Jason Wang

In the first game of what looks to be an exciting series, the Brewers escaped a late scare to win against the Padres in the tenth inning. Here's how it all went down. Image courtesy of © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Colin Rea - 5.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (83 pitches, 49 strikes (59.0%) Home Runs: Rowdy Tellez (1), Mike Brosseau (2) Top 3 WPA: Rowdy Tellez (.266), Colin Rea (.237), Willy Adames (.183) Bottom 3 WPA: Matt Bush (-.354), Garrett Mitchell (-.120), William Contreras (-.073) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Rea Gets His Revenge Right-handed pitcher Colin Rea was called up to start this one for the Brewers, with Janson Junk being optioned back to the Nashville Sounds. The reason for this sudden addition to the rotation was the team wanting to give their frontline starters an extra day of rest. Having been a part of the Padres system from 2011-2018, Rea went to the Cubs and then the Brewers in 2021 before playing in Nippon Professional Baseball. Given that he pitched just 20 major-league innings in the past three years, Rea performed well against his old team, giving up just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work. It should also be mentioned that the one earned run he gave up was a home run to Manny Machado, a pretty decent player according to everyone but Dodgers fans. Brewers Get Rowdy The lineup wasted no time getting points on the board, with Christian Yelich drawing a leadoff walk to set up Rowdy Tellez for a two-run home run as just the third hitter of the game. Mike Brosseau also hit his own long ball later in the night, a 413-foot rocket to dead center field. That gave the Brewers a 3-1 lead over the Padres, and was his second home run of the season. Tellez stepped up to the plate (both literally and figuratively) again in the tenth inning, hitting a crucial sacrifice fly to score Yelich and give Milwaukee a one-run lead that eventually led to victory. Other than the two home runs, the Brewers lineup wasn’t really able to get significant offense going. They struggled to get consecutive players on base, and in ten innings of work, they put up just six hits. Before the free baserunner in extra innings was added in 2020, there’s a good chance that sacrifice fly would have never happened. Bullpen Saves Bush The eighth inning started off great for Matt Bush, getting Ha-Seong Kim to ground out and striking out Rougned Odor. It seemed like Milwaukee was going to cruise to a 3-1 victory, until pinch-hitter Matt Carpenter walked and Trent Grisham hit a game-tying home run to right field. Bush was able to escape the inning, but just like that, the Padres were back in the game and well-positioned for a comeback victory. Luckily, a two-inning combined effort from Devin Williams (who still has an ERA of 0.00, by the way) and Joel Payamps held the Padres scoreless. Williams, in particular, struck out the heart of the Padres order in Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, and Nelson Cruz back-to-back, allowing Payamps to earn his first career save against slightly less intimidating opposition. What’s Next? The series against the Padres continues and the Brewers return to their usual lineup, calling on lefty Eric Lauer to pitch against righty Michael Wacha. Lauer hasn’t had the most stellar season thus far, posting an ERA of 7.71, but he’s pitched just 9 1/3 innings thus far, so let’s not break out the mean tweets just yet. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SUN MON TUE WED THU TOT Bush 29 0 0 0 27 56 Strzelecki 20 0 0 0 22 42 Payamps 0 0 23 0 15 38 B Wilson 0 34 0 0 0 34 Varland 0 0 0 31 0 31 Guerra 0 20 0 10 0 30 Williams 14 0 0 0 16 30 Milner 5 0 0 15 0 20 View full article

What looked like a possible comeback in the seventh inning ended in heartbreak, and the Brewers dropped the final game of the series to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Image courtesy of © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Janson Junk - 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (79 pitches, 52 strikes (65.8%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Christian Yelich (.120), Mike Brosseau (.062), William Contreras (.021) Bottom 3 WPA: Janson Junk (-.241), Willy Adames (-.236), Gus Varland (-.074) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) We’re Not In Triple-A Anymore, Janson When Janson Junk was recalled to take the place of Brandon Woodruff, he had big shoes to fill. Having pitched just eight major league innings with the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim 😁) last year, Junk started the season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, making just one start and one relief appearance for 10 total innings of work. Junk escaped the first two innings relatively unscathed, with Josh Rojas reaching first on a catcher’s interference call on William Contreras and eventually scoring after a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double and a groundout from Christian Walker. Things started falling apart in the third inning, though, as Junk gave up a single to Rojas, a walk to Ketel Marte, and then a home run to Gurriel, bringing the Diamondbacks' lead to 4-0. It didn't help that the defense also made three errors, two of them by Contreras. He had a throwing error in addition to the interference call. Mike Brosseau also made his second error of the season, a botched throw in the fifth inning. Brewers Bats Get Active, Just Not At The Right Time Just looking at the score, it seems as if the Milwaukee lineup was outclassed by the Diamondbacks, but the Brewers actually had a total of 11 hits over the game, just one fewer than the 12 recorded by Arizona. Much of their offense was in the seventh inning, where five consecutive hitters reached base with four singles and a walk, giving them three runs and cutting the deficit to two by the middle of the frame. A smaller rally broke out in the top of the eighth, when Contreras and Garrett Mitchell hit back-to-back singles, but three consecutive outs stamped out any comeback hopes. Overall, the batted-ball data shows that they just couldn’t get the ball up and out. Of the 20 balls with the highest xBA, just six of them were hit by Brewers. The Game Giveth and The Game Taketh Away We all know that baseball is a chaotic sport and players have good days and bad days. Contreras made a few defensive misplays but also went 3-for-4, recording two singles and a double. Contreras has been known to be a great hitter but somewhat of a defensive liability, having a Weighted Runs Created+ (wRC+) of 138 against a Defense Runs Saved (DRS) of -4 in his 2022 season with the Atlanta Braves. His framing and other defensive aspects have shown improvement this year, but we’ll see if those upgrades will persist through the remainder of the season. Adames also had a tough performance, going 0-for-4 after seeming unstoppable at the plate over the past week. His OPS for the last seven games still stands at 1.080, so we’ll see if his regression to the norm begins now or if he’ll be able to keep riding his hot streak. What’s Next? The Brewers will head to Petco Park to face off against the San Diego Padres. The probable pitcher for Milwaukee hasn’t yet been announced, but he will be pitching against right-hander Nick Martinez. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT Varland 32 0 0 0 31 63 Guerra 28 0 20 0 10 58 Payamps 17 0 0 23 0 40 B Wilson 0 0 34 0 0 34 Bush 0 29 0 0 0 29 Strzelecki 0 20 0 0 0 20 Milner 0 5 0 0 15 20 Williams 0 14 0 0 0 14 Tweet Spotlight View full article

It was a slow start for both lineups as Corbin Burnes and Merrill Kelly brought their best stuff to the mound. Kelly ended up blinking first, giving way to a hitting onslaught by the Brewers in the seventh inning. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Corbin Burnes - 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K (89 pitches, 65 strikes (73.0%) Home Runs: Willy Adames (3), Rowdy Tellez (2), Mike Brosseau (1) Top 3 WPA: Corbin Burnes (.384), Willy Adames (.189), Victor Caratini (.079) Bottom 3 WPA: Brice Turang (-.119), Christian Yelich (-.056), Joey Wiemer (-.040) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Corbin Shuts Down the Diamondbacks To say that Corbin Burnes was back in Cy Young form would be an understatement. His first two season starts painted a dim picture for the ace, but his assassin-like efficiency in this game was no fun for the Arizona lineup. Notably, he struck out eight batters while walking zero, achieving a strike percentage of 73%, and retiring 16 consecutive batters. Everything seemed to be clicking, including his famous back-door cutter. He was able to go eight innings, giving his bullpen some much-needed rest and requiring only the services of Joel Payamps to finish a dominant victory against a formidable NL opponent. Milwaukee Offense Starts Up Late Corbin Burnes wasn’t the only pitcher that had a good night. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly sailed through the first six innings, giving up naught but a few walks and a hit by pitch. Things started to come apart in the seventh, as Willy Adames hit a home run to start things off before Rowdy Tellez and Brian Anderson were both walked. Miguel Castro replaced Merrill Kelly, but the Brewers' offensive momentum was simply too much to handle. A Garrett Mitchell single would load the bases before a Victor Caratini walk allowed Rowdy Tellez to score, followed by a two-run double by Mike Brosseau. Castro would fail to get the final out of the inning before being relieved by Kyle Nelson, who got Christian Yelich to ground out, capping off a five-run scoring outburst for the Brew Crew. Homers For Everyone! Rowdy Tellez also managed to hit his second home run of the season against José Ruiz, while Brosseau added insult to injury, hitting his first homer of the season against Carlos Vargas to put the Brewers up 7-0 at the top of the ninth inning. Of the three home runs hit by Milwaukee, Rowdy’s had the most interesting batted ball data. Batter Exit Velocity (mph) Launch Angle (degrees) Distance (feet) xBA Willy Adames 108.7 29 416 .990 Rowdy Tellez 94.9 28 365 .180 Mike Brosseau 104.0 27 399 .870 Expected Batting Average (xBA) is a Statcast metric that measures how often balls with similar characteristics (speed, trajectory, and direction) end up as hits. Adames’s long shot had an xBA of .990, which essentially means that it was a no-doubter, whereas Tellez’s home run had an xBA of just .180. In fact, it was very similar to a ball he hit in the fourth inning which had an exit velocity of 104.5 mph and a distance of 385 feet, despite ending up as a lineout. What’s Next? The Brewers will play the last game of the series at Chase Field to settle the best-of-three with the Diamondbacks, before meeting the San Diego Padres in their backyard. Due to Brandon Woodruff recently being placed on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation, right-hander Janson Junk has been recalled from the Nashville Sounds to take his place. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT Payamps 22 17 0 0 23 62 Guerra 0 28 0 20 0 48 Bush 18 0 29 0 0 47 B Wilson 12 0 0 34 0 46 Varland 12 32 0 0 0 44 Strzelecki 0 0 20 0 0 20 Williams 0 0 14 0 0 14 Milner 7 0 5 0 0 12 Tweet Highlight View full article

The Brewers took a series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in dominant fashion, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the NL Central at this early juncture. Image courtesy of © MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL / USA TODAY NETWORK Box Score SP: Freddy Peralta - 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (102 pitches, 65 strikes (63.7%) Home Runs: Willy Adames (2), Christian Yelich (1) Top 3 WPA: Willy Adames (.277), Freddy Peralta (.240), Christian Yelich (.111) Bottom 3 WPA: Rowdy Tellez (-.093), Brian Anderson (-.073), Garrett Mitchell (-.053) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Peralta And Pals Stifle Cardinals Offense In his second start of the season, Freddy Peralta looked excellent in his six innings of work, giving up just four hits and striking out seven Cardinal batters. His one earned run came from an RBI single by Jordan Walker, who scored Nolan Arenado. Nonetheless, he was able to escape the inning without giving up additional baserunners. His slider continued to be a deadly tool with inhuman movement. His velocity also looked excellent, with his four-seam approaching 98 mph and even his changeup surpassing 90 mph. Of all of his fastballs, 32 were 95 mph or faster, the most pitches of that speed he’s thrown in his career. Peter Strzelecki, Matt Bush, Hoby Milner, and Devin Williams finished off the remaining three innings with zero earned runs and two hits allowed. Adames Comes Up Big With 3 RBI Willy Adames had a great game, going 3-for-4 and batting in three runs for Milwaukee. He hit a double in the third inning, a home run in the fifth inning, and a single in the seventh inning. After a rough start in the team’s first series against the Cubs, Adames seems to have revitalized his offense in the past two series at home. His OPS for the first three games of the season was .508, compared to his OPS of 1.207 for the past six games at home. Yelich of Yesteryear Christian Yelich also had his best game of the season thus far, going 3-for-5 with and scoring two runs. Included was his first home run of the season in the seventh inning off of Cardinals reliever Andre Pallante. The batted-ball data on his home run had stats that resembled his MVP season, with an exit velocity of 112 mph and a distance of 413 feet. He hit another pitch in the eighth inning with an exit velocity of 106 mph, although the steep launch angle of 44 degrees resulted in a flyout. What’s Next The Brewers will ship off to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Lefty veteran Wade Miley will go up against Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen, as the team hopes to maintain their current position of having the most wins in the National League. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT B Wilson 0 0 12 0 0 12 Strzelecki 12 0 0 0 20 32 Milner 14 0 7 0 5 26 Guerra 0 0 0 28 0 0 Bush 15 0 18 0 29 62 Williams 9 0 0 0 14 23 Payamps 0 0 22 17 0 39 Varland 0 0 12 32 0 44 View full article

In the first game of this hotly contested division rivalry, Milwaukee came away victorious despite a few hiccups. The team looked great from top to bottom as both gloves and bats worked together to secure the win. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Brandon Woodruff - 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (84 pitches, 52 strikes (61.9%) Home Runs: Willy Adames (1) Top 3 WPA: Brandon Woodruff (.263), Joel Payamps (.069), Garrett Mitchell (.049) Bottom 3 WPA: Christian Yelich (-.013), Brice Turang (-.010), Brian Anderson (-.002) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Woodruff Continues to Shine Despite the recent struggles of his teammate Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff has gotten off to an amazing start this season, currently maintaining an ERA of 0.79 and a WHIP of 0.882. In his first start against the division rival St. Louis Cardinals, he struck out four batters through a little over five innings, using five different pitches and showing excellent stuff. His four-seam fastball had a little extra juice behind it, topping out at 98.5 mph, slightly faster than his average velocity of 96 mph. Combined with his breaking ball arsenal that included a slider and a curveball, Woodruff was almost untouched for the majority of his start. In the fourth inning, Woodruff gave up three singles to Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and Nolan Arenado. With just one out recorded, he was able to get Willson Contreras to ground into a double play, escaping the inning unscathed on the scoreboard. Despite giving up zero earned runs in his start, Craig Counsell pulled Woodruff from the mound in the fifth inning to prevent excess fatigue and a potential Cardinals offensive rally. Adames Gets His First Jack Of The Season Against Jack The Brewers offense continued to perform well, although their bats seem to have cooled down significantly since their series against the New York Mets. Although opposing pitcher Jack Flaherty gave up quite a few walks (six, to be exact), the scoring didn’t start until the third inning, when a Rowdy Tellez sacrifice fly scored Christian Yelich and an infield single by Garrett Mitchell scored Willy Adames. Adames also managed to hit his first home run off the season, punishing a middle-middle fastball from hard-throwing Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks in the seventh inning and sending the ball 400 feet to right center field. Payamps Gets Out Of Trouble After walking Alec Burleson, Brandon Woodruff was replaced by Joel Payamps who found himself in quite the pickle after giving up a single to Nolan Arenado and walking Willson Contreras to load the bases. It was a tense moment that almost exactly mirrored the same bases-loaded situation the Brewers had in the fourth inning. Following a mound visit, Payamps intelligently jammed Tyler O’Neill with a pitch on the inside, forcing a weak grounder up the middle that was promptly fielded by Brice Turang to end the inning and escape the jam. What’s Next? The homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals will continue with a lefty pitching matchup between Jordan Montgomery and Eric Lauer. The Brewers look to continue their momentous six-game win streak and break away with the division lead. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet MON TUE WED THU FRI TOT B Wilson 49 0 0 0 12 61 Strzelecki 0 16 12 0 0 28 Milner 0 14 14 0 7 35 Guerra 0 19 0 0 0 19 Bush 0 0 15 0 18 33 Williams 0 0 9 0 0 9 Payamps 0 0 0 0 22 22 Varland 0 0 0 0 12 12 View full article

The Brewers continue their red-hot start to the season with another victory over the New York Mets. A decisive at-bat helped put the Brew Crew on top and keep fans' hopes high. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Corbin Burnes - 4.1 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (93 pitches, 57 strikes (61.3%) Home Runs: Joey Wiemer (1), Garrett Mitchell (3) Top 3 WPA: Garrett Mitchell (.340), Jesse Winker (.250), Devin Williams (.135) Bottom 3 WPA: Corbin Burnes (-.458), Brian Anderson (-.153), Brice Turang (-.080) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Burnes’s Difficulties Continue Corbin Burnes’s season continued its uncharacteristic deviation from the norm as he gave up six earned runs in just over four innings of work. He recorded just three strikeouts on his way to giving up two home runs to Pete Alonso. After Alonso’s second home run and a subsequent Daniel Vogelbach walk, Burnes was finally pulled off of the mound. Despite coming in earlier than usual, the Brewers' bullpen saved the day. A combined effort from Hoby Milner, Peter Strzelecki, Matt Bush, and Devin Williams stopped the bleeding and kept the Mets scoreless for the rest of the game. Mitchell Walks ‘Em Off It’s been a big week for rookie home runs in Milwaukee. After an RBI single by Owen Miller, Joey Wiemer hit his first major league home run, batting in three runs total and giving the Brewers a strong 4-0 lead. Mets and Brewers hitters would go blow for blow, tying the game at six runs apiece after the fifth inning. Finally, in a pinch-hit appearance, Garrett Mitchell hit his third home run of the season, a walk-off solo shot to complete the 3-0 sweep of the Mets. Over the course of the past three games, the Brewers outscored their opponents 26-6. The bullpen staff and young lineup have played remarkably well and paint a rosy outlook for the remainder of the season. Devin Williams Is That Dude We’ve talked about Devin Williams and his "Airbender" pitch quite a bit on this site, but I don’t think its quality can be overstated. With 40 inches of downward break and 20 inches of horizontal run today, it seemed to warp space and time just a bit. Williams needed just nine pitches to close out the game and secure the win for his team, notching two outs coming from weak contact with this changeup. Like many of his coworkers in the bullpen, his four-seam fastball isn’t particularly speedy, topping out at 93 mph. Still, there’s enough difference between it and his off-speed arsenal to make timing his pitches extremely difficult. What’s Next The Brewers will get the day off on Thursday before hosting the division rival St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game series starting Friday. While the Brewers have gotten off to a hot start at 5-1, the Cardinals have been a little more lukewarm, most recently getting swept in a three-game series by the Atlanta Braves. The pitching duel between Brandon Woodruff and Jack Flaherty will set the stage for an important set of, but we’re also games that may decide crucial momentum for the NL Central division moving forward. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet SAT SUN MON TUE WED TOT B Wilson 0 0 49 0 0 49 Payamps 0 23 0 0 0 23 Strzelecki 17 0 0 16 12 33 Williams 16 0 0 0 9 16 Guerra 0 15 0 19 0 34 Bush 13 0 0 0 15 13 Varland 0 12 0 0 0 12 Milner 0 10 0 14 14 24 View full article

The Brewers seemed unstoppable in their Tuesday beatdown of the New York Mets, hitting a total of five home runs. The pitching staff did their job as well, shutting the Mets out for the second game in a row. Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Wade Miley - 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (79 pitches, 51 strikes 64.6%) Home Runs: Rowdy Tellez (1), Brian Anderson 2 (3), Garrett Mitchell 2 (2) Top 3 WPA: Wade Miley (.327), Brian Anderson (.208), Willy Adames (.062) Bottom 3 WPA: Jesse Winker (-.055), Christian Yelich (-.033), Brice Turang (-.030) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Miley Makes Quick Work of the Mets Ruthlessly efficient in his six-inning start, Wade Miley needed just three strikeouts to keep the Mets scoreless. While he did give up five hits, they were spread out between innings to prevent any damage, and he gave up no walks, crucially limiting baserunners. His changeup was looking particularly difficult to hit and had over 30 inches of vertical break, causing some comical swings and misses. His velocity never surpassed 90 mph but his craftsmanship with off-speed pitches and his carefully controlled cutter were enough to induce soft contact and earn him his 100th career win. Home Run Derby If you’ve been following the Brewers this season, you’ll know that their bats have been roaring to life right around the sixth inning, and this game was no different. Rowdy Tellez finally got his first extra-base hit of the season, in the form of a solo home run to right-center field. Immediately after, Brian Anderson and Garrett Mitchell also hit home runs, putting an end to Max Scherzer’s night. To make sure Scherzer didn’t feel particularly singled out, Anderson and Mitchell also hit back-to-back home runs off of reliever Brooks Raley in the seventh inning, batting in four runs total. Who Needs Strikeouts? Wade Miley’s three strikeouts would be the only ones recorded by the Brewers pitching staff as relievers Peter Strzelecki, Hoby Milner, and Javy Guerra each recorded zero in their respective innings. Each reliever had a slightly different style. Strzelecki depended on his wicked slider with more than 40 inches of drop, Guerra on his 98-mile-an-hour four-seam fastball, and Milner his 79 mph changeup, each different means to the same end - soft grounders and shallow fly-outs. The diversity of the bullpen may prove immensely tricky for opposing batters, who will have to adapt to wildly different pitch arsenals, shapes, and velocities after already facing the robust starting rotation. What’s Next? The Brewers look to complete the series sweep against the Mets before hosting the division rival St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, April 7th. Ace Corbin Burnes will try to rebound from a rough Opening Day that saw him concede four earned runs in five innings of work against the Chicago Cubs. The Brewers lineup will try to continue their hitting momentum against left-handed starter David Peterson and extend the existing win streak to six games. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet FRI SAT SUN MON TUE TOT B Wilson 0 0 0 49 0 49 Payamps 0 0 23 0 0 23 Strzelecki 0 17 0 0 16 33 Williams 0 16 0 0 0 16 Guerra 0 0 15 0 19 34 Bush 0 13 0 0 0 13 Varland 0 0 12 0 0 12 Milner 0 0 10 0 14 24 Fan Highlight View full article

A home run and a rookie's grand slam made for an exhilarating watch today as the Brewers played their first home game of the season against the New York Mets, then cruised to a blowout win. Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Box Score SP: Freddy Peralta - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (85 pitches, 51 strikes (70.0%) Home Runs: Brian Anderson (1), Brice Turang (1) Top 3 WPA: Freddy Peralta (.261), Brian Anderson (.184), Jesse Winker (.144) Bottom 3 WPA: Joey Wiemer (-.058), Christian Yelich (-.036), William Contreras (-.033) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Peralta Dazzles in First Start After a shaky first inning where he gave up two walks to Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor, Peralta pitched a total of six shutout innings while striking out seven batters. He mixed it up, utilizing a 96-MPH fastball and a slider with 30+ inches of vertical movement. The fastball ramped up to that velocity as the start progressed, after he sat in the low 90s over the first two frames, and the slider's nastiness seemed to be heightened by the contrast in speeds. Peralta looked like the All-Star we all know and love. If he’s able to remain healthy, he’ll bolster an already very strong pitching rotation in Milwaukee. It’s Turang Time Immediately following yesterday’s game where scoring was driven by walks and shallow singles, today’s game was powered by the long ball. After a fourth inning, two-run homer by Brian Anderson, rookie Brice Turang hit the first home run of his major-league career--a grand slam. A spectacle for the fans at American Family Field, it was also an emotional moment for Turang himself, and a perfect cap to a seven-run rally. Jesse Winker, Willy Adames, and William Contreras also contributed an RBI each to the scoring fun in the fifth, which doomed the Mets for the day. Yelich and Rowdy Struggle Christian Yelich had some difficulties at the plate, striking out four times with no hits and a lone walk. Furthermore, several of those strikeouts were whiffs on pitches outside of the strike zone. Other than his hitting, though, Yelich did have a stolen base and a nice sliding catch in the eighth inning against former teammate Omar Narvaez. Rowdy Tellez has also had an exceptionally slow start thus far, going 1-4 today and getting a total of just two hits in his first 15 at-bats of the season. On the bright side, he didn’t strike out at all today. What’s Next? This game demonstrated what the Brewers are capable of when everything is clicking. The offense was operating as a well-oiled machine, but Peralta’s pitching performance was an important and encouraging indicator, too. Bryse Wilson was also able to keep the Mets scoreless over the last three innings, giving up just one hit and three walks. The home series against the Mets continues tomorrow as Wade Miley goes head to head with Max Scherzer. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet THU FRI SAT SUN MON TOT B Wilson 0 0 0 0 49 49 Varland 19 0 0 12 0 31 Strzelecki 10 0 17 0 0 27 Payamps 0 0 0 23 0 23 Guerra 8 0 0 15 0 23 Williams 0 0 16 0 0 16 Bush 0 0 13 0 0 13 Milner 0 0 0 10 0 10 View full article

What seemed to be a low-scoring affair quickly became a wildly exciting display of baseball intelligence after a breakout inning by the Brew Crew in the sixth. It was all-hands on deck as the Milwaukee Brewers win their first series of the season and return home with a record of 2-1. Image courtesy of David Banks, USA Today Box Score SP: Eric Lauer: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (89 pitches, 53 strikes (59.6%) Home Runs: None Top 3 WPA: Brice Turang (.235), Jesse Winker (.169), Garrett Mitchell (.127) Bottom 3 WPA: Victor Caratini (-.096), Joey Wiemer (-.064), Javy Guerra (-.031) Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) Lauer Makes Strong Season Debut A bit of a rough start saw Lauer throw 21 pitches in the first inning and give up a 375-foot home run to Patrick Wisdom in the second, but he was able to refocus and hold the Cubs to just two runs in his five innings of work. Lauer’s persistence and ability to remain calm bodes well for future starts and potential playoff opportunities. Things got a little scary when Javy Guerra stepped on the mound. He showed his excellent stuff, throwing a sinker that almost touched 100mph with nearly 20 inches of both horizontal and vertical break, but he struggled immensely with control. He threw just five strikes in 15 total pitches, giving up a hit and two walks without recording a single strikeout. Luckily, his team's run support and limited outing prevented him from doing any serious damage, giving up just two earned runs in total. Base Hits for Everyone The Brewers exploded for five runs in the sixth inning despite no extra base hits. After a groundout by Victor Caratini, a Brice Turang walk, Joey Wiemer single, wild pitch by Julian Merryweather, and a Christian Yelich walk to load the bases, Jesse Winker hit a crucial two-run line drive single to ignite the scoring. Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez continued the onslaught with two more singles followed by a sacrifice fly by Brian Anderson and yet another single by Garrett Mitchell. The inning of punishment finally ended when Caratini struck out in his second at-bat of the inning. Is Winker Back in Business? After a rough season in Seattle, Brewers fans have been wondering if Winker would return to his all-star form. An 0-for-4 team debut didn’t make the greatest first impression but a crucial pinch hit appearance on April 1st and his three-RBI performance today set the stage for a much-needed redemption season. Of course, a three-game sample size isn’t much to go off of especially when his second game consisted of a single at-bat, but a powerful Winker consistently filling in the DH position could be exactly what the Brewers need to surge into the postseason. What’s Next? The Cubs were a formidable division foe to start the season, especially given their offseason additions of Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Trey Mancini into the lineup. While there seem to be some apparent issues with bullpen consistency, the defensive abilities of the infield have been exceptional to start this season off. Rookies Brice Turang and Joey Wiemer have also shown pieces of excellence in their short-time in the majors thus far. With the absence of Luis Urias due to a hamstring injury, Turang especially has big shoes to fill at second base while Wiemer has the pressure of lofty expectations as one of the team's most highly touted prospects. Postgame Interviews Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet WED THU FRI SAT SUN TOT Varland 0 19 0 0 12 31 Strzelecki 0 10 0 17 0 27 Payamps 0 0 0 0 23 23 Guerra 0 8 0 0 15 23 Williams 0 0 0 16 0 16 Bush 0 0 0 13 0 13 Milner 0 0 0 0 10 10 B Wilson 0 0 0 0 0 0 View full article

A lot happened in the world of baseball in 2021. Fans were finally allowed to return after a quarantined 2020 season; we went back to watching 162 games; and Jesse Winker mashed baseballs like potatoes on Thanksgiving. In his best career year, he posted a slash line of .305/.394/.556, good enough for an OPS of .949 and an OPS+ of 143. How did we get from there to here? Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports After a trade that sent him and teammate Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners, Jesse Winker saw pretty significant regression in almost all offensive categories, posting a 2022 slash line of just .219/.344/.344--though that did constitute an OPS+ of 103. A pretty unpopular player in Seattle who was known as a defensive liability and instigator of colorful daytime brawls, Winker was shipped off to Milwaukee after just one year in the Pacific Northwest, in return for Kolten Wong. Unlike players like Jonathan India or Yasiel Puig, Winker’s decline wasn’t a result of regression to the mean following an anomalous breakout season. If anything, the decline itself was the anomaly. Winker’s career slash line from his debut in 2017 through his 2021 season is .288/.385/.504. Sure, Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is far more batter-friendly than T-Mobile Park in Seattle, but his career OPS+ of 129 adjusts for such ballpark factors and is still far clear of last year's figure. But why? Launch Angle - Not Just For Rocket Ships A few stats that I’ve recently been using to win more arguments on Twitter are the “x stats” - xBA, xSLG, and xWOBA. How these stats differ from their traditional counterparts is that they are meant to measure a hitter’s performance independent of opposing fielding. Using a mix of exit velocity, launch angle, and sprint speed (for certain batted balls), it measures how often similarly-hit balls end up as hits. This helps get a more isolated look at a player’s performance at the plate and diagnose what the possible culprit of a down year may be. I noticed that Winker's xBA was .249 for 2022, significantly lower than his xBA of .295 in 2021. His xSLG of .403 also showed major regression from 2021's figure of .524. This showed that something more intrinsic was the root cause, so let’s break down the three main factors to see if one saw significant change between his 2021 and 2022 seasons: 2021 2022 Career Avg. Exit Velocity (mph) 90.6 87.7 89.6 Max Exit Velocity (mph) 113.4 110.0 114.1 Avg. Launch Angle (degrees) 10.8 16.8 11.9 While his exit velocities remained relatively consistent with his 2021 and career numbers, his launch angle increased sharply in 2022. As a result, he had fewer line drives, fewer ground balls, and more pop-ups. Let’s go even deeper, and look at how certain samples of batted balls performed differently given different average launch angles to see if our hypothesis is true. First, let’s look at all of Winker’s balls that had a launch angle below this season’s average of 16.8 degrees. Of the 177 pitches that were hit, Winker’s BABIP was .350, dominated by shallow singles along with a handful of doubles. It’s hard to get extra-base hits while hitting at an average angle of -6 degrees, but like most contact-focused players, Winker did get on base. Additionally, his average exit velocity of 89.1 mph on these pitches aligns almost perfectly with his career average. Now let’s take a look at his batted balls that had a launch angle >16 degrees. The number of plate appearances is roughly the same, but there’s a clear difference in BABIP and exit velocity here. Furthermore, his launch angle in this sample averages 41 degrees. Judging by the spray chart, many of his batted balls end up being routine pop-ups. While all 14 of last season’s home runs are included in this sample, further digging shows that the steepest launch angle that resulted in a home run was 38 degrees, still lower than the sample average. In fact, 130 pitches in this sample had a launch angle higher than 28 degrees and had a BABIP of just .109. But what is the ideal launch angle? Like many things in the great sport of baseball, it depends. If you’re capable of launching baseballs into the upper deck, you might want to aim for a higher launch angle. That being said, shooting for a higher launch angle also typically results in more pop-ups and flyouts. A good example of this principle is 2022’s NL home run leader, Kyle Schwarber. He had a launch angle of 19.2 degrees and 46 home runs, but he also had a batting average of .218 and a BABIP of .240. Alternatively, if you don’t generate as much power and decide to be more of a contact hitter, you might opt for a lower launch angle, like 2022 NL batting title winner Jeff McNeil, who had an average launch angle of 12.8. There are obvious exceptions to this rule, such as Mike Trout (average launch angle of 24.6 degrees and a BABIP of .323) and Aaron Judge (62 home runs with an average launch angle of 15.0), but those are typically due to players possessing generational talent that transcends the mortal limitations that hold back the rest of the league. I’ve seen a few other sources claiming that his struggles in Seattle were due to constantly being shifted around in the lineup, locker-room drama, and injury risk. While those are all potential contributors, the main driver that stands out to me from a statistical perspective is this increased launch angle. In addition to his exit velocity numbers remaining relatively consistent, his plate discipline was exceptional. Winker walked an astounding 15.4 percent of the time in 2022. This means that he was still identifying good pitches to hit, just hitting them incorrectly. When Winker is going right, he will produce, with that discerning eye as the platform for it all. His newer, more vertically-inclined swing was, in my opinion, the primary culprit behind his Mariner mishaps. While it’s unclear whether he’ll be seeking to readjust his swing back to its former glory, Winker is undoubtedly hoping for a return to form as he heads into free agency in 2024. View full article

Everyone knows that the Brewers’ first year in the major leagues was 1970. However, not everyone knows that the team actually started in 1969, in Seattle. After what Lemony Snicket would call a series of unfortunate events, the team packed its bags and became the Brew Crew we know and love today. How did Seattle call it quits after just one hilariously catastrophic season? After the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland, Missouri senator Stuart Symington demanded that Major League Baseball create another team to replace the baseball diamond-shaped void in his life, threatening to pass legislation to weaken the special antitrust exemption held by the league that essentially allowed them to operate as a monopoly. This power move birthed the Kansas City Royals, and since MLB tended to grant expansion in pairs to keep numbers even, they also created a team in the Pacific Northwest that would come to be known as the Seattle Pilots. Seattle was a bustling metropolitan city in the 1960’s, becoming the third-largest city on the West Coast and serving as the home of the Seattle Rainiers, a popular minor-league team and member of the Pacific Coast League. Even before senator Symington’s fit, many teams, including those in Cleveland and Oakland, considered migrating to the Emerald City, but were ultimately held back by the limited seating capacity of the Rainiers’ home, Sick’s Stadium. Born out of an arson attack in 1932, Sick’s Stadium was a great minor-league field when it accommodated a capacity crowd of around 10,000 fans. With expansion coming on extremely short notice, Sick’s Stadium went from a community gathering place to a potential human rights violation. Renovation fell behind schedule, and on Opening Day, there weren’t even enough seats. Some fans were forced to wait outside of the stadium until their bleachers had been finished. Once more bleachers had been built, a few more fans were let in. Announcers in the press box were completely unable to see left field due to an obstructed view, so when balls were hit in that direction, they had to view the game through a carefully-angled mirror. There was no space for camera equipment nearer to the field, so photographers were stationed on the roof. But worst of all, in a cruelly ironic twist for a ballpark known as Sick’s Stadium, the plumbing was completely unable to handle the added stress of 14,000 additional spectators. Showers, toilets, and sinks all failed, unable to sustain the water pressure necessary to provide luxuries such as washing your hands for food service or relieving yourself during the seventh-inning stretch. To rectify this, portable toilets were brought in and were a somewhat satisfactory solution until a fan passed out inside one of them and was accidentally locked inside all night by a staff member. Inadequacies of the stadium were well-known and MLB explicitly outlined in the expansion agreement that it was to be used solely in the interim, while a new, domed stadium was being built. Furthermore, the Pilots’ debut was originally slated to be in the 1971 season, but Senator Symington, sitting atop his throne on Mount Olympus, demanded that the Royals start their season as soon as possible. Like a child on Christmas Eve, he simply couldn’t bear to wait any longer. While Kansas City already had the infrastructure needed to support a professional baseball team, it forced the Pilots to make do with what they had. Such putrid conditions led to poor fan reception, ranking it 20th out of 24 teams in terms of attendance (a 64-98 record and last-place finish in the newly created AL West didn’t help either). Poor attendance led to poor ticket sales, and to the eventual bankruptcy of the team after just one year. In a desperate attempt to offload the team, majority owner Dewey Soriano met with Bud Selig, former minority owner of the Milwaukee Braves, who was also trying to replace the baseball-sized void in his life by bringing a major-league team back to Milwaukee. Following other offers and further political strong-arming by the two Washington Senators and state attorney general, the Seattle Pilots were finally declared bankrupt six days before the start of the 1970 season and given the green light to head to Milwaukee. Milwaukee mostly let go of the dark past of its predecessor, but one thing that remains is the blue and yellow color scheme for jerseys and branding. In fact, currently sitting peacefully in what is now a Lowe's warehouse is almost all that’s left of the Pilots’ legacy. A small sculpted figure of a baseball player commemorates the former location of home plate in Sick’s Stadium before it was torn down. The Pilots' brief history is a somewhat sad but absolutely entertaining piece of Brewers trivia that I hope you will pull out the next time you’re at Thanksgiving dinner. View full article

In this second part of our preview of the 2023 Brewers' starting pitchers, we tremulously leave behind the golden aces atop the rotation, and begin to tackle the muddle emerging in the middle of that group. Image courtesy of © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports Freddy Peralta and Eric Lauer can make you nervous in a hurry. They've been the breakout starters of the last two seasons in Milwaukee, stabilizing the rotation for long stretches behind Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff, whom we discussed at length yesterday. With Peralta's lingering health questions and the disastrous results of Lauer's spring starts, though, the understudies suddenly look much less like fair facsimiles of the leading men. Freddy Peralta: Recovering Cannibal We’re soon going to see just how far great extension on an average-plus fastball can take a pitcher, unless Peralta can regain what he lost in 2022 and add a bit of pitching maturity to the mix, to boot. That’s not a comment on his maturity as a person, but he’s well into his big-league career, and he still hasn’t progressed from a thrower into a pitcher. He has to blossom as a craftsman in the art of pitching in order to become a more consistent force in the rotation. Peralta throws his four-seamer about 55 percent of the time to both righties and lefties. He throws his curve about 15 percent of the time to both, too. He uses his changeup twice as often as his slider against lefties, and his slider three times as much as his changeup against righties, but that’s the extent of the variation in his approach. Last year, almost completely regardless of count, he stuck to those ratios. He did try to steal strikes with the curve a bit more often on the first pitch, but that was the only wrinkle in his sequencing. It’s not enough. He has to set hitters up better in order to get more out of his stuff. He also needs to get back to having a distinct and useful slider, or else none at all. Last year, his curveball cannibalized the slider, and it made a bit of a slush where his two good and distinct breaking balls had been. Health issues will always be the biggest question mark around Peralta, but even if he holds up well all season, he has to answer these questions about his repertoire and its utility, too. Eric Lauer: Effectively Wild, and Vice Versa At what point do we start to attach real concern to poor spring training numbers? That question has as many answers as you can find players about whom to ask it. For veterans like Lauer, you usually do well not to let much of anything you see in the Cactus League dramatically alter what you previously thought. Then again, though, it's not as though Lauer is a bulletproof ace, proven and unquestioned in his role. Nor are some of the struggles he's encountered this spring entirely new or unfounded in the profile he's sketched into the record books in bis previous seasons. We also know, thanks to a study presented almost a decade ago by analyst Mike Rosenheck, that there is some signal (however drowning it might often be in noise) in spring training numbers--especially strikeouts and walks. Well, Lauer has faced 42 batters in three appearances this spring. He's walked six of them, fanned only five, and been lifted twice mid-inning, only to return the following frame to try to finish his work--all contributing to an ERA over 11.00. That last number probably needn't be taken seriously, but the others must be. He's been so ineffective that he's barely been able to work his way up toward the workload the team will need from him if he's going to be their fourth starter come early April. I wrote much about Lauer last month, focused especially on his odd splits and his migrations around the rubber, trying to find the optimal angles for his unique repertoire. He hasn't found them, and this spring has exposed some of the dangers that poses for him. He persists in trying to make his curveball work. Not only hasn't it done so, but he's spent the spring getting hit hard because he has hung that pitch (which hitters can spot right out of his hand) in the heart of the zone repeatedly. He's been more effective, when indeed he's been effective at all, by missing his spots and getting hitters uncomfortable. He's been missing the zone by two feet with his slider and cutter much of the time, but that's prevented opponents from locking in on his fastball when he throws it right down the middle. Lauer has made one adjustment that figures to be for the better: he's setting up closer to the first-base side of the rubber. If he can start executing his firm breaking balls and gives up the ghost on the curve (except as a strike-stealing offering when hitters are looking for anything else), he can recover his form of the last two years. If not, the Brewers need to explore some complementary options. Summary ZiPS Projections Player ERA GS IP BB SO Freddy Peralta 3.67 20 103.0 38 125 Eric Lauer 4.02 25 138.2 47 133 As third and fourth starters go, Peralta and Lauer really are quite good. The modern standard for non-premium starting pitchers is low, so despite the serious questions one might have about Peralta's health and Lauer's performance, the Brewers clear the bar. They have the potential for four solid starters, three of whom could be downright dominant. As we've seen here, though, there are major questions once things go beyond Burnes and Woodruff. Baseball wouldn't be fun if it were predictable. In this segment of the roster, Brewers fans have the chance to have a whole lot of fun this year. View full article