Incredible.
I don't know what's more amazing: that the Brewers are the first 20-game winner in the majors this year, or they honest-to-goodness look like that good of a team. We may have our quibbles with this (3B) and that (bullpen management), but however you slice it, this is a damn good team.
At this moment, the Twins are leading the Red Sox after eight, so not only are the Brewers the first team in the majors to 20 wins, but we might finish the day with the best record in baseball. Once again, it was a fairly decisive win: some bad luck made it close in the 6th, but JJ Hardy's 3-run shot in the 7th pretty much put it out of reach.
Once again: incredible.
I'm trying not to read too much into this current hot streak: whether they are 2nd or 6th in the Central, the Pirates aren't a very good team. Neither are the Astros. Beating them is great, and it certainly counts toward the record at the end of the year, but it's not a harbinger of easy wins to come against the likes of the Mets and Braves. That's a different story, of course. But with games like tonight's and last night's, it isn't like we're squeaking them out against baseball's worst. We are dominating a lesser team the way a playoff contender should.
A few tidbits about tonight's game: Suppan, once again, wasn't really sharp, but he got the job done. He's gotten a decision in every start, though this was his shortest of the year. It didn't qualify as a quality start, but it was yet another that keeps his ERA in the 3.00 range. My hat's off to Ned for letting Spurling try to finish the job: for all the times we've complained about putting Turnbow in a blowout, it's nice to see Ned is willing to give another guy a shot with a four-run lead. Always good to see Cordero come in to save the day, but occasionally garbage-inning man (whether Spurling or Dessens or somebody new) will let Coco have the day off.
Too much fun, folks. I'm not sure I've ever really rooted for a bona fide winning team; aside from being a Roger Federer fan, it's been underdogs my entire life. I keep expecting something to return the Brewers to the second division, but just about every game so far has put that thought a little further from my head. Awesome.