The key stretch for this team begins May 27th and ends June 22nd....

[Brewcrewin07]

That is when they play 18 of 24 at home. After this stretch we will definitely know if they have any shot at getting back into this race. It is truly a make or break stretch for them.

[naivin]

Suppan, Bush, Parra, McClung/Villanueva/Weaver...they don't. Its looking more and more like the dream of competing for a playoff spot died on the afternoon of May 1st in Chicago.

[pebadger]

The first 9 of those 18 are against Atlanta, Houston and Arizona, which are all at least +4 over .500 and a combined 20 games above .500 overall.

 

If the Brewers go 4-5 I'm sure we'll hear again how the schedule has been brutal. I'm starting to think the schedule only looks brutal, because when you are bad *everyone* will have a better record than you.

 

I think the 'key stretch', such as any strech can be identified in 162 game season, started on May 2. The Brewers could have handled Houston. They failed miserably. They failed miserably in Florida. May 14 against the Dodgers presented an opportunity to win a series and they failed miserably. The next day Sheets pitches great for 6 innings, gets no support, and then one disastrous inning turns that series into a loss. The last two days proved the first two days in Pittsburgh to be a mirage.

 

Simplistically stated, most of the difference between the Cubs and Brewers right now in the standings is the Cubs record against the Pirates. But that characterization is exactly that: simplistic. It's a long season and you have to win games consistently. Against everyone else other than the Pirates the Cubs are still above .500 because they maintain a certain level of consistency in theri play. The only seeming consistency the Brewers have generated thus far is negative.

 

Maybe the Brewers bats somehow come alive at MP and go they 8-1 on the homestand. That would be great, but even then I still won't be convinced that the Brewers are much different than the Reds a couple of season ago until the pitching can maintain a level of improvement into August.

[TooLiveBrew]

Simplistically stated, most of the difference between the Cubs and Brewers right now in the standings is the Cubs record against the Pirates.

 

And home v. road games. And overall competition. And players playing over their heads for CHN, while guys on the Brewers are moving up.

[SZBrewerFan]

Guys I don't mean to be a downer and I will continue to watch the boys play each and every night in hopes that somehow they turn it around. But in watch the first month and 2/3 of this team, they are not turning around anything. You need solid starting pitching and good defense to contend. You can have all the offense in the world and it doesn't matter....see Colorado Rockies in the late 90's and early 2000's. This team's defense is not good at all....period, and their pitching outside of Sheets and Parra recently has been horrible. How can anyone say they are going to turn it around? I am to a point where I almost want them to fail a little so changes are made. This team as constructed will never win. There isn't enough pitching coming up to make up for the loss of Sheets. Guys like Suppan, Bush, etc, etc are just garbage.

[pebadger]

Brewers have played games against 12 teams: their overall season series record 6 - 5 - 1.

Cubs have played games against 11: their overal season series record 4 - 4 - 3.

 

You don't always have to be great, but when you're not you should at least not stink.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

This team as constructed will never win. There isn't enough pitching coming up to make up for the loss of Sheets. Guys like Suppan, Bush, etc, etc are just garbage.

Never? Like Ever? Lol. I think there is a lot of development left with the team and we have high value guys that can bring in the pitching you are talking about so a statement like that might be a little harsh.

[SZBrewerFan]

Tuesday,

 

I understand that but you are kind of making my point for me. We do have high valued pieces, but unfortunately having pieces alone does not make a team a winning team. Defense and pitching wins, period. We may have one of the worst defensive teams ever assembled. I have seen high school and definitely college teams play more solid defense than this team does. The addition of Cameron was supposed to solidify our defense...it hasn't done a damn thing. Cameron can't play first, third, and centerfield at the same time. I was just saying that if you kept this team in tact over the next five years as it is today (even with a healthy Gallardo) I don't think this team is capable of seriously competing for even a division title. The only thing that would change that is if Parra continues to develop into a true number 1a/2 type starter which I think he can but you can never be sure. Now figure in the chances of keeping Sheets around after this year being pretty slim and where do you make up for that loss without blowing up the core of this team. I don't see how we make up for that loss without trading Prince. I asked here recently what kind of line does Fielder have to put up to make up for his inability to field. Honestly I think the guy has to hit 40-45 homeruns each year to do so. He is an absolute butcher at firstbase. Not trying to take this thread in a different direction, I just keep hearing the same thing around here how this team is going to turn it around, and I just don't buy it. This is not a good "Baseball" Team. They are talented and athletic....there is no questioning that, but that alone does not make them a good "Baseball" team.

[1992casey]

Never? Like Ever? Lol.

 

Using "Lol" to refute a legitimate point crosses the condescension line.

[brewerinvegas]

The first 9 of those 18 are against Atlanta, Houston and Arizona

 

Atlanta is 6-16 on the road, Arizona is 10-11 and playing struggling recently, and Houston is, well, Houston.