7/13/08 Reds (Bailey) at Brewers (Sabathia): 1:05 CDT

[Jimbo]

This may have been the most exciting/electrifing games I've attended in the last twenty years. Shades of the Bambi's Bombers/Harvey's Wallbangers. Sell out crowd, crowd on its feet in the ninth, a key win in a pennant chase.

 

I will also send out kudos for Yost for this win.

[PrimeTime955]

These 2 July CC starts have already justified the Zach Jackson portion of the trade.

 

How about 10 wins in September / October to make us forgot all about the very existence of a certain FSU-senior-draft-pick-he-who-must-not-be-named?

When did we draft someone from Florida State?

 

[BrewCrewForever]

if you were Kapler wouldn't you be asking for an extra hour of ground balls at 2nd from Sveum at the end of practices?

Ha classic Tau.

Man CC is amazing. He pitches a complete game and gets the W with 9 K's. And I don't even think he really had his best stuff. That is scary.

Doug, you pulled the trigger and got us CC now please go get us Brian Roberts.

 

[mrbergmann]

I'd like to propose that this game is already one that could be marked down as an "extra" win that would not have occurred without Sabathia. Here's my rationale:

 

-Who would have pitched had Sabathia not been here? (Parra, in a different rotation alignment? Someone else would have pitched on Friday then, who would that have been?)

-Assuming that the offense has the same output, would that pitcher have hit a homer to aid the cause? (probably not)

-Would that other pitcher have only allowed 2 runs over 9 innings, including striking out the side in the 9th? (again, doubtful)

 

I realize it might be a stretch to say, with any certainty, that the Brewers lose today without Sabathia, and win only because of him, but the evidence sure supports it.

[Ranier]

I agree that CC was the main reason we won, but you can never assume anything with a change like a different pitcher. It bothers me when announcers say 'that would have been run' when someone gets a hit after another player makes a baserunning error, or can't get a bunt down. If someone else started maybe we score 10 runs and win a blowout....or get no hit....you just never know.

[TheBwaz]

I'm hoarse. Just totally hoarse. Exciting game to be at and if you were there, you understood everything that was going on. There was no way CC was coming out of that game until he had they win. As the 8th ended, nobody in the dugout talked to him. He ripped off his coat, wiped off his arms, and got back out there. There was a standing O as he came in, and it never really stopped.

 

Miller Park moved. There was no sitting through most of the ninth. I didn't hear one thing about a certain person who plays a certain game 2 hours to the north all day.

[TheBwaz]

This game wouldn't have been 2-2 in the 9th if Weeks hadn't had a total brain cramp in getting thrown out at 3rd. That said I can't say if CC was the determining factor. He had not a lot to do with the DP in the 8th and then created his own problem. We still won and that is all that counts. A Joe Winkelslas W counts the same as a CC W when you are adding up Ws at the end.

[thablingster]

No. Absolutely not.

 

CC was on his game today, especially as the game went on. Ned showed a great deal of confidence in him sending him out for the 9th with 110+ pitches, but with Torres' workload the way it is and the bullpen's struggles as of late we couldn't have counted on winning this game with anyone else on the mound. Sheets maybe wins it, but CC definitely provided the best chance to win today.

[owbc]

They won because of CC--but that doesn't mean they wouldn't have won without him.

 

Still, having CC go out there after two consecutive losses makes a gigantic difference. It's only 1/162, but you don't want to go into the ASB on a 3 game losing streak. Instead, we're only 5 back of the Cubs and we have CC pitching again on Friday and Sheets on Saturday.

[logan82]

I actually would like to see Sheets and CC split up by another guy in the rotation.

[silversurferr]

CC was awesome! How refreshing to see a Brewer pitcher get better as the game goes on! (Sheets also does, I guess.) It may be overstated, but you can feel the energy and confidence increase when he is pitching.

[RU Rah Rah]

I realize it might be a stretch to say, with any certainty, that the Brewers lose today without Sabathia, and win only because of him, but the evidence sure supports it.

Yeah, I don't think it's a wild stretch, especially when you factor in the HR.

 

[Jay Zahn]

This game wouldn't have been 2-2 in the 9th if Weeks hadn't had a total brain cramp in getting thrown out at 3rd. That said I can't say if CC was the determining factor. He had not a lot to do with the DP in the 8th and then created his own problem. We still won and that is all that counts. A Joe Winkelslas W counts the same as a CC W when you are adding up Ws at the end.

That was a bad play, but they still wouldn't have scored in that inning had Weeks held 2nd.

[MickeyDavis]

I actually would like to see Sheets and CC split up by another guy in the rotation.

At some point Ned may do that but having them go 1-2 after the break means that they each face the Cards in the final two games of that series.

 

[markedman5]

Since Hardy scored the tying run, in the inning Weeks got thrown out at third, that play made absolutely no difference in the game.

 

It was obviously a very poor play but in this case it didn't hurt us at all.

[adaozzy]

This game wouldn't have been 2-2 in the 9th if Weeks hadn't had a total brain cramp in getting thrown out at 3rd. That said I can't say if CC was the determining factor. He had not a lot to do with the DP in the 8th and then created his own problem. We still won and that is all that counts. A Joe Winkelslas W counts the same as a CC W when you are adding up Ws at the end.

That was a bad play, but they still wouldn't have scored in that inning had Weeks held 2nd.

Not sure what you two are talking about. If Weeks stays at second like he should have, then Hardy gets thrown out at first. Weeks almost certainly tags when Braun flied out, so he would be on third. When Fielder walks there would be runners on first and third. When Kapler doubles Weeks would have scored and Fielder would have ended up on third with Kapler on second and it would be two-two. Instead Hardy was on second when Kapler doubled and still scored to make it two-two and Fielder still ended up on third with Kapler on second. Either way when Hall pops out the inning is over.

So the end result is exactly the same. Weeks may have run like an idiot, but it had no effect on the final outcome.

[hawing]

I'm struck by the difference in tone between the posts from people who were at the game and those who were not.

 

I'll admit, Friday's game was a punch to the gut for me: battle to take the lead and then promptly proceed to blow it, topped off with a save by Fran$i$co. My Brewers spirit took a hit and it wasn't restored by even midway through today's game. I was impressed by the Sabathia home run, but not fully optimistic that the Brewers could generate enough additional offense to make a difference.

 

CC just got stronger as the game went on. His pitch count stayed pleasantly reasonable for much longer than I've become used to with Brewers starters. His escape in the 8th gave me some more hope (fortunately, he wasn't distracted by the highly ill-timed wave), and his 9th inning was truly exciting. Fans stood as he returned to the field. The "Let's go, CC" chant rang out. (This did make me wonder why there can't be, say, a Let's Go Manny or Let's Go Dave Bush chant. Do they deserve fan support less?)

 

CC finished the top of the 9th with another punchout, gave his fistpump and left to the half-inning-long standing ovation. All I could think was, "how can this not motivate the Brewers to get him the win?" Then over the sound system came "I'm a Believer" (the Smash Mouth version that appears in Shrek). People around me were singing "I'm! a believer! I'm! a believer!" Honestly, I got a little verklempt.

 

So the game ended well. CC got the thoroughly deserved win. Cordero didn't get a blown save or loss (and he did enter with the odds against him), but at least he was on the mound when the Brewers won. The level of excitement was 1980s-style, as Jimbo suggested earlier.

 

I tend not to subscribe to the notion that one player can make that much of a difference, but watching CC today makes me wonder if that in fact can happen, at least once in a while. If the excitement and confidence that currently surround CC catch on (and stick) with the rest of the team, I think we'll have a special few months ahead of us.

 

Oh, and I'm now motivated to bring back a kool-aid avatar. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[sgtcluels]

I missed the entire game. I had a dumb work picnic, but I got in my car around just to hear the 3rd out on the bottom of the 8th. Was great to listen to CC K the sign, I can imagine the electricity in the stands. Great Gritty win by CC, and good to see Hall produce.

 

I'm pretty down that I didn't get to watch the game today, as it's my last "Brewers" only fill for a few days. I guess I can do something productive for a day or two.

[TabbertBB]

What I find amazing about the Reds baseball players is that Hairston goes down with an injury and hardly one of them can get off their high priced duffs and help him off the field!!!

It took a 60 year old Baker and a Trainer and maybe (couldn't catch if it was a player) one player to help him off the field. What happened to strong guys like Dunn giving a hand or wouldn't that be in their contracts???

[ewizabeff]

I kinda wondered why the little first aid golf cart didn't make an appearance. Do they not use that on the field?

[SeriesFinale]

CC just got stronger as the game went on. His pitch count stayed pleasantly reasonable for much longer than I've become used to with Brewers starters. His escape in the 8th gave me some more hope (fortunately, he wasn't distracted by the highly ill-timed wave), and his 9th inning was truly exciting. Fans stood as he returned to the field. The "Let's go, CC" chant rang out. (This did make me wonder why there can't be, say, a Let's Go Manny or Let's Go Dave Bush chant. Do they deserve fan support less?)

 

CC finished the top of the 9th with another punchout, gave his fistpump and left to the half-inning-long standing ovation. All I could think was, "how can this not motivate the Brewers to get him the win?" Then over the sound system came "I'm a Believer" (the Smash Mouth version that appears in Shrek). People around me were singing "I'm! a believer! I'm! a believer!" Honestly, I got a little verklempt.

That's awesome...I was watching it on TV and I felt much like you did...once he got through the 8th there (and yeah, the wave? Really? Come on Milwaukee fans), I just felt in my bones they were gonna take it. That 9th inning side-strikeout was more than I could've hoped for, though; and I did notice that the fan support: the chants, the way they went nuts after every strikeout (it reminded me of being in the 9th inning of Big Ben's 18-strikeout performance, and the way they were still going nuts when they came back from commercial. It's a beautiful thing to see that kind of atmosphere at MP, fill that bandwagon up, wave-starters and all.

 

Despite how mediocre the homestand was, the Crew couldn't have gone into the break any better. I know we say this all the time (and that it rarely comes to pass), but I really hope the Brewers can take something from it.

[hawing]

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/photographer/25/25103_large.jpg

After CC's last K of the game today. Doesn't he look photoshopped in?

 

[bucks2281]

Aha, my new avatar.

 

He really does look photoshopped...perfect lighting, I guess.

 

And wow, who thinks that a critical plot point in the 8th is a good time for the wave? I'll admit, I was a bit embarassed for our fan base.

[logan82]

bucks2281 wrote:

And wow, who thinks that a critical plot point in the 8th is a good time for the wave? I'll admit, I was a bit embarassed for our fan base.

I bet it came out of left field.

[bucks2281]

I bet it came out of left field.

 

Right field terrace, I believe.