours this series…We’re at the point right now where it would be important for us to go out there and acquire somebody.”

My original thoughts after hearing the comments by Braun were fully positive. It’s no secret that the Brewers’ starting pitching, and team for that matter, are starting to struggle mightily, and if nothing changes then it is going to stay that way.

Unfortunately, Mike Burns and Seth McClung are not going to carry any ball club through October and outside of Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers have very little talent on the hill every night.

After all, the Brewers made the biggest move at the trade deadline acquiring CC Sabathia from the Yankees, and it brought them to the postseason for the first time in 26 years.

While there is no starting pitcher that could match what Sabathia did last year, the Brewers’ bullpen is 180 degrees different ,and the offense is a year more mature.

Apparently general manager Doug Melvin did not agree with myself or Ryan Braun. The day after Braun’s comments, Melvin fired back with a response to Braun’s requests.

“It was inappropriate for him to say what he said, and I’m not happy about it,” Melvin told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Monday. “To make the statements he made and also get on his teammates like that, it was irresponsible on his part. It just ticked me off.”

After hearing Melvin’s comments and thinking more about the situation and how Braun said things, I switched my stance into the general manager’s corner on the issue.

First and foremost, issues regarding the team’s progress and future should be kept out of the media and behind closed doors.

Braun probably meant no harm by the comments and was looking to jump start his team, but calling out any player in the media is not the right way to go.

Anyone who heard Braun’s comments already knew that Milwaukee’s starting pitching was struggling, and that Melvin should be trying to acquire someone for the stretch run.

Did Braun need to play Captain Obvious and let everyone know this was the case?

If Braun means what he said, that he meant no harm by the quote, then he should have kept his mouth shut instead of giving his two cents on an issue everyone already knew about.

I don’t believe we heard Jeff Suppan complaining about the lack of offense in the Cubs’ 2-1 victory over the Brewers, or Yovani Gallardo asking for one simple run against the Mets. Granted, Braun has a little more power to say what he wants, but it’s still not enough.

However, Braun DID go to the media, and so that stance needs to be addressed as well. The first thing that Braun did wrong was try to one-up the general manager and start calling the shots.

Fans in Milwaukee and Wisconsin know how ugly that can turn (Green Bay, anyone?) When a player starts getting comfortable with the thinking that they are bigger than the team and franchise, things go bad real quick, and the general manager is left out to dry.

Melvin did the right thing by taking a stand against Braun and making sure he knew that while Braun can hit in the three spot and play left field, Melvin will take care of who suits up around him.

Calling Braun out also saved Melvin’s rear from having to make a move. To the average Brewers fan that doesn’t understand the ins and outs of managing a team from the front office, when Ryan Braun speaks, everyone listens.

Those fans that heard Braun send out a verbal S.O.S for starting pitching would have started calling for Melvin’s head had he not have put down Braun’s talk.

Think about it: You can just picture the guy behind you in the stands at Miller Park going absolutely bonkers when Jeff Suppan is pulled in the sixth inning after allowing four runs. “Come on Melvin, you heard what Braun wants! Get it done!”

Speaking of trying to get a deal done, Melvin is not playing MLB Baseball 2009 for the X-Box 360.

He isn’t plugging in Jarrod Washburn into a deal and re-arranging players until the Mariners’ interest is high enough where he can press the “A” button and Washburn is magically sent to the Brew Crew.

Melvin has a million different factors to take into consideration when trying to get a deal done for the Brewers. Who’s to say he hasn’t been on the phone 24/7 trying to get a deal done with “Team X,” but can’t find the right fit for the ball club?

Melvin has to take into account the future of the Milwaukee Brewers and is not willing to give up the heart of it just to make the wild card this year. He has already talked about last year’s trade and how giving up Matt LaPorta was a huge deal to the organization.

While Milwaukee’s scouts seem to churn out talent, Melvin can’t keep giving it away at any cost for a year or two of a “difference-maker.”

Mat Gamel and Alcides Esocbar seem to be the future of the left side of the infield for the Brewers and Melvin is intent on keeping that intact.

What that means is a top-of-the-line trade deadline pitcher is probably not going to happen, and that the Brewers will have to deal with that.

While some argue that this year is different in that the Brewers would not be using their acquired pitcher as a “rental” like Sabathia last year, in a sense it still is.

Cleveland’s Cliff Lee is signed through 2010 and Jake Peavy is signed through 2013, but if Melvin gives up a player like Gamel or Escobar, there’s a good chance they outplay whichever pitcher is acquired.

Even if you look past Lee and Peavy (not really an option, but was earlier), Doug Davis, Jarrod Washburn, and Eric Bedard, all who have been associated with the Brewers in a trade, are done after this year.

While Davis might not require a top-of-the-line prospect, it goes back to the whole rental style of trading that Melvin just doesn’t want to deal with this year.

If Doug Melvin does not believe the Brewers have a legitimate shot at winning the World Series this year, or even the National League Central. there is no reason to throw away a key cog of the future in Gamel or Escobar.

It might be the fun thing to see a new starter in a Brewers’ uniform taking the hill after the All-Star Break, but be patient and watch how fun it will be to see Gamel hit 30 home runs and Escobar to play Gold Glove-defense for the next eight years.

Overall, the media outbursts of Melvin and Braun went on the back burner after both made up through the same outlet and things seem to have cooled over. Melvin is looking forward and Braun says the two are “cool."

A deal may or may not get done, but one thing is for sure: Ryan Braun is sure to think twice before opening his mouth to the media in the future.

Brewers Closers Blow Win

Ryan Shea — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:22:30 -0400

Hoffman Blows His Second Save of the Year

Brewers ahead 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth." title="Mat Gamel puts the Brewers ahead 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth." width="395" height="512" />

Mat Gamel puts the Brewers ahead 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth.

The Milwaukee Brewers fought a tough game Friday night against the best in the league and won.

Well, almost.

The Dodgers scored most of their 12 runs from the five home runs they hit, including an extra-innings grand slam by Matt Kemp that sealed the comeback.

The Brewers came out fighting after their previous series losses to the Cubs and Cardinals. Every time the Dodgers scored, the Crew had an answer.

In the first inning, after giving up a run, Milwaukee got RBI from Mat Gamel and Mike Cameron. When LA homered in the fourth, J.J. Hardy countered with a home run of his own.

In the sixth inning Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin homered, and Frank Catanalotto and Hardy each had an RBI. This was how it worked until the eighth inning, when Gamel homered to put the Brewers up and set up the save for Trevor Hoffman.

In the ninth, however, the Dodgers were swinging early against the all-time saves leader as he blew his second save of the season, sending the game to extra innings.

And LA would only need one. In the top of the tenth, Carlos Villanueva continued his troubling ways giving up two runs before Matt Kemp hit a Grand Slam off of him.

At that point, Seth McClung took over and closed down the inning. In the bottom frame Catalanotta and Hardy again had an RBI each, however, the Brewers were unable to make up the other four runs, losing 12-8 in 10 innings.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only Brewer fan livid with both Trevor Hoffman and Carlos Villanueva Friday night. For some reason, I found myself blaming Ned Yost as well.

Huh! Oh well. Tomorrow’s a new day.

Parra Stellar but Relievers Blow Game

Ryan Shea — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:49:47 -0400

Brewers Drop Two of Three to Cardinals

Manny Parra returned to the Brewers rotation and may have pitched the best game of his career in seven shutout innings, however the Brewers' bullpen dropped a five spot in the eighth, all before recording one out, to hand that game to the Cardinals, 5-1.

I’m going to make this short and as sweet as I can. Manny Parra pissed excellence tonight. Carlos Villanueva, Mitch Stetter and Todd Coffey pissed on themselves.

A complete game by Joel Pineiro for St. Louis left all but Prince Fielder baffled at the plate fielding only three hits and batting only one over the minimum.

For Parra, it’s the first time this season he’s gone seven innings. It’s also the first time he has not allowed a run. Manny dropped his ERA from 7.52 to 6.58. He threw 110 pitches giving up only three hits and one walk while scattering seven strikeouts.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Fielder hit a double and then made his way to third before Cameron slapped a single bringing Fielder in. Those were two of the Brewers three hits. They would not score another run.

After Parra was pulled, Villanueva took over to start the eighth and immediately gave up a single to Skip Schumaker and then a RBI triple to Brendan Ryan. At that point Mitch Stetter came in and walked Jason LaRue, placing runners at the corners. Todd Coffey took over next and gave up a double to Albert Pujols scoring Ryan and moving LaRue to third. Ryan Ludwick then homered them both home, a three-run home run and still no outs. In fact, Rick Ankiel then singled and it wasn’t until he was caught stealing second that the Crew recorded the first out. Yadier Molina struck out looking and Jarrett Hoffpauir flew out to end the inning.

At that point the Brewers could not get anything else going and the score was final. Parra and his brilliant performance will have to try again after the break.

Brewers Fight Back

Ryan Shea — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:20:33 -0400

Fielder Reaches Infield for Game Winning RBI

Jeff Suppan had a a good thing going early on Wednesday night before the Brewers allowed a 1-0 lead to vanish in the fourth inning in which Suppan surrendered four runs.

Ryan Ludwick started the inning out with a walk for the Cardinals and moved to second when Chris Duncan grounded out. Yadier Molina then doubled in Ludwick as the tying run. Joe Thurston was intentionally walked and the pitcher, Todd Wellemeyer, sacrificed Thurston and Molina to second and third. Brendan Ryan then brought them both home with a two-RBI double and was then brought home by a Skip Shumaker single before the Brewers stopped the bleeding.

All that work was reversed by the Brewers in the bottom of the inning when Mat Gamel homered scoring Mike Cameron and bringing the Crew to within one. Jason Kendall then singled and reached third on an error and Craing Counsell singled him in for the game-tying RBI.

The game would stay locked until the eighth inning when the Brewers got the go-ahead RBI with the bases loaded on a deep infield hit that Prince Fielder was able to reach safely on.

Suppan was able to make it 5 2-3 innings before being pulled. Todd Coffey pitched two innings and earned the win after getting out of a couple jams. Trevor Hoffman then came in and earned his 19th save for the Crew in closing out the ninth.

The Brewers continued to struggle with RISP going 3-11 and leaving 12 men on base.

The Brewers pull to within a game of the Cardinals and have a chance at tying them for first with a win tomorrow.

Manny Parra (3-8) makes his major league return tomorrow against Joel Pineiro (6-9). Game time is 1:05 PM CT.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
STL	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	1
MIL	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	1	x	5	10	1

W: Todd Coffey (4-1) L: Jason Motte (3-3) S: Trevor Hoffman (19)

Boxscore

Brewers Shut Down

Ryan Shea — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:47:37 -0400

Gallardo Suffers Shutout Loss

Ryan Braun throws a ball to the infield Tuesday.

The Milwaukee Brewers found the road to victory uneasy tonight as the Cardinals came into Miller Park and put Gallardo in an early 3-0 hole.

After the Brewers lost three of four to the Cubs, they were hoping to get back on the right foot with a win from their ace Yovani Gallardo (8-6). They would get everything, but that as Gallardo was only able to last five innings and surrendered four runs. Ryan Ludwick put Gallardo in the early 3-0 hole when belting his 12th home run of the season to put the Cardinals up early.

Chris Narveson gave up the fifth run for the Crew in the sixth inning.

Every time the Brewers tried to counter, they were left stranded without a run. Adam Wainwright (9-5) shut Milwaukee down while going 8 1-3 innings for St. Louis and striking out nine Brewers.

The heart of the Brewers lineup was ineffective as J.J. Hardy, Braun and Prince Fielder went a combined 0-10 with Fielder drawing a walk. Corey Hart, on the other hand, had three of the Brewers seven hits in his four at bats.

The game was yet another difficult to watch performance for the entire team. One had to wonder if the slide will end soon.

Jeff Suppan (5-6) will go head-to-head with Todd Wellemeyer (7-7) tomorrow night in Milwaukee. Game time is again 7:05 PM CT.

Brew News: 7/7

Ryan Shea — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:14:06 -0400

As of 7/6: 43-39, 2nd place NL Central
Previous Game: Cubs 8, Brewers 2

The Brewers had Monday off after a rough four-day weekend series with the Cubs, in which the "Brew Crew" were only able to secure one win.

Braden Looper was the lone pitcher to get the full support of the Brewers' bats.

Jeff Suppan, on the other hand, was robbed of a win. He went seven innings and gave up only four hits and one run, but the Crew lost when Mark DiFelice walked Jake Fox with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the tenth bringing in the winning run for the Cubs.

So, now that those frustrations are gone, the Brewers embark on another important match, this time with the St. Louis Cardinals, who currently hold a one-game lead in the suddenly tight division, where 3.5 games separate five teams. Read Madison.com for more on this match-up.

After the series with the Cubs, Ryan Braun finally let his voice be heard. Braun is totally frustrated with the lack of quality starters in the Brewers' rotation, as is the rest of Milwaukee. He called out Melvin to make a deal to get another pitcher, and this time he angered GM Doug Melvin. Read that now.

Right Field Bleachers reports that after Braun made these comments, the Brewers were already looking at Atlanta Braves righty Javier Vazquez. This trade would have huge upside for the Crew, since Vazquez would be signed through next season. Read about it here.

Oh wait, nevermind—the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that to get him, the Crew would have to give up one of their off-limits prospects, Mat Gamel or Alcides escobar. Dagnabit. Read that.

However, the Fond du Lac reporter continues on recent reports that Manny Parra may be coming back after "a stellar outing Friday night against Round Rock, pitching seven scoreless innings and allowing only two hits and two walks while logging seven strikeouts." Read the rest here.

Meanwhile, JSOnline is also reporting that the Brewers are just trying to survive right now. The Brewers are embarking on a tough six-game home stand against the Cardinals and then the LA Dodgers...yeah, the MLB-leading Dodgers. Right now, they're only one game back, and if the Crew can hold firm at home, they could reposition themselves in first place heading to next weeks all star break. Check that out.

Tom Oates at Madison.com writes that the Brewers’ Braun and Fielder are the best hitting duo in baseball. I found this article after digging through the Bleacher Report, and I would have to agree. At this point, there aren’t a lot of huge combos except everyone in Philly. Since Philly is stacked, they don’t count. Read Madison.com.

Kyle Hulsebus has a nice piece at the Bleacher Report for the hardcore Brewer fans who love the Brewers no matter what. He sets it all on the line—he lets you hear why he loves the Brewers, and why it makes it easy to hate their moves. Take a look!

And now, it's time to vote for Prince Fielder as Clutch Performer of the month. Prince was about the only one consistent all of last month, and his numbers show it. I encourage you to vote now!

And speaking of Prince Fielder, it has been announced that he will compete in the Home Run Derby during next week's festivities. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t hit the swinging slump that sometimes follows after players have to change their swing for the competition! Read here.

And while we’re on the All-Star week topic, ESPN’s Rob Neyer makes a case for Yovani Gallardo, saying he was snubbed. I would have to agree, but he’ll have more opportunities in years to come. Read here.

And in a closing note, it has come time my attention that Huntsville may lose the Stars as a minor league affiliate due to concerns that they are unable to draw fans. Keep tuned.

Brew News: 7/6

Ryan Shea — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:53:38 -0400

Brew News for July 6th

As of 7/5: 43-39, Second NL Central Previous Game: Cubs 8, Brewers 2

The Milwaukee Brewers continued their rough ride through Chicago this weekend with a four-game series in which they showed up for one game. The Cubs easily took the series three games to one while their pitching staff shut down the Crew leaving them fairly confused and left, thankfully, only one game back of St. Louis.

With the Cardinals coming to town tomorrow, the Brewers have a golden opportunity to regain the lead. They also have a great opportunity to blow it big time. Let’s hope Yo and co. can get it together this week.

After the series, Ryan Braun made a strong statement on how tough it is to win games when constantly being put in early holes while facing strong pitching. He went as far to put Doug Melvin on the line by saying, “We’re at the point right now where it would be important for us to go out there and acquire somebody.”

I am going to have to agree this time, Doug. The pitching is again hindering the Crew. JSOnline has it here.

Adam McCalvy continues on this by diving into the Brewers impending decisions. They definitely have a few to make right now.

Casey McGehee is proving a solid staple in the lineup at third base which means Mat Gamel is losing playing time. It also means that Brewers Nation can now push for a Bill Hall buyout. They also have some pitching decisions to make. Read here.

Speaking of Hall, Adam Lindemer at the Bleacher Report currently has a feature about the Brewers third basemen and has an idea that should have been spat out months ago and maybe even last season.

Should the Brewers send Hall to the minors to try to help him regain his 2006 form? Check it out.

Speaking of players in the minors, BrewCrewBall has taken a long, hard look at the Manny Parra situation and feels that it would be in the Brewers' best interest to have him make his next start for Milwaukee rather than for Nashville, the AAA affiliate for the Crew. I’m not certain it will happen just yet, but it is clear that the rotation is in trouble. Check it out.

Decider Milwaukee goes through their mid-season review. Take a look at their pre-season predictions and match that up with what has actually taken place and then follow it up by what is coming next. Have a look.

And on to a little lighter side. Ryan Braun is again the top vote-getter for the NL outfield this year and will be the first Brewer starting in consecutive years since Robin Yount did so at shortstop for the AL in 1982 and 1983. Prince Fielder was also selected to play off the bench by manager Charlie Manuel. See the story.

And this last headline is days old, but the Brewers top pitching prospect, Jeremy Jeffress, was again suspended after a second positive test for a ‘drug of abuse,’ believed to be marijuana.

His previous suspension spanned 50 games while this most recent suspension will last 100 games and go well into next season. Jeffress has a long road ahead of him if he wants to try to play again next year. Read here.

Brewers Comeback Not Enough: Twins Win Series

Ryan Shea — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:17:29 -0400

The Milwaukee Brewers continued their struggles against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon, falling 6-4.

Mike Burns was just okay in his first career start. He gave up four runs and six hits over five and two-thirds innings.

Burns’ troubles started in the fourth when Justin Morneau singled in Span. Burns then walked Michael Cuddyer, bringing a run in.

Burns gave up another run in the fifth and sixth innings, putting the Brewers in a 4-0 hole before Casey McGehee's and Prince Fielder’s home runs brought the Brewers to within one run.

The Twins got two of those runs back in the seventh, however, and Brewers only managed one more run off of Ryan Braun’s eighth inning solo home run.

Brewers reliever Mitch Stetter’s consecutive outs by strikeout streak came to an end at 15, a franchise record.

It marks the end of another disappointing interleague series for the Brewers.

The Brewers start their series with the Giants Friday night with Yovani Gallardo (7-4) facing ace Matt Cain (9-1). Game time is 7:05 p.m. CT.

Brewers Struck By Defensive Blunders

Ryan Shea — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:54:19 -0400

Struggles Continue Against Twins

Minnesota Twins' Francisco Liriano." class="size-medium wp-image-740" src="http://brewcrewonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/coreyhart20090623-285x300.jpg" border="0" height="300" alt="Corey Hart reacts to striking out against the Minnesota Twins' Francisco Liriano." width="285">

Corey Hart reacts to striking out against the Minnesota Twins' Francisco Liriano.

Is it just me, or do you also feel like running into oncoming traffic after watching the Brewers? There were at least five seperate occasions where I found myself physically capable of putting my head through a wall tonight.

The frustrations started early as the Brewers gave up a 3 run single to Joe Crede in the first inning, just moments after getting the third out on a strikeout, only to lose the ball—a wild pitch—allowing the batter to get to first.

The Brewers sloppy defensive play then gave up another run in the second to go down 4-2.

This theme continued throughout the night. In the third inning when an inning-ending routine double play ball was hit directly to J.J. Hardy, all he had to do was throw to second, but instead he dropped the ball. Both runners were safe. Instead of the inning being over there, three runs would score.

In fact, all seven of the Twins runs came off of or after blunders were made.

The Brewers on the other hand got a few runs early, including a double by McGehee in the second inning that scored Jeff Suppan from first base. Suppan then proceeded to make his way to the oxygen tanks before going back out to pitch.

To put it in layman’s terms, the Brewers stunk tonight. They didn’t even look like they wanted to play.

It makes it hard to watch these kind of game. Thankfully, interleague is over soon. Unfortunately, the season is not. Hopefully the Brewers can salvage something in these next two games.

The loss, paired with the Cardinal’s win, moves the Brewers 2 games back of the division lead. Wednesday night the Twins send Nick Blackburn (6-2) to face Braden Looper (5-4).