2021-04-08: Brewers (Burnes) at Cardinals (Wainwright) [Brewers lose, 3-1 -- Burnes is masterful allowing 1 hit and 0 walks w/ 9 strikeouts; Devil Magic proves too strong]

[Pugger]

Why are the visiting announcers not at the ball park?

[wildcat2237]

Just turned on the game and I see Hiura has only whiffed once. That's a pleasant surprise.

[trwi7]

Where are Williams and Hader today with the game on the line and a day off tomorrow?

 

Counsell is turning into Yost because Hader is now apparently a 9th inning guy and can't be used earlier.

[LouisEly]

Rasmussen clearly needs some time to work on something...

Because he gave up a home run to a guy who has led the league in home runs three times in his eight year career?

[yfinn6]

Nice time for umping to take a crap.

[Eye Black]

That was an AWFUL called first strike on Vogelbach. Wow.

[Sir Illo]

I know I’m not the only one who feels Counsell is starting to regress at least a little as a manager. I get last season was truncated and innings need to be managed. But questionable pulls of his top two starters the last two games, acting as if D Will and Hader can’t ever go back to back anymore (not to mention largely pigeonholing him into the antiquated “closer only” role..etc etc.

 

He seemed so innovative with his staff in the first few years of his tenure. Still happy to have him as the skipper but he’s raising one of my eyebrows at least.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I don't know. Couns was going to get one from Hader max. And you can't push a still-finding-it Williams after 22 pitches yesterday.

 

I never thought we'd win 1-0. Bad BP timing, and the Cards made some big defensive plays. Plus, Arenado is good

 

Chalking this one up to: it's April.

[Simba2020]

Rasmussen clearly needs some time to work on something...

Because he gave up a home run to a guy who has led the league in home runs three times in his eight year career?

Maybe because of that pesky 7.78 career ERA.

[Outlander]

I hope everyone has figured out by now, the bullpen isn't very good. Hader is great and Williams was great and let's assume will be again. Outside of that, what guy do you really trust at all? The answer should be no one.

It also looked a lot better when it was thought Peralta would be in the bullpen but can certainly see why they would have him in the rotation over Lindblom. Suter is still solid but a lot of guys with little to no experience after that. Would also like a do over on that Corey Knebel trade.

[Simba2020]

I hope everyone has figured out by now, the bullpen isn't very good. Hader is great and Williams was great and let's assume will be again. Outside of that, what guy do you really trust at all? The answer should be no one.

It also looked a lot better when it was thought Peralta would be in the bullpen but can certainly see why they would have him in the rotation over Lindblom. Suter is still solid but a lot of guys with little to no experience after that. Would also like a do over on that Corey Knebel trade.

Good point on Peralta but agree he should be starting. Knebel trade definitely going to backfire. I actually expect him to be closing games in the playoffs for the Dodgers this year.

[Pugger]

Well, I guess I'll be able to go watch Rodgers guest host Jeopardy ay the bottom of the hour down here...

[Brewcrewin07]

Until Stearns understands that unless he starts paying for a big bat(s) in FA, this is exactly what you're going to get. His refusal to do so the last two years is irresponsible and you reap what you saw David.

[Oxy]

I don't know. Couns was going to get one from Hader max. And you can't push a still-finding-it Williams after 22 pitches yesterday.

 

I never thought we'd win 1-0. Bad BP timing, and the Cards made some big defensive plays. Plus, Arenado is good

 

Chalking this one up to: it's April.

 

Day off tomorrow against your main division rival. 86 EASY pitches from Burnes. You at least keep Burnes in for another 15 pitches.

[wOOgiE22]

Another gem wasted by an anemic offense. It can only go up from here right? Seriously it can’t get much worse than how the year has started.

[wildcat2237]

Yuck. Another clunker from the offense.

 

Also time for Yardley and Hiura to find their way to the ATS.

[Bulldogboy]

This game was like a million Cards Brewers losses over the years. Brewers can't get any big hits. Can't get through the late innings with the pen. Poorly managed. The bottom half of this roster is terrible and over the course of 6 months you can't hide that. Trading Arcia so we can watch Robertson and Urias feels like a mistake.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I don't know. Couns was going to get one from Hader max. And you can't push a still-finding-it Williams after 22 pitches yesterday.

 

I never thought we'd win 1-0. Bad BP timing, and the Cards made some big defensive plays. Plus, Arenado is good

 

Chalking this one up to: it's April.

 

Day off tomorrow against your main division rival. 86 EASY pitches from Burnes. You at least keep Burnes in for another 15 pitches.

 

Sure. I probably would've let Burnes start the 7th too. But Robertson's mistake cost them more than the pitching did.

 

I think, at least for now, I know this about the Brewers. If Hader and Williams aren't coming off a rest day, they're going to need 4-5 runs more often than not. Our pitchers aren't asked to get 21 outs very often. That's the organizational philosophy here. These BP guys are going to have to get outs, especially in April when everyone is just pitching into themselves after two years of a funky body clock.

 

This kind of loss comes with the territory for me. If it's still happening in May and June and beyond, well, then it's clear the personnel choices in the BP didn't work, and that's on roster construction, absolutely.

[trwi7]

But Robertson's mistake cost them more than the pitching did.

 

Robertson had nothing to do with the previous 3 batters in the 7th reaching base and the 2-run homer in the 8th.

[Eye Black]

The “1” below was a first pitch called strike on Vogelbach. That’s not a borderline call like some of the other outside strikes today, that’s just awful. He worked into a three ball count after that.

 

[adambr2]

I still don't understand why people thought that an area of our team of which half consists of names like Eric Yardley, JP Feyereisen, and Brad Boxberger was going to be a strength.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Molina hit an oppo single, Carlsen went oppo double, and then IBB to Williams.

 

Arenado hit one out.

 

Sometimes, guys get hits.

 

Rasmussen has to get out in these spots at some point. You can't use Hader there. Maybe I'd have left Burnes in. Okay. But Yardley did his job. Rasmussen didn't. You were going to have to get 6 outs with guys not named Suter, Williams, or Hader today. They couldn't. That's not really a managerial issue for me.

[adambr2]

Molina hit an oppo single, Carlsen went oppo double, and then IBB to Williams.

 

Arenado hit one out.

 

Sometimes, guys get hits.

 

Rasmussen has to get out in these spots at some point. You can't use Hader there. Maybe I'd have left Burnes in. Okay. But Yardley did his job. Rasmussen didn't. You were going to have to get 6 outs with guys not named Suter, Williams, or Hader today. They couldn't. That's not really a managerial issue for me.

 

Yardley giving up 3 hits in an inning is doing his job? Man, that's a low bar.

[Eye Black]

Kolten Wong apparently left the game due to his oblique injury.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

I mean, Yardley gave up two hits on good pieces of hitting and then got a weak ground ball that should've been a FC. He's not a shut down reliever. He went through the meat of the order and should've put up a zero.

 

Genuine question: when should these guys be allowed to pitch? Someone has to get outs in that spot. No one in this BP is going to be trusted to hold a one-run lead in the 7th if Hader/Williams are not rested and/or stretched out. It's April. You have to see what you have. You were always likely to need more than a run today. You didn't get it because of bad luck and some poor situational hitting. I don't really think CC had a lot of good options. Was this optimal? I don't know. But it's like the loss today is some 5th percentile outcome that could have been avoided with basic competence. I'd guess our win prob was never above 60 or so. You'll lose those games A LOT.