BruisedCrew

The thing that really has to stop is challenging calls in non critical situations. When you’re ahead 6-1 it doesn’t really matter if a batter is facing a 1-2 count or a 2-1 count. You might really need that challenge later in the game when the opponent has a couple of men on base.

It’s a subjective term, but I think the offense has been generally scuffling. Sure, it’s been feast or famine, but a feast wins one game and several games of famine to go with them will usually produce a losing record. The fact that the Brewers Pythagorean projection is 19-11, 3 games better than their actual record, is a reflection of those “feast” games. My comment about scuffling is focused on the more recent games. In the 20 games since the 8-2 start the Brewers have scored 92 runs, a healthy average of 4.6 per game. But, 38 of those runs have come in 3 games. In the other 17 they scored 54 runs, a not so healthy 3.2 runs per game. Not surprisingly they went 5-12 in those 17 games. Another way to look at it is that in the 4 games in which the Brewers scored in double figures their run differential is +43. In the other 26 games it is -5. If you take away their 4 most lopsided defeats, those are only by 6, 6, 5, and 4 runs (-21). The biggest wins have a much bigger impact than the most lopsided losses. I guess we could quibble about whether the Brewers offense has been “generally scuffling” but the fact that the 4 double digit games have an oversized impact on both the run differential and the runs scored per game seems undeniable. What you’re calling “feast or famine” I am calling “generally scuffling with an occasional explosion.” Also, my comment should be taken as purely backward looking. Of course I know about the injuries, and hope that the return of Chourio and Vaughn, and then Yelich can help reduce the “famine” part of the offense.

Tough month of games. Hopefully Chourio and Vaughn can hit the ground running to give a boost to the offense and the SP and bullpen can hold up against some tough lineups. I say 12-15.

Shows how misleading run differential can be, especially early in the season, when a generally scuffling,offense has an unusual number of double digit outbursts.

I think the Brewers need to adopt a green light systen for batters using challenges. Early in the game with no base runners on the red light should be on all the time. In too many of these situations, there’s not that much to be gained by changing that one pitch

Has he always had that back leg uppercut? I don’t remember it being that extreme when he first came up. That’s especially bad for someone who would have a better chance of success as a slap hitter.

They could have put more pitches on Kelly if Black hadn’t offered at that 3-2 pitch that was about an inch off the ground. That would have loaded the bases for Bauers. So, instead of Bauers at the plate with the bases loaded and one out, they got Lockridge with 2 outs.

Part of that reflects my comment about other holes in the batting order.. The Brewers haven’t been getting enough base runners to turn the order around more than 3 times.

Ortiz has undeniably been terrible at the plate. But, having him at number 9 in the order might be more acceptable if there weren’t so many other holes in the batting order. I’m less upset about Ortiz than I am that the Brewers did nothing to fill holes at 3B and the outfield corners, which are usually manned by more productive hitters who can provide some power.

The first report I heard last week was that he would be reevaluated over the weekend to determine if he could go on a rehab Later, I heard that they were saying he would be reevaluated AFTER the weekend. So, if he is reevaluated today, and they determine that he is ready for a rehab, he could be playing somewhere tomorrow. If we don’t hear anything today. I’m going to wonder if the reevaluation determined that he is not quite ready yet..

I’d be happy to move on, but have to clarify that you apparently don’t understand my opinion I do not think, and never said, that fans expressing angst and frustration is “positive energy”, whatever that means in the context of an online message board. But I don’t think that those comments are exactly negative either. They are just expressing a reasonable reaction to the game situation as it occurs. I think the key words in your post are “given the outcome of the game”. You looked at the thread knowing the Brewers won 5-0. So, comments made when the Brewers went out feebly in the first 3 innings, and had two relievers put runners on base in the seventh and eighth innings may seem to have a negative tone to someone looking at them later. If you went into the thread expecting it to be all sunshine and roses, that was an unrealistic expectation, especially when you are talking about a team that had lost 4 in a row and 11 of its last 16 games.

If you go through this relatively short thread post by post and mark the ones that are really negative you will see who’s actually doing the cherry picking. But, if you consider a fan, getting frustrated when an event relief pitcher can’t get the ball over the plate as being too negative, then I guess it was negative. I consider a lot of those posts the message board equivalent of someone at the game saying “ D**n it Megill, get the ball over the plate”

I guess I have more tolerance for passionate fans expressing frustration.

The thread followed the flow of the game, just like someone should expect. I don’t think the last part was negative, just anxious. Maybe it didn’t bother you at all to see relievers walking batters with a 5 run lead, but I think you’d be in the minority

I was at the game too and just scrolled through the thread. If you think it had an “overarching negative tone” that’s you trying to see it. The first part of the thread was understandably negative as the Brewers went through their fourth straight game of going through the first 3 innings without a baserunner. Lockridge’s 2 out walk in the third broke a string of 35 straight batters retired in the first time through the order. Then the comments turned to the 5 run inning and Harrison’s outing. That was followed by the angst of first Megill and then Ashby having trouble finding the strike zone to set the table for the Pirates to come back. Given some of the recent bullpen performances that angst was warranted. I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Brewer killer Reynolds grounded out to end the eighth with the bases loaded.

I don’t see anybody jumping off a bridge. But I do see a lot of people recognizing a team with issues that go beyond missing a few injured players that are still out as they enter a difficult part of the schedule

I have a challenge for posters who regularly criticize the manager either in general or for specific moves he did or didn't make. If you're on the game thread and see something you disagree with, point it out. If you think a pitcher should be removed, say so and say who you would bring in. If a pitching change is made, and you think a different pitcher should have been brought in, tell everyone at the time that you think the manager made a mistake. Same for things like the everyday batting order, pinch hitting, bunting or not bunting,, or anything else. That kind of discussion could make the game thread more interesting. But bringing things up only after the result is known comes across like classic second guessing.

A baseball week runs from Monday to Sunday. Today's game will just determine how bad the week was.

You mean winning a series over the Brewers didn’t save them?

Ah.The report I saw on Yahoo (and attributed to McCalvy) did not include the word “after”, giving the impression that the evaluation would be.done over the weekend.

Has there been any word about the reevaluation Chourio was supposed to have this weekend?

It might be sustainable but it probably isn’t survivable.

To put those homers into perspective, Monasterio’s came in the ninth inning of a 8-1 game against a mop up reliever making his first MLB appearance of the season. Durbin hit his off of a position player who gave up another a few batters later.

The problem is, that probably won’t be until June. Chourio might be back in a couple of weeks, then Vaughn after that, and then Yelich. And who knows how they will perform after not playing in a major league game for well over a month. Plus, it’s not realistic to think there won’t be more injuries going forward. Every year there are surprise teams in MLB. Some on the upside and some on the downside. With issues in both the starting rotation and bullpen in addition to the every day lineup, it looks like this could be one of those years for the Brewers.

Baseball may have a certain amount of randomness, but many times exactly what should happen given the personnel involved does happen. Tonight is one of those games We’d better hope Vaughn can be something like last year’s version because who knows when Yelich will be back (and what he’ll be like when he does come back) and Chourio alone isn’t going to turn this lineup around.