2011-06-14 Brewers (Gallardo) at Cubs (Wells) - [Brewers lose, 5-4, ten innings]

[sdcheezhd]

You can make a pretty good case that he should walk Castro and Ramirez and set up the force with guy hitting 216.

[brewmann04]

wow i guess they still have the Hangover from the Cards,who would thought the offense would go south with men on base, Very dejecting first two games against the Cubbies. Horrible way not to get victory for either Wolf or Gallardo the last two games.

[fondybrewfan]

Hitting with RISP was also pathetic again.

 

Is the road curse coming back again? I think RR left his good pillow at home.

 

The Brewers media has got to start making RR answer some tough questions about his in game strategy. At this point he seems like a players manager who is just awful at late game managing.

[brewmann04]

well hopefully my Bruins will game 7 tomorrow to make me forget these two losses.

[Raw Biz]

It has nothing to do with the manager. I am now convinced people need a place to vent and go to the internet just to write I hate Betancourt and the manager cost us a game. I guess the people I watch with and know are living in a different world. We hate to lost to the cubs but I have no idea how managers are to blame as much as they are. We could have any manager in the game of baseball for this team and this same crap would be written. Year after year its the same stuff. I think it just get pasted from previous threads to the current day. Above .500 or and awful brewer team and its the managers fault. Never the fact that a pitcher gave something up or we just didnt get hits. Nope it's (insert manager here) fault. Can't wait to read the interesting stuff tomorrow.

Actually the manager can be blamed sometimes. If there are better pitchers to bring in, why not do it? Why not set up a double play to end the last inning? Yes the offense didn't hit with RISP but they still scored four runs and Yo gave up one run in 7 innings. They had a 4-1 lead in the 8th. Estrada blew it but he should never have been in. Dillard should not have been in there. It's not hindsight either. People called it before it happened.

[NievesNoNO]

I've defended RR a bit thus far, but this is the first loss that I can say definitely falls on his shoulders. Estrada and Mitre are your spot starters and long relievers an shouldn't enter the game until the game is out of had or all other options have been exhausted. That was a clear IBB situation to Castro. Whether or not they would've gotten the DP or not I don't know, but you walk him and bring in Ax to try and go another inning. The Brewers did however squander numerous addition opportunities in this game. This is one that they should've put out of reach earlier.

 

I didn't see the game so I couldn't see when Axfor was warming up, but it sounds like he was warming up for a couple innings. True? Here's a concept: instead of warming him up for two innings, pitch him for two innings and end the game and don't use him tomorrow.

[bucksman4]

We all are saying the same thing about his choices in the 8th inning.

 

Now it's time for RR to face the music and have to answer for his managerial decisions that have failed.

 

I know it's easy to say "oh we're in first place, relax," but it's not acceptable to be losing games we should be winning.

 

I have a feeling Tom Haudricourt will put his feet to the fire tonight because he alluded to RR's decision-making being questioned in his blog after the game last night. I look forward to hearing his thoughts.

[COBrewerfan]

And to add I am not sure how the cubs have big advantages the next two days. They really don't have a pitcher that shuts people down. Dempster may own us but has been pretty bad this year. Zambrano has been ok but has gotten lit up enough. The last two games just show us that anything can happen in baseball and luck can change very quickly. Have to keep playing. Longggg way to go. A losing streak is going to happen again this year. I just hope we stop this tomorrow and start winning again. Cannot stand the cubs.

[bobskube]

It has nothing to do with the manager. I am now convinced people need a place to vent and go to the internet just to write I hate Betancourt and the manager cost us a game. I guess the people I watch with and know are living in a different world. We hate to lost to the cubs but I have no idea how managers are to blame as much as they are. We could have any manager in the game of baseball for this team and this same crap would be written. Year after year its the same stuff. I think it just get pasted from previous threads to the current day. Above .500 or and awful brewer team and its the managers fault. Never the fact that a pitcher gave something up or we just didnt get hits. Nope it's (insert manager here) fault. Can't wait to read the interesting stuff tomorrow.

I love the optimism. Yes, we sometimes overreact. The manager never truly loses the game. However, it is the manager's responsiblity to put your team in the best place to win. I'm sorry-last I knew Estrada was a guy who only broke camp because of injury. Hawkins has been a setup man his whole life with a .59 ERA to boot. Estrada has been awful as of late too. You then have a speedster at third with the cubs best two hitters coming up with a guy who Ks a ton after them and you inexplicably pitch to them.

 

[NievesNoNO]

And to add I am not sure how the cubs have big advantages the next two days. They really don't have a pitcher that shuts people down. Dempster may own us but has been pretty bad this year. Zambrano has been ok but has gotten lit up enough. The last two games just show us that anything can happen in baseball and luck can change very quickly. Have to keep playing. Longggg way to go. A losing streak is going to happen again this year. I just hope we stop this tomorrow and start winning again. Cannot stand the cubs.

Win the next two and all will be well again.

[jjkoestler]

It has nothing to do with the manager. I am now convinced people need a place to vent and go to the internet just to write I hate Betancourt and the manager cost us a game. I guess the people I watch with and know are living in a different world. We hate to lost to the cubs but I have no idea how managers are to blame as much as they are. We could have any manager in the game of baseball for this team and this same crap would be written. Year after year its the same stuff. I think it just get pasted from previous threads to the current day. Above .500 or and awful brewer team and its the managers fault. Never the fact that a pitcher gave something up or we just didnt get hits. Nope it's (insert manager here) fault. Can't wait to read the interesting stuff tomorrow.

 

 

Why do you post here if we are such horrible baseball fans?

[NYChez]

The schedule is about to get really tough. If the Brewers can't take advantage of unbelievably winnable games against the Cubs, they could be back to .500 by the end of the month.

[Gobias Industries]

Man, Castro can hit. Reminds me a lot of Hanley.

 

I remember there was a Escobar v Castro thread last year where someone basically said the main difference between the two offensively was their BABIP. LOL.

[COBrewerfan]

It has nothing to do with the manager. I am now convinced people need a place to vent and go to the internet just to write I hate Betancourt and the manager cost us a game. I guess the people I watch with and know are living in a different world. We hate to lost to the cubs but I have no idea how managers are to blame as much as they are. We could have any manager in the game of baseball for this team and this same crap would be written. Year after year its the same stuff. I think it just get pasted from previous threads to the current day. Above .500 or and awful brewer team and its the managers fault. Never the fact that a pitcher gave something up or we just didnt get hits. Nope it's (insert manager here) fault. Can't wait to read the interesting stuff tomorrow.

 

 

Why do you post here if we are such horrible baseball fans?

 

 

I could ask the same thing about some posters. Why do you post if we have such a horrible manager and awful players like gunk and Gomez? The negativity just gets me sometimes. This is the best brewer tea

In a long long time and apparently we have a number of problems and changes need to be made. It all sounds so easy. Ship a couple players out and get new one. This is the team we have his year. We are not adding any big name.

[dlk9s]

However, it is the manager's responsiblity to put your team in the best place to win.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I'm neither a Roenicke hater nor a Roenicke lover and typically give guys the benefit of the doubt, but yeah, these last couple games were pretty bad on his part.

 

You have to give your team the best chance to win. That means putting your best players on the field (within reason - I am cool with Kotsay getting some starts, but not nearly the number that he's gotten lately), putting them in the best order in the lineup (I don't nitpick, but I agree that McGehee should be moved down in the order already), and put relievers in the game when they can be most effective (again, within reason - I don't expect Axford to pitch the 6th or to always get two inning saves). You also have to make appropriate in-game strategic decisions to give your team its best chance to win. Walking Castro last night wouldn't have guaranteed a win by any means, but not walking him obviously made it harder to win. Obviously. I can't think of any reason why he wouldn't be walked. And I would've seriously considered loading the bases, though that could've gone either way.

 

I do understand the Wilson bunt in extras, as you're playing for one run, but it didn't make sense to do it right away. The pitcher couldn't find the strike zone, so make him throw a strike first.

 

I also don't mind Dillard going in, given the options available at that point. He wasn't the ideal choice - I suppose Axford or Mitre would've been better - but it wasn't so bad. The double was flukish - it was a pitch low and outside off the plate that a punch-and-judy hitter flailed at and poked down the line. The game losing pitch wasn't even that bad, if I remember correctly - Castro did a good job.

 

The players ultimately need to perform, but the manager needs to give them the best shot to be successful. RRR hasn't been doing that in this series.

[endaround]

Except Dillard was set to face two LHers. He shouldn't face LHers. In Nashville in 10 innings pitched he walked 9 left handed batters. It is also why there is no way you walk the bases loaded for Dillard to face Pena. But given the fact that Campana was at 3B (you know the guy who 2 innings earlier almost beat out a ball hit to the right side of the infield for a hit?) you almost have no shot at him at home so you walk Castro and go after Ramirez hoping fro a DP or a K.

 

I just don't get why its so hard to realize the limitations of your bullpen pitchers. Loe and Dillard shouldn't face LHers in pressure situations. Estrada and Mitre are really 5th starter types who can give you innings but aren't shut down guys.

[cnycerveceros]

It has nothing to do with the manager. I am now convinced people need a place to vent and go to the internet just to write I hate Betancourt and the manager cost us a game. I guess the people I watch with and know are living in a different world. We hate to lost to the cubs but I have no idea how managers are to blame as much as they are. We could have any manager in the game of baseball for this team and this same crap would be written. Year after year its the same stuff. I think it just get pasted from previous threads to the current day. Above .500 or and awful brewer team and its the managers fault. Never the fact that a pitcher gave something up or we just didnt get hits. Nope it's (insert manager here) fault. Can't wait to read the interesting stuff tomorrow.

Other people are complaining about the players or the manager, and you are almost always complaining about the other posters. I don't think you are going to change this place much with these kinds of posts, and I don't know what these posts add to the discussion. Defending Roenicke is not the same as knocking other posters. Estrada doesn't make as much sense as Hawkins in the 8th because a 3 run lead in the 8th is why Hawkins is on the roster. I really do believe it's that simple, and while some posters might get a bit dramatic about it, that's the basic point.

[Dollarbill13]

For what it's worth, our bullpen (aside from Ax) doesn't give too many strong options... Hawkins has a 0.55 ERA but his xFIP currently sits at 3.90. A few reasons for the difference:

 

- He has an increased GB/FB% of 58% compared to his career 46%. We'll chalk that up to his new pitching "style" in 2011, but more than likely there is some regression to the mean coming.

- He has not allowed a HR. He has a career rate of 8% HR/FB.

- His LOB% is 90% compared with a career rate of 71%. This is simply unsustainable. Just ask the

...

[brewmann04]

Maybe the brewers are more worried about the Interleague schedule right now.

[davemakovec]

The thing that bothers me about these games is how winnable they are. There is no good reason for the Brewers to lose this one. All you need is to not cough up three runs in an inning. Braddock should have been up to start, but I'm surprised that it wasn't Loe.

 

I can overlook Monday's game (you can't win if you don't score), but you would think that getting seven one-run innings from Gallardo and a three-run lead going into the eighth that you should win.

[dlk9s]

Except Dillard was set to face two LHers. He shouldn't face LHers. In Nashville in 10 innings pitched he walked 9 left handed batters. It is also why there is no way you walk the bases loaded for Dillard to face Pena. But given the fact that Campana was at 3B (you know the guy who 2 innings earlier almost beat out a ball hit to the right side of the infield for a hit?) you almost have no shot at him at home so you walk Castro and go after Ramirez hoping fro a DP or a K.

I'm not disagreeing. I'm just not too upset over the choice of Dillard considering Hawkins and Braddock were already used.

[Invader3K]

The thing that bothers me about these games is how winnable they are. There is no good reason for the Brewers to lose this one. All you need is to not cough up three runs in an inning. Braddock should have been up to start, but I'm surprised that it wasn't Loe.

 

I can overlook Monday's game (you can't win if you don't score), but you would think that getting seven one-run innings from Gallardo and a three-run lead going into the eighth that you should win.

Yeah. It seems like all of our losses lately have been when our starting pitcher has had a nice outing. It's like our team forgot how tough it was to win in '09-'10 when you had Parra giving up six runs in four innings and stuff.

[Oxy]

This team got a lot of breaks in the last couple of weeks, and now they have lost a couple. Big deal. Roenicke's managing may have knocked their chances of winning down in the last two games from 62% to 61%. Big deal. If Macha was managing the team and made ALL the "correct" lineup decisions and bullpen moves this team my still be .500. Who knows.

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

It seems that we have turned almost certain victory into defeat much more often than we have turned almost certain defeat into victory. Playoff teams usually have that reversed. I like how hard the Brewers play but Roenicke needs to turn the game over to someone else. He is terrible, bordering on incompetent. Sometimes I think he is just flipping a coin. And where are the coaches? Are they on board with the lunacy? Maybe we should ask for all of their heads on a platter.

[RightFieldCoder]

AKA augie 46 wrote:

---

It seems that we have turned almost certain victory into defeat much more often than we have turned almost certain defeat into victory. Playoff teams usually have that reversed.

Like scoring 4 runs in 4 batters when a starting pitcher on the first place Cardinals is handling you all day?