Game Thread (8/07/2022): Reds (Ashcraft) at Brewers (Burnes) - 1:10 PM CDT

[edfunderburk]

Just now, NBBrewFan said:

Is the game over? 

This game was over when Brosseau threw the ball away to open the 10th inning

[NBBrewFan]

Well I was hoping they would score 1 run with 2 outs and the bases loaded so we could see CC start having massive facial ticks as he pulled back Hiura to pinch hit McCutcheon.

[edfunderburk]

I’m frustrated beyond words with this team, but I just had a thought that made me laugh

How awesome it would be to rally just enough over the last few months to claim the sixth & final playoff spot over San Diego 

That would make me quite happy

They sold their future by going all in with last week’s multiple trades

It would be incredible for them to miss the playoffs  

I’m not sure Milwaukee could win any series in the postseason, but to knock San Diego out would be glorious 

[BruisedCrew]

6 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

I’m frustrated beyond words with this team, but I just had a thought that made me laugh

How awesome it would be to rally just enough over the last few months to claim the sixth & final playoff spot over San Diego 

That would make me quite happy

They sold their future by going all in with last week’s multiple trades

It would be incredible for them to miss the playoffs  

I’m not sure Milwaukee could win any series in the postseason, but to knock San Diego out would be glorious 

I think that would lose its charm quickly when the Brewers got brushed out of the playoffs by the Cardinals. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

32 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

Yes … not all - but many … those who may agree with me are quieter than those who disagree

I’m not a negative person - but I am a “truth-teller” & I believe this is a bad team

Are there any true leaders on this roster?

If you're talking about the last week, they're clearly a bad team. I've seen times this season where they're clearly better than bad. Overall, they're 58-50. One-third of the season remains. I've kept saying they need to get back to what makes them successful. Right now, you score 5 and lose. You score 7 & lose. You get a good start, and score 2 runs in nine innings.

You find ways to win, you find ways to lose. If this continues, sure, they're pretty bad.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

I’m frustrated beyond words with this team, but I just had a thought that made me laugh

How awesome it would be to rally just enough over the last few months to claim the sixth & final playoff spot over San Diego 

That would make me quite happy

They sold their future by going all in with last week’s multiple trades

It would be incredible for them to miss the playoffs  

I’m not sure Milwaukee could win any series in the postseason, but to knock San Diego out would be glorious 

I just want Hiura to win a starting job so I can see 300 Ks and 75 dingers in 2023.

[JefferyLeonard]

I hope this is a lesson to everyone...this is EXACTLY why at some point during your window you go "all in". You have nothing to lose(except prospects who aren't guaranteed to do anything). By going "all in" that assumes you're acquiring better players than what you currently have. At least if it doesn't work, it would be more exciting to watch then them doing the same thing every single year. 

[edfunderburk]

1 minute ago, JefferyLeonard said:

I hope this is a lesson to everyone...this is EXACTLY why at some point during your window you go "all in". You have nothing to lose(except prospects who aren't guaranteed to do anything). By going "all in" that assumes you're acquiring better players than what you currently have. At least if it doesn't work, it would be more exciting to watch then them doing the same thing every single year. 

I wish MLW could have added Drury last week

My frustration with San Diego wasn’t Soto & Bell (that was surprising) … not even Hader (we would have never re-signed him after next year) … but when they also got Drury - I was ticked

He would have been a great bat & a utility infielder for the final 60 games

[Jim French Stepstool]

28 minutes ago, mtsportsfan said:

Predictable . swing for the fences all the time. Starting to get really frustrated with Adames . 

I watch approaches at the plate. I enjoy the "game within the game". Of the five most moronic, dead-from-the-neck-up ABs of the season, Adames may have had four of them. He embarrassed himself in the 10th.

[NBBrewFan]

1 minute ago, edfunderburk said:

I wish MLW could have added Drury last week

My frustration with San Diego wasn’t Soto & Bell (that was surprising) … not even Hader (we would have never re-signed him after next year) … but when they also got Drury - I was ticked

He would have been a great bat & a utility infielder for the final 60 games

Yeah, I wonder if we were hot after Benitendi and when the Yankees beat our offer they moved on.  I also have to think they were also after Bell and the Padres only went with him when it was clear they could include Hosmer.  I am a little surprised the Padres paid so much of his salary given their salary situation, but it looks like the Dodgers are still their Daddy.

[Jim French Stepstool]

5 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

I wish MLW could have added Drury last week

My frustration with San Diego wasn’t Soto & Bell (that was surprising) … not even Hader (we would have never re-signed him after next year) … but when they also got Drury - I was ticked

He would have been a great bat & a utility infielder for the final 60 games

SD's #6 prospect was traded for Drury. Would've loved to acquire him, but that translates into someone we probably weren't interested in dealing. I wouldn't have either, unless they could do a package. That's what frustrates people, you just don't know what it would've taken. 

 

[NBBrewFan]

10 minutes ago, JefferyLeonard said:

I hope this is a lesson to everyone...this is EXACTLY why at some point during your window you go "all in". You have nothing to lose(except prospects who aren't guaranteed to do anything). By going "all in" that assumes you're acquiring better players than what you currently have. At least if it doesn't work, it would be more exciting to watch then them doing the same thing every single year. 

I think there's a lot of PTSD in brewer fandom from the long time the team was in the wilderness so there's definitely a strong contingent that likes the approach of maintaining a competitive team year to year.  My fear is that we just don't have enough pieces to get 2 all-star bats which would really push the teams chances for a World Series higher.  After last year's playoff loss to the Braves I thought quite a bit about what is the issue with the Brewers roster makeup and to me it was that they had an above average offense in total, but they lacked very good hitters.  We don't have a Braun or a Fielder or a Corey Hart. Sure average hitters can get hot too, but in the playoffs you are facing short rotations with top pitchers and a shortened bullpen.  Those are the best of the best.  The one stat from last year that stood out to me is that the Brewers lead the league in % of runs scored late in the game.  I initially interpreted that as they are battlers, but I think the true issue is that they score runs when the better pitchers are out (the starters usually are better than relievers), the middle relievers worse than the closer.  I've called this team a AAAA offense and I still think that's the case - they beat up on poor pitchers, but struggle against the best.  Of course that is usually the case, but I think it's more of the Brewers DNA because they don't have those all-star bats.  They don't have players than can go toe to toe with the best and win their fair share. To even approach 2 impact bats you are looking at $200M in free agency (pause for laughter to end because the Brewers have no chance at that) or you are dealing Woodward and possibly Peralta which then craters the rotation., A full on tank and rebuild might work, but again that wilderness is cold and scary.

[BruisedCrew]

Another exciting day at the ballpark for the holders of the Weekend 10 Pack.

Under my daughters’ 3 hour rule, we left after the 8th inning so we missed seeing the last 50 minutes or so of the game, including the tying HR and the game losing throwing error. 
 

Watching the Brewers manage pound out 1 run on 4 hits in 8 innings (and 3 hours) against a succession of pitchers with ERA’s over 4, 5, and 6 is more excitement than my old heart can take.

Other than losing 5 of 6 games against teams that have given up on the season, plus one against the struggling Red Sox, the most astonishing stat of the week to me is this one:

Not counting a run scored on Thursday in extra innings with a free runner, in only one of those 7 games did the Brewers score a run not on a home run. And this is against pitchers who aren’t close to the best in the league.

As they discussed on last night’s regional Fox telecast, against better pitchers (like ones that pitch in the playoffs) HRs are harder to come by and a team has to be able to score in other ways. The Brewers proved that last year.

As the Cardinals complete their sweep over the Yankees to push the Brewers 2 games out of playoff position, it’s hard to see how the Brewers are going to turn things around against the teams they are facing in the next two weeks to remain within hailing distance of a playoff spot. Even playing at Wrigley Field looks like an insurmountable task.

What a difference a week can make. Can I blame this on the person who suggested the Brewers were playing so well that they were on the verge of making a playoff spot a given?

 

[Hopper]

14 minutes ago, NBBrewFan said:

Yeah, I wonder if we were hot after Benitendi and when the Yankees beat our offer they moved on.  I also have to think they were also after Bell and the Padres only went with him when it was clear they could include Hosmer.  I am a little surprised the Padres paid so much of his salary given their salary situation, but it looks like the Dodgers are still their Daddy.

Thankfully we took on Lamet's salary to help them out.

[NBBrewFan]

1 minute ago, Hopper said:

Thankfully we took on Lamet's salary to help them out.

I wonder if Stearns will ever live that one down at the GM meetings each year.  

[Hopper]

4 minutes ago, NBBrewFan said:

I think there's a lot of PTSD in brewer fandom from the long time the team was in the wilderness so there's definitely a strong contingent that likes the approach of maintaining a competitive team year to year.  My fear is that we just don't have enough pieces to get 2 all-star bats which would really push the teams chances for a World Series higher.  After last year's playoff loss to the Braves I thought quite a bit about what is the issue with the Brewers roster makeup and to me it was that they had an above average offense in total, but they lacked very good hitters.  We don't have a Braun or a Fielder or a Corey Hart. Sure average hitters can get hot too, but in the playoffs you are facing short rotations with top pitchers and a shortened bullpen.  Those are the best of the best.  The one stat from last year that stood out to me is that the Brewers lead the league in % of runs scored late in the game.  I initially interpreted that as they are battlers, but I think the true issue is that they score runs when the better pitchers are out (the starters usually are better than relievers), the middle relievers worse than the closer.  I've called this team a AAAA offense and I still think that's the case - they beat up on poor pitchers, but struggle against the best.  Of course that is usually the case, but I think it's more of the Brewers DNA because they don't have those all-star bats.  They don't have players than can go toe to toe with the best and win their fair share. To even approach 2 impact bats you are looking at $200M in free agency (pause for laughter to end because the Brewers have no chance at that) or you are dealing Woodward and possibly Peralta which then craters the rotation., A full on tank and rebuild might work, but again that wilderness is cold and scary.

Woodruff.

I have seen it as Woodward several times in the past week, it's Woodruff.

[brewers888]

The Hader trade totally demoralized the team. I was in favor of moving him since I didn't think this team was a true contender but only if we received a top package of prospects which clearly did not happen. Between the deadline moves and non moves for offense as well as the 1-5 week against trash opponents the season is clearly over.

[NBBrewFan]

1 minute ago, Hopper said:

Woodruff.

I have seen it as Woodward several times in the past week, it's Woodruff.

My wife says I say woodward in my sleep.  I say I was dreaming of Woodruff throwing a perfect game to win game 7 of the World Series.  My wife knows I'm dreaming of Joanne Woodward!  Paul Newman you were one lucky bastard!

[brewers888]

3 minutes ago, NBBrewFan said:

I wonder if Stearns will ever live that one down at the GM meetings each year.  

Stearns doesn't care about the long term future of the franchise. He is just waiting it out till he can go home and run the muts. Overall Stearns has done an admirable job but his last two trade deadlines were disastrous.

[brewers888]

Does anyone still think there is little difference between Rogers and Hader because it was a crazy comment when first made and looks even worse now.

[willie key]

8 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

The Hader trade totally demoralized the team. I was in favor of moving him since I didn't think this team was a true contender but only if we received a top package of prospects which clearly did not happen. Between the deadline moves and non moves for offense as well as the 1-5 week against trash opponents the season is clearly over.

Personally I think this is more of a coincidence.    The brewers were just not a good team.   They just weren’t.    I will bet you that if they didn’t trade hader they still would have sucked this week

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 minutes ago, BruisedCrew said:

 

Not counting a run scored on Thursday in extra innings with a free runner, in only one of those 7 games did the Brewers score a run not on a home run. And this is against pitchers who aren’t close to the best in the league.

As they discussed on last night’s regional Fox telecast, against better pitchers (like ones that pitch in the playoffs) HRs are harder to come by and a team has to be able to score in other ways. The Brewers proved that last year.

 

 

I think they have an organizational change of attitude regarding that, and IMO it's long overdue. You can see it in the drafting & some of the personnel decisions. You can get to the WS with this type of an offense, but your pitching has to be unusually strong, with a lot of versatility & depth in the bullpen. With that versatility & the "old rules" with regards to pulling pitchers Counsell came one game from pulling it off in '18. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

9 minutes ago, willie key said:

Personally I think this is more of a coincidence.    The brewers were just not a good team.   They just weren’t.    I will bet you that if they didn’t trade hader they still would have sucked this week

The majority of the bad stuff that happened this week, happened while Hader would've been sitting on a chair in the bullpen had he been here. Then there's the theory of how it affected them mentally, which would mean this whole week was self-inflicted. Not much by way of excuses, that's for sure.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, brewers888 said:

Stearns doesn't care about the long term future of the franchise. He is just waiting it out till he can go home and run the muts. Overall Stearns has done an admirable job but his last two trade deadlines were disastrous.

I think if this were true it's likely he'd be pushing chips in a bit more. I think he values future success too highly if anything. Although I'm not sure about that either. He's definitely made some questionable moves, but fewer than most.

[brewers888]

Just now, timpep said:

I think if this were true it's likely he'd be pushing chips in a bit more. I think he bakes future success too highly if anything. Although I'm not sure about that either. He's definitely made some questionable moves, but fewer than most.

Whatever the reason he had a bad offseason and two trade deadline misses in a row with this one in particular hurting the morale of the team.