It's up, it's free, and it's a better-written version of what I posted this morning about the Brewers pitching and defense woes. Check it out:
Even adjusting "replacement level" for the quality of performances given in their stead, Sheets and Ohka don't tell the whole story. The bullpen has been uneven at best, but the bigger culprit might be the defense. As a whole, the pitching staff's peripherals aren't worst-in-the-league bad: lots of strikeouts (2nd in baseball), middle of the pack in home runs, and too many walks (we're looking at you, Doug Davis). Thus, the Crew's poor defensive efficiency of .686, largely due to a Major League-leading 74 errors, looms large.