2011-10-12 Brewers (Gallardo) at Cardinals (Carpenter) - [Brewers lose, 4-3; trail NLCS, 2-1]

[Invader3K]

Yes, starting Kotsay in CF was stupid, but it didn't cost us the game.

 

We were down 4-3 for quite a few innings, and the offense didn't capitalize at all. They let Carpenter off the hook multiple times. Guys like Weeks and Hart need to step up if we're going to have a fighting chance. All these big fly outs aren't going to cut it, either.

[mkm13]

Yes, starting Kotsay in CF was stupid, but it didn't cost us the game.

 

We were down 4-3 for quite a few innings, and the offense didn't capitalize at all. They let Carpenter off the hook multiple times. Guys like Weeks and Hart need to step up if we're going to have a fighting chance. All these big fly outs aren't going to cut it, either.

It may not have cost us the game, but putting him in center cost us 3 runs in a game we lost by 1. You could argue it cost us 2 runs as Kotsay hit a solo homerun, but he could have hit the solo homerun playing right field as well.

 

 

[StearnsFTW]

Yes, starting Kotsay in CF was stupid, but it didn't cost us the game.

We were down 4-3 for quite a few innings, and the offense didn't capitalize at all. They let Carpenter off the hook multiple times. Guys like Weeks and Hart need to step up if we're going to have a fighting chance. All these big fly outs aren't going to cut it, either.

Why do people keep saying this?

 

Yes. It did cost us the game. Competent CF=Brewers win.

 

Edit to be clear: I'm ripping Roenicke here, not Kotsay. Kotsay's doing what he's told...............by a buffoon.

[NievesNoNO]

Yes, starting Kotsay in CF was stupid, but it didn't cost us the game.

 

We were down 4-3 for quite a few innings, and the offense didn't capitalize at all. They let Carpenter off the hook multiple times. Guys like Weeks and Hart need to step up if we're going to have a fighting chance. All these big fly outs aren't going to cut it, either.

 

Ahh, some sanity. Thank you. The bottom line is our big boys didn't deliver when it was on the line.. this game. I don't like Kotsay in CF either, but calling out our manager after every single loss is quite sickening. They just need to win one of the next two to bring it back to Milwaukee. Were you all expecting a sweep?

[adamb100]

I was confused by RR's post game comments. He said he traded offense for defense by starting Kotsay last night and RR himself said that Gomez would have caught that ball.

 

So my question is...why didnt Gomez start to begin with?

[DougJones43]

Kotsay shouldn't be in that situation to run down the ball... Yo should have kept it down to get a ground ball, not a hard hit to the gap... and you should trust in your 'ace' enough that a single run-down in centerfield isn't the difference in the game.

You have got to be kidding me. It wasn't a "hard hit to the gap." It was a lazy blooper that fell in front of Kotsay because he's a slow, old man.

 

Clearly, Gallardo didn't have his best stuff today, but you're blaming him because he allowed a batter to hit the ball in the air? There were 3 balls-in-play that inning that could have (2 that definitely should have) resulted in flyball outs, with a competent defensive outfield. None of them did. Even the best pitchers can't always overcome that.

[brewmann04]

It always on the hitting for the Brewers if Braun and Prince don't carry the team and i Agree Hart and Weeks need to be the keys and are just not showing up.

[Schlitz001]

Kotsay shouldn't have been starting, but it's hardly fair to blame the entire game on him. He was on base 3 times including a HR. Hart, Braun, Fielder, Weeks and Lucroy were on base just 4 times between them and that includes a HBP and IBB.

 

We all know that starting Kotsay was a bad move, but you can't tell me that starting Morgan/Gomez would have guaranteed a victory the way everyone else was hitting.

 

EDIT: It's also not fair to say that Kotsay cost us 3 runs. Nobody knows what would have happened if he had caught that ball in CF or not been picked off at second.

[StearnsFTW]

^^

 

You're right. It's not an absolute.

 

It sure couldn't have worked out any worse though.

[DougJones43]

I think we should start Fielder at SS tonight, since there's no guarantee it would cost us the game.

 

If he botches some easy plays and we lose by 1 run, we can just say that the pitching should have struck more guys out and the offense should have scored more runs.

[SconnieKid]

Jay if hitting 8th for the RedBirds? I mean he only has 5 runs in 15 PAs...

[brewerjamie15]

Generating offense is what RR keeps reasoning. He says he wanted to generate more offense.

Why then, do you subtract from your arsenal the factor of speed? Speed generates runs quite efficiently. You take away speed, you take away offense.

In adding Kotsay to the role of center fielder you weakened an already weak defense. 2/3 of your outfield was poor, not just 1/3 (hart) I'd think that weakening one spot to perhaps strengthen another is always going to be a blunder.