Brewers First Half Pitching Grades

This is an annual post here with SnoTap industries where we grade the Brewers offense and their pitching staff.  I would like to think I am a fair grader and some think I am a little too nice to people. If you missed the offense grades earlier this afternoon, check em out.   

Kyle Lohse - Personally, I feel he is the best pitcher on the team thus far. Lohse has been the most consistent Brewer of the bunch. Every now and again, he blows up, yet there have been some stellar performances including a complete game shutout against Chicago. Lohse's career in the last five years or so have been really unbelievable if you think about it, great consistency from him. GRADE: A

Francisco Rodriguez - The return of K-Rod. He probably takes Milwaukee's Cy Young because they had no idea who would close games for Milwaukee. Rodriguez closed the first game, and he continued for the rest of the first half of the season with no signs of slowing down. Most of Frankie's runs have came in non-save situations with only three blown saves on the season. The only thing to worry about a little bit is the amount of home runs he has given up in the past couple months. GRADE: A
G only allowed one run in the last two months and only allowed 15 hits in that timespan as well. He's been as good as anyone in the bullpen. Truly impressive performance from Duke. GRADE: A

Will Smith - It is really hard to be critical of Smith because of a bad month recently with the Brewers. Smith pitched so well for the first three months of the season. He looked like an All-Star for a long-time during the season and then Smith hit the regression wall. It happens to a great deal of players in baseball. If anyone needed the All-Star Break, it was Smith. Hopefully, the two appearances against St. Louis where he pitched two scoreless innings is the step in the right direction. GRADE: A-

Wily Peralta - This has been a breakout season for Wily. The numbers don't really show what Wily did for the 'first half' of the season. He had a real strong start to the season with his ERA getting as low as 2.12 by late May. Peralta had an average month of June despite him winning all five starts, but the glimmer of hope came in final start in a stellar start against St. Louis where he pitched seven innings giving up no runs and three hits. GRADE: B

Matt Garza - What a turnaround for him. Many people were ready to bring out the pitchforks for Garza after struggling for his first two months of the season. Yes, he cannot field his position to save his soul, but Garza is pitching his ass off right now. He had a strong June with having an ERA under three for the month along with some strong outings against Minnesota, Arizona and Cincinnati (Terrible defense from him but whatever). The first two starts in July for Garza, he only allowed five total hits with two runs. If he becomes a front-line starter for the second half, it will be like Milwaukee had made a trade for a pitcher. GRADE: B

Yovani Gallardo - This first half has sort of defined Yovani Gallardo's career. He had some great starts including a strong sart to his season and then he fell apart for awhile then bounced back a little bit. Gallardo's inconsistency continuing to be frustrating for Brewers fans because you see the potential in some starts then it all goes to shit in another one. GRADE B-

Tyler Thornburg - You kind of forget about him because he hasn't played in over a month and a half with his last start being against Pittsburgh in late May. Thornburg came out blazing in the first month of the season proving everyone right when they said 'You know Thornburg could be a great reliever.' He then scuffled in the month of May. Who knows what Throny we will get when he comes back. GRADE: C+

Rob Wooten - It is hard to really judge Wooten's season right now. The reliever's ERA is abnormally high because one blowup appearance against Cincinnati in June. If he can whatever he had in May where Wooten had an ERA of 0.71, that would be ideal. He is not a bad reliever where you worry when he comes in, but Wooten needs to be a little more solid. GRADE:C+

Brandon Kintzler - Here's where my frustration with Kintzler. He seems to choke it up in big, clutch moments. This worries me as we get closer and closer to the month of October plus need clutch outings in August and September. I know this paragraph sounds a little JS Comments-like but he has been on the losing end of a walk-off four times this season already. GRADE: C-

Marco Estrada - It has not been a good year for Marco. He gave up 27 home runs in the first half of the season. What honestly did him to lose his starting position was the month of June. He gave up 24 runs, 30 hits and seven home runs leading to a 7.45 ERA. Estrada could have a totally different second half as the Brewers long relief pitcher. GRADE: D+

Wei-Chung Wang - It is honestly hard to talk about him because it really isn't fair to talk about how he's done so far this season. I am extremely surprised he is still on a MLB roster. GRADE: Incomplete.

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-Reds (7/4-7-6)

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game

Highlights
Matt Garza - This is the Matt Garza Brewers fans hoped for when Milwaukee signed the right-hander. This might be peak Garza, but still it was a joy to watch him pitch on Saturday afternoon. Garza looked completely dialed in with a complete game shutout only allowing two hits and struck out nine batters. Finally, Garza's ERA dipped below four, the first time it has been under four since April 14th, but Garza did have a 2.88 ERA in the month of June.

Jonathan Lucroy - He really didn't have a good series, but it is worth giving him credit for calling a great game on Saturday with Garza. Lucroy did also add a home run on Friday trying to bring the team back after a four run deficit early on. I honestly cannot remember the last time Lucroy wasn't on the highlight-lowlight chart for highlights. He deserves it almost every time out.

Logan Schafer - It has to be tough being Logan Schafer and other Brewers that get shifted around in Triple A and MLB. Schafer took his knocks but made the most of his opportunity on Sunday playing for Ryan Braun with a triple and double off Mat Latos whose been virtually unhittable lately. I like Elian Herrera, but it seems like Logan really helps out the team more. He is a better defender whom can play all three outfield positions and seems to come up with big hits every now and again.  

Aramis Ramirez - Good weekend for the All-Star starter at third base. He played really well on Saturday having two hits and driving in the only run of the game. Ramirez had hits in both of the other games as well. Ramirez also made a hell of a defensive play late in the game on Saturday with a bunt which is always a detriment of Garza

Lowlights
Ryan Braun's back spasms - Another Braun injury to deal with which really does suck even though it is not considered to be serious. This seems like Braun's sixth or seventh injury already this season, and yes that's probably an overreaction yet it is just a bummer. Braun is having a fine season, but it is unfortunate for him. Hopefully, this doesn't delay what seemed to be the start of a Braun hot streak too.

Kyle Lohse - We really shouldn't be concerned about Lohse because he arguably has been the best Brewers pitcher of the season, but the last four starts are a little unsettling. Three of the four starts he has given up three runs with a couple unearned runs mixed in there as well, and he goes only five innings in two of the last four starts. Lohse's runs came quick on Friday, and before you know, Milwaukee is trailing by four runs in the fifth inning.

Will Smith - As we talked about this in the last couple weeks, this had to be expected from Smith. He cannot be perfect for the rest of the year. Smith was so good and him regressing a bit shouldn't be surprising at all. Granted, Smith giving up a two-run homer to Known Brewer Killer President Jay Bruce is much better than him giving up multiple hits allowing multiple runs yet I realize this is flawed logic.

Carlos Gomez - Milwaukee had a road trip from hell and so do Gomez with going two for 18 during the five games. He dipped below .300 for the first time since May 23rd. I am not very concerned with Gomez's recent struggles. It is the law of large averages. He goes on a huge hitting streak and it seems inevitable there will be a little dip there.

Gotta figure out Cincinnati - At some point, Milwaukee will need to win a series against Cincinnati. They play them 10 times in the month of September. Cincinnati has the pitching and they might make a move for some hitting at some point in the trade deadline. Brewers need to find their way against the Reds sooner rather than later. Next matchup comes at The Keg on July 21st.  

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Rockies-Brewers (6/26-6/29)

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game

Highlights 
Ryan Braun - Big weekend for Ryan Braun. I don't want to be like 'BRAUN BACK' and go all crazy because he owned Colorado's pitching which is as easy as finding a drunk underage Milwaukee suburbanite at Summerfest. Braun came through with his first walkoff hit in three years giving Milwaukee the win on Friday night. Braunie also added his eleventh home run in a loss on Sunday. In the last five games, Braun has two hits in four of them as well as driving in seven runs getting his average back to .290.

Kyle Lohse - Good start for Lohse on Friday night and probably deserving of the win, but things happen plus wins are silly. Lohse pitched well for seven innings working out of one jam that allowed a run, but nothing more. In the last two starts prior to this one, Lohse had allowed three runs and this one he only let one through seven innings with four strikeouts only yielding four hits. Good to see Lohse bounce back and hopefully the longish layoff will not affect him.

Lyle Overbay - I have said it before and I will say it again, I made a mistake with Lyle Overbay. He delivered a big sixth inning hit in Saturday's game driving in a vital insurance run which Milwaukee would need as Colorado slowly started to bang down the door. He added another hit in his only appearance for the weekend but came up in a big way. It has been really good to have Overbay on the roster plus I felt very comfortable with him playing defense for Matt Garza on the mound.

Carlos Gomez - He didn't really have a great weekend, but the three-run home run to lead off Saturday's game was ideal. Colorado obviously mad about losing to Milwaukee six straight times with the Brewers getting a walk-off the night before then BAM!  Carlos hits a homer. Also worth nothing since Gomez had his 0 for 6 night on Tuesday, he has one hit in each games putting him at four-game hitting streak meaning he has hits in 22 of his last 23 games.

Jonathan Lucroy - At this point, we are out of things to say about Lucroy, but once again, he came up big with some timely hitting driving in key runs in all three runs. Lucroy tied up the game Thursday night with a single after Wily Peralta gave up a grand slam. He put the Brewers ahead on Friday with the first run of the game in a tight pitcher's duel and added a RBI groundout on Saturday. Lucroy is a national treasure.

Lowlights
Injuries - Cramps, Face injuries, etc - Not a great weekend for the Brewers when it came to injuries. Jean Segura had to leave Saturday with cramping issues putting him out for Sunday's game, but it appears he will be back for Tuesday's game. Carlos Gomez had a collision with Braun leading to a face injury which could be described by the scene in Tommy Boy at the diner. Hopefully, Gomez will be back for the weekend. I don't really expect him for Toronto but with two days off this week, no reason to send him to the Disabled List.

Yovani Gallardo - Yeah not a great start for Yo, but I am not worried about it. There seems to be a vodoo hex over why Yo cannot beat the Rockies, the only National League team he hasn't beat for his career. It started off bad for him, and that's always how Yovani gets beat up is if he struggles early. I am a little worried about his seven-day layoff too.

Francisco Rodriguez - It was an up and down week for Frankie as he did get saves in both Thursday and Saturday's game. But he did blow one on Friday giving up a home run to Josh Rutledge. I am not worried at all about Frankie, but four runs in his last 10 appearances plus two home runs in the last week is never good.

Brewers schedule this week - Man, this sucks. We got two day games during the week which doesn't affect me too much but then we don't get a day game on the Fourth of July which is ludicrous. Further, they only play five games on which is a bummer, but Brewers do get some much-needed time off.

Brewers-Diamondbacks Preview (6/16-6/20)

Brewers previews to get you ready for the series where we have five things to watch, pitching matchups and prediction. We add a YouTube video in the mix, it could be really anything.   

Pitching Matchups 

Monday: Wily Peralta (6-5 2.90) vs. Brandon McCarthy (1-9 5.29) 8:40 pm FSNWI

Tuesday: Kyle Lohse (7-2 3.00) vs. Wade Miley (3-6 4.71) 8:40 pm FSNWI

Wednesday: Matt Garza (4-4 4.17) vs. Chase Anderson (5-1 3.21) 8:40 pm FSNWI 

Thursday: Yovani Gallardo (4-4 3.51) vs. Josh Collmenter (4-4 4.05) 2:40 pm FSNWI

Five Things To Watch 

1.) Milwaukee's Payback for Arizona - It might not mean much to Milwaukee, but Arizona took two of three from Milwaukee in early May. You would think the Brewers want to excert a little revenge especially since not a lot of teams have done well against Milwaukee this season. Three out of the four pitchers faced this week did not pitch in the last series. They need to avoid known Brewers killers, Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt if they want to have a good series. 

2.) Scooter's lead-off success to continue? - As we noted this morning in highlights/lowlights, Scooter Gennett is excelling in the leadoff role. He had multiple hits in all three games against Cincinnati this weekend plus he played well in the series against New York. Scooter setting the table for the big bats in the order is crucial, and it is nice to see a guy step up while Jean Segura is currently struggling on the offensive end.  

3.) Handling Josh Collmenter - One of the biggest Brewers killer of recent memory. Milwaukee cannot seem to unlock the code against him. I don't know if it is the delivery or the fact he throws the ball very slowly compared to other pitchers, who knows really. For reference, Milwaukee batters only have eleven hits off him with no home runs and only two doubles. I don't know if this will be the time they break Collmenter but it would be ideal. 

4.) Waitin' on Ryan - Currently, Ryan Braun is in a slump, and he has been struggling at the dish. For the month of June, Braun has been pretty bad with only .183 average with only eleven hits. Chase Field is a hitters friendly ballpark meaning it could be the breakout series Braun needs to get him his jump started for the month. 

5.) My love for West Coast baseball - Simply put, I am a night owl. I usually stay up until 1:30 or 2 AM regularly so the west coast baseball is a nice treat every once in awhile because I get to watch baseball into the night. It also helps when there are no other sports on anymore at night.  

Appropriate YouTube Video 


Sorry this went up late. I got caught up in the World Cup.

Prediction
Split would be ideal. 

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-Pirates (6/6-6/8)

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game.

Highlights
Yovani Gallardo - What a bounce back performance for Yovani. We started to wonder if it was okay to worry about him with having a 6.55 ERA for the last six starts, and he proved all doubters wrong on Sunday. Brewers starter dominated with seven strong innings, only allowing four hits, striking out eight and walking only one. Gallardo also worked out of a massive bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning. Given how the final inning turned out plus Gallardo throwing 121 pitches, it might be one of the most impressive Brewers start of the season.

Jonathan Lucroy - It does get really repetitive to have the same player on here multiple times, but Johnny Luc had another great series. Sunday, Lucroy provided three of the four Brewers hits including the double which helped score the only run for the Brewers. He also helped frame the called questionable strike three in the eighth. Lucroy had a big day Saturday with two hits with a run driven. He will probably not be a starter, but no one on this Brewers team deserves to be an All-Star more than Lucroy this year. What a season thus far.

Lyle Overbay - I wondered about what Overbay's role on this team could be if the Brewers ended up signing up Kendrys Morales, but he signed with Minnesota so we didn't have to cross that bridge. Overbay once again came up big in the clutch on Saturday. Clint Hurdle decided to intentionally walk Scooter Gennett paving the way for Overbay to be up with the bases loaded. He delivered with a two-run single, and Milwaukee had the lead which they never gave up for the rest f the game. He might not be this clutch all the time, but Overbay has had moments with this team in 2014.

Francisco Rodriguez - There are certain closers whom you would never associate with four-out saves. One of those would be Francisco Rodriguez. But he got an opportunity on Sunday with the bases jammed in the eighth. He struck out Russell Martin and moved to the ninth inning. Rodriguez didn't make it easy on himself as he walked both Sterling Marte and Ike Davis yet he got out it with a Travis Snider force out and Josh Harrison lining out to center. Great resolve by Frankie on Sunday getting the much-needed save.

Jean Segura - Along with Rodriguez, Segura played a large part in Sunday's win late.  Segura made a diving stab a hit up the middle by Travis Snider which would have scored a run without question. Before Segura made the majors, people thought he would be destined to be a second baseman, and he has done a great job at proving people wrong.  He didn't really have a good weekend at the plate but still, his defense paid dividends.



Mitch's Facebook Status - I know I am one for hyperbole at times, but our SnoTap writer Mitch Pratt had a great Facebook post involving his parents. Worth noting, his dad didn't end up wearing a Hank The Dog t-shirt but still funny nonetheless. I will let Mitch take it away from here, but I couldn't agree more with him.

Lowlights
Tyler Thornburg and his injury - Hopefully, it is just a strained forearm and nothing more serious. Thornburg heads to the Disabled List after having his worst outing of the season giving up five runs on only three hits. It was ugly in all ways possible for him, and it was unfortunate Ron Roenicke left him in to fry when he clearly didn't have it on Friday. Hopefully, it is a short stint on the DL for Thornburg and he will be back to his dominant ways.

Kyle Lohse - It is almost like everyone put the proverbial jinx on him with much hype about Lohse's commanding start against Chicago two Sundays ago, and then he goes out having his first bad start of the season. Only second time this year where Lohse wasn't able to finish the sixth inning, and he ended up giving up eight runs in total. Sometimes, you just don't have it as a pitcher. I see it as a blip on the radar. Blowups happen from time to time.

Russell Martin - Honest question... Why does Martin always start shit when the Brewers are in town? He was involved with the tussle around April and said he wanted to fight Martin Maldonado in the offseason. This time around, he overreacts to a called strike three late in the game getting himself and his manager run from the game. Martin always seems to ramp up the theatrics when he is playing the Crew. He also looks like Jack Parkman with those shades on.

Blow out weirdness - Brewers have only lost by five or more runs five times this season. Two of those times have been at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates in very lopsided wins. But it is humorous because these are only two of the Pirates three wins against Milwaukee this season as they have dropped 10 games to Milwaukee already this season.  I think Pittsburgh would take two more close wins instead of just having three victories over their older brothers of the National League Central.

Charlie.

Brewers-Pirates Preview (6/6-6/8)

Brewers previews to get you ready for the series where we have five things to watch, pitching matchups and prediction. We add a YouTube video in the mix, it could be really anything.   

Pitching Matchups
Friday:     Kyle Lohse (7-1 2.60) vs. Brandon Crumpton (0-2 6.85)    6:05 pm FSNWI
Saturday:  Matt Garza (3-4 4.43) vs. Edinson Volquez (3-4 4.25)        3:05 pm FSNWI
Sunday:    Yovani Gallardo (3-4 4.08) vs. Charlie Morton (2-7 3.31) 12:35 pm FSNWI

Five Things To Watch
1.) Continued success for Kyle Lohse - I talked about this a week ago or so, but Lohse is really pitching like an ace. The talks of him being the number one on this staff grew after his 93 pitch complete game shutout on Sunday. So what does he have for an encore? He pitched well against the Pirates in the two times he faced them in April. He nearly went complete at Miller Park, and at PNC, he pitched well with a poor defensive effort behind him. What's weird is many of the good Pittsburgh hitters have good numbers against Lohse in decent sample-sizes with the winner being Jose Tabata hitting over .400 against him.

2.) Dreading a first base platoon - With the Brewers being back in National League ballparks, it means Aramis Ramirez will be moving back to third base. It also means Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay will be taking over the role of first baseman. Both players are hitting around the .210 mark, but more importantly, Reynolds has 13 home runs with 10 against right-handed pitchers. I pray on everything holy Ron Roenicke doesn't platoon these two players because there is no reason Overbay should be getting starts over Reynolds for a platoon sake. Personal opinion, I would rather see Hunter Morris as the left-handed first base versus Overbay even though he's probably not as good as a defensive first baseman.

3.) Yovani's redemption? - We already talked about in Highlights/Lowlights regarding how bad Yovani has been in the last six starts. He typically has done well for his career against Pittsburgh. Gallardo needs what Garza got last Monday. A carefree start where he was able to move through the lineup and take care of business. But Garza did that by going right after batters and that's something Gallardo cannot seem to do as of late especially the second time around in the order. Batters are feasting when they see Yovani for a second time around. Something has to change. I have no idea if they can make that quick of a fix, but it is needed as soon as possible.

4.) Pittsburgh is sort of, kinda of, warm right now - Pittsburgh currently sits three games under .500 seven games behind the Brewers. Grantland's Jonah Keri wondered if they were beginning to hit the regression train with their limited spending and pitching decisions. Pittsburgh's fanbase went at Keri like defensive parents at a soccer match. Weirdly, it feels like 2009 Milwaukee in Pittsburgh. But I will say this, they won six of nine games on the West Coast coming into this series. Milwaukee might be heading into a buzzsaw, and Pittsburgh knows damn well it could be in second place by the end of the weekend if it is a really good one (Granted, they would still be several games back, but regardless, it should be motivation).

5.) Which Volquez comes to PNC on Saturday? - One of the players prominently featured in Keri's column is Volquez talking about how bad he has been defensively all season plus giving up eleven home runs in 65 innings pitched. Volquez is having an up and down year truly. He pitched well against the Brewers earlier this season in two starts but has known to hit a wall against Milwaukee. The last couple games for Volquez were solid, he only gave up two runs, but only pitched five innings.

Appropriate YouTube video


I went with a clip from 'She's Out of My League.' One of my sneaky favorite movies and it takes place in Pittsburgh so there you go.

Prediction
I understand Milwaukee beats up Pittsburgh, but something tells me the Brewers could drop two here. I will go against the voice in my head and say they find a way to scrap out two wins.

Highlights-Lowlights: Cubs-Brewers

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game.

Highlights
Ryan Braun - I told ya. I thought Braun would have a big series, and he did exactly that with two big
performances on Friday and Sunday night. He hit two home runs so we can retire the whole thing about 'Braun cannot hit homers at home' which I don't think really was a thing but I got sick of everyone talking about it. Braun also drove in another run on Friday night plus he scored four times as well in those games. Braun tends to go on these tears for about a week or so meaning it should be a real fun time for Minnesota this upcoming week.

Kyle Lohse - What a game for Lohse needing a little bit of a bounce-back after his Memorial Day start. He finished the game with a three-hit shutout striking out six batters for his seventh win of the season. He messed around and picked up a Maddux as well. He finished the game with 93 pitches. An extremely efficient outing for Lohse on the mound whom seemed in full control. Lohse also did some damage with his bat driving in two runs. He apparently jokes about what a bad hitter he was, but he had Brewers fans fooled on Sunday afternoon. Lohse is pitching better than anyone on this team. Pretty good for a guy some fans believed to be the next Jeff Suppan.

Khris Davis - Sure, his hitting streak ended today at 10 games, but Davis had another big series. He added a hit on Saturday, but the headlines stem from his Friday night performance. Davis had two hits, both doubles and scored on both hits as well making for a very productive day at the plate. Who knows if Davis will hit as high as five again this season, but he seemed very comfortable at there. It is nice to see he can hit at any spot of the order.

Jason Hammel - It is time to annoint Jason Hammel with the Known Brewer Killer crown. He dominated the Crew for the second straight appearance at Miller Park. He did not give up a run once again and remained in control for most of the game. Hammel did not walk one batter, he struck out eight and only gave up four hits. It appears like Hammel will be dealt at some point this season, and Chicago should definitely consider it because he has been one of the brightest spots for the Cubs this season. He will garner some value.

Wei-Chung Wang - I need to give credit where credit is due, and Wang did pretty well in his two appearances this weekend. He pitched well on Friday night not allowing a run and only one hit given up. On Saturday, he did allow a run in his second inning of work, but that was sort of  Braun's fault as he attempted to dive for a ball yet he missed it. It does appear Wang feels comfortable on the home mound which is a good thing, and hopefully, he will start figuring out more stuff becoming an actual option out of the Brewers bullpen.

Scooter Gennett - He deserves this honor for his Sunday performance. Gennett added a home run and two doubles scoring all three times he reached base. Even though everyone else struggled against Hammel, Gennett found some success getting two of the four hits the Cubs hurler gave up on Saturday. Scooter has moved his average up to .281, the highest its been since May 14th against Pittsburgh. If he gets warm, it will only add to the potent Brewers offense.

Lowlights
Cubs accuse Brewers of 'stealing signs' - Oh so this is back? Cubs after Sunday's ass-kicking accused the Brewers of possibly taking some of their signs. This is flat out stupid. This is sour grapes from a team whose ace got dominated for the first time of the season. Guess what? Even the best pitchers have bad starts every now and again, and that's what happened with Jeff Samardzija on Sunday afternoon. The most ridiculous thing about the sign-stealing stuff is how bad the Brewers lost on Saturday. If they were taking signs, you think they would have swept the series, right?

Wily Peralta - Things really got out of hand quickly for the Brewers righty with his first real bad start of the season. He gave up two home runs to Anthony Rizzo and his whole sixth inning went to complete shit with Peralta giving up six runs on only five hits. Peralta did not have his best stuff out there, and the Cubs took advantage of it especially Rizzo. I don't think this is the regression truck coming around rather just an abberation in the game logs. Wily should be just fine for the next start against Minnesota.

Tyler Thornburg - Fair to be a little concerned with him as of late? Thornburg gave up two runs in the ninth on Friday night, and granted, they were meaningless, still Thornburg is having an issue serving up runs. In three of the last four appearances, Thornburg has allowed at least one run.  It is clear he needs to fine tune some of his skills because it appears the opposing teams have a good book on him finally after not being able to figure him out in the bulpen.

Mark Reynolds - Not a good weekend for him. He had five strikeouts this weekend including three at the plate on Friday night. Reynolds didn't really seem comfortable at the plate all weekend. Reynolds' average has dipped to .205.  Good thing, there are other Brewers to pick up the slack where he can be placed lower in the order.

Charlie.

Orioles-Brewers Preview (5/26-5/28)

Brewers previews to get you ready for the series where we have five things to watch, pitching matchups and prediction. We add a YouTube video in the mix, it could be really anything.   

Pitching Matchups
Monday:      Chris Tillman (4-2 4.21) vs. Kyle Lohse (6-1 2.67)     1:10 pm FSNWI
Tuesday:      Wei-Yen Chen (5-2 4.08) vs. Matt Garza (2-4 4.92)       7:10 pm FSNWI
Wednesday: Bud Norris (3-4 3.83) vs. Yovani Gallardo (2-3 3.51) 7:10 pm FSNWI

Five Things To Watch
1.) Home Sweet Home - Brewers are back at Miller Park for the first time in two weeks. The road trip ended on a high note with the Crew taking two of three from Miami, but in reality, Milwaukee really should be on a five-game winning streak as they pissed away both Thursday and Saturday's game. Even though the Brewers are only four games above .500 at home, it is still nice to be playing in front of the fans and getting to sleep in their own bed each night. This week at home needs to be an efficient one, and hopefully the hot hitting continues this week.  .

2.) New World Order - Ron Roenicke has been criticized by me in the past for being very generic and robotic with some of the decisions he makes in all aspects of the game. Roenicke thought outside the box to put Ryan Braun hitting second and Carlos Gomez in the cleanup spot. The Brewers scored seven and nine runs in their two wins this weekend, their highest run total in a game since their eight-run output against Arizona on May, 3rd. Roenicke is sticking with the lineup today, and you wonder if Aramis Ramirez will be hitting fifth when he returns from injury or if Roenicke will revert back to the old lineup.

3.) Kyle Lohse's continued success - This could be the biggest jinx of the season given I am writing this about 40 minutes before he tows the rubber, but right now, he is the best pitcher on the Brewers staff. Everything is working for Lohse which is great to see as other pitchers have struggled slightly. One thing that might make you a little nervous about today is Lohse really has seen any of the bats for Baltimore. That can also work to a pitcher's advantage too. Lohse goes out there with another strong outing like he did against Atlanta, I think you can make a case he deserves to be in consideration for Pitcher of the Month in the National League.

4.) Avoiding Nelson Cruz - One of the hottest players in baseball right now with 16 home runs for the season and hitting .295. Orioles picked him up as a flyer before the season started and no one really thought much of it yet he is carrying the team right now leading them in almost every batting category. One advantage the Brewers do have with him though is he cannot play defense to save his soul meaning the Crew could get some added chances with balls hit to left field this week. Given Miller Park and the weather this week, you almost have to expect Cruz to hit one or two out, let's hope they are solo shots.

5.) Little pitching, big offense week? - It is humid as all hell today meaning the panels will be open today and likely tomorrow if the storms hold off which is good news if you like a lot of offense. I wouldn't be surprised to see several balls fly out of the stadium. Granted, Brewers pitching has been good and Orioles haven't been too bad so maybe I am wrong and we will see a bunch of pitcher's duels like we have grown accustomed to in the first two months of the baseball season.

Appropriate YouTube video


For all the troops out there, serving, served or lost in combat. THANK YOU. This day is about remembering the fallen whom fought for our freedom. Nothing better than montages of soldiers coming home to their families.

Prediction 
Brewers have done well against the AL East thus far going 5-1. I could see two out of three from the Crew. Feels like they are getting warm again.

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-Braves (5/19-5/22)

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game.

Highlights
Kyle Lohse - Brewers really don't have an ace to their staff, but they do have a number one pitcher, right now that's Lohse. No one is pitching better than him on this roster. He continued to dazzle against Atlanta going for eight innings giving up four hits and striking out eight batters with only walked one. Lohse looked in complete control for the full eight innings. He didn't really deal with any sort of problems, and won his six start of the season. Nine out of Lohse's ten starts have seen him go at least six innings.

Jonathan Lucroy - This man is on a complete tear. I know Buster Posey and Yadier Molina hang out in the National League, but Lucroy is playing like an All-Star starter. He is currently eighth in the league in batting average and on-base percentage. Lucroy reached base safely in 11 out of 17 at-bats against Atlanta, and hit over .500 for the season against the Braves. Lucroy is having the best May by far of any Brewers batter, and I do think you seriously have to consider Johnny Luc for the cleanup position even when Aramis Ramirez comes back.

Mark Reynolds - He was the main benefactor as to why Milwaukee won on Wednesday night with his grand slam. Reynolds is not going to give you the base-hits you want all the time, but he will bring the home run power. It is why Reynolds should stay in the lineup because now and again, he will hit a big home run for the team. Yes, he will also strikeout too, but you just roll with the punches there with Reynolds. But keeping him on the bench and starting Jeff Bianchi is not something that will win you baseball games. Simple as that.

Khris Davis - Decent series for him, and it would be great if he got hot at some point. I still believe he is figuring out Major League Baseball pitching even after two months. Davis hit a two-run homer on Monday night to pull the Brewers within two runs of Atlanta before shit hit the fan, and Davis drove in two runs on Thursday. He can hit against left-handers without question, but the struggle comes against the righties. Hopefully, Davis can find his groove in Miami and carry over to the homestand against Baltimore and Chicago.

Ryan Doumit -Known. Brewer. Killer. He always seems to do something against the Brewers, doesn't he? Doumit hit the home run that opened the Wang floodgates on Monday night, and then drove in two runs including the go-ahead on Thursday night. Doumit needs to stay far away from the National League Central.

Lowlights
Ron Roenicke's Decision Making - Not the best week for Ronald. He has been sort of above criticism for the season given how good the Brewers have been, but he is not helping things with all the injuries. There was the Wang decision on Monday which we already discussed, here and here. And then last night was a complete trainwreck with not having someone warm in the bullpen. Will Smith did give up two runs, but ended up getting an out as well. So help me God if he gets hurt in the coming days. Roenicke needs a full deck because he doesn't know how to handle one when it's limited.

Yovani Gallardo's ankle - To make matters worse on Tuesday night, Yovani Gallardo sprained his ankle meaning he could be out for Sunday's game against Miami. He will probably not see any Disabled List time for this one, but it is always disappointing to see a starting pitcher go down. Thankfully, it is just a sprained ankle, and not anything more serious to his legs. I wouldn't push Gallardo starting on Sunday, but the fact, Mike Fiers or Jimmy Nelson isn't up therefore the Brewers don't have a backup plan putting them at odds.

Ryan Braun's side - I feel like Michael Scott seeing Toby again... NOOOO GOD NOOO. Braun looked like he was struggling at the plate, and he pulled himself out of the game on Thursday night. It becomes a waiting game to see if Braun plays tonight. He is a former Miami guy so this series has some meaning to Braun and probably wants to be in the order. My guess is he will play tonight, sit out Saturday and play Sunday. Hopefully, he doesn't have to miss the whole series.

Wily Peralta - I don't think there is a reason to push a panic button on Peralta rather he just had a bad start against a good team. Peralta gave up a home run as well as walked four batters in five innings. Peralta still hasn't given up more than three earned runs in a game so far this season. Just a bad start from Wily, he will be fine.

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Brewers-Cubs

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game.

Highlights
Jean Segura -This is really just the Friday game for Seggy as he had a three hit game. He was the reason Milwaukee won their only game of the series. Segura scored in the first inning, and then knocked in two runners in the second. Segura is starting to get a little bit warm in the past week or so. Segura's average went up to .262 on Saturday, the highest it has been since April 14th. Personally, I don't think he should leave the second spot in the order.

Kyle Lohse - Even though Lohse gave up two home runs, he pitched pretty well on a cold Friday afternoon in Chicago.  He finished seven innings in only 92 pitches which is impressive only giving up seven hits in the process. Lohse once again is having a great season which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone whose watched him in the past couple years. In his nine starts this season, Lohse has pitched into the sixth inning or longer in eight of them. An impressive and underrated start to this season.

Matt Garza's Six Other Innings - First inning was such a bummer for Garza. After the bad start, Garza only allowed one hit and two baserunners. It is similar to what he did against New York in the past game as well. Hopefully, Garza can find a way to rite the ship in the first inning because he will start putting together some solid outings. I am not starting to freak out about Garza yet. He is doing some great things on the rubber, just needs to put all together.

Edwin Jackson - He continued his strong May with a tremendous start against the Brewers Saturday
afternoon. Jackson pitched seven inning only giving up four hits and striking out eleven batters. He has been an occasional thorn in the Brewers side from time to time and he was on Saturday afternoon feasting on Brewers weak bats. The closest the Brewers got was in the first inning with two two-out hits. Jackson could become an interesting trade option if Chicago messes around a bit with his biggish contract.

Lowlights
Matt Garza's First Inning - You have to believe the routine for Garza will be changing in the coming days. This is the second straight start where he has given up three runs in the first inning plus in his Arizona start, he gave up three runs in the first three innings as well. It could be that Garza is trying to make the perfect pitch and isn't getting comfortable right away leading to his struggles in the first frame. As I said above, Garza will be fine, don't go crazy folks.

Jeff Bianchi - I have no idea why Ron Roenicke decided he wanted Bianchi at third and Mark Reynolds at first, but it happened without much success at the plate. Bianchi is hitting .154, the lowest his average has been this season and for the month, he is hitting .091. Bianchi struck out five out of the six times he stepped to the plate this weekend. I think it is time for Bianchi to find a seat on the bench for awhile.

Marco Estrada - If there was one inconsistent starting pitcher for the Brewers, it's Marco.  He gave up two more home runs today making it 12 on the season. Estrada is leading the National League with home runs given up. This is becoming quite a problem for the Brewers fifth starter. He needs to get back into his groove a little bit with his changeup. Estrada told the media after the game he didn't really have a feel for his changeup which isn't a good thing at all. Playing at Marlins Stadium on Friday will definitely help him out though.

Ron Roenicke's lineup - Ugh. I wish I could write a complete rant about how Roenicke has royally screwed up this lineup but no one really listens to me. Rickie Weeks should have been in the lineup all weekend. Bianchi continues to be bad and Martin Maldonado stays on the bench despite a red-hot bat. Looks Roenicke needs to take some risks. This became a complaint of mine last year, but it seems like his robotic ways are rearing its ugly head yet again.

Carlos Gomez's body - Bummed out that he had the flu or food poisoning causing him to be miss two games in Chicago. I don't know if he could have helped the Brewers offense, but sure would have been a welcomed addition given how putrid they were over the last two games.

Charlie.

Highlights-Lowlights: Padres-Brewers (4/21-4/23)

This is SnoTap's version of recap of the two, three or four game series Milwaukee Brewers will play this season. We focus on the positives and negatives with topics about the game and topics that were nowhere near close to part of the game. 

Highlights
Scooter Gennett - Talk about responding to the moment. Scooter moved up to the two hole in order to take some pressure off Jean Segura, and for now, it seems Scooter may have stolen the two spot from Mean Jean for the time being. He scored a run in all three games along with hitting a home run on Tuesday providing the only offense for this Brewers team. He also added five hits in the series. I was extremely anti-Scooter when he came up last season thinking Rickie Weeks still had something in the tank, and it appears I was very wrong. Way to make me eat crow Scooter.

Kyle Lohse - The veteran strikes again for Milwaukee with another great performance. He allowed only one earned run with five strikeouts only allowing five hits in the process. Lohse mowed through the San Diego offense pretty easily and battled out of a jam or two as well. One thing I found interesting is after he walked three batters last Saturday, he did not walk a batter tonight. Lohse rarely walks batters so if it is over two, it is a bit of a big deal. He walked five in Philadelphia, zero the next game. Walked three, zero the next game. Hey Kyle, keep going with the latter.

Jean Segura - For the first time all year, we saw signs of life from Jean Segura. He played well as Roenicke shifted him down in the order. Segura had two hits on Monday and another two Wednesday including a big three-run blast breaking the game wide open for the Brewers. Segura seems to be finding his stroke again down in the order, and if he could get hot, look out. Brewers could really boast an interchangeable lineup plus having him hit before the pitcher is not the worst thing in the world.

Yovani Gallardo - Even though he came away with the no decision, a nice outing from Yovani on Tuesday night going seven strong only allowing one run spread over five hits. Gallardo handled San Diego for every inning but one of them. I cannot say enough about the start from Yo. In the last three Aprils, he had an ERA of over five with opponents hitting over .300 against him. He takes on his biggest challenge on Monday night when he faces St. Louis at Busch Stadium, a place that has given him all sorts of trouble.

Ryan Braun - He ends up closer to the lowlights because Braun did not have a good Tuesday game going 0 for 5 with a looking strikeout to end it in the 12th. But he did provide RBI's in the two other games. I feel like I saw better swings from Braun at Miller Park than I have seen all season. If I had a blog where I could predict things, I think this Chicago series will be huge for him.

Lowlights
Ron Roenicke's Figaro decision - With winning the first 16 of 22 games, the manager cannot get much criticism, but Roenicke deserves a bit for deciding to stay in with Alfredo Figaro versus a pinch hitter then Wei-Chung Wang. The same result could have happened and the Brewers still end up losing yet it doesn't hurt to add a bullpen arm when it is available plus have a pinch hitter come up and see what happens.

Tuesday night's game in general - Easily, the worst baseball game I have watched this season. I would not like to watch that again, thanks.

RISP - I think we talk about this every year with the Brewers no matter how good or bad they are. Brewers had multiple opportunities to bust Tuesday's game wide open and they could not take advantage of the situation. Against a team like San Diego, you can force extras doing that, but against a St. Louis-like team, it will not end well for them.

The Brewers 8th on Wednesday - It made zero sense to have Tyler Thornburg get all warmed up and pitch to one batter then two batters for Will Smith. Just pick one and ride it out. No need to waste the arms when they have taken a beating in the last week.

Charlie.