Game Thread (7/06/2022): Cubs (Sampson) at Brewers (Burnes) - 1:10 PM CDT

[owbc]

Maybe it's because I'm also a Mariners fan, but I have trouble getting worked up by a random 2-1 loss in the middle of the season.

Adames is the least of my worries, he's getting unlucky. He has a .255 XBA and is barreling the ball better than last year. 

CF is a huge, huge, huge black hole and they don't have a single elite bat, just a bunch of average to slightly above-average bats. Hopefully some of that can be solved at the deadline. 

 

 

 

[Jim French Stepstool]

12 minutes ago, owbc said:

 Hopefully some of that can be solved at the deadline. 

 

 

 

They'll make a move or two. First off, the poster child of this organization is to acquire a "bullpen piece", so that's pretty much a given. As to the offense, virtually everyone is the same or worse than what they turned in last year save for Peterson, job one is that has to change. It's infuriating to see what happened today vs Sampson, who was good but not great, and then see guys like Rivas & Higgins put up competitive ABs vs Burnes & Hader. I have a feeling, if an offensive upgrade is pulled off, it will involve not only farmhands but a piece or two on the current roster.

[brewers888]

The only reason this team even has a chance of making the playoffs is because the division sucks and St Louis is as mediocre as we are. If they make the playoffs whoever we face will be thrilled to have drawn this team.

[BruisedCrew]

13 minutes ago, owbc said:

Maybe it's because I'm also a Mariners fan, but I have trouble getting worked up by a random 2-1 loss in the middle of the season.

A loss to the stinking Cubs that gives them a lead in the season series is not a random loss. 

And 5 straight games of crap offense (none of them against elite starting pitching) is not random either. 

[edfunderburk]

I absolutely hate a loss like this before a day off … especially when our ace throws a gem … inexcusable 

Before we play again on Friday, we need another true OF on the roster 

[edfunderburk]

11 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

They'll make a move or two. First off, the poster child of this organization is to acquire a "bullpen piece", so that's pretty much a given. As to the offense, virtually everyone is the same or worse than what they turned in last year save for Peterson, job one is that has to change. It's infuriating to see what happened today vs Sampson, who was good but not great, and then see guys like Rivas & Higgins put up competitive ABs vs Burnes & Hader. I have a feeling, if an offensive upgrade is pulled off, it will involve not only farmhands but a piece or two on the current roster.

Removing a few players from this roster would make me so happy … but who wants these underperforming players?

I’d love for Suter to be DFA’d … he’s been terrible this year

Who else? Wong? 

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 minute ago, BruisedCrew said:

A loss to the stinking Cubs that gives them a lead in the season series is not a random loss. 

And 5 straight games of crap offense (none of them against elite starting pitching) is not random either. 

In a 162 deal, yeah, it is (referring to your first statement). The offense needs to be better, no doubt. The quality of the ABs needs to be better. That greatly transcends the opponent on a particular day, a season series, a rivalry, etc.

Hard to disagree with the second part, though.

[brewers888]

7 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

A loss to the stinking Cubs that gives them a lead in the season series is not a random loss. 

And 5 straight games of crap offense (none of them against elite starting pitching) is not random either. 

I'm sure someone will chime in and tell us the offense is above average but the truth is this lineup sucks and will more than likely get shutdown against any playoff type of pitching.

This team is mediocre and that isn't going to change so get ready for another first round exit if we even reach the playoffs.

[Jim French Stepstool]

13 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

Removing a few players from this roster would make me so happy … but who wants these underperforming players?

I’d love for Suter to be DFA’d … he’s been terrible this year

Who else? Wong? 

It depends on need, where the other team is at right now in their overall plan, injuries, etc. There's arguably some value, of course I'm not talking about someone who would be a centerpiece or anything.

[Jim French Stepstool]

15 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

The only reason this team even has a chance of making the playoffs is because the division sucks and St Louis is as mediocre as we are. If they make the playoffs whoever we face will be thrilled to have drawn this team.

If things stay the same as they are this moment, regarding performance & the current roster, you're right. If things change with regards to both, definitely not. Or somewhere in between. With many fans, I think their outlook will change in collaboration with their underwear in the next ten weeks.

[brewers888]

8 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

If things stay the same as they are this moment, regarding performance & the current roster, you're right. If things change with regards to both, definitely not. Or somewhere in between. With many fans, I think their outlook will change in collaboration with their underwear in the next ten weeks.

Most of the players in the lineup are performing about as expected. Unless Yelich turns back the clock or Adames rediscovers who he was last season there isn't much hope for this offense.

The pitching injuries have hurt big time and shown how we completely lack any depth. 

[brewers888]

I haven't checked the schedules lately but I saw a week or two ago that the Cardinals had the weakest remaining schedule. If they take advantage of the scheduling edge we may hard pressed to even lock down a wild card spot.

Hopefully the front office sees the writing on the wall and doesn't trade any of our top prospects specifically Chourio for some short term fix.

[owbc]

The Brewers are probably going to be stuck playing in the wild card round even if they win the division. So it's not like it's that important to finish ahead of the Cardinals compared with years past. I like the Brewers chances in the WC round even if they have to play it on the road. 

Of course the dream would be that we take advantage of our easy division and finish with a better record than the Mets/Braves, but that seems unlikely. 

[mtsportsfan]

10 minutes ago, owbc said:

The Brewers are probably going to be stuck playing in the wild card round even if they win the division. So it's not like it's that important to finish ahead of the Cardinals compared with years past. I like the Brewers chances in the WC round even if they have to play it on the road. 

Of course the dream would be that we take advantage of our easy division and finish with a better record than the Mets/Braves, but that seems unlikely. 

Its not a given if we don't win the division , wild card would seem unlikely with the offense!

[Nola Beery]

1 hour ago, CdrbrgMark said:

Great decision by CC to pitch Hader in the 9th (BLUE).

Unless he comes in with lead in the 9th, I worry (sometimes I worry then but not a so much.) I'm no fan of excessive specialization, that's what he's good for: 3 outs at the very end.

[Nola Beery]

24 minutes ago, owbc said:

The Brewers are probably going to be stuck playing in the wild card round even if they win the division. So it's not like it's that important to finish ahead of the Cardinals compared with years past. I like the Brewers chances in the WC round even if they have to play it on the road. 

Of course the dream would be that we take advantage of our easy division and finish with a better record than the Mets/Braves, but that seems unlikely. 

I don't see them getting very far in WC or divisional round unless they can consistently generate some kind of offense.  They won't be playing the Reds and Pirates or (thankfully?) Cubs.  19 runs and a walk-off do not an offense make.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, brewers888 said:

Most of the players in the lineup are performing about as expected. Unless Yelich turns back the clock or Adames rediscovers who he was last season there isn't much hope for this offense.

The pitching injuries have hurt big time and shown how we completely lack any depth. 

Wong, Urias & Adames are underperforming IMO. No one is "overperforming" (something you need to have a special season) except, as I said, Peterson. No acquisition will overcome that.

If they completely lack any depth pitching-wise, they wouldn't have started the season with a six-man rotation. Given the starts missed by that group, I think most teams would be guilty of "lacking depth" too. For whatever reason, Small isn't where they need him to be right now, and that hurts. 

[Robocaller]

With Renfroe and Taylor back, we're OK. Davis should only be a 5th OF/defensive replacement. 

Without them, we need a significant bat. 

Doesn't help when the back end of the bullpen gives up a couple of runs.  

 

[brewers888]

47 minutes ago, Robocaller said:

With Renfroe and Taylor back, we're OK. Davis should only be a 5th OF/defensive replacement. 

Without them, we need a significant bat. 

Doesn't help when the back end of the bullpen gives up a couple of runs.  

 

We scored one run against a bunch of bad pitchers today so the game was not lost because of the pen and you can't expect these relievers to never give up a run. This team is too reliant on Williams and Hader due to an inept offense that rarely gives the team an easy win.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Sampson is a journeyman-type who threw well today, but admittedly not well enough to give up only one run. Hughes & Martin have been serviceable this season. Givens has been decent, and Robertson much more than that.  Not trying to defend a poor offensive performance, just wonder what the definition of "bad" is.

Definitely, the late-inning guys need & deserve more of a cushion than they're getting.

[Nola Beery]

1 hour ago, Robocaller said:

With Renfroe and Taylor back, we're OK. Davis should only be a 5th OF/defensive replacement. 

Without them, we need a significant bat. 

Doesn't help when the back end of the bullpen gives up a couple of runs.  

 

Not to nit-pick, but the bullpen giving up 2 (two, aka "a couple of") runs should not cost you a game when the starter goes 7 shutout innings and strikes out 10.  We need guys who can hit (or women who can hit for that matter); it's actually just that simple.  It was a shame to lose today.  The good news is that it was just one game. 

[NBBrewFan]

Last year the Brewers were 19-9 when Burnes started.  This year they are 10-7.  While he hasn't been as dominant as last year, in many ways he has been pitching close to his 2021 performance.  That's just not acceptable offensive performance when you are getting near Cy Young pitching from your starter and you are only 10-7.  Today is a prime example of the horrible offense this team trots out day after day.  Burnes pitching beautifully, but an offense that can't muster much against a group of average to below average pitchers.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll straighten things out just like they straightened out their September offense last year with an offensive explosion against the Braves in October.

[Robocaller]

5 hours ago, brewers888 said:

We scored one run against a bunch of bad pitchers today so the game was not lost because of the pen and you can't expect these relievers to never give up a run. This team is too reliant on Williams and Hader due to an inept offense that rarely gives the team an easy win.

Sometimes I wonder if  some of you are even fans of the game.

If you were, you'd know that bad teams beat good teams regularly. Therefore, it's a mistake to get too excited about the results from any single game.

But the thing we really have going for us, and the thing that has to happen for a long, successful playoff run, is that we're really hard to beat when we get a great start (and if we get everyone up to speed, we can have a rotation of 4 aces) and then hand it off to the back end of the pen, which has been great. Until Wednesday, when two of our excellent relievers each gave up a run. That's why we lost. We have a paradigm, and we failed it.

And I can't believe those of you who think the cardinals are a threat for the division. They've outperformed expectations while we've hit expectations or (more commonly) are worse than expectations, and we still have a 3 game lead. The only way we don't win the division is if we really screw the pooch.

But yeah, for those of you who feel a need to state the obvious, it would be great if our offense and fielding improved too. And maybe they could reduce the cost of beers at the game.

 

 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

5 hours ago, Robocaller said:

Sometimes I wonder if  some of you are even fans of the game.

If you were, you'd know that bad teams beat good teams regularly. Therefore, it's a mistake to get too excited about the results from any single game.

But the thing we really have going for us, and the thing that has to happen for a long, successful playoff run, is that we're really hard to beat when we get a great start (and if we get everyone up to speed, we can have a rotation of 4 aces) and then hand it off to the back end of the pen, which has been great. Until Wednesday, when two of our excellent relievers each gave up a run. That's why we lost. We have a paradigm, and we failed it.

And I can't believe those of you who think the cardinals are a threat for the division. They've outperformed expectations while we've hit expectations or (more commonly) are worse than expectations, and we still have a 3 game lead. The only way we don't win the division is if we really screw the pooch.

But yeah, for those of you who feel a need to state the obvious, it would be great if our offense and fielding improved too. And maybe they could reduce the cost of beers at the game.

 

 

You are attempting to bring logic to a "sky is falling" rhetoric fight. It's a battle lost before it's even begun.

[Nola Beery]

11 minutes ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

You are attempting to bring logic to a "sky is falling" rhetoric fight. It's a battle lost before it's even begun.

Not every gripe or venting of frustration should be translated as "the sky is falling."  Sometimes it just means "the weather really stinks right now," which it does when we get into these offensive doldrums, losing 2-1 and wasting a great pitching performance against a mediocre team.   We have the right to be happy when we win and unhappy when we lose.  Isn't expressing those feelings (and even occasionally overreacting <gasp!> ) why boards like this exist?