Cardinals Strike Early, Milwaukee Brewers Unable To Respond In 4-2 Loss

by Kyle Lobner on Sep 6, 2011 10:04 PM CDT in WPA Game Recaps

W: Kyle Lohse (13-8)
L: Yovani Gallardo (15-8)
S: Jason Motte (3)

MVP: Jonathan Lucroy (+.033)
LVP: Casey McGehee (-.205)

Win Expectancy Graph and Star of the Game Voting

Last night the Brewers used two long balls to power their way past the Cardinals. Tonight the Cardinals used that formula against them.

Five days after allowing a career high four home runs against the Cardinals on Thursday, Gallardo allowed two more in the third inning tonight. He limited the damage from there and completed six innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

The Brewer bats, meanwhile, squandered their opportunities throughout the game. Tonight they:

Left the bases loaded in the first when Yuniesky Betancourt popped out.
Left two on in the third when Casey McGehee grounded out.
Left two on in the fourth when Corey Hart flied out.
Left one on to end the game when Casey McGehee grounded into a double play.

All told they left twelve men on base and plated just two runs.

Corey Hart led off the game with a double to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. Taylor Green singled in the eighth and now is one shy of the Brewer franchise record with hits in each of his first six major league games. We'll have more on that later.

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10 hits and 3 walks

will normally lead to more than two runs.

We’ll get ’em tomorrow.

by Archibaldcrane on Sep 6, 2011 10:05 PM CDT reply actions

Exactly

Even when the Brewers aren’t hitting, they’re still kind of hitting. They got on base more often than the Cardinals tonight; they just couldn’t string ‘em together, and their fly outs were about 10 feet shorter than the Cards’ home runs.

It happens.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:08 PM CDT up reply actions

it's time to bench McGehee and give Green more starts

you can rarely count on McGehee for anything these days and Green is swinging a hot bat. But I don’t think RRR is smart enough to realize this.

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:06 PM CDT reply actions

Won't happen, I'm afraid.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on Sep 6, 2011 10:10 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

I know, it's a pipe dream really

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions

I think Green is growing on Roenicke and will start (deservedly) getting more starts

But Casey is hitting .270/.339/.514 since Aug. 1. Let’s not confuse him with Yuni.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs

that's fine, but Green is still a better hitter than McGehee.

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions

...

Are you basing that on his <20 major league plate appearances, or his one good season in a hitter friendly minor league?

Now that's great tasting chicken!

by Kyle Lobner on Sep 6, 2011 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions

And I don't think he's faced a lefty yet either

by bluejazz04 on Sep 6, 2011 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions

In the majors, I mean

by bluejazz04 on Sep 6, 2011 10:19 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm just sick of McGehee and I think Green will be a better hitter than him.

obviously the stats don’t back me on that opinion, it’s just what I think.

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:19 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm basing it on McGehee being terrible this season.

"We’re here to win, man. All that fighting stuff, that’s for the birds." - Prince Fielder

by SRB on Sep 6, 2011 10:25 PM CDT up reply actions

He's not being confused for Yuni.

But by the same token: he’s not being confused for a legitimate 5 hole hitter either.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on Sep 6, 2011 10:13 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

He won't be, once the playoffs roll around.

Then again, Green won’t get a start in the playoffs either, which sucks, but I don’t have a huge problem with Casey in the sixth spot.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Then who's hitting fifth?

I don’t think Rickie’s foot is going to allow him to play full time the rest of the year…

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on Sep 6, 2011 10:17 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

You don't think he'll be starting in the playoffs?

That’s three-and-a-half weeks from now, nine weeks from the initial sprain. Barring a big setback, he’ll be ready to start by then.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Sadly, no.

We’re 4+ weeks removed from the injury and he can’t handle much, if any, lateral movement. I just don’t think it’s going to happen.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on Sep 6, 2011 10:22 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

Isn't he going to be pinch hitting like, three days from now?

I certainly hope he can play the field almost a month after that.

"We’re here to win, man. All that fighting stuff, that’s for the birds." - Prince Fielder

by SRB on Sep 6, 2011 10:26 PM CDT up reply actions

yeah he's being activated for the weekend Philly series

Olney said he should be 100% very soon after that. I trust Olney more than TH or McCalvy

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:27 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't.

http://www.mlbsoup.com

by tcyoung on Sep 6, 2011 10:40 PM CDT up reply actions

I do on trade rumors

Not on injury stuff, though. McCalvy sees Weeks going through BP and warmups pretty often. Olney probably hasn’t seen him in person since the All-Star Game.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions

Weeks is crushing in BP

And he can field, but the staff doesn’t want him to go full speed yet.

One Player at a Time

by nullacct on Sep 7, 2011 12:17 AM CDT up reply actions

I hope so too.

I just think the original injury was much, much worse than the team let on, and the four-to-six week timeline was, in the words of Ken Macha, a lot of poppycock.

We pull our pants up and do our jobs here.

by Rubie Q on Sep 6, 2011 10:30 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions

I agree

I think the original timeframe given was 2-6 weeks, which was absurd. But I think the team has targeted the start of the playoffs as the goal date to get Rickie back in the lineup, and they’re orienting the entire rehab around that. Obviously, nature can intervene, but I think if Rickie is even near ready (and he’ll have been on the roster, getting time in games at bat, on the bases and possibly in the field for three weeks by then) he’ll be on the field.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions

I think that if the race was closer right now, Rickie would be back

Since they’re 9.5 games up, why bother activating him unless you’re sure he’s 100%?

by cwolf20 on Sep 7, 2011 1:02 AM CDT up reply actions

Primarily because he has to get reps in

You don’t want his first 3 games back to be the last 3 games of the season. It doesn’t cost you anything to activate him and keep him available for pinch hitting, even if he’s only a Designated Pinch Hitter for a week.

by ecocd on Sep 7, 2011 6:25 AM CDT up reply actions

It was much worse (as anyone who saw the play would have thought)

Its been almost 6 weeks and they still haven’t had him even making cuts or taking reps at 2B.

Look at it this way – its almost 6 weeks from the injury and the team is talking about “maybe” taking PH appearances, they are very hesitant to even mention him playing 2B.

Get a ife broseph

by Supertramp on Sep 7, 2011 12:56 AM CDT up reply actions

As nullacct noted below

He’s taking reps at 2B now.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 7, 2011 7:38 AM CDT up reply actions

I guess neither of us will know until we see him out there

But in 5.5 weeks, he’s gone from walking in a boot to straight-line sprinting that apparently resembles normal and has reached the point where his manager has said he’s considering playing him on defense for a couple innings at a time.

I think in another 3.5 weeks, he can build up enough lateral movement to justify getting his bat into the lineup. I’m not anything remotely resembling a doctor, though, so we’ll see, I guess.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:27 PM CDT up reply actions

I also think the team is just taking their time with Weeks' rehab since they have such a big lead in the Central

I think RRR said a few weeks ago that Rickie could play if the race was close.

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:28 PM CDT up reply actions

Where did you see that?

Because that doesn’t gibe with anything else I’ve heard RRR say.

by Cheeseandcorn on Sep 6, 2011 10:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I thought I read that in a tweet from McCalvy but maybe I'm just tripping haha

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:31 PM CDT up reply actions

SI

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers plan to activate Rickie Weeks from the 15-day disabled list soon to allow him time to ease his way back.

There’s been no discussion yet how much playing time Weeks would need to get ready for the postseason. The Brewers led the NL Central by 10 1/2 games prior to Tuesday night’s game against the second-place Cardinals.

Weeks has been out with a severely sprained left ankle since July 27. Manager Ron Roenicke said Weeks has looked good running in the outfield the last few days, but has yet to run the bases.

“Yesterday was a real good day for him, I could see the improvements out there,” Roenicke said. “He didn’t have that little pause, that little hesitation that he’s had.”

Weeks took ground balls at second base before Tuesday night’s game at St. Louis.

Link

One Player at a Time

by nullacct on Sep 7, 2011 12:23 AM CDT up reply actions

Hes

Hitting .270 with decent power since August 1st and I think his average is even higher since the break… what is a legitimate 5 hole hitter?

Streak Breakers.com

by Flanyboy on Sep 6, 2011 10:16 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Rickie Weeks haha

I am too drunk to taste this chicken.

by ThroughBeingCool on Sep 6, 2011 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions

fair enough hahaha

But Casey since the break hasn’t been terrible compared to what we expected.

Streak Breakers.com

by Flanyboy on Sep 6, 2011 10:25 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions

I keep seeing "since August 1st" for Casey....

He had a couple of 3 hit games in the first couple of days of August (one of which was a 3 home run game), but if you look at the last month from August 6th – September 6th, its the Casey we have most of the year.

.227/.309/.412 since August 6th which looks a lot like the .237/.294/.361 line he has put up for the whole year. I’m not at all convinced he has turned the corner or is going to improve any time this year.

by grant76 on Sep 7, 2011 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions

It's a no brainer that Green needs to get some more starts especially against RHP

I don’t think its an issue of RR not being smart enough, I think its an issue of RR being stubborn and having a fetish with veteran players. We have seen it all year with Kotsay, Counsell, and McGehee. Experience is one of those things that is way overrated in baseball. Green has played in about as many games this year as Casey and I would make the argument that his baseball IQ is equal or greater to that of McGehee. But the bottom line is that Green is clearly better than McGehee (at least the McGehee of this year)

by Run4it on Sep 6, 2011 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions

It would really help if they could wrap up the Central

And RRR wouldn’t feel bad about sitting the regulars. I’m sure politics is playing a large role in his decision. If he thinks Green can play 2nd base, then there’s absolutely no reason not to paly him at 2B, JHJ at SS and drop Yuni like a bad habit other than politics and not wanting to destroy Yuni’s confidence right before the postseason. Once they have things wrapped up, it’s easy to tell Yuni, “you’ve had a ton of innings this year, we want to sit you to get you fresh for the postseason.”

by ecocd on Sep 7, 2011 6:29 AM CDT up reply actions

Great season for sure.

But kinna depressing that casey is not that good this yr and yuni shouldn’t be a starter on any god damn team especially one that is “all in”

by Flag Up on Sep 6, 2011 10:06 PM CDT reply actions

I didn't get to watch much of this game

What the hell is up with Gallardo and the long ball this year? It’s like he’s Dave freakin’ Bush.

by bluejazz04 on Sep 6, 2011 10:08 PM CDT reply actions

In case anyone missed this depressing fact:

The top 3 Brewers in terms of total runners on base for their AB are 1) Fielder, 2) McGehee, 3) Betancourt

If we had half-way competent hitters there this season imagine the difference in runs scored.

"We’re here to win, man. All that fighting stuff, that’s for the birds." - Prince Fielder

by SRB on Sep 6, 2011 10:10 PM CDT reply actions

Well, crap.

http://www.mlbsoup.com

by tcyoung on Sep 6, 2011 10:10 PM CDT reply actions

Braun dropped to .333 with his 0-for-4 tonight

But Reyes is going 1-for-4 to drop to .331, so Braun maintains the league lead.

Now that's great tasting chicken!

by Kyle Lobner on Sep 6, 2011 10:12 PM CDT reply actions

I blame rafi

Oh well still tomorrow to get it to

"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."
BCB Fantasy Football League 1 Champ

by Hyatt on Sep 6, 2011 10:13 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

by Kyle Lobner on Sep 6, 2011 10:17 PM CDT reply actions

remember that game yuni didn't start?

that was nice.

i'm fighting all the french people i can find. happy cinco de mayo!

by sowingwildoats on Sep 6, 2011 10:50 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah, sure do

How about a few dozen more where he doesn’t start? Is that too much to ask?

"Why do I slam Yuni so much? It's nothing personal. It's strictly business." -- Michael Corleone

by PlusorMinusThree on Sep 6, 2011 11:30 PM CDT up reply actions

Someone needs to explain to RR & DM

That Yuni is stealing runs from the team every inning he plays

One Player at a Time

by nullacct on Sep 7, 2011 12:25 AM CDT up reply actions

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NL Central Standings

	W	L	PCT	GB	STRK
Cincinnati Red Reporter	26	20	.565	0	Won 1
St. Louis Viva El Birdos	25	22	.531	1.5	Lost 3
Houston The Crawfish Boxes	22	24	.478	4	Lost 1
Pittsburgh Bucs Dugout	22	24	.478	4	Won 2
Milwaukee Brew Crew Ball	19	27	.413	7	Lost 1
Chicago Bleed Cubbie Blue	15	31	.326	11	Lost 11