ReverendBrewmeister

LUC! Some good hitting down the line this game.

Yuni-Bomb. Do you believe it?

Looks like Green was warming up in the tunnel. Probably PH for Greinke. And now the picture of Loe warming up in the pen.

Keep it going, boys.

Braun's opposite field hitting is amazing. And there is the BIG INNING!

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Hairston has been a great addition for the post-season.

Better get the bullpen started, Ron.

Well so much for an answer back inning. Dreadful bottom of the order today.

Just get at least one back this inning.

HRs from Greinke. Ugh.

Wake up that bat, Rickie!

Zack, keep throwing in that "small window" against Pujols.

Again probably should have gotten at least one more run than actually scored, but at least 2 got across. Tired of seeing all the 1-run innings against Arizona.

At least no GIDP by Betancourt.

That's the way to start off a series, Braun!

The shift hurt on Holliday's grounder. Could have been out of the inning without a run. See if the shift saves any runs later this game.

The Classies have won. Will have to put up with La Russa's histrionics. But a chance to truly remove 1982 from the memories.

Guess it will be Chris Berman and the radio for the rest of the night. Off to HS football game. Hope to read great joy tonight! Go Brewers!

Guess it will be Chris Berman and the radio for the rest of the night. Off to HS football game. Hope to read great joy tonight! Go Brewers!

Time for a bottom of the order rally, at least clear the pitcher.

Time for a bottom of the order rally, at least clear the pitcher.

C'mon YoGa, gotta occasionally throw the breaking ball for strikes. But a fastball can work, too. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

C'mon YoGa, gotta occasionally throw the breaking ball for strikes. But a fastball can work, too. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

With Weeks' struggles at the plate during the NLDS, should Roenicke run out this lineup for Friday? RF - HartCF - MorganLF - Braun1B - Fielder3B - Hairston2B - WeeksSS - BetancourtC - LucroyP - Gallardo At this point, there needs to be someone who productively puts the ball in play at the #5 spot in the lineup. Right now, that is the hole in the lineup, as it has been most of the year. The top of the order is getting on, but they're not getting in, except for the big 6th-inning rally in Game 2 against Ziegler. (Even in that inning, Weeks made both the 1st and 3rd out.) Hairston currently looks to be the best guy to fill the #5 hitter role: not looking for home runs from JHJ, but looking for singles and doubles in the gap to move the runners around the bases. Moving Weeks down to #6 takes a bit of pressure off of him to knock runs in. Instead, Weeks could focus on getting on base. Right now, I might even consider having Weeks hit #7, behind Betancourt.

There were a number of positives in the game that should have led to a win:(1) Production from the bottom of the order: Betancourt - 3-for-4 with a 2B; Gomez - 2-for-3 with a HR; Kottaras - 0-for-3, with RBI groundout.(2) Offense scores runs: Six runs were scored on the road. That is a total that should put a team in a position to win.(3) Pitching from the bottom of the staff: Estrada put up scoreless innings, as well as Loe.(4) Hairston's continued success: 2-for-4, 1 BB, 1 2B. Good approach at the plate each at-bat. But then there were the negatives that led to a loss:(A) Wolf's and Narveson's inability to finish off innings: 7 out of 10 runs scored by Arizona were on 2-out RBIs. (B) Rickie Weeks' night: 0-for-5, 1 GIDP, 6 LOB.© No "big hit" = No "big inning": The hits to drive in multiple runs just never came, even when some of the "big hitters" came up to bat. At some point, you have to chalk some things up to "luck": Hart's SF could have been a double or HR leading to multiple runs, and the game would have changed. Not much can be done about that. There was enough done by the team without optimal performances from the entire lineup to nearly win the game despite Roenicke's failure to pull Wolf in the 3rd inning. That is what makes the loss tough to accept. A repetition of Arizona's performance in Game 4 need not be expected: a Roberts fly-out to left-center instead of a GS down the line and a Weeks single to left instead of a DP to 3rd in the 1st inning were just as likely as the reverse that actually happened. That would have completely changed the game. Friday will be tough, but I don't think that Tuesday's and Wednesday's performances necessarily portend doom and gloom.