Now a 3 game series ... lineup positives and negatives.

[liveforoctober]

Well.. throughout the year Braun and Fielder have carried us with Hart and Weeks as the complimentary weapons. This post season it has been Braun and Fielder doing their thing with Hart and Weeks nowhere to be found. Their offensive replacements have been Yuni and Hairston. So the question looms ... there are 3 games to go (hopefully/hopefully not) with 2 against righties and tomorrow against Garcia ... what should our lineups look like?

Against Garcia tomorrow I'm expecting Gomez in center and Hart back in right. The usual Weeks at 2nd and Hairston at 3rd. Game 6 at home against Jackson Morgan should be back in center and I'm up in the air in right field because I think I want Kotsay out there against Carp in the finale and I'm not sure I want to run him out there two nights in a row again?

The tricky one for me right now is Rickie Weeks. I think some of you might fight me for this but if we go 7 and Weeks doesn't shake out of it here real quick I think I would consider giving Counsell the start at 2nd. Hairston or Yuni at this point give better protection for Fielder and banking on a low scoring game again "good" at bats are going to be a necessity. Given the upgrade on defense ... I dunno. Talk me into/out of that one.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Counsell over Weeks? LOL.

[liveforoctober]

Counsell over Weeks? LOL.

Against Carpenter. Low scoring game. Defense needed. I don't think it's crazy.

Will it happen? Probably not. But Weeks can't move around the bases and is turning into a liability at the plate right now.

[istanbultaye]

I don't understand Counsell over weeks. It's not like Weeks is 0 for the series with 13 strikeouts or something. He even got a HR game 2, that at the time I believe got us back in the game before the bullpen continued in the same vein as Marcum. If you're going to talk about how he's hitting lately, he actually has an .846 OPS for this series.

[BrewerTerp]

Hart

Hairston

Braun

Fielder

Weeks

Betancourt

Lucroy

Gomez

Greinke

 

that's how I would play it.

[liveforoctober]

I don't understand Counsell over weeks. It's not like Weeks is 0 for the series with 13 strikeouts or something. He even got a HR game 2, that at the time I believe got us back in the game before the bullpen continued in the same vein as Marcum. If you're going to talk about how he's hitting lately, he actually has an .846 OPS for this series.

I appreciate the discussion... which was the intent of the question.

A lot of fans have been calling for Weeks to move down in the order to get someone at 5 who can protect better at this point and the question then becomes if Weeks offensive value has downgraded that much since his return ... where is the line when you upgrade your defense and play the righty/lefty matchup?

Again, don't mean to offend any of you by suggesting it... just want to talk through the chess moves.

[chadomac]

Rickie Weeks looks a lot better this series than he did in the first one. He's slowly coming back to his old self. His outs are hit hard. You don't sit Rickie Weeks right now.

[Flood Pants]

Its also hard to argue that Prince needs better protection than what he's getting. He has the second best OPS of any player in the series. Behind only Pujols, the best hitter in the game.

[mkm13]

Ryan Braun or Matt Kemp are the 2 best hitters in the game. Pujols is right behind them though.

[Invader3K]

Rickie Weeks looks a lot better this series than he did in the first one. He's slowly coming back to his old self. His outs are hit hard. You don't sit Rickie Weeks right now.

I agree. He showed a better approach last night, and absolutely scorched a liner later in the game (just right at the right fielder). I wouldn't bench him except in late innings for defense.

[theavrock]

Its also hard to argue that Prince needs better protection than what he's getting. He has the second best OPS of any player in the series. Behind only Pujols, the best hitter in the game.

 

 

That's because protection is a myth propogated by the media. There isn't any truth to that theory.

 

I also agree no way you sit Weeks. He looks much better and as someone mentioned has actually hit well this series. I wouldn't tinker.

[Ennder]

Weeks is swinging through fastballs right now but he is still making hard contact when he does hit the ball, I don't think you need to bench him. Weeks defense has also become average so you don't need to replace his defense.

[Invader3K]

Weeks defense has also become average so you don't need to replace his defense.

Well, he flubbed an easy grounder last night, and seems slow on the basepaths. I think his ankle might still be bothering him a bit.

[rluzinski]

I'm sure Weeks' ankle is still bothering him but he could have one leg and still be better than Counsell. Weeks has put up a .198/.317/.342/.659 line since returning to action which obviously isn't good but that's still better than what we should expect from Counsell. And I would expect even an injuried Weeks to do much better than that.

 

Braun, Fielder, Weeks and Hart need to be in the lineup. It's time for RR to stop going with silly gut decisions (Kotsay) and play his best players.

[TooLiveBrew]

Ryan Braun or Matt Kemp are the 2 best hitters in the game. Pujols is right behind them though.

They were this season. If I needed one at-bat & could pick any hitter, though, it's still Pujols.

[fondybrewfan]

Weeks has to start every game the rest of the postseason. I have no problems with RR's strategy of putting COunsell in as a late defensive replacement either. CC is about as dependable as you can get out at 2nd.

 

I think we see the normal lineup against the lefty tonight and the normal lineup against a righty back in MIL.

[JohnBriggs12]

Weeks' upside is such that you really can't sit him. He can give you a bomb at any time. It's frustrating watching him when he swings through pitches, but he has the ability to turn around the best stuff in the game. There aren't many guys in baseball for whom that can be said. As has been pointed out, the options aren't very appealing either.

 

It's one thing going from a struggling Hart to a Kotsay. Its another going from a Weeks to a Counsell.

[bjkrautk]

v. Garcia

Hart

Hairston

Braun

Prince

Weeks

Betancourt

Gomez

Lucroy

Pitcher

 

v. Carpenter

Morgan

Kotsay

Braun

Prince

Hairston

Weeks

Betancourt

Lucroy

Pitcher

 

v. Jackson

Hart / Morgan (cf)

Morgan / Kotsay (rf)

Braun

Fielder

Hairston

Weeks

Betancourt

Lucroy

Pitcher

 

Game 5 - Greinke

Game 6 - Marcum (on a short hook, Narveson on hold)

Game 7 - Gallardo

 

- With how hot JH Jr. has been, I think Prince gets harder to pitch around with Hairston immediately behind him. Rickie's on the upswing, and I wouldn't hesitate to move him back into the 5 hole in the Series (knock on wood), but for the next 3 games I think you win more with Weeks in the 6 spot.

- It's a lot easier to say that you'll hold Yo for game 7 when you're tied up 2-2, or up 3-2. If you need to win two elimination games in Milwaukee....my heart says pitch Gallardo in game 6 to try and force a game 7, but my head says you have a better chance of winning 2 games with Yo on full rest.

- Marcum gets the hook immediately if he gets down 2 runs, or if he loads the bases. I use Loe to finish the inning, then bring Narveson in to start a clean frame. (This should give him enough time to stretch out and be as 'ready' as he's going to be for extended work.) Assuming he pitches well enough to win, he takes Marcum's spot in the rotation.

- Kotsay plays in RF against Carpenter....but I don't start him in back-to-back games, unless Hart is still under the weather.

 

EDIT: realized I didn't factor in a LH starter tonight. Lineups adjusted accordingly.

[CheezWizHed]

They were this season. If I needed one at-bat & could pick any hitter, though, it's still Pujols.

 

The past 3-4 years, Pujols earned that reputation, not a media invention. He was a little off this year, but he sure looks dangerous right now.

 

 

Game 5 - Greinke

Game 6 - Marcum (on a short hook, Narveson on hold)

Game 7 Game 1 - Gallardo

 

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

[PrinceEatMeat]

I have no problems with Weeks in the lineup. He's been swinging the bat fine. Maybe him in the 5 hole could be looked at, but there's absolutely no way that Counsell should get a start over him.

[jhart05]

I know we could use some guys hitting behind Braun/Fielder, we also need guys in front of them getting on base. Hart, maybe it's because he's sick right now I don't know, but he just isn't.

 

I'd put Hairston up in the 2 spot, maybe even leading off, and leave him there for the remainder of the playoffs. Juggle the rest of the lineup however you like.

 

I don't think it matters much who is hitting behind Fielder, they are not going to pitch to him no matter what.

[topper09er]

I don't think it matters much who is hitting behind Fielder, they are not going to pitch to him no matter what.

I agree, no matter what Prince will face a LOOGY twice a game if its close and will not get strikes with 1st open, 2 outs or RISP. There is no chance a team will look at JHJ and then think they should throw strikes to Prince. I think JHJ should be up in the 2 hole with how hot he has been

[Gobias Industries]

I would just flip Weeks and Hairston in the lineup because Weeks can't hit with RISP in close and late spots and Hairston is a guy who is an excellent situational hitter. Season on the line with 1 out, runner on 3rd. You need one run. Who do you thinks more likely to get that guy in? I think it's Hairston and it's not even close.

 

Braun and Fielder have been on base machines in the postseason. Weeks has 3 RBI's. I'd love to know how many runners he stranded since the playoffs started. It seems like it's been 3-5 a night.

[liveforoctober]

I don't think it matters much who is hitting behind Fielder, they are not going to pitch to him no matter what.

I agree, no matter what Prince will face a LOOGY twice a game if its close and will not get strikes with 1st open, 2 outs or RISP. There is no chance a team will look at JHJ and then think they should throw strikes to Prince. I think JHJ should be up in the 2 hole with how hot he has been

But that's the point ... when someone says 'protection for Prince' ... it isn't necessarily as much that Prince will get pitches to hit, it is that when Prince is on base there is a chance he will score and right now Weeks isn't the guy to make that happen.

[clancyphile]

Aren't we forgetting Taylor Green?