TooLiveBrew

Colon opens weekend set against Counsell's Brewers By Brandon Curry / MLB.com | 5/13/2015 9:06 PM ET Brewers manager Craig Counsell has yet to experience leading his team on the road. Friday's series opener against the Mets at Citi Field will serve as his first opportunity. Counsell, who was named to the position on May 4, admitted he's had little time to think about managing away from Miller Park. However, the location intrigues him. "I love going to New York," Counsell said. "It's a big-game atmosphere every game. It's a fun place to go." While heading to New York might sound fun to Counsell, his Brewers haven't enjoyed their time away from home. Milwaukee is 4-8 on the road this season and has dropped three of its four road series. It won't get any easier against the Mets, as Bartolo Colon is set to take the mound for New York. The 41-year-old has won six of his seven starts in 2015 and is tied for the Major League lead in wins. He hasn't walked a batter since his April 6 start against the Nationals. Colon will be opposed by Brewers right-hander Kyle Lohse. Lohse's ERA (7.03) hasn't been this high since 2010, when he had right forearm surgery that revived his career. Things to know about the game • Colon is 3-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against the Brewers -- the last coming in 2013 while with the Athletics. He allowed just one run over seven innings in a 6-1 victory. • Lohse, who has managed just one quality start in 2015, is 0-2 with a 4.03 ERA in four career starts at Citi Field. • Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez is hopeful he can play on Friday against the Mets after missing six straight games because of back stiffness.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][game-info][h1]May 15 | 6:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Brewers (12-23) | Mets (20-15)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/mets.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/SpMicI0.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/UC2EhVN.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Kyle Lohse[/pitcher][h2]2-4, 7.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Mets | Game Log[/h3][h3]Kyle Lohse hasn't had an ERA like this -- 7.03 after 106-pitch, five-inning, four run slog against the Cubs on Saturday -- since 2010, when he had the right forearm surgery that would revive his career.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Bartolo Colón[/pitcher][h2]6-1, 3.30 ERA, 0.99 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Can anything stop Colon at age 41? Last week, he beat the Phillies despite giving up four runs over six innings in his worst start of the year. Colon will pitch twice more before his 42nd birthday -- not that age has done anything to slow him yet.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] CF Carlos Gomez ® LF Gerardo Parra (L) RF Ryan Braun ® 1B Adam Lind (L) 3B Aramis Ramirez ® 2B Scooter Gennett (L) C Martin Maldonado ® RHP Kyle Lohse ® SS Hector Gomez ®[/divclass][divclass=home] RF Curtis Granderson (L) CF Juan Lagares ® 1B Lucas Duda (L) LF Michael Cuddyer ® 3B Daniel Murphy (L) SS Wilmer Flores ® C Johnny Monell (L) 2B Ruben Tejada ® RHP Bartolo Colón ®[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Image sizes obviously aren't right in the lead post. Posting the IGT from a phone is a pain in the rear!

White Sox, Brewers wrap up Interleague series By Brandon Curry / MLB.com | 5/13/2015 2:03 AM ET Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson will be looking to recapture the form from his previous outing when he takes the mound in Wednesday's series finale against the White Sox at Miller Park. Nelson set a career high in strikeouts (11) against the Cubs on May 8 but allowed three home runs over seven innings. It was the first time he had given up multiple home runs in a start. Left-hander Jose Quintana will get the start for the White Sox. It will be his seventh start of the season and fifth away from U.S. Cellular Field. Things to know about the game: • Quintana lost his previous start, on May 7 against the Tigers, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings. He posted a no-decision in his only previous career outing against the Brewers despite allowing just four hits in eight scoreless innings. • The White Sox hope that Quintana is getting comfortable pitching in opposing ballparks, as they have dropped nine of their last 10 games on the road. Overall, they're 3-12 away from home and have been outscored 91-46 in those contests. • Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez has missed the past five games with a muscle strain in his lower back. The veteran, who plans on retiring at season's end, hopes to avoid a stint on the disabled list. "He's progressing," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "If he's usable tomorrow, then we have a bat off the bench late in the game."

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/whitesox.png[/logo][game-info][h1]May 13 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Sox (13-17) | Brewers (12-22)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/b3C9Ty8.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xBql9H8.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]José Quintana[/pitcher][h2]1-3, 5.03 ERA, 1.41 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Quintana needed 107 pitches to get through five innings in his last start against the Tigers, allowing two runs and fanning eight. He is 0-2 in his last three starts but has yielded just five earned runs in his last 19 innings.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Jimmy Nelson[/pitcher][h2]1-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.08 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus White Sox | Game Log[/h3][h3]This will be Nelson's third straight start against a team from Chicago, coming off consecutive starts against the Cubs. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts on Friday against the Cubs, but also served up three home runs.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] CF Adam Eaton (L) 2B Emilio Bonifacio (S) LF Melky Cabrera (S) RF Avisail Garcia ® 1B Adam LaRoche (L) SS Alexei Ramirez ® 3B Gordon Beckham ® C Tyler Flowers ® LHP José Quintana ®[/divclass][divclass=home] 3B Elian Herrera (S) LF Khris Davis ® RF Ryan Braun ® CF Carlos Gomez ® 1B Adam Lind (L) C Martin Maldonado ® SS Hector Gomez ® 2B Scooter Gennett (L) RHP Jimmy Nelson ®[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Good shout on Koeman. Fantastic job in his first season.

How could anyone not like you?!

Yep, the org did the exact same thing with Coulter, who was just as overmatched at WI in his first go-round.

Bad loss for the Arsenal today... probably "should've" had a goal or two, & dominated the match as a whole. But kudos to Swansea for a successful 'smash & grab' job today. Swansea completed the double over Arsenal this season, with both wins coming on Bafétimbi Gomis headers... when he was a second-half sub in both matches. Dammit! I think Garry Monk has to be BPL manager of the year. He's done a fantastic job at Swansea!

That list is like a horror show of pitching. McCarthy is OK, but now has tommy john. Blanton, Slowey, Bedard, Saunders, and Correia are downright terrible & not even in the majors. Pelfrey was horrific last year with the Twins (I witnessed he and Correia firsthand), but has been ok for a few weeks this season. Kazmir is the only one on the list that rivals Lohse imo. Well good thing we signed Lohse to help finish in the middle of the pack of the NL every year. Imagine if we wouldn't have signed him -- we'd have missed the playoffs each season & would still have the first-round pick we forfeited! That would be awful.

Sale returns from suspension to face Brewers By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | 5/11/2015 11:26 PM ET White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said over the weekend that Chris Sale has been trying to do too much on the mound, with more throwing and not enough pitching of late. As the ace returns from his five-game suspension Tuesday night against the Brewers at Miller Park, it will be interesting to see if the White Sox were able to work on that expressed issue. Sale was absent the last five games for his role in the on-field fracas with the Royals on April 23, and his last two starts were his first back-to-back non-quality efforts since 2012. Mike Fiers gets the start for the Brewers, as Milwaukee tries to extend the White Sox road losing streak to eight straight and the Brewers look for a season-high fourth straight win. Things to know about this game • The Brewers are starting three right-handers in this Interleague series, so Adam LaRoche figures to get a start in one contest. The White Sox could give Jose Abreu an off-day Wednesday, giving him back-to-back off-days with Thursday's scheduled break, but White Sox manager Robin Ventura wouldn't commit to anything past the opener on Monday. • Fiers has been the weakest link so far in Milwaukee's starting rotation. Only one of his first six starts have met the definition of "quality" (six or more innings with three or fewer runs), and the team is 2-4 when he takes the mound. On the plus side, Fiers has been a strikeout machine, tallying 42 in just 29 2/3 innings. • Sale is 3-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings lifetime in Interleague action. He had a no-decision in his only career start against the Brewers, throwing eight scoreless innings on June 22, 2012.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/whitesox.png[/logo][game-info][h1]May 12 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Sox (12-17) | Brewers (12-21)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/CE2okk5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/xXEyUfu.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Chris Sale[/pitcher][h2]2-1, 5.93 ERA, 1.61 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Sale followed the same path of Jeff Samardzija, by pitching against the Tigers and then beginning his five-game suspension Thursday. Sale is on a streak of two straight non-quality starts for the first time since the 2013 season.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Mike Fiers[/pitcher][h2]1-4, 5.46 ERA, 1.72 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus White Sox | Game Log[/h3][h3]Fiers has struck out 20 batters over 11 innings in his past two starts, including an "immaculate inning" against the Dodgers on Thursday in which he struck out all three batters he faced on just nine pitches.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] CF Adam Eaton (L) LF Melky Cabrera (S) 1B José Abreu ® RF Avisail Garcia ® 3B Conor Gillaspie (L) SS Alexei Ramírez ® C Tyler Flowers ® 2B Micah Johnson (L) LHP Chris Sale (L)[/divclass][divclass=home] SS Jean Segura ® LF Khris Davis ® RF Ryan Braun ® CF Carlos Gómez ® 1B Jason Rogers ® 3B Elián Herrera (S) C Martín Maldonado ® 2B Hector Gómez ® RHP Mike Fiers ®[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Last 7 days: .368/.538/.632/1.170 Last 14: .295/.404/.682/1.086 It's good to see that this isn't even just a one-week thing. Of course, if you watched him over the last 2+ weeks, it was pretty apparent that his PAs as a whole had improved a lot. Need him to keep it going!

Nice writeup, trwi7! I'm missing Hull-Burnley today, & bummed. Should be a fun one to watch.

Thanks, trwi7. Out of town this weekend, and wasn't around to get the lineups edited into the lead post. I also won't be able to get IGTs started tomorrow of Sunday, just as a general note to anyone on the forum that is willing to get them posted. I was hoping the other mods could do so, but not sure now.

I feel prospects are undervalued by a good portion of posters on this website. For years there have been a ton of posters that have just shot down any thought of trading guys while their value was high for prospects that could help in the future with the idea that we were "close" and just needed "a few pieces" to push us over the edge to contender status. And now look where the team is. What else is more valuable to a small market franchise that can't outspend pretty much any other team than young, talented, controllable players? That should be incredibly valuable to the Brewers and anyone who is a fan of the Brewers. Gomez needs to go, that is undoubtedly a smart thing to do. Parra can cover CF just fine. I don't think Lind needs to go, he is precisely what this team has needed for years (and needs more of). The problem lies within how this roster has been constructed the past several years, and the philosophy of the offense. If we had more balance L/R and decreased the focus on home runs, we would be more competitive. The freakin team was stacked with RH hitters in a RH heavy pitching division for years, and we relied on the long ball. Sounds super smart to me! Platoons with cheap/midrange guys (Joyce/Davis, Lind/Lucroy, etc etc) would allow us to spend more on pitching. We don't need to destroy the roster...we need to be smarter about how we construct things. Trading Gomez will fetch great prospects that we desperately need, and it will be another step towards deleveraging ourselves from RH heavy swing out of his shoes hitters. Lind on the other hand, I don't want traded unless we blow it up, and even then I don't know if I want him gone. Lind is only under contract through 2016. 2017 will be his age-33 season. What exactly is accomplished by holding onto him? You acknowledge that the best all-around player in Gomez should be traded, which obviously means a significant step back in ability to contend. You also agree that the club needs to retool around younger players, who inevitably will take at least a couple seasons to find their footing at the MLB level. So do you propose keeping Lind & then losing him to free agency? Attempting to extend an injury-prone first baseman into his mid- or late-30s at somewhere around $10M/yr? To say Gomez should be traded, but not Lind... that's a tough one for me to wrap my head around. I completely agree that Lind is the type of hitter the Brewers should be looking to clone... or maybe more realistically, develop. He has been a breath of fresh Febreze in an otherwise manure-scented season. But to say that Lind needs to be retained so he can be lost to free agency before any rebuilding or retooling would be complete, primarily because you're frustrated with how the team was constructed in the past, seems to be lacking some logic. I think Lind, as long as he stays healthy, will be a pretty valuable trade chip around the deadline this season. I'd bet that the Brewers could blow away a return of Marco Estrada, and get at least one very legit young player for him. There will be a lot of clubs that can use a high-OBP, high-SLG bat with a good approach for the 1B or DH spots. The Brewers would be way off-base to view him as a centerpiece, and I say that as a fan that really admires him as a hitter.

Then you truly don't understand what is being said, because I haven't witnessed maybe people overvaluing much of anything, so let me quickly sum it up one more time. The Brewers need to cycle the roster, they are too old, have gotten too expensive, and don't have enough hitting or pitching for the immediate future. Hanging on to 2015 hoping for some miracle recovery to a playoff spot seems like a fools errand so why not make the best of a bad situation, acquiring as much talent as possible trying to lay the foundation of a new core to build around? If only the Brewers had successfully built around a core of young players sometime in recent memory...

https://streamable.com/ocei Even if you're not a football fan, you can appreciate this amazing move & goal! This was his second goal of the match.

Hammel, Nelson face off again as Cubs visit Brewers By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com | 5/7/2015 5:05 PM ET The Brewers took two out of three games against the Cubs last weekend at Wrigley Field, and the teams will have a rematch at Miller Park, starting Friday with a rematch of pitchers. The Cubs' Jason Hammel and Brewers' Jimmy Nelson, who squared off Sunday in Chicago, will start. Neither got a decision in the game. In an odd quirk, Friday will mark the third straight instance in which Nelson will face the same team in consecutive starts. He drew the Pirates on April 11 and April 17, the Reds on April 22 and April 27 and now the Cubs for the second time in five days. The Cubs should note that Nelson has fared poorer in the second outing. For example, he held the Reds to one run on three hits over eight innings in their first meeting, then followed that with his worst start of the season, giving up seven earned runs on six hits and a season-high five walks over 2 1/3 innings. "It's a challenge, but it's a challenge every time you go out there, no matter who is it or how many times you throw against them," Nelson said. "It's our job. We're supposed to be the best no matter what the challenges are. [My stuff] will still be fresh in their mind, but our hitters are also facing a guy they just saw five days ago. So you chalk it up to the things you can't control and can't worry about." One thing that has changed since the two teams met: Ron Roenicke is no longer the Brewers manager. Craig Counsell was named Milwaukee's new skipper Monday, and the team is 2-2 since. Three thing to know about this game: • Hammel posted a quality start in his last outing, but also admitted he was bothered by a cracked nail on the middle finger of his right hand and had difficulty getting a feel for his pitches. He's 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in seven career starts against the Brewers. • Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez will be back in the starting lineup Friday after beginning Thursday's game on the bench. He had played the previous five games after coming off the disabled list for a hamstring strain. • Rookie Addison Russell enters the game with a 10-game hitting streak, the longest by a Cubs player this season. It's the longest hitting streak by a Cubs rookie since Mike Fontenot's 12-game stretch in 2007.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cubs.png[/logo][game-info][h1]May 8 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Cubs (14-13) | Brewers (9-20)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/OqZwww0.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9kxlR4T.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Jason Hammel[/pitcher][h2]2-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.02 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]This will be a rematch for Hammel, who did not get a decision in his last start vs. the Brewers at home. He gave up three runs over six innings and battled a cracked nail on his right middle finger. He's 5-0 in seven career starts vs. the Brewers.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Jimmy Nelson[/pitcher][h2]1-2, 4.03 ERA, 1.17 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cubs | Game Log[/h3][h3]Nelson has been the Brewers' most consistent starting pitcher despite an extremely unfavorable schedule. This is the third straight occasion on which he's faced the same team in consecutive starts.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] RHP Jason Hammel ® [/divclass][divclass=home] RHP Jimmy Nelson ®[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

SS Jean Segura 2B Scooter Gennett RF Ryan Braun 1B Adam Lind 3B Aramis Ramirez CF Gerardo Parra LF Khris Davis C Juan Centeno RHP Mike Fiers

Swihart was called up a couple days ago actually

It's not a defeatist attitude any more than your opinion is pie-in-the-sky/best-case wishful thinking. It's a difference of opinion, & using language like "insane", "Land of Oz", & "mythical" doesn't foster productive conversation. Both ends of the spectrum on this topic have merit. And it's certainly not just one poster that's been guilty of hyperbole, condescension, etc. It seems that type of stuff has really been on the uptick here lately, & the essence of the forums at BF is & always has been about being more civil, respectful, & productive than that. When you (anyone, not simply superfly) read a post you disagree with, think about why. Not about how it's insane or stupid or laughable or negative-nancy or any other type of insulting phrase you'd like to call it. Have a discussion. Be respectful to your fellow Brewers fans!

How could I not use that pic of Greinke?! Majestic.

Garza, Crew face Greinke, LA in Counsell's 2nd game By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 5/4/2015 10:57 PM ET For his first two games as a manager, Craig Counsell's Brewers faced Clayton Kershaw Monday night and Tuesday night he won't get a break with Zack Greinke on the mound for the Dodgers. "That's the big leagues. There's challenges every night, and this is just the first of many," Counsell said. "I'm perfectly fine -- I'm happy about it. It's going to be a good story someday. It's good we're going up against those guys. It's going to happen, so let's do it. That's the attitude you take. If anything, I hope it puts us on top of our game. You know you need to be on top of your game to beat those guys." Since joining the Dodgers, Greinke is 36-12 with a 2.62 ERA. He is only 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in four career games against the Brewers, but in 26 games at Miller Park for Milwaukee, Greinke was 15-2. Things to know about this game • The Brewers will make a decision before Tuesday's game about the availability of shortstop Jean Segura, who was hit in the head by a 95-mph fastball in Sunday's win at Wrigley Field, and second baseman Scooter Gennett, who is eligible to return from the disabled list after missing time with a cut on his left hand. Gennett played the fourth game of a Minor League rehabilitation assignment at Class A Wisconsin on Monday night. • Seven of the 25 current Dodgers are rookies: Joc Pederson, Alex Guerrero, Kike Hernandez, Carlos Frias, Adam Liberatore, Pedro Baez, Yimi Garcia and Daniel Coulombe. • Brewers starter Matt Garza has never faced the Dodgers team, but he has faced some of their current players. Howie Kendrick is 7-for-12 with a homer against him, while Juan Uribe is 2-for-2