How Good is the Brewers Bullpen?

[Hate those Rodents]

If he doesn't allow a run all year, knock on wood, there is absolutely no chance of Hoffman NOT winning the Cy Young, provided of course that he is healthy the rest of the year and we make the post-season again.

[twobrewers]

In Villanueva's last 14 innings he has given up 3 H, 0 ER 2 BB and 20 K. Those are ungodly numbers.

 

Before that, he had a 7.30 ERA.

 

Clearly, something has "clicked" for Villanueva.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

The bullpen would be even better with a 2nd lefty like Swindle. Burns and Smith seem like nice pitchers, but I believe a 2nd lefty would provide some more flexibility. Perhaps Melvin is exploring trade options for a 2nd lefty before the deadline?

[Brawndo the Thirst Mutilat]

It is rare but sometimes a RP will take the Cy Young. Gagne, Eckersley, Bedrosian, Sutter, Lyle, Marshall, Fingers etc.

 

I know Eckersley and Fingers both won MVPs, not sure if anyone else has.

Willie Hernandez also took both the MVP and CY for Detroit in 1984. Fun fact: he pitched 140 innings that year, without making a single start.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Wow. That's almost double the innings that Marmol threw last year.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

I also blame whoever started this thread for the bullpen's failure today. Bad karma.

[DougJones43]

That would be me. I supposed I should have realized this would happen...

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Most definitely! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif No worries, though. They were due.

[Ennder]

Willie Hernandez also took both the MVP and CY for Detroit in 1984. Fun fact: he pitched 140 innings that year, without making a single start.

Mike Marshall won the CY and was 3rd in MVP voting in 1974 with this line.

 

106 games(none started). 15-12, 21 saves, 208.1 IP, 2.42 ERA. Don't see RP like that anymore http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[lcbj68c]

Thanks Ken Macha. Wasnt' that Villy's third consecutive day of work? Then sits on his rear while Villy gives up hit after hit after hit when Trevor could have came in. If the bullpen is going to continue to be an asset, it'd be wise for Macha to manage it somewhat decently like he did the first 6 weeks of the season.

[crewcrazy]

I don't think Hoffman has the durability to put together a 4 out save at his age. I don't have a problem with Macha babying him a bit, because they're going to need Hoffman to stay sharp the entire season if they're going to make a run for a playoff spot.

 

I wasn't comfortable throwing Villa out there for a third straight day, but I had a bigger problem with the way Kendall called that inning. For all the praise he gets for calling a good game, he hasn't done a great job of setting guys up to succeed very well. Villanueva's change-up is very difficult for lefties to hit, but instead Kendall calls for a curveball to both McCann and McLouth that cost them. I won't get too worked up over today's loss, though, because it was largely a successful series and a nice way to rebound after the debacle in Florida.

[lcbj68c]

Have to agree on the Kendall comments. Not to mention the failures of Macha to again manage the bench when it came to Kendall's hitting debacle in the 9th inning. Everybody and their mother knows Kendall is a ground ball machine, yet he leaves them in there when Rivera has more propensity to lift or drive the ball. Of course, a GIDP ensued. These are games the team should be winning, very frustrating to hang this one on the bullpen when they didn't really deserve it.

[JoeHova]

JINXED!!!

 

 

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[Invader3K]

Yeah, I really did not get why he couldn't have Rivera pinch hit for Kendall (against a lefty as well). The fact that he had Rivera on deck when Kendall was at bat really had me scratching my head. There was little chance Kendall was going to do anything productive in that situation.

[endaround]

Its because Macha screwed up twice in his substitutions. The first was double switch of Hart which should have been Hall for Gamel since you knew Hall was going to come in anyway. So now the pitcher is 7th and Gerut is 9th. Now the big thing is instead of putting Hall in the pitcher's spot after Gamel made the last out and doing a double switch, he put Hall in as a straight sub for Gamel. So he was down to two RH bench bats for his pitcher and for Gerut.

 

That said Kendall being Kendall should have been bunting.

[logan82]

I didn't think of it earlier, but Stetter instead of Shouse is like having an extra arm in the pen.

[BrewCrewForever]

Stetter has been great. Much improved from last season when he could be very wild. So far this year he has command and has been a huge addition.

[Team Canada]

As reported by Adam in the game wrap, Stetter now owns a Brewers record: his last eleven outs have been strikeouts. That tops Sheets, who had 10. That's amazing.

[Tbadder]

The bullpen is only as good as the starters will allow it to be. The cracks in the dike are beginning to show. Luckily we've still got Dillard in AAA; he should be serviceable. If Capuano was on the horizon I might feel better.