Remember Saturday, when I Mugged from the road? I'm back on the road, and the Brewers are still losing. I'm sorry this Mug is late, but breakfast closed at 9, so it took full focus to finish 3 laps in time.

Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score
BDD Recaps

Notable by their absence yesterday: Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Jason Kendall. Apparently it was just a scheduled off day for almost half the starting position players, though.

The Yost Infection says it's time for a managerial change, even though most of this team's problems aren't Ned's fault. The time for a change was September of last year. The story now is that it hasn't happened yet.

Speaking of looming decisions, Derrick Turnbow will clear waivers soon. Looks like he's headed to Nashville.

On a positive note, Beyond the Box Score compares Matt LaPorta to Ryan Braun.

The Cub Reporter ranks Ben Sheets 4th among NL Central aces. He wants your vote to help rank them.

Or, if watching the Brewers is too much for you to handle sober, try out this drinking game. By the fifth or so, people will be stacking cups on your head.

On injuries:

Padres reliever Kevin Cameron is on the DL with an elbow strain.
Doug Davis is free of cancer. Sighs of relief all around.
Johnny Estrada is back on the DL with an inflamed nerve in his elbow.
Orlando Hernandez is no longer in a walking boot. He's one step closer to throwing the banana.
Dodgers P Esteban Loaiza is on the DL with spasms in his shoulder.
Nats C Paul Lo Duca has a broken hand and has been DL'ed.
Twins reliever Pat Neshek will have his elbow examined today after leaving last night's game.
Mets OF Angel Pagan is day-to-day with a bruised shoulder.
Braves P Brayan Pena is on the DL with a back strain.
Twins IF Nick Punto was scratched from last night's game with tightness in his hamstring.

Despite the hubbub about the Brewers only going as far as Prince Fielder will carry them, Recondite baseball notes that no Brewers make the list of top or bottom 20 in win-loss splits.

The Marlins are hot, but there's still plenty of great seats available at their games.

Reds Insider notes that new GM Walt Jocketty will get to rework his team in a hurry - the Reds will have 13 free agents after the season.

Here's video of Richie Sexson charging the mound last night. Two notes:

1) That pitch wasn't that close.
2) Richie, you're 6'6", did you really need to throw the helmet at the guy?

That's all for today. Drink up.

Suck suck, suckety suck sucked.  Sucks suck, sucking suck suck suck.  Suck.

• Win Expectancy Graph
• BR Box Score
• BDD Recaps

The J-S makes the brilliant observation that we're more likely to win in games where our best hitter hits well.  Marty then emerses himself in that logic and rips it to little pieces.

Jim Powell interviewed Corey Hart.  Listen here.

Injuries:

• John Patterson, who is rehabbing with the Rangers, experienced a setback and has no timetable for a return.
• Barry Zito isn't hurt, but he gave up only two runs last night, which indicates that something is amiss.
• Jack Wilson is behind schedule; he won't be back for two more weeks.
• Yet another setback: Mark Mulder is off his latest rehab assignment.  Cardinals fans rejoice.

Roger Clemens isn't going to have anything to do with the Olympic team.  Or, stated more properly, it isn't going to have anything to do with him.  It's a shame, because according to what turns up in my inbox, there are a lot of interesting drugs to be had in China.

Matt Wise may be about to rejoin the Mets, which might mean that New York will be going with 13 pitchers.

It's a short one, but that's all I've got for today.  Enjoy!

There's nothing like a baseball game to make a long road trip seem shorter. Take yesterday, for example. I was just getting in the car in Kansas when the game started, I was pumping gas in Missouri when Mike Cameron hit the home run to make it 6-2, I was scrambling through my errands in Des Moines in the top of the 9th, and I still felt like I had just left home when I damn near drove off the road in the bottom of the 9th. I also have a sore spot on my forehead from banging it against the steering wheel near Iowa City in the 12th.

Win Expectancy Graph
BR Box Score
BDD Recaps
BP Postseason Odds: 79.3 wins and a 8.5% shot at the Central.

I probably don't need to tell you the obvious today, but Tom H. wants you to know Eric Gagne leads the league in blown saves.

Jim Powell also blogged from Houston, with one positive note: Ben Sheets should pass Teddy Higuera for first on the Brewers' all-time strikeout list Saturday.

Phil Rogers ranks the Brewers 20th in his most recent power poll.

Ken Rosenthal, via MLB Trade Rumors, says 4 teams are interested in Derrick Turnbow. The Rangers are not one of them.

The Cub Reporter continues their position-by-position look at the NL Central, and wants your vote. Here are the three that were posted since Saturday, with the TCR rankings:

Left Field: Ryan Braun 4th
Center Field: Mike Cameron 3rd
Right Field: Corey Hart 1st

On injuries:

Twins P Scott Baker left his start early and will have an MRI today on his injured groin.
Royals P John Bale was attacked by THE SPAZZOSAURUS!
Red Sox OF Brandon Moss had an emergency appendectomy Saturday night.
Dontrelle Willis suffered a setback in a minor league game in Toledo, has been called back from his rehab assignment.

Also, best wishes go out to Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson, who had an emergency appendectomy yesterday.

All of a sudden, posts like this one seem relevant here, too: U.S.S. Mariner takes a look at what it takes to work past a deficit and regain a division lead.

Finally, you may have known that Al Simmons hit more home runs than any other major leaguer born in Wisconsin, with 307. But can you name the leaders from all 49 other states, and the District of Columbia? If you can, that's sad. If you can't, Recondite Baseball has the list.

Drink up.

Two things ought to be making Brewers fans happy about this weekend's series:

1. The fifth starter brigades won't appear.  It's Sheets, Suppan, and Gallardo.
2. Hart is moved up to the five spot.

The bad news: Kapler is still out, and Counsell is leading off and starting over Weeks.  Unless Sheets goes 8+ innings, I think we can also count on a Mitch Stetter appearance tonight.  Knowing Ned, he'll come in to face Dunn.

The Hart link above takes you to Tom H's Anthony Witrado's blog entry with the lineups, and if you want to spend the three hours before game time poring over conceivable matchup, here's the baseball-reference game preview.  If you're like me and you always forget that Cinci is in the Eastern time zone, remember that the game starts at 6:10 CT.

Project-a-tron likes our chances with Sheets against Arroyo, even with a gaping hole of ~600 OPS at the top of the lineup:

• Brewers 5.1
• Reds 4.3
• Brewers WinExp: 53%

Let's go Crew!