Game Thread (4/01/2023): Brewers (Woodruff) vs. Cubs (Steele) - 1:20 PM

[Brock Beauchamp]

4 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

50-60% is about right, I think. The Brewers could absolutely make the playoffs.

However, they could be perilously close to a major rebuild if things don't go well. If you're not really in the race at the break, you almost have to shop Burnes and Woodruff, right?

You have to shop at least one of the pitchers, I think.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Wow, Swanson. 

[Brewcrew82]

I hate Swanson already....

[adambr2]

Contreras carry rocks in his pockets on the bases?

[HarryDoyle]

Anybody else beats that out. It figures it would be Contreras on that play.

[Matthew Trueblood]

Contreras has to learn to elevate the ball, man. Same problem his brother has run into over the years. 

[BruisedCrew]

27 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

But that's not what you said. is it? You said, "struggle to finish above .500", let alone be playoff CONTENDERS as a result of Urias being out for 6-8 weeks. If you had just said the above, I would have agreed with you...

I keep forgetting that with the expanded playoffs anyone near .500 is a playoff CONTENDER even if they don’t make the playoffs. 
 

So, I will amend my statement to “the rookies will have to be good or the Brewers are going to struggle to finish above .500.”  
 

[YelichPosse]

Good news: with the new pace of the game you can miss a half inning hitting the head. Bad news: it’s usually the Brewers feeble attempts on offense you miss so far.

[markedman5]

Both Swanson hits on pitches right down the middle 

[HarryDoyle]

Goodbye Molina, hello Swanson.

[adambr2]

I feel like the Brewers hired two hitting coaches just to say to the fans, "see? We even have two guys for you to blame instead of one and they still can't get it done. It's not the coaches, these guys just stink."

Does feel a lot harder to scapegoat a hitting coach when there's two. 😆

[Brewcrew82]

Cardinals are winning 3-0, but Flaherty has 7 walks in 2.1 innings and is struggling to top 90 mph. A guy they're asking to return to second half 2019 levels....

[BruisedCrew]

How many third strikes was Bellinger going to take?

[Brewcrew82]

What the heck Bellinger. Not only was that a strike, but you were struck out on the pitch before that, too....

[adambr2]

You don't know what a strike is Cody, shut up. 

Wasn't that long ago when the only possible answers to who the best player in the National League was were Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich. My how things have changed.

[adambr2]

Steele nowhere close to Rowdy on the first two pitches and he takes a wild hack at the third pitch still nowhere close and changes the entire AB.

[dlk9s]

Freezing Cold Takes

 

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Nice little start to Wiemer’s career with the bat.

[HarryDoyle]

This is going to be a long season again offensively, isn't it?

[adambr2]

I'm so confused at what all these angry pitch clock violation gestures by the umpires mean. 

[Brewcrew82]

How do you miss that pitch????

[Brock Beauchamp]

17 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I feel like the Brewers hired two hitting coaches just to say to the fans, "see? We even have two guys for you to blame instead of one and they still can't get it done. It's not the coaches, these guys just stink."

Does feel a lot harder to scapegoat a hitting coach when there's two. 😆

I think you’re half joking but we’re 15 innings into the season with miserable weather in both games. I’m not making any judgment of the offense at this point. 

[adambr2]

1 minute ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I think you’re half joking but we’re 15 innings into the season with miserable weather in both games. I’m not making any judgment of the offense at this point. 

I'm not making any conclusions on the 2023 offense at this point but they did stink last year and they did have two hitting coaches last year.

Tongue in cheek yes, but it did feel like there's been scapegoating of hitting coaches in Milwaukee for awhile and when they hired two that practice has sort of tailed off.

[HarryDoyle]

3 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I'm not making any conclusions on the 2023 offense at this point but they did stink last year and they did have two hitting coaches last year.

Tongue in cheek yes, but it did feel like there's been scapegoating of hitting coaches in Milwaukee for awhile and when they hired two that practice has sort of tailed off.

I would argue having two hitting coaches is worse. Too many chefs in the kitchen.

[adambr2]

Bad weather or not, getting shut out twice in the first two games of the 2023 season would be a pretty omonious offensive start after what we saw in 2023. This is brutal.