liveforoctober

Edited.

Furthermore, the Cubs who will be playing are going to play hard and to win. No competitor wants to watch the opposing team celebrate something against them. The Young Cubs or B Cubs or whatever you want to call them are going to compete. Let's just hope they can pull one out for us.

Our fan base has enough experience over the years of playing meaningless games at this time ... if you have vets/stars who are chasing personal records or are in contention for major league leading stats .. they can play. But if they are hurting they sit and if you have youngsters who you want to get a look at for a series, now is the chance. The Cubs aren't doing anything wrong.

I would struggle with that move personally. He is 2 for 25 in September and has been lost all season. At this point Jeff Cirillo might be a better option! If we have an important PH at bat in a wild card playoff game ... I can't say I'll be excited if Shaw comes to the plate. I hope I'm wrong on every account.

No, they'd just play to win Sunday so as to not have to play Monday at all. That's what I mean though .. if they are playing to win Sunday they would pitch Flaherty on 3 days rest and go with Wainwright in a playoff scenario on Monday.. if that ended being the case we would avoid Flaherty for that playoff game.

Nice of them to give us the early game so we can also watch the Packers tonight Go get the division boys. Something else to consider in a possible playoff scenario for the division.. I think Flaherty lines up to Monday if I'm not mistaken? I wonder if St. Louis would burn him on Sunday if they needed a win vs. hold him back to Monday for a playoff game for the division?

I don't believe the Brewers will win out. They have at least one loss left maybe two. I just don't see the Brewers making up that 1 game difference. {Mod Removed} Every team in baseball is capable of a terrible or amazing 5 game stretch. The Nats could easily lose the rest of their games and it wouldn't be a surprise at all. Over a 5 game sample anything can happen. So trying to say making up 1 game is out of reach is just completely wrong given how baseball actually works. The Houston Astros are probably the best team in baseball, From April 17th to April 22nd they lost 4 of 5 against the A's and Rangers, from June 16th-June 22nd they lost 7 straight games playing against the Blue Jays, Reds and Yankees. From August 13th through August 17th they lost 5 straight against the White Sox and the A's. There is no way that the Nats are some sort of uncatchable team right now. To further your point - of all seasons to still be making the "this isn't going to happen" comments ... this one is not it. Who knows how long we will get to play yet .. but this team has been written off a million times already, the "this isn't possible" line of thinking is no longer valid me thinks.

Wow, what a game. 24 total pitchers used (11 by STL) and the Cards end up falling. I know it is a bit different is Sept when you have expanded rosters ... but for as many times as we make the joke "I hope they play 20 innings and burn through their entire bullpen" ... for it to happen at this time is kind of fun. Hope they are tired today

My brother and I were talking about that this morning. If the brewers have favorable outcomes in the next game or 2 and we essentially become a lock for a wild card I would love to see an early pull on Woodruff so he can line up for the wild card game.

Well look what we have here. A possible x factor in a miracle deep playoff run?

.. and so today we turn to Adrian Houser. A throw in piece in the Carlos Gomez blockbuster years ago; he watched as the other 3 pieces of that trade (Santana, Phillips, Hader) were all run up to the big leagues before him. Tommy John cost him a full trip around the sun and then some. Known by lesser fans as the guy who vomits on the throne... here he stands in game 1 of a pivotal series throwing against a 3 time all star, multiple time runner up Cy Young award winner. In a season where Houser started the year as the 7th (8th? 9th?) starting option on the roster ... injuries and under performance have thrust him into the unexpected role of 'we need you'. He has answered and possibly, pending this extended Jordan Lyles interview, has turned into the Brewers most important starter for an uncanny playoff run. This season is writing itself. The story is in our apparent and now perceived lack of pitching. This isn't a season of expectation, but rather of hurling redemption. Lyles, Houser, Gio, Chase, Davies. All of them. Dear Goliath, it's David. We're coming.

You know, when Jordan Lyles slid home to beat Pittsburgh last year as a 'who is this relief pitcher and why is he drawing extra innings walks to prolong and win games for us in a pennant race?" guy ... I remember thinking to myself "what a moment for this dude ... his career will be whatever... but Brewers fans will never forget him for this moment." Yet here we are. About to hold off the mighty Cubs for the 2nd wild card. About to get on a plane to go to Washington in a one and done. This kid who Counsell told to not swing the bat when he walked up there last year is about to be handed the baseball across the field from Max Scherzer. Washington fans are going to be giggling. Then Grandal is going to get a hold of one in the 1st inning to give Lyles a 2 run lead and Nationals fans are going to give each other the nervous side eye. Lyles will be pesky. In and out, up and down. Washington will threaten but not gouge. Brewers will chase Scherzer in the 7th. Add 1 in the 8th. Hader closes it contested and here will be Jordan Lyles, sent away from us in the off season, shunned by Pittsburgh mid season ... pitching 5 1/3 and sending the Brewers to the NLCS. The "Jordan Lyles game" is going to have a whole new meaning in a few weeks. Let's go.

You need to be more specific on what you are saying man. So he should stick with Shaw and get him consistent at bats? Aguilar? Cain? Should he play Cain over Grisham right now? Should he give Perez consistent at bats over Arcia or vice versa? If he plays guys that are struggling he gets yelled at. If he sits them he is now getting yelled at.

Just your regular friendly reminder that for Gomez and Fiers we got back Hader, Santana (Gamel), Phillips (Moustakas), and Houser. What a trade.

We can have the conversation but it is a short one. Counsell has been a great pick. Re: the lineup shuffling, it is well known the Counsell talks to players about their scheduled off days. Braun is probably the best example, he knows going into weeks when he is getting days off, all things equal. This is a known strategy with Counsell.

I mean, in the 5 games since the Cubs series we have scored 30 runs ... not excusing today but still.

Should have sold. Am I right? You said this a page ago....Would have been a good spot for a guy like Houser had an arm been acquired at the deadline. But you do you, Stearns. No, he should NOT have sold, what he should have done is exactly what you said above...acquired an arm...or two or three. Thank god packer season is here. Wish we could have gotten Roark.

We should give Yelich a few days off I think.

So your requested changes are sit Yelich and release Jeffress. Got it.

My mistake for assuming your age. Came off that way in your response. I’ve been pro just about Stearns has decided to do but it’s simply not working. Shuffling up Wilkerson, again, is ridiculous when you traded for two other arms (using our top prospect and a MLB contributor) that are doing nothing for this team in the minors. I would send Jeffress out the door in a heartbeat. His option for next year should not even be considered. Thanks for helping get us to a post season a year ago but he stunk during the post season and he stinks now. Isn’t reliable enough. If you’re going to call up Grisham, play him. Otherwise continue to let him develop in AAA. I mean there is a long list of just stupid stuff this year. Some of it is getting harder and harder to wrap my mind around and support this guy. Either way, my blood pressure is just fine. Just wish our GM wasn’t doing some of the things he is doing lately. Last year looking more and more like dumb luck than anything else. So he has acquired 4 guys in the last week to try and help with the pitching staff. Don't know if any of them will work - but I would argue that he agrees with you that the "shuffle" isn't working and that he has attempted to try something else. Why aren't any of the guys other than Lyles here now? I don't know. Will be head scratching if it is any reason beyond medicals or something... I'll give you that. Would you have sat Cain or Braun against the lefty in Hamels so Grisham could start? So far our own answers to fixing the issues are DFA Jeffress for Faria or Pomeranz. This will fix it? I'm not meaning to keep digging at you.. but more so the narrative of "Stearns FIX IT NOW" without having reasonable alternatives to what he has done thus far. If Wilkerson is pitching well in AAA and gets called up and gets shelled, it seems to be Stearns' fault. If Guerra pitches well in April and May and then struggles in June and July .. Stearns held on too long. If he brings up Burch Smith to give him a shot and he gets shelled, now it is Stearns' fault for not just staying with the Guerra's of this world because 'we at least know what we are getting with him'. I wouldn't be as willing to respond to these types of frustrated posts if they were more specific "Guerra needs to go and Supak needs to be given a shot. Shaw needs to go and we need a backup SS back up here, etc" It is just too bad that so many beg for success without knowing or having suggestions on how to get there. Injuries have hurt us. We needed young guys to step up and they haven't. (hurt) Knebel, Wahl, Woodruff, Nelson - (bad) Burnes, Peralta, Jeffress, Guerra, Chacin - ('good') Davies, Anderson, Hader, Claudio. That's the entire pitching staff to start the season! 8 out of the 12 have either been hurt or have under performed reasonable expectation. How are we even close to playoff contention!?!? How much of a stretch is it to say Stearns and Counsell have done a good job navigating the acid rain storm that has been our pitching staff this year?

Nope. An absolute joke is when Dante Bichette is your best player. An absolute joke is when you feel bad sending Ricky Bones to the all star game because your team needs a rep and you know you are taking the honor away from a deserving player. If you have been a Brewers fan for any amount of time ... you will agree that being above .500 and within reach of the playoffs come August is a luxury for our team. Are expectations different for this team and this era of Crew Ball? Yep. Have the injuries and list of under performing players been frustrating given the hype. Yep. An absolute joke? Come on man. You answered it yourself. Whether they go on to the post season is one thing for me but they’re not even trying to rearrange the roster to give them possibly the best shot at it. Jackson, Guerra, Jeffress in the pen still? I mean, what are we waiting for? Already going to be a difficult climb. They traded for arms, use them. Tired of the old folk telling people it’s okay because it’s been a terrible franchise to follow. I mean, what? It makes no sense to live in the past with conversations like this. "Old timer" .. 75% chance you are older than me. I'm disappointed in the production as well man, I'm just amused at your discomfort over it. "It makes no sense to live in the past with conversations like this." Ok! I'll never reference history again to rationalize my blood pressure staying in a healthy place. I'm hoping for positive results as well - I also acknowledge I've never run a baseball team before and assume it is harder than most think it is. If you have reasonable suggestions as to how to fix the production on the field I would love to hear them and "should have traded for a TOR arm" isn't an answer because we weren't on the negotiating calls. Would you DFA Jeffress and bring up Black? Burnes? Wilkerson? Would you grab Supak and give him his orientation papers? Are you wanting more transactions or less? I don't know the numbers but the Brewers seem to be on the high end of player movement...

Nope. An absolute joke is when Dante Bichette is your best player. An absolute joke is when you feel bad sending Ricky Bones to the all star game because your team needs a rep and you know you are taking the honor away from a deserving player. If you have been a Brewers fan for any amount of time ... you will agree that being above .500 and within reach of the playoffs come August is a luxury for our team. Are expectations different for this team and this era of Crew Ball? Yep. Have the injuries and list of under performing players been frustrating given the hype. Yep. An absolute joke? Come on man.

Since being traded to Chicago I feel like Quintana has pitched against us 36 times.

Baseball term is hijacking. If a hitter thinks the only fastball he is going to see in at bat will be that first pitch... the best chance to get the ball in play to (conceivably) score runs is to hijack the at bat and send it somewhere. When it works it is a free run or more. When it doesn't work it is supremely maddening. Corey Hart was a huge hijacker in those situations. Arcia is as well.

I would call this a scoring opportunity for Milwaukee.