TooLiveBrew

Great recap, Seth! That must've taken a ton of time to put together.

[this is where the words to describe my feelings would go]

Well if that's the quote, then this is a mountain-out-of-a-molehill case.

I don't see any problem with Davis's comments. I think you have to work a little to get frustrated about it. Frankly, his comments seem wise & to me indicate him getting acclimated to the daily grind that is contending in MLB. As to Luc's comment, he's a very laid-back & candid guy. But it's just not something that you want to put out there for public consumption when the team's in a tailspin like this.

I'm hoping Garza's fired-up pic can somehow fire up these lifeless Brewers tonight.

Struggling Crew hopes Garza can shut down Cubs Hendricks looks to close out sweep, continue strong rookie year By Joe Morgan / MLB.com | 9/3/2014 12:38 AM ET The Brewers spent 149 days in first place this season, grabbing hold of the top spot in the National League Central on April 5 and holding onto their perch atop the division until Aug. 31. Nine losses in 11 games and seven straight defeats will do that to you. The outlook got even worse on Tuesday evening when Milwaukee learned that a sprained left wrist could sideline All-Star Carlos Gomez for multiple weeks. The outfielder will not resume physical activity until at least Sunday. "It's never good to lose a good player, a spark plug leadoff guy that can do some damage in the leadoff spot. So it's bad timing," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I'm happy it's not something worse. You're not talking about surgery, so I'm glad about that." Trailing the Cardinals by two games in the NL Central, the Brewers hope they can rely on a rejuvenated Matt Garza, who owns a 2.13 ERA in his past six starts. "I'm fine -- healthy, strong and just glad to be able to pitch in again," Garza said. Garza will face former teammates as he pitches opposite Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks, who has been stellar for Chicago in a limited capacity. Hendricks is 5-1 with a 1.91 ERA in nine starts this season. Wednesday will mark Garza's 30th career start at Wrigley Field, his most at any NL ballpark. Perhaps the familiarity will only help him improve his 2.74 career ERA when surrounded by brick and ivy. "You know, it could [help]," Garza said. "I don't really look too much into it. I know the guys on the other side are going to try to hit the ball as hard as I can, just like I'm going to try my best to get them out. That's kind of the way it goes anywhere you pitch." Cubs: Baez hoping to halt slump • There's no denying Javier Baez has had some impressive moments since joining Chicago on Aug. 5, but the 21-year-old has been scuffling at the plate as of late. He has hit .095 (4-for-42) with two extra-base hits, one walk and 17 strikeouts since Aug. 24 as the Cubs have gone 6-4 despite his batting woes. Brewers: Lucroy nearing record for two-baggers • Thirty-nine of Jonathan Lucroy's Major League-leading 46 doubles this year have come in games when he was playing catcher, placing him only six away from tying Ivan Rodriguez's record of 45 as a backstop set with the Rangers in 1996. Lucroy is only four doubles away from doubling last season's total of 25 as his career-high 46 two-baggers already outnumber the 42 total he notched in each of the previous two seasons. Worth noting • Both Rickie Weeks and Francisco Rodriguez are near career milestones as Weeks needs only two more hits to reach 1,000 while Rodriguez only needs one more save for his fifth season of 40 or more saves and his first since 2008. • Yovani Gallardo fanned four Cubs on Tuesday night to tie Ben Sheets for Milwaukee's all-time franchise strikeouts record of 1,206. • Despite hitting only a combined .221 (115-for-521), Cubs third basemen share the Major League lead with the Athletics for most home runs from the hot corner this season at 26.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 3 | 7:05 P.M.[/h1][h2]Brewers (73-65) | Cubs (63-76)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cubs.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/LAyGsoI.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/m8shgEq.jpgg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Matt Garza[/pitcher][h2]7-7, 3.58 ERA, 1.13 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cubs | Game Log[/h3][h3]The right-hander returns for his first start since Aug. 3, when he strained a left rib-cage muscle in a start at St. Louis. Garza last pitched in a three-inning simulated game, so his pitch count will be limited.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Kyle Hendricks[/pitcher][h2]5-1, 1.91 ERA, 1.01 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Hendricks finished August 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA in six starts. This will be his second outing vs. the Brewers, who he held to six hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings on Aug. 12. In his last start, he held the Cardinals to two runs over six innings.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] 2B Scooter Gennett RF Gerardo Parra C Jonathan Lucroy 3B Aramis Ramírez LF Khris Davis 1B Matt Clark CF Logan Schafer SS Jean Segura RHP Matt Garza[/divclass][divclass=home] LF Chris Coghlan SS Javier Báez 3B Luis Valbuena RF Jorge Soler C Welington Castillo CF Arismendy Alcántara 2B Logan Watkins 1B Chris Valaika RHP Kyle Hendricks[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

WHAT

Interesting deadline day yesterday. Any thoughts?

Cubs look to play spoiler as Brewers eye first place Crew hopes Gallardo can end skid vs. Cubs ace Arrieta at Wrigley Field By Adam Lichtenstein / MLB.com | 9/1/2014 6:30 PM ET In contest between a division leader and a last-place club on Monday, the the fifth-place club came out ahead, as the Cubs defeated the then-first-place Brewers. Chicago will look to continue to play spoiler on Tuesday in the second of three games against Milwaukee when they send Jake Arrieta to the hill against Yovani Gallardo. The Cubs' schedule going forward will give them many opportunities to alter other teams' playoff hopes, as they play the Brewers, Pirates, Cardinals and Dodgers this month, all of which are looking for a spot in the playoffs. The Brewers, on the other hand, are just looking to hold on to their spot. Milwaukee has had at least a share of first place in the National League Central every day since April 5, but after the Cardinals defeated the Pirates and the Cubs held on to win, the Brewers fell out of first. The Brewers hope Gallardo can be the stopper they need. Over his last four starts, Gallardo boasts a 1.73 ERA. In his last start on Sunday against the Padres he tossed six shutout innings, but ended up with a no-decision in the 3-2 loss. In the meantime, the Cubs are using this last month get a look at their future, giving Major League opportunities to players like Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. "You're competing against them and getting your eyes on the club and seeing how they're performing, what is it they're doing," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said. "It'd be foolish for anyone to face clubs that are doing well and not take a step back and try to understand what's making them tick. "Maybe there are things we see that we can share with them, or they see, and say, 'Hey, this guy did that pretty good' or 'That was a pretty good at-bat.' You're always learning. It's good to see it. ... Ultimately, how we take this challenge for the next month will be really important and we can get a lot of knowledge from it." While the young players are getting the most attention, Arrieta is putting together an impressive year in his fifth big league season. The right-hander is 7-5 with a 2.88 ERA in his second season with the Cubs. While he struggled in his last outing against the Reds, he looked strong when he faced the Brewers on Aug. 11. He gave up two earned runs over 7 1/3 frames in the tough-luck loss. Cubs: Rizzo sits again First baseman Anthony Rizzo missed Monday's game, sitting out his sixth straight day due to lower back tightness. Rizzo left the Cubs' game against the Reds on Aug. 25 after a rain delay and hasn't played since. "He's still day to day, he's still a little stiff," Renteria said on Monday. "If it doesn't clear up, maybe we'll get an MRI to make sure everything's OK. "He's doing fine. We're just limiting him to make sure once he gets back on the field he doesn't have a setback." Rizzo, who was named to his first All-Star Game in July, leads the team in home runs (30) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.889). Brewers: Gomez out with wrist injury Outfielder Carlos Gomez was out of the Brewers' lineup on Monday after he left Sunday's game against the Giants with a left wrist injury. Although manager Ron Roenicke said X-rays of Gomez's wrist were negative, he added that Gomez would likely also have his wrist looked at in an MRI. I'm encouraged today," Roenicke said. "You would think if it was really bad, it'd be worse today than it was yesterday." However, Roenicke indicated that Gomez would miss more than one game. "Hand or wrist is not good for him," Roenicke said. "There's no easing back on swings, and the way he plays, his whole game depends on him being physically close to 100 percent." Worth noting • With rosters expanding and Triple-A Iowa's season ending on Monday, the Cubs plan to call up six players to join the team, though Renteria did not reveal who those players would be.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 2 | 7:05 P.M.[/h1][h2]Brewers (73-64) | Cubs (62-76)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cubs.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/UpD7ynl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3vaSCVU.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Yovani Gallardo[/pitcher][h2]8-7, 3.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cubs | Game Log[/h3][h3]Gallardo was in line to win after working six hard-fought innings against the Padres last week, but a lead escaped Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth inning. He's 9-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 career starts against the Cubs.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Jake Arrieta[/pitcher][h2]7-5, 2.88 ERA, 1.05 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Arrieta didn't have his command in his last start vs. the Reds, and he threw 96 pitches over four innings, matching his shortest outing of the year. He gave up six runs for the second time this season. The Reds also stole six bases against him.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] 2B Scooter Gennett C Jonathan Lucroy RF Ryan Braun 3B Aramis Ramírez LF Khris Davis CF Gerardo Parra 1B Lyle Overbay SS Elián Herrera RHP Yovani Gallardo[/divclass][divclass=home] LF Chris Coghlan 2B Javier Báez SS Starlin Castro 3B Luis Valbuena RF Jorge Soler C Welington Castillo CF Arismendy Alcántara 1B Chris Valaika RHP Jake Arrieta[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

PARRA!!! COME ON BOYS!

Hopefully that Khrush shot can lift the club a bit.

Brewers hope to turn tide vs. upstart Cubs Soler set for home debut as Chicago tries to knock Crew out of first By Caitlin Swieca / MLB.com | 8/31/2014 8:15 PM ET Having fallen back into a first-place tie with St. Louis thanks to a 1-5 start to their current road trip, the Brewers will look to end the trip on a positive note with a three-game set at Wrigley Field starting Monday. Milwaukee, which has held at least a share of first place in the National League Central since April 5, will send Jimmy Nelson to the mound to try to snap a five-game losing streak. He's lasted fewer than six innings in two straight starts, both losses. In his last start against San Diego, he fell victim to a four-run inning from the Padres. Two of the runs were unearned due to a Jean Segura error, but Nelson shouldered the blame afterwards. "I have the ability to get out of the jam in that inning that kind of blew up on us," Nelson said. "If I execute a few pitches there, we're out of that jam with minimal damage. That's the job as a starter, minimize damage. I have to do a better job of that next time." Though the Cubs are out of the division race and sit in last place, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke warned against overlooking the team. "They always forget about the Cubs -- the Cubs are beating up on everybody," Roenicke said. "They're good. They're bringing up some talent that is fantastic, and they've still got some good starters there. With everybody playing so close together, it's hard to pull away and win a bunch of games in a row. Everything has to go right. It went right for us early, and hopefully it will go right here in a bit and we'll make a nice run." The Cubs, who are coming off a weekend split with the Cardinals, have been generating more offense lately. Part of the reason for that is those new faces that Roenicke mentioned, namely Javier Baez and Jorge Soler. Soler is 8-for-15 with three home runs in four games since being called up last week, and he'll make his Wrigley Field debut Monday. The outfielder said through a translator that he's "so excited" to play in front of the home crowd and attributed his fast start to a number of adjustments he made in the Minor Leagues this year. "In the beginning, it was hard to make an adjustment and make the transition from playing in Cuba, coming to the States," Soler said. "Now I feel I'm making the adjustments, and I have confidence." On the mound, the Cubs will get another look at Jacob Turner, who lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on seven hits in his first Cubs start last week against the Reds. The former Marlin had not started a game since Aug. 3. "I would've liked to have gotten a little deeper in the game," said Turner, who was on a pitch limit. "That part is definitely frustrating. At the same time, you've got to build the pitch count up, too." Cubs: Rizzo hopeful for Monday return The Cubs hope first baseman Anthony Rizzo can return to the lineup Monday after missing five days because of tightness in his lower back. Rizzo has not played since he was pulled from last Tuesday's game in Cincinnati when his back tightened up during a rain delay. "He's still day to day," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said Sunday. "He came in [saturday] and wanted to play. We have to make sure we're prudent and playing this smart. We'll give him another day and when we get back, we'll see how he's doing." Brewers: Broxton to join team at Wrigley The Brewers will get some bullpen reinforcement Monday when new acquisition Jonathan Broxton joins the team in Chicago. In acquiring Broxton from the Reds on Sunday for two players to be named, the Brewers filled a need for a tested right-hander to help set up Francisco Rodriguez, a role that has bounced between a number of different players since Rodriguez was installed as the closer on Opening Day. Because Broxton was in the organization before the end of August, he will be eligible for the postseason roster should the Brewers get that far. "I like the pieces we have in our bullpen but [in Broxton] we're talking about a guy that's a pretty special guy," Roenicke said. "He's got great stuff, he competes well, he's a good teammate and I think it puts another piece there where I can pitch guys exactly how I want to." Worth noting • The Brewers announced over the weekend that Matt Garza will return to the rotation Wednesday for a start against his former team. Garza, who has been sidelined with a left oblique strain, has not pitched since Aug. 3.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][game-info][h1]September 1 | 1:20 P.M.[/h1][h2]Brewers (73-63) | Cubs (61-76)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/cubs.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/U3fk3mo.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/eSLvAaV.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Jimmy Nelson[/pitcher][h2]2-5, 4.10 ERA, 1.35 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Cubs | Game Log[/h3][h3]Nelson, optioned to Class A in a paper move that opened a spot for relief help, will "return" to make his first career start against the Cubs. He faced them twice in relief last year, working two scoreless innings each time.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Jacob Turner[/pitcher][h2]4-8, 5.84 ERA, 1.63 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Turner threw 66 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in his first start for the Cubs on Wednesday in Cincinnati. The plan is for Chicago to get a look at the right-hander, acquired from the Marlins, in the final month and continue to stretch him out.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] Scooter Gennett 2B Jonathan Lucroy C Ryan Braun RF Aramis Ramírez 3B Khris Davis LF Gerardo Parra CF Mark Reynolds 1B Jean Segura SS Jimmy Nelson RHP[/divclass][divclass=home] Chris Coghlan LF Javier Báez 2B Starlin Castro SS Luis Valbuena 3B Jorge Soler RF Welington Castillo C Arismendy Alcántara CF Chris Valaika 1B Jacob Turner RHP[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

This team is a joke at this point. An unfunny, really disappointing joke.

Star Wars day at AT&T Park today! Loving the graphic work from the Giants on their Twitter account --

Nice discipline & BB from Carlos

C'mon Crew!

The results over there are much more satisfying Yep -- Bucky fully deserves the 17-7 lead so far. Let's go red!

Brewers send Fiers to cool off Giants Peavy gets third start against Milwaukee this season By Ryan Hood / MLB.com | 8/30/2014 2:25 AM ET With 30 days remaining in the regular season, playoff races are heating up throughout the Majors. In no National League city will that be more apparent Saturday than in San Francisco, with two contenders squaring off. The Brewers will enter AT&T Park with a 1 1/2-game lead on the Cardinals in the NL Central, while the Giants will enter as owners of the NL's first Wild Card spot, a half-game ahead of the Cardinals. They trail the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games in the NL West. Their recently improved fortunes along the shores of McCovey Cove have helped the Giants better their standing. After Friday night's 13-2 shellacking of Milwaukee, they've won six of their last seven home games and eight of their last 11. Tasked with continuing the success will be Jake Peavy. He's 2-4 with a 3.18 ERA in six starts with the Giants. He's 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Brewers this season. But after allowing the Giants to amass a season-high 13 runs Friday night, the visitors might be countering by sending the perfect pitcher to the mound. They'll start Mike Fiers, who is 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in four starts since his early-August promotion. He's struck out 32 and allowed just 10 hits in 28 innings during that span. Giants: Bochy shuffles lineup For a second consecutive game Friday, manager Bruce Bochy batted rookie Joe Panik second and Hunter Pence fifth. Pence has spent the majority of the season in the two-hole, but thanks to Panik's torrid August, Bochy said he likes the more diversified lineup he has with Panik behind leadoff hitter Angel Pagan. Panik higher and Pence lower gives the bottom half of the lineup more lefty-righty variation and also inserts much-needed speed in between Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Michael Morse. Brewers: Fiers on fire An injury to Matt Garza took Fiers out of Triple-A Nashville and placed him in the Brewers' rotation. What he's done since is what will keep him there. "I'm enjoying it. That's fun to watch, especially because he's pitching so much to his strengths. That's what's good about it," pitching coach Rick Kranitz said. "You watch a guy who's getting ahead, using the curveball to his advantage and using the high heater. That's tough to lay off of." That heater usually sits at 88-89 mph, so what makes Fiers so good? "Hitters have always said that it feels like he throws harder than what it is," Kranitz said. "It's like, 'Whoa,' and the ball is on him. Deception means a lot in this game. There's guys who throw 95 [mph] and can't get anybody out because they show him the ball. If you show it, they're going to hit it, unless you have unbelievable movement and all that. And what [Fiers] does have is 'stuff.' He spins it and all that. You spin a baseball fast, you're going to be able to throw it by guys. It's like it hits an oil slick." Worth noting • The Giants are 53-15 this season when scoring the game's first run. • Giants outfielder Hunter Pence has an 11-game hitting streak. • Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez needs one save for 40 on the season, which would be the fifth time in his career that he's eclipsed the 40-save plateau in a season.

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/brewers.png[/logo][game-info][h1]August 30 | 8:05 P.M.[/h1][h2]Brewers (73-61) | Giants (72-62)[/h2][h3]FSWI, MLBN | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20589901/BrewerFan/2014/logos/giants.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://i.imgur.com/SNg1DeM.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RsavVyd.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Mike Fiers[/pitcher][h2]4-1, 1.54 ERA, 0.66 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Giants | Game Log[/h3][h3]Fiers posted a fourth straight stellar start Sunday, allowing only two runs on two Pirates hits over seven innings. In four starts in place of Matt Garza, Fiers has given up 10 hits and four walks in 28 innings, good for a 0.50 WHIP.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Jake Peavy[/pitcher][h2]2-4, 3.18 ERA, 1.21 WHIP (NL #s)[/h2][h3]Versus Brewers | Game Log[/h3][h3]Peavy's August ERA is 2.94, his best month of the season except April (2.87). His WHIP (walks and hits per inning) as a Giant is 1.21 in six starts, an improvement over his 1.43 figure in 20 games with Boston.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away] Carlos Gomez CF Jonathan Lucroy C Ryan Braun RF Aramis Ramirez 3B Scooter Gennett 2B Khris Davis LF Mark Reynolds 1B Jean Segura SS Mike Fiers RHP[/divclass][divclass=home] Angel Pagan CF Joe Panik 2B Buster Posey C Pablo Sandoval 3B Hunter Pence RF Michael Morse 1B Gregor Blanco LF Brandon Crawford SS Jake Peavy RHP[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

I just realized what a funny coincidence the name Angel Pagan is

1) Yes. 2) The qualifying round just ended, & the draw of the full 32-team field was yesterday. 3) No. Champions League matches are typically scheduled for Tuesdays & Wednesdays, with club's league games typically being played on weekend days. UEFA determines, through statistical analysis, how many CL spots each league gets. I'd recommend reading up a bit on it via Wikipedia & UEFA's website, but honestly the more you watch it, the more it'll make sense. For example, in the Premier League, there are 4 CL spots. So the top 4 clubs* all are in the CL the following season, but the 4th-place finisher has to play its way in through the qualifying round (a home-&-home with another club trying to win a spot in the field of 32). This year, Arsenal drew 0-0 away to Beşiktaş & then won 1-0 at home, so the Gunners made the group stage. * The exception here is if a team wins the CL, it automatically qualifies for the next season's CL, no matter where it finishes in its league. Example: in 2011-12, Chelsea won the CL, but finished 6th in the Premier League. Tottenham finished 4th that season, but were bumped out by Chelsea & didn't get to play in the CL. CL rounds -Qualifying round -Group stage (round robin, 4-team groups) -Round of 16/Knockout stage (this & following two rounds are home-&-home matchups) -Round of 8 -Semi-finals -Finals (this is a single match, played at a predetermined/neutral location, a la the Super Bowl) Clubs are also ranked statistically by UEFA, so you don't see groups of four world power-caliber clubs. Teams are categorized as being drawn from Pot 1 (best teams), 2, 3, or 4 (useful link). Typically speaking, each group has one or two elite-level clubs.

Brewers' Peralta to face Giants looking for 16th win Crew hurler faces off with Vogelsong, who seeks elusive home win By Michael Lananna / MLB.com | 8/28/2014 8:12 PM ET After losing two out of three to the Padres, the Brewers are staying out west a little longer -- and they don't mind. They won five out of the six games they played against the Dodgers this season, and after taking two of three from the Giants earlier this month, they'll look to extend that success against the National League West in San Francisco this weekend. "It always helps when you're able to beat any team and then play them again," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "If a team sweeps you and then you have to play them again, you're thinking, 'OK, what's going to happen this time?' So it always helps. "We played a good series against them. It's like coming in to play [the Padres]; we know we're always going to have a tough time, so somewhere along you want to beat them some games so you know, 'OK, we're going to have a tough time, but if we play our type of game, we feel like we can win.'" There could be some low-scoring battles in a series of two playoff contenders, as all six starting pitchers have ERAs at 3.78 or better. The best matchup could be Sunday, when Kyle Lohse matches up with Madison Bumgarner. "Bumgarner is really good," Roenicke said. "Sometimes I look at the numbers and then I'm watching him pitch thinking, 'How does anybody hit this guy?' When he is on, he is unbelievable." On Friday, Wily Peralta will be aiming for his Brewers-best 16th victory. He's coming off a rough start against Pittsburgh his last time out, allowing seven runs on seven hits in five innings. But Peralta pitched well against the Giants on Aug. 7, blanking San Francisco through 6 2/3. On the bump for the Giants will be right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who is 7-9 with a 3.78 ERA on the year. Vogelsong has pitched well in his home ballpark this season with a 3.22 home ERA, but he hasn't had the support of his offense. He wasn't won at home in seven starts, since May 24. He's looking to help the Giants narrow a 4 1/2-game gap in the NL West, while Peralta and the Brewers will try to pad their 1 1/2-game lead over the Cardinals in the NL Central. Giants: Panik could solidify No. 2 spot Giants manager Bruce Bochy indicated that Joe Panik's appearance in the batting order's No. 2 spot for Thursday's series finale against Colorado could be part of an ongoing audition, not just a product of mixing and matching. This marked Panik's 10th start in which he batted second, so it was nothing new. He occupied that spot because Hunter Pence, San Francisco's regular No. 2 hitter, dropped to the fifth spot with Michael Morse receiving a rest. Bochy explained that he didn't want a batting order that was thick with rookies in its bottom half; catcher Andrew Susac and shortstop Matt Duffy hit seventh and eighth, respectively. Hence, the experienced Pence hit fifth for the 11th time this year, and first since April 18. As Pence's presence in the second spot for most of the season suggests, Bochy is not stuck on the notion of filling that role in traditional fashion. However, he hinted that he'd prefer somebody at No. 2 who can spray the ball to all fields, hit behind runners and execute the hit-and-run. Not only does Panik fit that profile, but Bochy also added that Panik "eventually" could settle into the No. 2 hitter's role. "I like a two-hole hitter who can do some things," Bochy said, though he emphasized that the type of No. 2 hitter he employs in the future will depend on how that hitter can complement the rest of the lineup. Brewers: Garza to bypass rehab game Bypassing a Minor League rehab assignment, Brewers right-hander Matt Garza is scheduled to pitch a simulated game on Friday in San Francisco before rejoining the big league starting rotation sometime next week. "I won't say an exact date that we're thinking," manager Ron Roenicke said in announcing the plan, "but if [Friday] goes well, we should be able to get him back out there." Garza, who has not pitched since he strained a left rib-cage muscle in St. Louis on Aug. 3, will throw 45-50 pitches in Friday's session. The plan for his comeback is being influenced by the Brewers' schedule, according to Roenicke. That the team is in the middle of a West Coast road trip complicated the idea of sending Garza to an affiliate, and the fact rosters expand when the calendar flips to September on Monday simplified the task of getting Garza back into game shape. "It helps us because we're not worried about him having to pitch a game and go five to six innings for us," Roenicke said. "If he goes three to four [innings], we're fine because of what extra arms we'll have up." Worth noting: • Vogelsong is 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA in 13 games (eight starts) against the Brewers in his career. • Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year Wednesday. He went 10-2 with a 1.46 ERA for Triple-A Nashville.