TooLiveBrew

He's only notched a .616 OPS against RHP this season, & OPS'd .531 overall in August. It sure doesn't look like a mistake. That's 2014 Segura-caliber, but at least Jean's only making the minimum. For next season, Drew would be an option at SS (career .784 OPS v. RHP), and Segura could even be utilized as the MIF utility RH bat to back up SS & 2B, with as many spot-starts as necessary -- Drew has obviously had durability issues, & will probably not be given a QO heading into the offseason. If he could be had for around $5M or so, that seems like a decent gamble to me. The trick is that he just hasn't been the same player over the past 3 seasons -- a cumulative OPS under .700, after his previous seasons combined were around .775. Will he bounce back, or has he just left his productive years in the rearview mirror?

The actual scout reports I saw on Gennett were that his hit tool is good, but his power wasn't special - lots of notes that he'd hit for some pop, but mostly gap power. That has proven true so far. As to scout reports on his defense, I never saw anything that called him bad. Just that none of his defensive tools are strong - avg range, arm, & glove. I think you're conflating message board chatter with scout reports. As far as I can see, the scouting reports on Scooter have been pretty accurate so far. I agree the club could hope that he'll blossom into a competent bat against LHP, but if I were building the roster, I wouldn't bet on it. If the plan heading into next season isn't 'go for it' mode, I would have zero problem with handing Scooter the keys at 2B.

He's been good at the plate this year, no doubt. But he's been completely useless against LHPs, just like he was in the minors at every level above low-A ball. You can certainly give Gennett more games against lefty starters than he got this season, but to say he's earned the right to face LHPs with his .260 OPS v.LH this season (& a cumulative MiLB OPS around .600 against them) is a bit much. There's nothing wrong with utilizing a player's strengths. His line of .321/.353/.494/.848 against RHP is one of the best in the league at 2B. I don't expect him to be a sub-.300 OPS bat against lefties, but when you're only around .600 in the minors, much more than that in the bigs isn't a realistic expectation. The Brewers can do a lot better than a .600 OPS against lefties from second base, & they shouldn't settle.

Cosart can keep Crew down, lift Marlins' hopes up Stellar since trade to Miami, righty meets Peralta, sliding Brewers By Maria Torres / MLB.com | 9/10/2014 1:05 AM ET For all the offensive life the Brewers showed in their final innings on Tuesday, they couldn't stop their slide or keep the Marlins from jumping to 3 1/2 games behind the second National League Wild Card spot. That puts Milwaukee in an uncomfortable situation heading into Wednesday night's game; having lost 13 of their last 14 games, the Brewers are now just two games above the Marlins in the standings. And they'll have to face Marlins starter Jarred Cosart, who has anchored Miami's rotation since joining it at the non-waiver Trade Deadline. The 24-year-old is 4-1 (1.99 ERA) since being acquired from Houston on July 31, and Miami is 5-1 in his six starts. Cosart was dominant through seven innings on Friday, but the Braves scored twice in the eighth and he took his leave after 7 2/3 innings, having struck out six and yielded three total runs. One thing that might help Cosart moving forward is to make it through the eighth inning. He's only done that once this season, on June 20 against the Rays, and he's been removed from that frame in three straight starts. "I think it might be I'm looking ahead, because I really want to finish the game," Cosart said after his victory over the Braves. "So maybe just focus on executing more pitches." If there's one fact that can give the Brewers some hope on Wednesday, it's how effective right-hander Wily Peralta has been against the Marlins. He is 1-1 with a 2.42 ERA in four career starts against Miami. In their only encounter this year, the Marlins eked out a 2-1 victory in late May, but it was no fault of Peralta's. He held them to one run on six hits in six innings. Since that day, Peralta has made 18 starts and seen his ERA rise to 3.84 for the season. In his last three turns, he's allowed 17 runs (16 earned) in 14 innings and opponents have teed off him for a .365/.452/.556 line. Peralta seemed to come back to himself a bit against the Cardinals last Thursday. He might have allowed three runs in the loss, but he was a victim of low run support -- his teammates could only muster two runs while going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. "If you look at numbers, it looks [bad], but I think Wily's last game was encouraging, the way he threw the ball, so I'm hoping he's on that right track," manager Ron Roenicke said. "This is a very tough sport, like a lot of them are, and when things aren't going well, it's easy to point fingers. But our guys are going out there and working hard to try and put up a bunch of zeros. I know it's not happening, at least not that often, but how do you get on somebody when they're doing everything they possibly can to try and help this team but it just isn't working out?" Marlins: Racing to .500 Getting to .500 has been just as much of an issue for the Marlins as staying above it. With a win on Wednesday, Miami could break even for the first time since Aug. 25. A total of 13 games have passed in that span, in which the Marlins have gone 6-7. The last time the Marlins were one game over that benchmark was Aug. 19. But they hadn't been anywhere near it in months. When they climbed to 63-62 on that day against the Rangers, it marked the first time since June 20 (37-36) that they were over .500. Brewers: Prospect Pena pulled from AFL The Brewers are hopeful they caught right-handed pitching prospect Ariel Pena's elbow injury in time to avoid a major setback. Pena was removed from the Arizona Fall League roster and replaced by left-hander Michael Strong, who finished the regular season at Double-A Huntsville. Pena felt discomfort in his elbow during his final outing for Triple-A Nashville, "so he's on a rehab program," assistant general manager Gord Ash said. "It's unlikely he'll be ready [for the AFL], so we thought the best thing to do is replace him." Is the elbow issue troubling? "Not right now it isn't," Ash said. "We think we caught it in time, but we'll have to see how the next 30 days go." Worth noting • Casey McGehee and Marcell Ozuna hit back-to-back homers in the ninth inning of Miami's 6-3 win Tuesday night. The Marlins have now hit back-to-back homers in two straight games. The only time they hit back-to-back jacks in a game before this series was a loss to the Mets on April 25.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/marlins.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 10 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Marlins (71-72) | Brewers (74-71)[/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/kf2U6Kx.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hHyDc3L.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Jarred Cosart[/pitcher][h2]13-8, 3.78 ERA, 1.34 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Cosart was dominant through seven innings on Friday, but he ran into some trouble in the eighth and exited after 7 2/3 innings having struck out six. Before allowing one in the fifth, he'd faced 207 consecutive batters without giving up a homer.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Wily Peralta[/pitcher][h2]15-10, 3.84 ERA, 1.35 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Marlins | Game Log[/h3][h3]Pitching the first game of the Brewers' biggest series of the season to date, Peralta fell into a 2-0 hole against the Cardinals before recording his second out. He's 1-4 in his last five starts.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] LF Christian Yelich 2B Donovan Solano RF Giancarlo Stanton 3B Casey McGehee CF Marcell Ozuna 1B Garrett Jones C Jarrod Saltalamacchia SS Adeiny Hechavarria RHP Jarred Cosart[/divclass][divclass=home] CF Carlos Gómez 2B Scooter Gennett C Jonathan Lucroy 3B Aramis Ramírez RF Gerardo Parra LF Khris Davis 1B Matt Clark SS Jean Segura RHP Wily Peralta[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Nice. Post is flush with humor.

McGehee's road to playoffs goes through former team Nostalgia not on infielder's mind as he and Marlins face Crew By Joe Morgan / MLB.com | 9/9/2014 1:57 AM ET Marlins third baseman Casey McGehee had little time for nostalgia when he returned to Miller Park, where the Brewers gave him his big league break in 2009, and where he and his young son, Mack, became fan favorites. This week, McGehee is more focused on the present -- a big four-game series between two teams vying for a spot in the postseason, a series that continues on Tuesday night with Miami's Tom Koehler starting against Milwaukee's Matt Garza. "It would be just as meaningful if we were playing anybody right now, because we need to win games right now," McGehee said of his return. "We're still hanging in there. We've got, obviously, a couple of teams ahead of us, but we feel like there's still just enough time [that] if we can get hot and sustain a run for a little bit, we know we've got a chance to sneak in and get that last spot. That's our goal, and that's what we expect at this point." The Marlins' 6-4 win in the series opener leaves them 4 1/2 games out of the second National League Wild Card berth, with the reeling Brewers 1 1/2 games short. McGehee played parts of three seasons for the Brewers, finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2009 before topping 100 RBIs in 2010, when he was voted the team's MVP. But he struggled in 2011 and lost playing time to Jerry Hairston Jr. during the Brewers' run to the NL Championship Series, and was traded to the Pirates that winter. Following stints with the Pirates and Yankees, and a season in Japan, McGehee has had renewed success this season with the Marlins. His 160 hits place him among the top five in the NL. "We looked last year to find somebody to hit behind [Giancarlo] Stanton, and he's come in and done a great job, getting some big hits," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "I know everybody talks about the home runs. He hasn't hit a lot of home runs, but we haven't needed a guy to hit a lot of home runs. We needed a guy to give us great at-bats and get big hits and drive in runs. He's been able to do all that." McGehee admits that when he departed for Japan, he wasn't sure whether he'd ever play again in the U.S. "It's been kind of a long, strange road since I left here," McGehee said. "I definitely appreciate being back, but I haven't really taken the time to think about that part of it yet. We're still in the mind-set that we still have a chance to get into the postseason. Obviously, we have a lot of work left in front of us, so that's kind of more of the mind-set right now. I think after the season is over, I'll be able to look back and kind of reflect on what it means to be back in the big leagues. "I think the one thing I have learned is that even though you're back for a year, things can change quick. You have to get yourself ready to do it again; you have to prove yourself on a daily basis and a yearly basis. I think I'm pretty good proof of that." Marlins: Alvarez could return on Friday A strained oblique has sidelined right-hander Henderson Alvarez since Sept. 1, but he could return to the rotation on Friday in time for a three-game series against the Phillies. "He's going to throw a light [session] tomorrow and we're looking, if everything goes well for him, to pitch on Friday," Redmond said on Monday. "He said he was feeling good, so he should be ready to go. Like I said, he's going to throw another light one just to make sure we're good. I'm anticipating him to be fine and pitch on Friday." Brewers: Now healthy, Garza aiming for return to normalcy Garza will be making his second start since a monthlong stint on the disabled list for a strained rib cage. He will seek a better result than the one he had against the Cubs on Wednesday, when he gave up six runs on eight hits in three innings. Garza hasn't pitched against the Marlins since 2012, missing the Brewers' three-game series in Miami in May. Milwaukee took two of those three games, but manager Ron Roenicke sees a different opponent this time. "They are playing good baseball," Roenicke said. "They have good arms on the mound, and they have a good offensive team. Young guys. They've got the monster in Stanton, and all the other guys around him are doing a nice job. We know we have to go out there and play a good series." Roenicke called Stanton one of those "don't let him beat you"-type of players, meaning the Brewers will not hesitate to intentionally walk him. "When the situation calls for it, yeah, he's one of those guys," he said. Worth noting • Center fielder Carlos Gomez returned to the Brewers' lineup on Monday for the first time since spraining his left wrist on Aug. 31. He had been limited to defense, pinch-running and one pinch-hit appearance since then. • Stanton hit his 154th career home run on Monday night, tying Dan Uggla's franchise record.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/marlins.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 9 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Marlins (70-72) | Brewers (74-70)[/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/TPG2umz.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NibZ6mH.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Tom Koehler[/pitcher][h2]9-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.26 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]The Marlins needed Koehler to turn in a long outing, and he did that Wednesday, throwing 103 pitches in seven innings and fanning a career-high 10. A two-run homer put him in line for a loss before Miami picked him up.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Matt Garza[/pitcher][h2]7-8, 3.87 ERA, 1.17 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Marlins | Game Log[/h3][h3]Garza's return from a month-long stint on the DL for a rib-cage strain wasn't great: He surrendered six runs on eight hits in only three innings. But the good news was that he felt healthy.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] LF Christian Yelich 2B Donovan Solano RF Giancarlo Stanton 3B Casey McGehee CF Marcell Ozuna 1B Garrett Jones C Jarrod Saltalamacchia SS Adeiny Hechavarria RHP Tom Koehler[/divclass][divclass=home] CF Carlos Gómez 2B Scooter Gennett C Jonathan Lucroy 3B Aramis Ramírez RF Gerardo Parra LF Khris Davis 1B Lyle Overbay SS Jean Segura RHP Matt Garza[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

I feel for him too. For all his faults, I genuinely like the man. And I took his comments about Wang & Figaro to be underscoring that he's attempting to make the best of a bad hand.

Man, Roenicke sure seemed like a guy who knows his time is up in the post game presser. He flat-out said Wang & Figaro are guys he can't rely on. Really awkward presser.

Marlins, Brewers set to face off for playoff position Penny, Gallardo to battle as Wild Card push continues By Stephen Pianovich / MLB.com | 9/7/2014 7:22 PM ET The Brewers' season is spiraling out of control. They've won just three times in their last 17 games, once in their last 12, and the team that led the National League Central for the season's first five months enters Monday on the outside of the playoff picture. Milwaukee hosts Miami for four games, as the Marlins look to take advantage of the slumping Crew. The Brewers are currently tied with Atlanta, a half-game behind Pittsburgh for the second Wild Card spot, while the Marlins are 4 1/2 out with 21 games left on their schedule. The Brewers held a players-only meeting after their latest defeat, 9-1, to the Cardinals in which they committed three errors. The Marlins are clinging to a slim postseason hope and are three games under .500. Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said the team is well aware that the Marlins are hungry for September wins as well. "I won't discount anybody, whomever it is," Lucroy said. "The Marlins, we went down there earlier in the year and had a pretty good series, but we're going to have to get after it again and be ready for them. Same thing. We have to get after it and play hard. Let's make some things happen." The Brewers held first place in the Central for 159 days this season, but are now five back of St. Louis. They do have 19 more games to play, which gives them time to turn it around. But as manager Ron Roenicke pointed out, wins need to come soon. "There's plenty of time left, but we better get it going," he said. "We can't keep saying this and 10 days from now, keep saying it. There is plenty of time. A good week right now puts you right where you want to be." Yovani Gallardo will get the start for the Brewers, who have dropped each of his last three outings. Gallardo gave up seven runs -- five earned -- over five innings in his last start against Chicago. Meanwhile, Brad Penny will be on the mound for Miami. It will be Penny's fifth start of the season, and his last one didn't go well. En route to collecting his first loss of 2014, the 14-year Major League veteran gave up four runs on seven hits and left after three innings against the Mets. "When you leave the ball up, you're going to give up hits," Penny said after the loss. "That's what happened tonight. It stinks going out there and giving those runs up early. It doesn't give your team a chance to win." Brewers: Gomez could be back in lineup for series opener Carlos Gomez's recovery form a sprained left wrist has been ahead of schedule in the last week, and the center fielder may be back in his usual leadoff spot against Miami on Monday. He took his first at-bat in a week Sunday, as he hit a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning of a loss to the Cardinals. "We talked about it today. I think that's what we'll do," manager Ron Roenicke said on Sunday morning. "It kind of depends on talking to him and where he is. If he would feel more comfortable down somewhere, we'll do that. He hasn't really been gone that long, so it's more on physically what he can do." Gomez has only been available for pinch running and defensive services since hurting the wrist last Sunday against the Giants. He took batting practice on the field Saturday, and afterward, said he biggest worry with the injury is how it feels on a swing and a miss. Marlins: Jones returns after two-game 'mental break' First baseman Garrett Jones went 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored in Miami's 4-0 win against the Braves on Sunday. This came after Jones was held out of action for two days for a "mental break." Jones hit .184 in August, and September didn't start the way he wanted, either, as he had just one hit in his first 10 at-bats this month. He said the time on the bench helped him clear his head, as he hit his 26th double of the season. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter, right-hander Jeff Baker, in the sixth. "I just tried to relax and watch the games, and not dwell on my performance over the last month," Jones said of the break. "I just kind of relaxed, hit the reset button. I worked a little bit in the cage, but not too much." Worth noting • Giancarlo Stanton has three hits in 11 at-bats against the Brewers this season. Two of which have been solo home runs. • The Brewers haven't won a series since sweeping the Dodgers from Aug. 15-17. After the sweep, they had a three-game lead in the Central. • Henderson Alvarez threw a bullpen on Sunday and felt no discomfort in the left oblique that has been bothering him since his start on Aug. 27. Redmond said he should be back in the rotation some time this week.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/marlins.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 8 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Marlins (69-72) | Brewers (74-69)[/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/9yOpeBP.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TOf7ciT.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Brad Penny[/pitcher][h2]1-1, 6.61 ERA, 1.96 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Penny didn't make it past the third in his last start vs. the Mets Tuesday. In three frames, he gave up four runs on seven hits. When he makes his second straight start Monday, he'll face a team against whom he has a 5.07 ERA in eight career starts.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Yovani Gallardo[/pitcher][h2]8-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.26 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Marlins | Game Log[/h3][h3]Pushed from the series against his nemeses, the Cardinals, Gallardo will instead pitch against a Marlins team he has handled to the tune of a 5-0 record and 1.12 ERA in seven career starts.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] LF Christian Yelich 2B Donovan Solano RF Giancarlo Stanton 3B Casey McGehee CF Marcell Ozuna 1B Garrett Jones C Jarrod Saltalamacchia SS Adeiny Hechavarria RHP Brad Penny[/divclass][divclass=home] CF Carlos Gómez 2B Scooter Gennett C Jonathan Lucroy 3B Aramis Ramírez RF Ryan Braun LF Khris Davis 1B Mark Reynolds SS Jean Segura RHP Yovani Gallardo[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

A little late on this, fellas

That matches up with what I saw. Reminiscent of Cubs attendance in the early 00's.

I'll be at this one (& tailgating), so I won't be able to add in the lineups. Pre-emptive thank you to the other mods for doing it!

Really great content, colbyjack. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

Crew looking to gain ground on division-leading Cards Veterans Lohse, Lynn set to square off in NL-Central clash in Milwaukee By Stephen Pianovich / MLB.com | 9/6/2014 12:58 AM ET For the first time in 11 days, the Brewers enter Saturday with the opportunity to build on a win rather than try to end a losing streak. The Brewers ended their season-worst nine-game skid on Friday against the Cardinals with an impressive 6-2 victory. The skid took Milwaukee out of first place in the National League Central, but the team has two more chances to gain ground this weekend on the Cardinals, who lead the division by three games. The Brewers also put themselves back in sole possession of the second spot in the NL Wild Card chase, moving a game ahead of Atlanta. The Brewers weren't the only team to end a streak Friday. The Cardinals six-game winning streak came to a close, but the reigning NL champions have put themselves in a position to capture the Central for the second year in a row. "We see big opportunity, just like they do, big opportunity for us to come in and do something now and do it right. I think our guys thrive on that," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "But I don't want to discount the fact of our guys being in this spot before and the fun of September baseball and the hopeful anticipation of October baseball." Lance Lynn is taking the mound Saturday for the Cardinals, hoping to make it three straight seasons in which he earns 15 wins. Lynn has not dropped a decision since July 29, but also has not picked up a win in either of his last two starts. Both of his previous two outings were six-inning showings against the Pirates, and he combined to allow five earned runs and 14 hits in 12 innings. Lynn will be facing Kyle Lohse, who is trying to shake off a rough outing against the Giants in his last start. Lohse gave up seven runs and nine hits to San Francisco on Sunday in his eighth loss of the season. The righty was also hit hard in his last start against the Cardinals, when he was tagged for nine runs -- seven earned -- in four innings on Aug. 2. Cardinals: Team's rise aided by close wins Despite seeing their six-game losing streak go by the wayside on Friday, the Cardinals still own a three-game lead in the NL Central. A fair amount of their success has to do with their ability to close out close games. The Cardinals have 77 wins this season, and more than half of them (41) have been decided by one or two runs. Only the Pirates have more wins of that nature, and St. Louis is 27-20 in one-run games. Close wins have also very much been a part of the team's late rise to the top of the Central standings, as all of the Cardinals last four wins have been decided by two runs or fewer. "It's fun, but it can be stressful too every night," center fielder Peter Bourjos said of playing so many close games. "But I think it's good we're coming out on top because good teams win those games. Teams that are losing those games end up not making the playoffs, or if they do make the playoffs, they're not going to end up making it too far in the playoffs when games are really tight." Brewers: Gomez's progress ahead of schedule The Brewers got good news regarding their center fielder Friday, as Carlos Gomez took swings in the batting cage, a few days ahead of schedule for his sprained left wrist. "Everything was good. Everything made progress," Gomez said. "I hit, so tomorrow I'm going to hit again. Maybe Sunday or Monday, one of those days [he will be ready to play]." Gomez hurt his wrist on a swing against the Giants on Sunday, and, initially, the team did not plan on him doing any baseball activities for a week. But he was feeling better by Friday and played soft toss in addition to taking swings in the cage. Gomez said he plans on taking batting practice on the field prior to Saturday's contest. Worth noting • The Cardinals' six-game winning streak that ended Friday was their longest of the season. The team has not won seven consecutive games since it had a string of eight straight wins from July 11-21, 2010. • The Brewers' nine-game losing streak was their longest since losing nine in a row from May 10-19, 2010.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cardinals.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 6 | 6:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Cardinals (77-64) | Brewers (74-67)[/h2][h3]FSWI, MLBN | 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/MBoizxE.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/FHGBOe3.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Lance Lynn[/pitcher][h2]14-8, 2.85 ERA, 1.30 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Lynn had a laborious afternoon on Monday, but he kept the Cards in the game by limiting the Pirates to three runs in six innings. He lasted that deep despite throwing 52 pitches through two innings, and he stranded eight runners.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Kyle Lohse[/pitcher][h2]12-8, 3.68 ERA, 1.21 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cardinals | Game Log[/h3][h3]Lohse has not been particularly sharp since skipping a start with a sprained ankle and was blunt in assessing his last start against the Giants. "I'll just make it simple for you: It was terrible execution," he said.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] Matt Carpenter 3B Jon Jay CF Matt Holliday LF Matt Adams 1B Jhonny Peralta SS Yadier Molina C Kolten Wong 2B Oscar Taveras RF Lance Lynn RHP[/divclass][divclass=home] Scooter Gennett 2B Gerardo Parra CF Ryan Braun RF Aramis Ramirez 3B Jonathan Lucroy C Khris Davis LF Lyle Overbay 1B Jean Segura SS Kyle Lohse RHP[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Brewers tweet from yesterday:

Surging Cardinals look to smother sinking Brewers Lackey, Fiers square in NL Central showdown; St. Louis up by four By Stephen Pianovich / MLB.com | 9/5/2014 12:37 AM ET The Cardinals' dream stretch has been the Brewers' nightmare. They intertwined and continued Thursday night as St. Louis stretched its winning streak to a season-best six games and the National League Central lead to four games. Milwaukee's season-worst streak has hit nine consecutive losses. The Brewers do have two positive factors, however: They're still tied for the second NL Wild Card with Atlanta, and they have three more chances this weekend to make up ground on the Cardinals at Miller Park. On Friday, they'll send Mike Fiers to the mound against John Lackey. The Brewers' free-fall, coupled with the Cardinals' climb, has turned what was a 1 1/2-game division lead on Aug. 26 into a four-game deficit 10 days later. The Brewers had the lead in the Central for seemingly the entire season, holding first place for 159 days in 2014. But Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak knows it all matters where you're standing when the dust settles. "The season is long, and one of the things you learn early in your career is it matters where you end," Mozeliak said Thursday. "Obviously, getting off to a good start is helpful. It tends to build momentum. But if you can finish strong and allow yourself to take that next step, the timing of playing well has value." And while this four-game series is looked at as arguably the most important for the Brewers this season, manager Rob Roenicke said it doesn't matter who they're playing, it's a matter of playing better. "Somebody asked me [Wednesday] in postgame about, 'Well, you got the Cardinals now.' " he said. "My gosh, we just got kicked by the Cubs, kicked by the Giants, the last two games against the Padres. Why would I think any differently against the Cardinals? We just need to play good baseball. If they play good baseball, we can beat any team. It's not going to be every night, but we can beat any team when we play well." It will be the seventh start in a Cardinals uniform for Lackey, who has a 4.23 ERA so far, while the team has won five of his first six outings. It will be the right-hander's second look against the Brewers, who were also his opponent during his St. Louis debut. Lackey allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings against Milwaukee on Aug. 3 in a 3-2 win. Fiers, meanwhile, enters off a phenomenal August in which he posted a 1.80 ERA and had 41 strikeouts in five starts (35 innings). He's lasted exactly seven innings in each of his last three starts. And though he struck out nine and gave up three runs during his last outing, he wasn't backed by the bats in a 3-1 loss to the Giants. Brewers: Braun set to return to lineup after birth of daughter The Brewers expect to have their right fielder back in their lineup on Friday, and Ryan Braun recently added a new position: father. Braun was out of Milwaukee's starting lineup for the second consecutive game Thursday after his wife, Larisa, gave birth to the couple's first child, Celine Elysse, late Wednesday night. While Braun will likely return, center fielder Carlos Gomez will need more time before he's back in the lineup as he's nursing a sprained left wrist. Gomez was used as a pinch-runner Thursday night, but will be kept from the batter's box for a while longer. The two outfielders were slumping while they were playing during the Crew's losing streak, going a combined 5-for-40 with 21 strikeouts during the team's previous nine games. "I'd like he and 'Gomey' in the lineup," Roenicke said. "It's always different when you don't have, especially with what we've been going through lately, you want everyone out there. But [in Braun's case] you've got to do what you've got to do. This is obviously the most important thing in his life." Cardinals: Adams dealing with oblique strain Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams did not play Thursday night after he sustained a mild left oblique strain against the Pirates on Wednesday. Xavier Scruggs was promoted from Triple-A and got the start against the Brewers, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a throwing error in his Major League debut. Adams hurt himself during an at-bat on Wednesday, and he sat out amidst a 5-for-44 slump he's been mired in since his last homer, which came on Aug. 22. "It was about that time where it looked like he'd need a couple days, regardless of health," manager Mike Matheny said. "He was just kind of fighting himself at the plate a little bit. Hopefully, that's something that he can work on, too, is clearing his mind and working on his swing thoughts as much as anything else." Worth noting Roenicke reported that right-hander Matt Garza felt "really good" on Thursday, a day after rejoining the rotation after a monthlong stint on the DL for a rib-cage strain. "No setback at all, so that's a good thing," Roenicke said. "Hopefully, the next outing we'll make some plays behind him and we'll have a nice, clean ballgame."

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cardinals.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 5 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Cardinals (77-63) | Brewers (73-67)[/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/jfLu7rC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/KyFxg2H.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]John Lackey[/pitcher][h2]2-1, 4.23 ERA, 1.38 WHIP (NL #s)[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Lackey had a troublesome start to his last outing, but kept the Cubs scoreless over his final four-plus innings to position the Cards for the win. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his six starts since joining the Cardinals.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Mike Fiers[/pitcher][h2]4-2, 1.93 ERA, 0.76 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cardinals | Game Log[/h3][h3]All five of Fiers' starts this season have met the definition of "quality," including a seven-inning, three-run outing against the Giants on Saturday. He was on the wrong side of Jake Peavy's 7 1/3-inning no-hit bid.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] Matt Carpenter 3B Jon Jay RF Matt Holliday LF Jhonny Peralta SS Yadier Molina C Kolten Wong 2B Peter Bourjos CF Daniel Descalso 1B John Lackey RHP[/divclass][divclass=home] Scooter Gennett 2B Jonathan Lucroy C Ryan Braun RF Aramis Ramirez 3B Gerardo Parra CF Khris Davis LF Lyle Overbay 1B Jean Segura SS Mike Fiers RHP[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

Wacha makes return in Cards' showdown with Crew Righty looks to hold off second-place Brewers, who counter with Peralta By Joe Morgan / MLB.com | 9/3/2014 11:15 PM ET Sidelined since June 17, Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha will return to a Major League mound on Thursday night at Miller Park for the first time since going down with a right shoulder stress reaction. He will pitch opposite Brewers righty Wily Peralta in the opener of a four-game series between the National League Central's top two clubs. St. Louis has a three-game lead over Milwaukee in the division. The Cardinals plan to limit Wacha to roughly 50-60 pitches against the Brewers. He threw 34 pitches in two innings for Double-A Springfield on Sunday. "Obviously, the Brewers are a great team. I plan on watching film on them and getting ready for that start," Wacha said. "I try not to think too much about who I'm facing, but rather go out there and concentrate on myself and the strike zone." Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his squad is looking forward to kicking off its eight-game road trip with a bang. After visiting Milwaukee, the Cards will travel to Cincinnati for four games. "Everybody is amped up for this," Matheny said. "They will be, too. And there is every reason to be. That's what makes September baseball so much fun." The Brewers hope Wacha still has some rust to shake off as they have lost eight straight games, stripping Milwaukee of its 149-day hold on first place in the NL Central. Peralta takes the hill for Milwaukee hoping to move past back-to-back rough outings, during which he surrendered 13 earned runs in eight innings. He gave up 16 hits, walked five and struck out six. "I fell behind on pretty much everybody, and that's what you're going to get," Peralta said after lasting only three innings against the Giants on Friday. "These past two starts have been terrible." The two starts followed a dominant seven-start stretch for Peralta that lowered his ERA to 3.27. He went 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA, became the first pitcher in the Majors to reach 14 wins on Aug. 7, and picked up his 15th win 10 days later. "I don't know," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Peralta's struggles. "We need to get him right, get him back where he's going deep in games, and obviously keeping the run total down." Cardinals: Holliday coming through in clutch Outfielder Matt Holliday has brought home the winning run in four of St. Louis' past six wins, upping his Major League-leading total of game-winning RBIs this season to 21. Holliday needs only four more game-winning RBIs to tie the single-season franchise record of 25, set by Albert Pujols in 2006. Brewers: Braun misses finale, expecting first child Ryan Braun was not in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Cubs after returning to Milwaukee to be with his wife as they expect the birth of their first child. Roenicke was unsure if the right fielder would be with the team Thursday for the series opener. Braun's wife was in labor during Roenicke's pregame press conference in the Wrigley Field dugout, the manager said. Worth noting • St. Louis owns the best September record in the Majors since 2011 at 56-28. • The Cardinals play 17 of their final 23 games against NL Central foes. They have a 36-23 record against the division.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cardinals.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 4 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Cardinals (76-63) | Brewers (73-66)[/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/mTAKQUC.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/0Ir5w8N.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Michael Wacha[/pitcher][h2]5-5, 2.79 ERA, 1.12 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Recovered from a right shoulder stress reaction, Wacha will be making his first start since June 17. He threw 34 pitches in a rehab start on August 31 and will be limited to 50-60 in this outing. Marco Gonzales is expected to back him up.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Wily Peralta[/pitcher][h2]15-9, 3.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cardinals | Game Log[/h3][h3]Peralta has turned in two lousy starts in a row, including a six-run, nine-hit outing against the Giants in which he lasted a season-low three innings.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] 3B Matt Carpenter RF Jon Jay LF Matt Holliday SS Jhonny Peralta C Yadier Molina 2B Kolten Wong 1B Xavier Scruggs CF Peter Bourjos RHP Michael Wacha[/divclass][divclass=home] 2B Scooter Gennett RF Gerardo Parra C Jonathan Lucroy 3B Aramis Ramírez LF Khris Davis 1B Mark Reynolds CF Logan Schafer SS Jean Segura RHP Wily Peralta[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

POPS MENSAH-BONSU that's all I have to add wrt GW. (one of my best friends went there around the time Pops was a bball sensation)

Luuuuuuuc with a contribution in the spirit of this thread: