Cardinals 5, Brewers 1

by Kyle Lobner on Sep 9, 2009 3:32 PM CDT in WPA Game Recaps

W: Adam Wainwright (18-7)
L: Jeff Suppan (6-9)

HR: Felipe Lopez (9) Albert Pujols 2 (47)

MVP: Jody Gerut (+.028)
LVP: Jeff Suppan (-.140)

Maybe the whole "no TV" thing wasn't as bad as we thought. Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals shut down the Brewers today, finishing off a 1-5 homestand for the Crew.

Meanwhile, Jeff Suppan was Jeff Suppan, allowing nine baserunners and four earned runs in five innings of work and pushing his season ERA back over 5.00. Albert Pujols hit a two run shot off of him in the fifth inning, then hit another solo shot off of Chris Narveson in the seventh. Narveson saved the bullpen by pitching three innings in relief and allowing just two hits, including Pujols' home run.

Three of the Brewers' six hits went for extra bases, including two doubles, one of which was immediately negated when Craig Counsell was thrown out trying to extend his to a triple in the first inning. Felipe Lopez hit a solo home run in the eighth to break the shutout. Of the eleven Brewers who came to the plate in the game, only Jody Gerut (1-for-3 with a walk) had a positive WPA contribution. Chris Smith, who pitched a scoreless ninth, was the only other Brewer in positive numbers, at +.004.

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Gerut as MVP?

Now I’ve seen everything.

by sjlee on Sep 9, 2009 3:34 PM CDT reply actions

Gerut

.780 OPS since the All-Star break, better than McGehee for example (.762). Small sample size and all that but he’s been pretty solid for awhile now.

by kingcharlesxii on Sep 9, 2009 4:27 PM CDT up reply actions

i wonder what McGehee OPS is

vs STL and vs Everyone else

VEB CheBird T-Shirt & Hoodies for Sale - Red or Powder Blue

by FlimtotheFlam on Sep 9, 2009 7:16 PM CDT up reply actions

Check the splits page at Baseball-reference

E: George 4 (5, throw, throw, throw, throw).

by Jordan M on Sep 9, 2009 8:44 PM CDT up reply actions

He's only got a worse OPS+ vs. the Phillies, Reds, and Braves

Cards Announcers On Gamel's First Career HR, ""That’s all they need is another home run hitter".

by tcyoung on Sep 9, 2009 9:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Booked Spring Training Flight

Always 2010 right?

by SgtClueLs on Sep 9, 2009 3:41 PM CDT reply actions

This season cannot end fast enough

Everything is just swell :)

by WSB Chris on Sep 9, 2009 4:33 PM CDT reply actions

I'm gonna lose a bet with a Reds fan.

Imagine the Brewers offense without Bill Hall. Wait. What?

by Dikembe Meiztombo on Sep 9, 2009 4:59 PM CDT reply actions

Got to go

Melvin and macha got to go.Melvin should have pick up pitching in the winter and macha sucks as a manager.To have a record under 500 with the talent on offense.Of course the pitching should start over except maybe 2 pitchers.

by B B on Sep 9, 2009 11:23 PM CDT reply actions

their track record in picking pitching in the draft sucks

why not focus on what they do best, and then trade for good young pitchers that other clubs begin to develop?

Plus, in the previous draft, they picked up a boatload of pitchers, so had a glut in the system.

Although this is a Jack Z issue more than Melvin and especially Macha issue.
===
as to picking up major league pitching talent on the trade market – the offers just may not have been there. Should he have tried a bit harder for CC: yes. I’m sure he made a play for the others, but didn’t want to (easily) part with Gamel or Escobar, so other clubs weren’t interested in talking.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Lawrie is the big name in a trade to get a solid pitcher during this offseason. But I won’t be surprised if we don’t get any pitchers of note in the offseason either.

There are 28 other GMs trying to get something from the one that Melvin wants to get something from – sometimes in baseball you strike out. Other times you get lucky and get a hold of one.

by PagsBrewCrew on Sep 10, 2009 6:10 AM CDT up reply actions

that being said

Melvin is still walking a tightrope in my mind. There have been several times where I’ve wanted him gone. I think Jack Z would have been better, and there are some bone-headed moves Melvin’s made over the years

by PagsBrewCrew on Sep 10, 2009 6:15 AM CDT up reply actions

Must be a full moon

I agree with you almost wholeheartedly on both posts here.

by backtocali on Sep 10, 2009 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Jack Z.

Not sure if he would have been better… as you stated, the lack of pitching prospects was partly his responsibility.

I guess we’ll know for sure over the next couple seasons in Seattle.

by sjlee on Sep 10, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

yeah...agreed

I think he’ll turn Seattle around. I also think that he was aware of his failings with pitching and if he was in charge of the show a) he would no longer be personally be involved in the draft and b) would make sure his subordinates knew the good qualities to look for in hitters, so the quality of the draft in that respect would probably not drop significantly.

But it’s all opinion and speculation at this point. I may very well be proven wrong over time. I’ll be keeping an eye on Seattle in the meantime.

by PagsBrewCrew on Sep 10, 2009 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions

what does whatifsports have listed for macha's chances of keeping this job?

"I'll be glad to have Ryan help if he wants to. I'll give him a badge and he can be my deputy."
-Sheriff Melvin

by sowingwildoats on Sep 10, 2009 12:45 AM CDT reply actions

I don't mind macha

I think a lot of our problems this season were due to injury with our pitching staff

Other problems were with the flakiness with our pitching staff. Very few managers are “good” with pitchers, so who should we hire? A former/current pitching coach to be manager?

I just don’t know who the good options would be to replace him. I think Macha’s adequate. Waaaaay more so than his predecessor

by PagsBrewCrew on Sep 10, 2009 6:13 AM CDT up reply actions

"I just don’t know who the good options would be to replace him"

this is the key part. Never fire a guy unless you’ve got a better one ready to replace him.

Same thing goes for Melvin. Can’t fire him, unless the next guy you’ve got in line is significantly better.

by Mykenk on Sep 10, 2009 8:58 AM CDT up reply actions

Pure speculation

I think Macha will retire after the season, and Randolph will step into the job.

by Marty McSuperFly on Sep 10, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions

Ugh...

not sure I like that scenario.

by sjlee on Sep 10, 2009 2:45 PM CDT up reply actions

What does "better" mean, in this context?

Does it mean that the person has prior experience (and successful experience) as a manager or GM? Or does it mean that the person was successful in whatever role he previously occupied — be it bench coach or third base coach or assistant GM or scouting director?

by Rubie Q on Sep 10, 2009 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions

I'm not sure what "better" means in this context.

I’m just opposed to making rash changes without thoroughly thinking it through first. Obviously if they’re smart, they’ll do (or have done) that, but, well, the Brewers have made rash decisions before.

I’m not a big believer in change for the sake of change.

by Mykenk on Sep 10, 2009 9:40 AM CDT up reply actions

Got it.

So, if they firmly believe that Randolph is a better option than Macha, you’re OK with making that change?

by Rubie Q on Sep 10, 2009 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Yep.

by Mykenk on Sep 10, 2009 9:47 AM CDT up reply actions

"unless the next guy you’ve got in line is significantly better"

no…I actually think you can get away with firing if the replacement primed in your system is at about the same level or even a bit below. Because if you make a firing in the offseason, you can entertain applications from outside your system, and you never know – one of them might be better.

But in case that job search fails, you don’t want to be left without a backup. I just don’t think the job market as a whole is going to yield anything better than Macha and I don’t think Randolph IS near enough the level of Macha to be the backup plan.

by PagsBrewCrew on Sep 10, 2009 1:04 PM CDT up reply actions

Right, I meant the eventual replacement. If you're gonna fire a GM/M, you've got your candidates in mind long before you pull the trigger, both internal and external.

by Mykenk on Sep 10, 2009 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions

If there is a house cleaning

Attanasio probably does not look internally to replace Melvin and Macha. And why should he? If you dont believe in Melvin, then why believe in the people he put in place in various roles.

Im ok with Melvin being shown the door, not so much Macha. Hes been dealt a bad hand. His philosophy works he just needs the correct pieces in place to run his system efficiently. The oba of Braun, Fielder, Cameron as well as other guys I think is related directly to Macha’s influence.

by backtocali on Sep 10, 2009 1:50 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed.

by sjlee on Sep 10, 2009 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions

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