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Does anyone actually think this roster has playoff talent? I don't think there's a single manager in MLB that could go .500 with this team. They are 13th in the NL in ERA and 7th in OPS. I fail to see how Roenicke is capable of getting those numbers back to 7th and 2nd like last year. The Royals are 8th in the AL in ERA and 10th in OPS. The Royals are an equally talented team. They have about the same record as the Brewers. So it was really no surprise that the series was evenly matched. Usually when the bullpen is struggling, the manager gets blamed.

I would be concerned about an increasing number of perfect games if it appeared that the opposition was mailing it in or if the umpires were giving too many calls in favor of the pitcher. But that doesn't appear to be the case, this was a well earned perfect game. Perhaps this is also subtle proof that limiting pitch counts and the 5-man rotation are effective means of protecting pitchers. Maybe it is easier for pitchers to be effective in the late innings because they are experiencing less arm fatigue than they used to. It may have taken awhile for the data to show up because of the steroid era and that it is only now that pitchers who have been protected since high school are showing up in the majors. You could even argue that the expansion to 30 teams may have contributed, since half the Astros' batting order would not have been major-league caliber for most of the history of MLB (and they are no longer juiced up to compensate).

Never a doubt...

Joyce has a flight to catch.

They really can't afford to lose this game.

Not sure where everyone is today, but I made this the "official" game thread. Our catchers sure know how to come up with clutch hits this year.

It's probably because Ohlendorf throws 10 mph faster than Fiers.

Looks like the sun through the windows is really causing problems for the Brewers.

Looks like Hart is on another one of those hot streaks.

Even more amazing is that Votto has only pulled one ball foul to right field his entire career.

There was no obvious replacement for McGehee and there were legitimate reasons for starting McGehee over the other options. As soon as Weeks returned from the DL, Hairston took over at 3B. Just because you do not agree with the manager does not make him an idiot. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with RR, but there usually isn't a simple right and wrong answer. Especially on something like the day-to-day lineup, when the full details of players' availability are not always known.

While I also agree with the proposed lineup changes, I have to give RR credit. Looking at the roster, it amazes me that this team is 25-31 and hasn't gone into a complete tailspin after all the injuries. Out of everything a manager can be evaluated on, the starting lineup is worth about 5% to me. And most of the time, RR ends up making the proposed changes anyway--unlike the previous 2 managers who would stubbornly stick to things for months after it was obvious a change needed to be made.

Haha, that is awesome. It is much better than giving conflicting advice :-)

Shin splints are the #1 most common running injury. I used to have serious problems with them when I was a college undergraduate, but now I have gotten to the point where they only occasionally show up as mild discomfort. Shin splints are from pounding the ground too hard. The only way to get rid of them is to change your running form. Certain shoes can assist with that but generally it is up to the runner to concentrate on landing softer and more towards the mid-foot instead of the heel. Shortening/quickening your stride can help. Picking shoes is both difficult and important. Running stores can give mixed advice, try to seek out different opinions. It is up to you to pay attention to your running form and then find a shoe that matches it so that you have the least possible impact on your legs. There are shoes out there now that will force you off your heels (Newtons) but if you are not very careful you will end up with other injuries. Generally, just look for something light weight without a thick heel. My shin splints were the worst when I had shoes with thick heel padding--it doesn't help. Even if you get the shoes and form right, they can still show up (probably because of the hard pavement, like you mentioned). Warming up before running can help--not just stretching but something to get your heart pumping for awhile. Also, do some strength training, focusing on the calf muscle. Another thought I have is that maybe your shin splints progressed into a stress fracture. It takes about 2 months for a stress fracture to heal, so if you took a few weeks off running it won't make a difference. For that reason, I would recommend seeing an orthopedic doctor. Hope that helps, good luck fighting off the injuries.

Greinke with 11 K through 5, but his pitch count is probably going to limit him to 7 innings max. Too bad.

Strange to see such small crowds for Brewers-Cubs games. I guess the 5th place vs the 6th place team isn't worth the marquee ticket price?

Nice looking approaches from Green and Rickie.

If my Conrad HR prediction is going to be correct, now is the time.

Now that is funny! Awesome.

A Mets fan ran onto the field and didn't quite make it to the pileup...

It's interesting because Beltran hit a fair ball that was called wrong by the 3B umpire.

By the way, for those that haven't checked the Cardinals' box score, I suggest taking a look.

Wolf was having a bad inning, but that error was the difference between the game still being in reach and the game being essentially over. It was the most important AB of the game in terms of LI and it lowered the chance of winning by over 20% compared with if he caught the ball. I think it's fair to be critical because there is a reasonable replacement sitting on the bench.

I guess then the question is, why is a catcher in there that is incapable of blocking the plate and making that quick throw to 1st to turn the double play? I think I've seen enough of Nyjer Morgan.

Kottaras needs to learn how to block the plate. Walker just slid around his toe.