Results tagged ‘ Astros ’
2013 Milwaukee Brewers Schedule, Highlights
While there’s still work to be done in 2012, Major League Baseball released it’s preliminary 2013 schedule today.
The Milwaukee Brewers open at home with a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies beginning on Monday, April 1st.
They’re home for six games over seven days before hitting the road where they’ll help the Chicago Cubs open their home season at Wrigley Field on Monday, April 8th.
The biggest changes for 2013 are of course the nearly daily occurance of at least one interleague game on the schedule, a move necessitated by the shifting to the American League from the National League of the Houston Astros.
The Brewers’ first interleague series is a short two-game set against the Texas Rangers on May 7-8 at Miller Park. The Brewers do play the Astros in Interleague play as well, heading to Houston for a three-game series June 18-20.
Their old “natural” rival Minnesota Twins are faced in what’s basically a “home-and-home” pair of two game series between May 27-30. The first two are played at Miller Park with the final two at Target Field in Minneapolis.
In all there are seven Interleague series for the Brewers in 2013. They host the Oakland Athletics from June 3-5. They’ll be in Seattle from August 10-12 before heading to Texas for a pair of games August 13-14. Their last interleague series of the year will be run from August 30-September 1 when Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels come to town.
Milwaukee closes the 2013 season with a seven-game road trip to Atlanta to face the Braves for three games and Flushing where they’ll close the regular season with a four-game set against the Mets.
Click here for a PDF version of the schedule: http://mlblogsbrewers.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/mb-2013-schedule-h-no-allfan.pdf
Brewers First “Half” Ends With Win, Sunday’s News and Notes
Brewers Defeat Astros, Final: 5-3 (10 innings)
The first “half” of the regular season came to an end for the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon with a 5-3 Win in Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.
Zack Greinke started the game, his second in two days (more on that later), but a rough first inning saw the former Cy Young Award winner throw 39 pitches and allow three runs to score. Greinke settled down after the first but with a reduced pitch count was only able to get through three full innings (on 66 pitches) before being lifted for the day’s scheduled starter Marco Estrada.
Why did Greinke start consecutive days? That would be the direct result of being ejected from Saturday’s game after facing two hitters, and only throwing four pitches. Greinke was tossed after arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Joe West. Something that will get you tossed every time.
Wait…what? That’s not what happened?
Then it must have been because he spat in an umpire’s face.
No?
Kicked dirt on an umpire’s shoes.
Really?
Of course I’m being facetious. Greinke was tossed because he spiked the baseball into the dirt after failing to cover first base quickly enough on a ground ball. Greinke was late getting over and the quick Jose Altuve tied him to the bag. First base umpire Sam Holbrook called Altuve safe (the right call) and Greinke, mad at himself for getting over late, threw the ball down in disgust. Holbrook, who isn’t exactly known for his patient temperament, sent Greinke to the showers.
Anyway…after such a short outing (and no scheduled plans for Tuesday), Greinke offered to come back and start Sunday’s game. He did just that, struggled through the first inning, but left on a positive note when he struck out the side in a perfect third inning.
Estrada entered and allowed only one baserunner on a walk, but who was retired on a double-play. Therefore, Estrada faced the minimum through three innings of work. He was lifted for Jose Veras who was then followed by Francisco Rodriguez, each of who worked perfect innings in the 7th and 8th respectively.
The Brewers had tied it up by the 9th inning when Manny Parra entered and worked a clean frame to send the game into extra innings.
That ended up being just “extra inning” however as the Brewers plated a pair despite leaving the bases loaded.
John Axford entered the game and, though allowing a couple of baserunners, closed the door for his 15th Save of the 2012 season.
The victory gave the Brewers a series victory and saw them end the first “half” of the year with a record of 40 Wins against 45 Losses.
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Gennett Participates in Futures Game
Gennett entered the game in the 5th inning but still managed to amass four plate appearances, which is reflected in the fact that Team USA scored 17 runs in a rout of Team World.Brewers prospect Scooter Gennett didn’t start, but did finish the 2012 All-Star Futures Game which was played on Sunday night in Kaufmann Stadium which will host the All-Star Game on Tuesday night.
The final box score for “Scooter”:
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | K | LOB | AVG |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
The hit was a double, and Gennett scored both times he reached based for Team USA.
Gennett was the only Brewers representative in the Futures Game this year.
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Taylor Green Optioned to Nashville
After the big league game ended, utility man Taylor Green was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville in a move designed to give the former organizational Minor League Player of the Year some playing time.
While up with the parent club, Green got chances but they came spottily at best and barely at all once Corey Hart was basically permanently moved to first base defensively.
Green needs the chance to play every day and to get some swings. He’s only had four plate appearances all month and hasn’t logged a hit since June 26th, not coincidentally his last start.
The team stated that they would call up a bat in time for Friday to replace Green on the roster, but they did not name the player who would be coming. Chances are it will be a middle infielder as they are covered quite well in the outfield and at the infield corners.
Based on 40-man roster implications, my money would be on second baseman Eric Farris who is the only infielder at Nashville currently on that roster. Farris also would offer a right-handed hitting option off the bench in games where manager Ron Roenicke starts nearly all right-handed hitters. Previously, the bench options would have been lefties Nyjer Morgan, George Kottaras, Green, and switch-hitting Cesar Izturis who is cover-your-eyes awful from the right side.
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Greinke Slated to Start Friday
Zack Greinke will be making Brewers history this coming Friday, assuming he makes his scheduled start at Miller Park.
More than that, he’ll be doing something that hasn’t been done since 1917!!
If Greinke makes the start as planned, he’ll be starting three consecutive games for a team in the same season. This feat was last performed 95 years ago by Hall of Fame pitcher Red Faber who did it for the White Sox. Faber’s three games were a bit different than what Greinke’s All-Star-break-aided trio will be though.
Faber started both games of a double-header (he got shelled in both leading to short outings) and then threw a complete game, 16-hitter (only 3 runs!) the next day.
Still, starting three consecutive games in the same season is a feat unmatched since.
Leave it to Zack Greinke (credit Holbrook with the assist?) to challenge history.
Decision Day is Drawing Nigh for the 2012 Milwaukee Brewers
At the close of play today, Thursday, July 5th, the Milwaukee Brewers sit with a record of 38-44, 8.0 games behind the National League Central Divison-leading Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s a far cry from where the Brewers were a year ago at this time, and at times it feels like this year’s incarnation will never accomplish anything.
While this may prove to be true in the end, at least as far as a playoff participation is concerned, there is still plenty of time left this year to simply enjoy the game of baseball if nothing else.
Then again, there is still a small window of opportunity in front of the Brewers. Between now and Monday, July 23rd is a stretch of 12 regular-season games (along with the MLB All-Star break) which will decide how busy general manager Doug Melvin’s phone will be and whether he’ll be making calls or receiving them.
This stretch is singularly key to the Brewers decision-makers because all 12 games are intradivisional along with the final nine of those games coming against the three teams in front of them in the Division.
The three games prior to the break are in Houston, against an Astros team that traded off one of its only offensive pieces. Those are extremely winnable games, especially given that Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke will be pitching in the series.
The nine games immediately following the break begin with six at Miller Park (a place where the Brewers seriously need to play more consistent baseball) against the Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, and then three on the road in Cincinnati against the Reds.
The Brewers trail the Cardinals by 5.5 games, the Reds by 6.5 games and, as I mentioned earlier, the Pirates by 8.0 games. So, while the Brewers would be hard-pressed to overtake any of the teams during this stretch, even should they somehow go 12-0, one can see the importance here.
Should the Brewers continue to falter and lose, the front office will be left with little choice but to sell off valuable pieces to the highest bidders. As we discussed on the podcast recorded Thursday morning (which hopefully will be posted soon), those pieces should include Shaun Marcum, George Kottaras, Nyjer Morgan, Francisco Rodriguez, Cesar Izturis, and even Zack Greinke (assuming the team is as far away on a contract offer as it appears that they are). Furthermore, should a team approach the Brewers with an acceptable offer for any expendable member of the Brewers roster, that deal should be made.
Nobody in the locker room wants the team to sell. They enjoy this group and want to maintain it, if at all possible. That just simply can’t happen if they have no chance of winning though.
Now, some may say that after the injuries to Chris Narveson, Mat Gamel and Alex Gonzalez that the team never had a chance, but that’s beside the point.
The point being: if the team can gain some significant ground on the teams ahead of them in the Division, and they do so by showing some consistent play in all facets of the game, the front office would likely try to add to the roster and make a push.
Nobody is saying that this scenario doesn’t seem like a tremendous long shot, but as of today at least its a shot that’s available to take.
Bottom line: Pay attention, Brewer Nation. A decision will be made by Monday, July 23rd as to whether this team buys or sells before the July 31st non-waiver trading deadline. Trust me, either way there will be plenty of time to make one or more deals, regardless of the direction of the roster.
Also, either way, it’ll be an exciting time to pay attention to the team. Just make sure you haven’t checked out by then.
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