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Todd Coffey: Unsung Hero.

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Some things to read while watching Seinfeld with Coco Crisp.

Yovani Gallardo's performance from last night is drawing a fair amount of attention around the web this morning. A small sampling:

• Tom H. notes that Gallardo's home run was the first ever hit off of Randy Johnson by a pitcher.
• Circling the Bases notes that Gallardo has a .726 career OPS, fourth best among all active pitchers with at least 50 at bats.
• Quevedo at the Buffet compares Gallardo's at bat to what one would have expected from Ben Sheets under the same circumstances.

However, all of Gallardo's heroics may have been for naught if not for Todd Coffey, who got the Brewers out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh and pitched a perfect eighth. Coffey's efforts did not go unnoticed, as Ken Macha said the Brewers had two saves last night.

Carlos Villanueva was also perfect in the ninth last night, picking up his first save. If last night is any indication, a Brewer bullpen that goes 7-8-9 with Coffey, Villanueva and Trevor Hoffman might be ok after all. Hoffman's rehab continues apace, and he'll begin playing catch more seriously today.

Will Hoffman's rehab lead him to Appleton? At the Timber Rattlers' Lead Off Experience yesterday, Gord Ash said it will depend on the weather. Hoffman could pitch in Arizona or Brevard County if the team is concerned about conditions in Appleton.

Mike Cameron continued his hot start last night, hitting a home run off of Randy Johnson that accounted for the only Brewer run not driven in by Gallardo. Cameron has yet to strike out in the Brewers first two games. Some fans are praising Cameron's increased plate discipline, but Jack Moore of Right Field Bleachers refutes the notion, pointing out that Cameron has always been patient.

Cameron was also a key part of a Brewer offense that stole four bases on Opening Day. The Official Site says not to get too excited: the Brewers plan to jump on opportunities to run when they arise this season, but don't plan on running that much everyday.

Sometimes a milestone just slips by: Prince Fielder's eighth inning single off of Jeremy Affeldt on Tuesday was the 500th hit of his career, but no one in the dugout knew about it. I'm guessing Fielder would have traded it for a win anyway. He's the third youngest Brewer to reach 500 hits.

Some Brewers would settle for 500 plate appearances: Fresh off a spring that saw them play every day, Tom H. caught up with Casey McGehee, Chris Duffy and Brad Nelson, who have some time on their hands these days.

Some minor league notes to pass along:

• The Appleton Post-Crescent has a nice profile of Appleton native and former Brewer Matt Erickson, the hitting coach for the Timber Rattlers.
• Beyond the Box Score has a look at the defensive skills of Angel Salome and Jonathan Lucroy, along with some of baseball's other catching prospects.

The Brewers have played about 1.2% of their schedule, so I guess it's time to update the rankings: MLB FanHouse downgraded the Brewers from 12th to 21st in their power rankings, and MLB Playoff Odds gives the Brewers a 26.8% chance at making the postseason.

Are you in the Milwaukee area and looking for something to do after tonight's game? Fox 6 will be airing their Brewer preview show live at 9:30.

In another TV note, as mentioned in Tuesday's Game Thread, Tuesday's game broadcast started without a graphic to show baserunners, but that was a technical issue that has been resolved.

These guys will also show up on your screen a fair amount this season: Mental Floss takes a look at seven stadium icons, including "The Doorman" at Miller Park.

Elsewhere around the league:

A's: Claimed reliever Dan Giese off waivers from the Yankees.
Cubs: Ted Lilly allowed four solo home runs in last night's win over the Astros. He also allowed five in 11 spring innings.
D-Backs: Brandon Webb will miss his next start with shoulder stiffness. Ken Rosenthal is reporting that concerns with Webb's arm ended talks of a new contract last season.
Nationals: Released pitcher Gustavo Chacin, who then signed with the Phillies.
Pirates: Third baseman Andy LaRoche, who made three errors in the team's first two games, has been benched.
Royals: Claimed third baseman Travis Metcalf off waivers from the Rangers.

Every year about this time we get a story like this one, but I don't think anyone expected the Pirates to be the story: At 2-1, playing the Cardinals this afternoon and with the Cubs having an off day, the Pirates could move into sole possession of first place in the NL Central with a win.

And another thing I never expected to see in print: Peter Angelos may not be involved enough in the operation of the Orioles.

Here's some sabermetric work we don't normally do in this space: Gaslamp Ball used the Golden Ratio to give Brian Giles a 76.8% attractiveness rating.

Look forward to some extra split-squad games and a day off or two next spring: Twins Now takes a look at the scheduling issues that will come up when the Cactus League and Grapefruit League each have 15 teams next season.

Oh, and Snuggies are coming to get our children.

Drink up.