2018-07-12: Brewers (Miley) at Pirates (Taillon) 6:05 PM CDT [Brewers lose, 6-3]

[PeaveyFury]

Again, asking the 12th-20th guys on your staff to eat meaningful innings is going to get rough at some point. We've certainly seen that this week.

[mtrebs]

This has the early look of a really ugly series heading into the break.

 

Yeah, I could see us not being in first by the ASB.

[82brewcrew82]

I really don't think any of this is very true. They're constantly rotating bullpen guys in and out by design. Hader has pitched twice in the entire month of July. Burnes has pitched once since his promotion.

 

The design of this pitching staff is and will continue to be short starts and quick hooks and take advantage of a deep pen. If we can deep starts from guys like Anderson or Chacin, we'll welcome it, but forcing it isn't the answer. Sacrificing scoring opportunities to squeeze one more inning out of someone like Wade Miley isn't a good strategy.

What would you need to see to believe it's true? They don't have a farm system where they can continually call up a Josh Hader. Short starts yes, but I don't think anyone believes that continuous four inning starts are going to cut it. You will (and they are) wear out the bull pen pretty quickly with that philosophy.

[PinaMadness]

The team is just too tired. We desperately need the All Star break, probably more than any other team.

[brewmann04]

Using Miley today again now taxes an over work Bullpen.

[jjgott]

Our saving grace is we have an off day every week of September. Hopefully playing all these extra games in the first half will keep us fresh down to the finish line.

[JohnBriggs12]

Counsell once again using mop up relievers with only a one run deficit and predictably the game becomes out of reach.

[markedman5]

For a team,that is 17 games over .500 and has 4 all stars we don't exactly scare anybody with what we are throwing out there these days.

 

All star break and a trade or 2 is needed to shore thongs up.

[PinaMadness]

Our saving grace is we have an off day every week of September. Hopefully playing all these extra games in the first half will keep us fresh down to the finish line.

Without bothering to look, I'm sure that's true of alot of teams. September seems like a month MLB schedules a bunch of off days.

[brewmann04]

Pathetic offense really only Aguilar carry this team. I think they now have to find some hitters instead of pitchers hopefully Suter takes Miley spot at least he gives us 5 innings

[brewmann04]

Pirates will take 3-5 this series and we see the Crew in Second place at the all star break. Going to take a break early this week from baseball

[MoreTrife]

Love our trash offense. I'd be surprised if we don't get swept.

[adambr2]

I really don't think any of this is very true. They're constantly rotating bullpen guys in and out by design. Hader has pitched twice in the entire month of July. Burnes has pitched once since his promotion.

 

The design of this pitching staff is and will continue to be short starts and quick hooks and take advantage of a deep pen. If we can deep starts from guys like Anderson or Chacin, we'll welcome it, but forcing it isn't the answer. Sacrificing scoring opportunities to squeeze one more inning out of someone like Wade Miley isn't a good strategy.

What would you need to see to believe it's true? They don't have a farm system where they can continually call up a Josh Hader. Short starts yes, but I don't think anyone believes that continuous four inning starts are going to cut it. You will (and they are) wear out the bull pen pretty quickly with that philosophy.

 

It hasn't been continuous 4 inning starts.

 

This team is 9th in starter innings pitched in the NL. Very much middle of the pack. Too much is being made of this.

[markedman5]

Counsell once again using mop up relievers with only a one run deficit and predictably the game becomes out of reach.

 

As he should considering the shape of our bullpen and 4 games in the next 3 days.

 

Houser has been pretty good.......just because he pitched badly doesn't mean it wasn't the right move.

[Roderick]

I disagree with all the above. You have Houser in there he should've been starting the top of the fifth inning.

 

They should've pinch-hit for Miley with nobody out in the fourth inning, it isn't like we have many scoring opportunities.

 

They got purely lucky that Miley didn't give up any runs in the fifth. You piggyback Houser on Miley's game, and then you ship him down to Aaa after the game is over and replace him with another arm. Doesn't affect the bullpen overusage at all.

 

Sure it does. Maybe Hauser successfully eats an inning or two. Maybe he doesn't. At some point, shuffling in your last men in the bullpen catches up with you... and you end up losing close games like last night. Do you think Counsell wants Lopez in the game in a situation last night's? Of course not.... but he had no choice.

 

The focus is, and should be, on both the rest of the series and the rest of the season. These guys are eating a TON of innings. I'm sure getting as much as they can out of Miley or whomever was the goal tonight.

 

Houser was always going to pitch tonight. Miley was coming off shorter rehab starts. The only variable was if Houser came in the fourth, fifth or sixth inning.

[yfinn6]

This is likely one of those stretches that teams have during the season. Exhaustion, bad luck, etc, all play into it. Frustrating, but that's baseball.

[jjgott]

Our saving grace is we have an off day every week of September. Hopefully playing all these extra games in the first half will keep us fresh down to the finish line.

Without bothering to look, I'm sure that's true of alot of teams. September seems like a month MLB schedules a bunch of off days.

 

Sept off Days in the Division:

Brewers: 4

Cubs: 2

Cards: 3

Pirates: 3

Reds: 3

 

So yes, not WAY more than the others but the most in the division.

[markedman5]

That is as bad as Thames and Cain have looked all year

[PeaveyFury]

 

Houser was always going to pitch tonight. Miley was coming off shorter rehab starts. The only variable was if Houser came in the fourth, fifth or sixth inning.

 

And if Hauser needed to be pulled after looking poor in the 5th inning, instead of now? Who pitches then? It just pushes more guys into the fire.

 

Or, you leave him in to get shelled, which means the one AB that people are up in arms about and started this discussion is meaningless anyway....

[82brewcrew82]

It hasn't been continuous 4 inning starts.

 

This team is 9th in starter innings pitched in the NL. Very much middle of the pack. Too much is being made of this.

Yes, that was a bit of hyperbole but I'm guessing you understand the point. I guess we just agree to disagree but I think the evidence is pretty obvious that the current state of the starting pitching isn't a sustainable situation without exposing some less than optimal choices out of the bullpen in critical situations.

[PinaMadness]

Our saving grace is we have an off day every week of September. Hopefully playing all these extra games in the first half will keep us fresh down to the finish line.

Without bothering to look, I'm sure that's true of alot of teams. September seems like a month MLB schedules a bunch of off days.

 

Sept off Days in the Division:

Brewers: 4

Cubs: 2

Cards: 3

Pirates: 3

Reds: 3

 

So yes, not WAY more than the others but the most in the division.

I wonder how many of those were origianally scheduled off days though, as those teams probably have make up games scheduled for then, something I wish we were given the same courtesy of instead of having to play a doubleheader on Saturday to all but cap off a 22 games in 21 days stretch.

[adambr2]

I disagree with all the above. You have Houser in there he should've been starting the top of the fifth inning.

 

They should've pinch-hit for Miley with nobody out in the fourth inning, it isn't like we have many scoring opportunities.

 

They got purely lucky that Miley didn't give up any runs in the fifth. You piggyback Houser on Miley's game, and then you ship him down to Aaa after the game is over and replace him with another arm. Doesn't affect the bullpen overusage at all.

 

Sure it does. Maybe Hauser successfully eats an inning or two. Maybe he doesn't. At some point, shuffling in your last men in the bullpen catches up with you... and you end up losing close games like last night. Do you think Counsell wants Lopez in the game in a situation last night's? Of course not.... but he had no choice.

 

The focus is, and should be, on both the rest of the series and the rest of the season. These guys are eating a TON of innings. I'm sure getting as much as they can out of Miley or whomever was the goal tonight.

 

Houser was always going to pitch tonight. Miley was coming off shorter rehab starts. The only variable was if Houser came in the fourth, fifth or sixth inning.

 

Exactly. Why couldn't a PH have come in for Miley in the 5th, Houser pitches the 5th-7th, and then we can see where we're at for the 8th and 9th? How is that somehow worse than blowing a scoring chance just to squeeze one more inning out of Miley who wasn't pitching well anyway?

[PeaveyFury]

It hasn't been continuous 4 inning starts.

 

This team is 9th in starter innings pitched in the NL. Very much middle of the pack. Too much is being made of this.

Yes, that was a bit of hyperbole but I'm guessing you understand the point. I guess we just agree to disagree but I think the evidence is pretty obvious that the current state of the starting pitching isn't a sustainable situation without exposing some less than optimal choices out of the bullpen in critical situations.

 

Yes. This is my view exactly. I think they’re caught in the tough spot of needing to be sure the main guys are available and effective at the end of the year and throughout a series at the expense of having to let a couple of close games like last night go.

[82brewcrew82]

Is it me or is anyone else nervous about how quickly Aguilar comes off the bag when taking a throw?

[adambr2]

 

Houser was always going to pitch tonight. Miley was coming off shorter rehab starts. The only variable was if Houser came in the fourth, fifth or sixth inning.

 

And if Hauser needed to be pulled after looking poor in the 5th inning, instead of now? Who pitches then? It just pushes more guys into the fire.

 

Or, you leave him in to get shelled, which means the one AB that people are up in arms about and started this discussion is meaningless anyway....

 

Asher, if the game got away. If not, everyone should be available tonight. There just isn't a need to use them now because we're going to lose. In part perhaps because we let Miley bat for himself with a scoring chance in the 5th and haven't come close since.