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 Brawl Brings Suspensions & Protection

As expected, Major League Baseball delivered the hammer on the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh
Pirates brawl on Tuesday afternoon levying suspensions to Martin Maldonado, Carlos Gomez, Travis Snider and Russell Martin. All four were also fined for the scuffle. Gomez and the two Pirate players are appealing their suspensions while Maldonado began his on Tuesday night. As you can see Pittsburgh's starting pitcher Gerrit Cole avoided any sort of suspension or fine, is that okay?  Many believe it is as Cole just trash talked Gomez, but are we certain this is not setting a precedent for the rest of the season?

There are always two sides to every story. It could be a relationship issue where you are friends with both the boyfriend and girlfriend of the relationship, the story always sounds different depending on what aisle you're on. It could be a fight between friends, neighbor dispute or anything else meaning Gomez and Cole saw how this played out very differently. We all know the background of the situation. The Brewers outfielder poised for a triple and Cole took exception leading him to say something. But let's watch the video, shall we? 

Cole clearly says something that has to do with 'Fuck' where it is guided at Gomez or what he did is unknown, but it is pretty clear that's the word he says as even the home Pirates broadcast apologizes for the language used by Cole.  Gomez yells some things at Cole being restrained by an umpire in almost a fake tough guy move where he is using the umpire as a shield for why he doesn't bury Cole. It becomes more than just a shouting matchup when Snider makes his way to Gomez and then all hell breaks loose leading to the reason why the four players got suspended.  Many Brewers fans were surprised to hear the news Cole did not receive even a fine from the league, but do you really want to suspend a guy for running his mouth? 

Many people believed what Cole did was trash talk. Just like we see in all sorts of professional sports. Cole attempted to get Gomez fired up and possibly see if it could lead to him being thrown out of the baseball game. He did just that.  Remember Cole came nowhere near the actual fight was happening. He hung out by the pitching mound and minded his business like he did nothing wrong. Many are saying if you are going to suspend trash talkers, there will be more outrage than people praising Major League Baseball actions. But there is a difference between trash talking and throwing a can of gasoline on a fire. 

Cole incited the fight. Not to go to extremes, but if one incites a riot, but doesn't really riot, they still get arrested. There is no question about it. None of this happens if Cole keeps his mouth shut out there. This would be an entire different story if Gomez and the third baseman starting jawing right from the get go. It happened to be the pitcher who threw the meatball hovering over Gomez and saying something with the word 'fuck' in it. Cole can act like he is the goodie two-shoes in the whole ordeal, but in reality, none of this shit happens without him. Although to his defense, he realized this was a smarter technique than hitting Gomez in his next at-bat because Cole knew a suspension for him would be highly unlikely.   

Well any pitchers moving forward use the 'Gerrit Cole defense' when batters show them up and it does not end up being a home run. Could they run over to second base say something, get the player pissed and lead to others fighting their battles?  It's probable. I don't know how often it will happen, but at the same time, the idea pitchers have the free reign to run their mouth and be expressive just like Gomez was when he that baseball is a pure double standard. Cole probably should not have been suspended, but the fact, he gets off clean speaks volume of what Major League Baseball is willing to allow on the mound. It will be interesting trend to monitor in the coming months. 

Brewers-Pirates get together in mid-May. Hopefully, we will see Gomez and Cole again meet at the mound. We will definitely see the other players in action against each other, and I have a weird feeling the fireworks are not over with these two teams. 

Charlie.