Cool Hand Lucroy

I don't know how Yelich won a GG or played center. He seems fine out there. But then you watch a truly elite defender in Cain and realize he didn't win one for a decade and understand why that particular award is generally silly.

At sone point, this team is what it is, and what it looks like is a mediocre team. Of course: 1) Mediocre might be good enough this year. 2) I said that last year in mid-August too.

Really thought we'd break the 1st inning curse today. Oh well. Okay ABs at least.

Pretty dominant half from the Bucks. Finally defending at a high level in the bubble. Giannis making free throws. Just lots going right.

The difference is the players aren't making as much. And they haven't been actively dishonest about it.

Yeah, that streak is nuts, especially in this era. Looks like it ends tonight. I think the Brewers beat the Pirates 17 in a row several years ago, right?

This is how I feel. Missing Cain hurts in that respect. I keep thinking of 2016, which was a bad team but fun. Way more fun than this group, and a lot of that has to do with just being younger and more capable of surprising you.

There's a start.

Love what I have seen from Urias as well. Looks like a pro hitter.

Brock Holt just looks bad and nervous and not really in it. I don't blame him, but I'd rather see Mathias.

The frustrating thing is that a lot of it's self-inflicted. Just playing poorly in so many ways. Only 4-1, which feels like a lot, but lucky it's only that.

Yikes. Really sloppy this half inning. Really sloppy. The pitching has been really good this year. Everything else...really not.

I think it's part of the TV package. Without fans to cut to, the production folks want to be able to keep up the rhythm of a "normal" broadcast. I'm no expert on video production, but maybe someone else knows more. And I know the original comment is probably rhetorical, but I'm weird and get kind of obsessed with the way these broadcasts are put together.

I guess I think making the playoffs in the NL is going to be tougher than folks realize. A lot depends on how the NL West shakes out, of course. Those teams are going to be playing each other a lot. But, right now, LA and San Diego look good. Colorado and Arizona are playing pretty well too. The East looks bad, but the Nats and Phils still have strong rosters. Agree that .500 probably gets it done. But I think I'd really focus on trying to be number 2 in the division because I think the West is going to have a third-place team with a good record, and then you've only got one spot left.

Remember that nobody is forcing anybody to play. If any individual thinks it's not worth it they opt out and go do their thing where they think that are safer. Obviously, they don't get paid then, but that's life. I understand this, certainly. This is a voluntary thing. What really bugs me is MLB's insistence that the protocols are fine. It's their attempts to blame players (which is different than when teams themselves do it, ala the Plesac situation). It's Manfred saying he'll scrap the season if an outbreak renders a team basically depleted and then watching two teams get depleted and sitting on his hands. It's not setting red-lines. It's clear that MLB just decided to play no matter what, and that's okay, but then just say it! Say, "we're going to play, and players are free to opt out if they think the risk is too high." But they don't want to do that because it sounds crass. And they don't want the PR backlash. They want to posture like they care and then play anyway, and all I'm saying is you can't have it both ways. Look, I get it. I like having baseball too. But the basic dishonesty of MLB is really bothersome. For the life of me, I just don't understand why organizations insist that they're doing such a great job and are creating such wonderful protocols rather than owning up to what's actually happening, which is that the risk is fairly well known, and they think the money's worth it. Just say it out loud: "We want our money, and we'll take the risk of positive cases to get it." If this were an honest deal from the beginning, fine. But MLB has clearly been trying to play the PR-game when it was obvious from the beginning that this was just very likely going to result in a lot of postponements and a significant number of positive tests. Pretending the plan was anything else is the very definition of spin.

37 games to go. I think the 17 against the Reds and Cards decide whether or not it's a playoff year. We held our own against a tough set of teams while not playing well. That's good. I'd shoot for 10-7 against the Reds/Cards and 11-9 against everyone else. Would put you at 33-27. Should get you playoffs and avoid the Dodgers.

Sounds like 1 player, 1 staff member for the NYM. At this point, MLB is just treating this as business as usual, cost of the season. That's weird. Well, it's not surprising, but it makes me feel weird. All this talk of safety is so hypocritical at this point. Sure feels to me like MLB is fine with entire, team-wide outbreaks, provided they only hit one team at a time.

Very glad to have the Twins off the schedule. 9 of the next 13 against the Pirates/Tigers, and 10 of those 13 at home. That's as favorable a stretch as you can get. Shooting for at least 8-5, which would put you at 19-17 coming into Craigtember. I'd feel real good about a playoff shot at that point.

Yeah. But you get outhit 12-2, you probably lose....

On Woodruff: I just thought the Twins showed awesome plate discipline tonight. Give 'em credit. Laid off a lot of close pitches.

Could have been lots worse. Not sure it'll matter, but good work from Freddy.

Well, Yelich with the best contact of the night so far. I think they can get to a tired Twins pen, but only 89 pitches for Berrios. Put up a 0, amd get to it

Dead ball Brewers again. But every other aspect has beem good so far. Hopefully, the O shows up late.

Yea, at least they don't need him to play a big role. Somehow that crappy Stearns built a pen with 8 or 9 guys better than your closer from a year ago. I think when the history of Stearns' tenure is written, it will include an elite an innovative understanding of bullpens. Building them, selling high on them, moving guys in and out of them, Stearns (and Counsell and the entire front office) have done that better than anyone I have seen. Been amazing to watch. My favorite is thebThornburg trade. Didn't pan out exactly, but showed why you capitalize on BP depth when you can.

Bailing out a guy with nothing on the mound...