20-5 in last 25 games

[JohnBriggs12]

The rotation has been awesome. Wolf has been on an amazing stretch. Who would have guessed that Randy Wolf would have the best ERA among our starters at this time in the season.

Not just the rotation, the bullpen has also been fabulous. Ever since Melvin got K-Rod and Saito being healthy has also been key, the bullpen has been lights out for the most part. The rotation almost every night is going at least six innings and if a starter leaves the game with a lead or the score tied, our bullpen puts up mostly zeros and the end result is a win. Plus, because the rotation has been so effective and almost never melts down early in games, it's allowed the key bullpen arms to avoid being used in garbage situations simply to finish nine innings.

 

Look how often last year starters either had to be yanked before the 5th inning and/or had to be pulled before finishing at least six innings, forcing the bullpen to regularly cover close to four innings or more. This year, we've had guys in the pen like Dillard currently who rarely even get into games and older veterans like Saito and Hawkins can be rested unless for when needed in close game situations. The team doesn't ever have to carry 13 pitchers and continually call arms up from the minors because the pen is gassed.

 

When you think about the overall state of the pitching staff last season and where it is right now, it's been a pretty incredible reversal in just one season. Kudos to Doug for that.

Just think if we had a dominate LOOGY in the pen on top of what we have. Our top 4 relievers are good enough to make up for it (off speed stuff away, good location with the fastball), but having a great lefty would really send us over the top.

 

A dominant LOOGY, yes. A mediocre one, no thanks. They've got a top of the line pen as it is now.

 

In the first half, Loe lost 7 games. Estrada lost 5 in relief in the first half. Braddock let a couple go too as did the likes of Sean Green. That was a big reason they weren't already 4 or 5 games up at the break. The deal for Rodriguez and the return of Saito have been huge. Rodriguez failed to hold two leads, but he left those games with the game tied, not with them behind. Loe can be dominant when on, but awful when not. He's perfect in the role he's now in. Estrada's been much better starting, and he's seldom needed in the pen now. Hawkins has been steady all year too and with that depth and the starters going deep, it's as rested a pen as any team in baseball.

[Dragonbait]

And don't look now, but we're only ~2 games behind the Red Sox and Yankees for 2nd best record in all of baseball.

[gregmag]

We've outscored opponents 96 to 47 during the streak. Using the simple pythagorean formula, we would have been expected to go 16-4 with that differential. That strikes me as a totally routine difference; I would think that teams in big winning or losing streaks always deviate somewhat from what the run differentials would predict. I expected the deviation to be greater, because we've won almost half our games in the streak by one or two runs. I guess that's how streaks happen -- you play really well, and you get all the breaks going your way in close games.

 

What maybe amazes me more is that only twice during the streak have we scored more than seven runs. We've averaged just under five runs per game during the streak; that's not going to get you to 18-2 very often. But giving up under two and a half runs per game definitely will get you there. What a freakish turnaround -- no Brewers team ever has been built around pitching. I do think this means we shouldn't be complacent about the quality of our offense, although getting Rickie back will be huge, as we've gotten squat from 2b in his absence.

 

Is this sustainable? Of course not; no one plays .900 baseball, and we don't get another six games against the Astros. But I think it's as legitimate as hot streaks ever are.

[Ando Calrissian]

Phils have 78 wins and we're 7.5 behind them.

[fondybrewfan]

If things keep going like this we might clinch the #2 spot with a week or so to spare; We might phone it in the last week with replacement players and lose a bit. I think the team tops out at 96-97 for that reason.

[DocLuna7]

If things keep going like this we might clinch the #2 spot with a week or so to spare; We might phone it in the last week with replacement players and lose a bit. I think the team tops out at 96-97 for that reason.

If we are lucky enough for this scenario to play out, I hope that we don't do the "replacement player" thing in bulk. It would be nice to give our starters a day or two off, maybe rotate guys into the mix, sub in guys defensively etc. but I don't want to get out of our natural rythem just because we clinch. I think some other teams have made that mistake in the past and it seems to hurt them a bit in the postseason.

 

[Eddiehitsthefoulpole]

I clearly remember that game in Chicago on June 29th, 2007 as well. One thing I think I remember about that game is that no Cubs pitcher ever batted. They just pinch hit and double switched, and if I remember correctly their pinch hitters got a number of hits and figured in their rallies. That allusion to that against Texas was a good one too. I remember that Coco had been lights out since we had acquired him the previous season. Texas knew him and didn't chase the slider, I knew were in trouble after that. The blueprint had been delivered to our rivals.

 

It is great to build this small cushion now. We are going to have at least one frustrating losing streak before the season is over. That is the way baseball is. What I like right now is that our lead is big enough that if the Cardinals swept the last two series against us they would still have to outperform us in the rest of the games in order for them to overtake us.

[craigharmann]

I think the most important thing that all of this is doing is building up confidence and team unity. A lot of that can be overplayed, but I think it's important. Keeping clubhouse loose and the team (and fans) having confidence that when Kotsay comes up with the bases loaded, the game is over. It's a great ride!!!

[jjfanec]

21 of our last 25 and a win tomorrow would make it 22 of 25.

[razzzorsharp]

I think the most important thing that all of this is doing is building up confidence and team unity. A lot of that can be overplayed, but I think it's important. Keeping clubhouse loose and the team (and fans) having confidence that when Kotsay comes up with the bases loaded, the game is over. It's a great ride!!!

It wasn't today for Kotsay, he just drew a walk after feeling bad for the Mets.