What we learned: May 8, 2014

Yesterday's Results

Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 2

The Brewers couldn't get past Bronson Arroyo in the series finale yesterday.  He pitched 7 1/3 innings of one-run baseball to keep the Brewers in check, and also scored the winning run in the game.  Wily Peralta put together another quality start, but the Brewers offense couldn't give him any support.

Ryan Braun is expected to return from the disabled list on Tuesday.

Before yesterday's game, Ryan Braun was on the field taking batting practice.  This was a good sign for him, and there were no reports of any setbacks afterwards.  It appears likely that the Brewers will activate Braun from the disabled list when he is eligible on Tuesday.  Braun's return will be good for an offense that has struggled to score runs in their recent games.  As long as there isn't a problem in the next few days, he will be back soon.

Wily Peralta has been very successful against left-handed batters.

Yesterday, Wily Peralta made his seventh start of the season.  In that time, he has been very successful overall, though has been more successful against left-handed hitters.  Before his start yesterday, Derek dug into Peralta's success against left-handed batters and how he has managed to maintain that success.  After struggling against those hitters last year, it is good to see him succeeding their this year.  Maintaining that success will be critical if he wants to keep his success going.

Run differential is not necessarily the best way to evaluate a team's success.

One way to look at the success of a team is to look at their run differential.  A team with a higher run differential should have a better record, and vice versa.  However, it's not the only way to analyze a team's success.  Earlier this week, Rob Neyer wrote an article on run differentials, and Jordan responded to that article yesterday.  While run differential can provide some details on a team's success, it doesn't tell the whole story.  There's more to look at when evaluating a team.

Cram Session

• Brandon Kintzler has struggled since returning from the disabled list.  Adam McCalvy reports that despite his struggles, Ron Roenicke is committed to sticking with him.
• Has Jean Segura improved on defense since the start of the season? Curt Hogg of Disciples of Uecker looks at how Segura's defense has progressed since he arrived in the majors.
• Rickie Weeks has not seen much action recently, though has collected a few pinch hits in recent games.  Steven Jewell of Reviewing the Brew asks what the Brewers should do with Weeks.
• Back when Lyle Overbay was with the Diamondbacks, he worked with Paul Goldschmidt. Adam McCalvy has some details about how Overbay mentored Goldschmidt early in his career.
• The Brewers good start means they don't need to win as much to make the postseason. Jonathan Judge of Disciples of Uecker looks at how much the Brewers need to win to get into the playoffs.
• Some promotional items were left in the Brewers dugout, and the Brewers players had some fun with them.  John & Cait has the details of the ensuing mayhem.
• Jess Lemont of The Brewers Bar has some commentary from animals at the zoo about yesterday's game.
• Yesterday was Wednesday, so you know what it means: Another Wei-Chung Wang video.  John & Cait has the new video.
• Is there a problem with Wei-Chung Wang Wednesdays? Enrique Bakemeyer of The Brewers Bar looks at a potential issue with the videos.

Minor League Update

Check out morineko's daily minor league update for a more in-depth look at yesterday's minor league results.

Division Update

• Pirates 4, Giants 3
• Red Sox 4, Reds 3
• Cardinals 7, Braves 1
• White Sox 8, Cubs 3

Today's Games

• Cubs (Jake Arrieta) @ White Sox (Scott Carroll) - 7:10 pm
• Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds have the day off.

Today's Action

The Brewers have the day off today.  They will return to action tomorrow as they start a three-game series against the New York Yankees.