BarremlensTSSC

I agree. I don't think they have a choice but to include one of them. The end of the pen is pretty sketchy at this point. I suspect it'll be Miz but it's probably by default at this point.

Yeah, You could really see how hard they were gripping tonight. (Not sarcastic.) I honestly think there's a lot of trying a little too hard right now.

Funniest line delivery in film history. Cracks me up every time.

Never imagined I would be this frustrated with a team as they clinched the best record in MLB and home field through the postseason. Baseball, baby.

Well I guess Gasser probably isn't going to make the playoff roster if they have a choice. He could have used some help and he may not have cracked. Man.... this team looks like it's in big trouble. At least the bats got off the mat a little and they're showing some fight now, even if it's too late tonight. They look awake finally. Perkins tonight is showing the conundrum he presents: his defense is so good you almost have to play him, but his bat adds very little to a lineup that needs everything it can get. If Yelich could play LF every day it would open up the DH spot for Bauers/Vaughn, but he can't. The lineup decisions with this group are deceptively tricky.

Every hard hit ball finds a glove. Been going on for weeks.

that was 2011

Upside is there's really no one in the NL that's really hot right now. Lot of 4-6, 5-5, 6-4 in the last 10 up and down the league.

That's probably true, particularly for the staff and the position players defensively. I do think that it's a little less likely that the bats will come alive during several days of down time.

Probably true. Doesn't make it the right call.

I might be going out on a limb here but it might be hard to win games if Yelich is the only guy hitting come the playoffs.

I was ok with Counsell for the most part. There were a few decisions over the years I had significant problems with. Winker being on the 2023 playoff roster and then being used the way he was used in those playoff games was, in my opinion, the dumbest decision by a Brewers manager since Roenicke started Kotsay in CF. But for the most part I thought having him as a manager was an advantage for the Brewers during his time here, and that's better than the more typical alternatives of being neutral or worse, which is what most managers offer.

Said it the other day, but I really think Murph is going to fight for him to be on the playoff roster. Not saying I agree with it, but I think he's going to do it.

I don't like Mears in a high leverage inning, but I'm more or less ok with Murphy for using him that way right now because there aren't really a lot of alternatives. My primary issue with Murphy was/is when he insists on using players because of the role he imagines them playing instead of what they're actually doing. Hoskins is one of the players where he's fallen into that trap periodically over the last two seasons. I fully expected him to force Hoskins into the lineup at the expense of Bauers and Vaughn, particulary once it became clear that Vaughn's power had vanished/regressed, but he really hasn't done that. He's not perfect. I actually think that he's done a better job this year than last year when he won MOTY. Right now I think he's leaving Collins on the bench too much and that he's probably starting Perkins too much. But the OF is a sneaky tough lineup decision every day because Frelick's knee likely won't let him play CF, Chourio's defense in CF is great at times and pretty shaky at others, so his options are to use Perkins for his defense and give up some offensive production by benching Collins/Frelick/Chourio (because the DH spot is occupied) or risk defensive miscues at a time his pitching staff is wobbling under the weight of the season and injuries. I'd use Perkins primarily as a late inning defensive replacement (like today) and get Frelick/Collins/Chourio as many ABs as possible, but I don't think the opposite choice is awful. Defintely don't think it's out of line to question his decisions. I just think it's pretty obvious that he's a value added manager the last two regular seasons which is relatively rare

I agree, although I think part of what's going on is just a desire to get Perkins on the field while not losing at bats from Frelick and Chourio.

****. Jinxed it.

Also, on a personal note (not that anyone should care), I left Brewcrewball about 6 weeks ago and started hanging out here in gamethreads because BCB had, as it periodically does, devolved into a circumstance where the opinions or one poster were taken as gospel and if he corrected/disagreed with you the pile on began. (He is a master of the "well, actually" comment/reply. He was often right, but always insufferable.) The vibe here is different; quieter, but otherwise for the better, at least for me. Really enjoying it here. Thanks everyone.

Go Marlins! Up 1-0!

It sure would be helpful for Megill to magically reappear as an effective reliver so we don't have to watch Mears in high leverage innings this often.

Haha! Entropy can suck it! Let's Go Brewers!

I guess that's why they keep playing Chourio in CF even though he's a little squirrely out there on some plays.

Little help from the Marlins tonight. Much appreciated.

Agreed on the ABs. There are some. Just my opinion but Chourio looks like he's on the verge of a positive regression. But yeah, it'd be nice to see some more competitive ABs.

Can Zimmerman just throw 200 pitches? If he's gonna suck he might as well go 9, right?