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Yesterday's Results
If you are a fan of high-scoring games, then this game was a disappointment for you. However, if you're a fan of the Brewers winning, then it was a good game. Yovani Gallardo was not on top of his game for this start, but he got past some first-inning jitters to pitch a good game and keep the Braves off the board. Meanwhile, the Brewers offense was hitting the ball well all day but just couldn't translate it into many runs. They did score two in the fourth thanks to a walk from Jean Segura and consecutive hits by Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez. That would end up being enough as the bullpen kept the game scoreless and gave the Brewers the win.
In addition to the traditional recap, Noah also put together a recap of GIFs from the game. Also, Jordan went back through Gallardo's performance and evaluated how he did.
Ron Roenicke is already up to his usual tricks.
While yesterday's game went in the Brewers' favor, it wasn't without its share of surprises. The biggest one came in the ninth inning, when we expected to see Jim Henderson come out of the bullpen for the save. Instead, it was Francisco Rodriguez heading to the mound, shocking all Brewers fans. It ended up working out yesterday as Rodriguez worked around a hit to record the save. After the game, Ron Roenicke said that Rodriguez has the closer job for now while Henderson works to get his velocity up. Noah analyzed the decision, as well the Brewers track record with closers. Rodriguez's time in the closer role could be limited, or maybe Henderson won't get back there. Of course, it's only one game. Let's not overreact to one game.
Opening Day is special for everyone.
While that's probably not something we just learned yesterday, it's true. All baseball fans hold Opening Day as a very special day, each for their own reasons. Before the game yesterday, I took a minute to ask why Opening Day is special to us. There's no right answer to this question, it all depends on the individual. Whether it's the warm temperatures, the extended sunlight, the smell of brats grilling, the thrill of the first pitch, or anything else that can excite a fan, Opening Day is just a special experience.
Cram Session
Opening Day
- Ryan Braun got a lot of cheering from the fans yesterday, though apparently that rubbed some of the national sports writers the wrong way. Craig Calcaterra of NBC Sports compiled some of their tweets into one post.
- Meanwhile, Jess Lemont of The Brewers Bar has a response to these writers.
- Bill Glauber of The Journal Sentinel looks over Opening Day as a whole, and ends up taking some time to focus on Hank the ballpark pup.
- Kevin Kimmes of Cream City Cables also recapped his experience at Opening Day.
- MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was in attendance for the game and had the chance to make a few comments. Also, Mark Attanasio has a few comments about being listed as a candidate to be the new commissioner.
- John and Cait have details on a few specials that the Brewers have for the opening series: Chicken and Waffles as well as Smoked Turkey Chili.
- Meanwhile, if you're looking for something to take home and cuddle, the team store now has plush Hank toys.
- Need some suggestions for what to throw on the grill this year? The Big Lead provides some tips for how to prepare your sausages and also has a list of some recipes to make your hot dog better.
- Reviewing the Brew released their 2014 NL Central Predictions, and Pete Goodchild sees the Brewers finishing second in the division.
- Disciples of Uecker also released their MLB predictions, and only one of their writers predicts the Brewers will make the playoffs.
- Marcus Young of Miller Park Prospects has a season preview for the Huntsville Stars, the Brewers Double-A affiliate.
- FanGraphs has their crowd-sourced predictions for the National League, and 6% of the crowd predicts the Brewers will make the playoffs.
- We had been hearing rumors about a possible extension for Jean Segura, but it looks like that won't happen soon. Tom Haudricourt notes that there were discussions about an extension with Segura's agent, but the two sides were too far away.
- The Brewer Nation has a list of the player's entrance music as of the start of the season.
- Also on The Brewer Nation, they have a list of player salaries for the 26 players currently on the roster. While it is over $100 million, Mark Attanasio mentions that there is still space for in-season acquisitions.
- One of the feeds we love to follow is from Plunk Everyone. He even has a Twitter account set up to tweet every time that a player is hit by a pitch. Yesterday, he posted a primer on how to read the tweets that are sent on that account.
Today's Action
The Brewers continue their opening home stand with game two against the Braves. Kyle Lohse will make his season debut and he will face Alex Wood for the Braves. First pitch is at 7:10 pm, and Joe Morgan of MLB.com has a preview for the game.
