The stache

Chris Heisey can play left field for Cincy any night he wants.

Brauny is definitely hitting well right now. He has a nine game hitting streak during which he's 14 for 33 for a .424 AVG with 4 runs scored, 4 doubles, a triple, a home run, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 7 K and a slash line of .486/.679/1.183.

Mesoraco has finally lived up to his massive potential. Mesoraco can just smoke the ball.

Ya, Heisey kinda planted himself, then was trying to walk backwards and jump up at the same time while the ball flew over his head. Braun golfed a line drive and Heisey completely misjudged how hard the ball was hit. He was squared up on the ball and had no chance to move backwards. The Reds are looking like the keystone cops out there. I'll take it any way I can get it

Good to see Jean making a play.

Brauny back over .300 And his OPS creeping closer to .900, at .877 now. I always thought Wily Peralta was going to be more of a strikeout pitcher than he has been. He's only averaging 4.5 K per start, 6.8 K per 9 innings. That's not terrible, but I'd expected him to be closer to 8-8.5 per game. He averaged 9.4 K/9 IP in 2011, and 8.8 in 2012. I know it's not his fastball velocity, as he's got one of the highest average fastball velocities in the Major Leagues. What is it then?

On this day in 1947, that magical season in which Jackie Robinson finally broke the color barrier in the modern game, Frankie Frisch, the "Fordham Flash", becomes the first switch hitter inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Frisch, a lifetime .316 hitter, is joined on this day by Carl Hubbell, Mickey Cochrane (the man that Mickey Mantle was named for. Cochrane was his father's favorite player) and Lefty Grove. http://imageshack.com/a/img845/8721/agd2.png Here's my 1934 Goudey Frankie Frisch. I love this card.

Hello, my fellow Brewer fans! Ok, guys. Tonight we get on track. Wily is going to turn around and throw a gem tonight. And the boys are going to come out with the red hot bats early and often. I'm feeling good about the Brew Crew, and sending some positive karma to Miller Park. The Reds have knocked us around some early in the season, but there's a lot of baseball yet to be played, and we get some payback tonight! Mow 'em down, Big Wily!!!!!!!

Awesome, bring it, Jeremy! Blow that heat right up their -----!

I'm happy to see that Bradley has been taking some steps in the right direction. The expectations for him were high because of where he was drafted. I still think he can progress, and make it to the Major League level, and be a productive pitcher. Let's hope that happens.

Ryan's not having an MVP year, or even the MVP runner up year of 2012. That's clear. If we're going to measure his performance against his best seasons, then no, you couldn't say he's been great. But in the context of the games he's missed, and the injuries he's been battling all season, to be one of the ten most productive hitters in all the National League...I would say that is great.

Scooter has now played the equivalent of one full Major League season (155 games. I guess I'm old fashioned, and thusly count 154 games as a full season). Anyhow, in 155 games, Scooter has 501 at bats, 71 runs scored, 157 hits, 33 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs, 55 RBI, 28 walks, 87 strike outs, he is 7 for 10 in stolen bases, and is hitting .313 for his career. His slash line thus far: .349/.483/.832. I for one am very happy to see Scooter playing so well early on. Two things I'd like to see him work on is, obviously, hitting against left handed pitchers. I'd also like to see him walk a little more. If he can get even close to Major League average against lefties, I think he can be our solution at second base for a good while. I like his game, and I don't see him ever being an expensive contract. I think he's certainly played better than his doubters ever thought he would or could.

When you consider everything that Ryan Braun has been through this season, the thumb injury, the back and the abdominal muscle pull, looking at where he is statistically, he's really had a pretty great year. He hasn't hit for the power that we're used to, and I think we all know why. The pulled muscle injury has made it where Braun has had to hit to right and center. Last night's home run against the Nationals was the first time I've seen him really hit a ball with power to left field in a while. But even without his pull side power, his numbers have been quite good. On the season, he's hitting .298 with 48 runs scored, 20 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 54 RBI and 8 stolen bases. His slash line is .348/.523/.871. He's 6th in the NL in slugging, 10th in OPS, and 10th in RBI. When you consider that he's only played 75 of Milwaukee's 98 games, to be in the top 10 in RBI is a pretty nice accomplishment. After a pretty awful June overall, Ryan has played really well in July. He's 14 for 40 (.350) with a .395 OBP and a .625 SLG. A 1.020 OPS is more of what we're used to from #8. I for one appreciate that he's really played through some pain this year. While the rest of the national media wants to take shots at his character, I think going out there and playing hard while in pain speaks volumes. A lot of other players would just sit on the DL knowing full well they still get paid. Ryan knows this team is trying to get back to the playoffs. He's doing everything he can to get them there. As recently as June 23, he was at .278. He's knocking on .300's door again. He's playing well, and I think he's leading by example. Just what you would expect from a former MVP. I see good things happening for the Brewers the rest of the way. And Ryan Braun is going to lead the charge.

Braun's home run was a bomb to left field. I think it was higher than it was far, only about 390 feet or so, but he definitely got all of it. It was really nice to see him hit a homer to left, as it means he was able to pull the ball with power. If he is able to continue doing that, that's going to be a huge boost for the Brewers. Braun's top 10 in the NL in SLG, OPS and RBI now. .298/12/54. .348/.523/.871. WHen you consider that Braun has missed 23 of the 98 games the Brewers have played, that's impressive.

Agreed completely. I understand wanting to take advantage of matchups that benefit us, but not at the cost of having to have a bullpen pitcher come in when they really weren't needed to get the job done. I have a really good feeling that tonight's performance is going to be the start of a really nice run for the Brewers! We're going to hold on to win here, and beating Strasburg to kick off the second half will give this team the boost it needs.

Good at bat getting the walk, Ryan. Let's get him home, ARam! Listening to Uecker on MLB.tv is nice!

I agree that Braun probably would have been better off not saying anything. I just remember everybody on ESPN and Yahoo Sports, pretty much everywhere, clamoring for Braun to speak. They weren't going to stop nagging him until he got behind the mic. And I'd bet good money that somebody on Braun's legal team wrote his speech. Still, it doesn't matter because ultimately Braun is responsible for what he says. While Braun should have kept his mouth shut, I think we'd all agree that hiring somebody to develop a fake website to try and cover up your cheating ways is worse than saying what Braun did. Yet I never see anybody ripping on Melky Cabrera.

I have MLB.tv also. Where did you read or hear that Extra Innings is no more after 2014? Yes, listening to Ueck is a nice option.

Evening, everybody. Nice start of the second half getting 4 off of Strasburg. Let's hope that we can keep the Nats off the scoreboard further.

I think Ortiz is entertaining, and while I don't like that he used a performance enhancer, I don't have any big problem with him. Maybe I'm not being clear about what's making me sick, and it wouldn't be the first time. It's really the treatment of Ortiz that is annoying me so. It's like the national sports media looks upon itself as being the Vatican. They think they are the ultimate moral authority, and they like Ortiz, and hate Braun. They trip over each other trying to get to the microphone to sing Big Papi's praises. Braun they not only excommunicate, they will continue taking cheap shots at him even after he's served his suspension. There seems to be a real double standard. I know Braun lied about using something, and that was colossally stupid. But Ortiz is on a list of players that everybody has pretty much accepted as being the equivalent of a smoking gun, and it seems all is forgiven. Braun didn't have a fake website made up to try and cover his tracks, but you don't ever hear about Cabrera, the guy that did do that. I think that's a little higher on the deception scale. But all the media cares about is bashing Braun and ARod.

Has anybody seen this special about Ortiz on EPIX yet? It makes me sick. Everybody is deifying Ortiz, calling him a "great man". He's the main reason that the Red Sox won those 3 World Series Rings. How many of the Sox used steroids to win? Ortiz, Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon...etc. The guy plays six seasons in Minnesota, and he's never good enough to play full time. He hits 20 home runs once, and they cut him. Six years, 455 games, he hits 45 home runs. Then, suddenly when he goes to Boston, He's hitting 30, 40, 50 home runs in a season. Not a single mention about his using PEDs. The same sports writers that absolutely crucified Ryan Braun for using something to overcome injury like Peter Gammons are slurping "Papi" up. The Red Sox, in addition to his World Series ring, making him another special MVP ring. It all rubs me the wrong way. The whole double standard. "Big Papi is the personification of the American Dream. The ultimate success story that continues to unfold. This is the essence of David Ortiz in the moment." Please. Point me to a toilet where I can hurl.

The true character of this Brewer team will show in the second half, right after the start of the All Star game. After they've had some time to step away, and put this losing spell behind them, we'll see what they are made of. Will they grab control and right the ship? Or will they continue as they have been? I'm betting they will get back on track. The Cardinals and Reds both are missing a key player (Molina and Phillips) to start the second half, and I think we will take advantage and start out strong.

I feel terrible for Jean. That's going to be one long flight home. I really can't imagine there being anything worse than losing a young child.

Woo hoo, Bill in Flower Mound. "Losing is a disease. Ah, but curable."

Yikes, that was in pretty poor taste.