2016-07-29 Pirates (Brault) at Brewers (Guerra), 7:10 PM CDT [Brewers win, 3-1]

[1992casey]

[igt-2012][game-setup][logo]http://forum.brewerfan.net/igt/2016-logos/pirates.png[/logo][game-info][h1]July 29 | 7:10 P.M.[/h1][h2]Pirates (52-48) | Brewers (44-56)[/h2][h3]FSWI | WTMJ 620[/h3][/game-info][logo]http://forum.brewerfan.net/igt/2016-logos/brewers.png[/logo][/game-setup][pitching-photos]http://forum.brewerfan.net/igt/2016-pitcher-photos/opponents/pirates_%20brault-steven-01.jpghttp://forum.brewerfan.net/igt/2016-pitcher-photos/brewers/brewers_guerra-junior-18.jpg[/pitching-photos][game-matchup][divclass=away][pitcher]Steven Brault[/pitcher][h2]0-0, 2.25 ERA, 1.50 WHIP[/h2][h3]Game Log[/h3][h3]Brault will rejoin the Pirates in Milwaukee for his second Major League start. He was limited by a pitch count in his debut, but he struck out 16 and allowed three hits in 12 scoreless innings over his past two Triple-A starts.[/h3][/divclass][divclass=home][pitcher]Junior Guerra[/pitcher][h2]6-2, 2.85 ERA, 1.09 WHIP[/h2][h3]Versus Pirates | Game Log[/h3][h3]Guerra continues to dazzle in his rookie season as a 31-year-old. Last time out, he held the Cubs to one unearned run over 6[space][/space]1/3 innings despite only striking out two batters.[/h3][/divclass][starting-lineup][divclass=away]

1. 1B John Jaso (L)
   
2. RF Gregory Polanco (L)
   
3. CF Andrew McCutchen ®
   
4. LF Starling Marte ®
   
5. 3B Jung Ho Kang ®
   
6. C Francisco Cervelli ®
   
7. 2B Josh Harrison ®
   
8. SS Jordy Mercer ®
   
9. LHP Steven Brault (L)

[/divclass][divclass=home]

1. SS Jonathan Villar (S)
   
2. LF Jake Elmore ®
   
3. C Jonathan Lucroy ®
   
4. 1B Chris Carter ®
   
5. 3B Hernán Pérez ®
   
6. 2B Scooter Gennett (L)
   
7. CF Keon Broxton ®
   
8. RF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (L)
   
9. RHP Junior Guerra ®

[/divclass][/starting-lineup][/game-matchup][game-links][h3][chat]BrewerFan Chat[/chat] | MLB Gameday[/h3][/game-links][/igt-2012]

[Boomer5]

Its fine they are pretending to announce Luc like they will keep him but if they actually let him play this weekend they are insane.

[twofistedslopper]

First baseman leading off just looks weird.

[trwi7]

Its fine they are pretending to announce Luc like they will keep him but if they actually let him play this weekend they are insane.

 

Letting him play is fine but only as a pinch hitter. Maybe a 1st baseman. They're insane if they let him play this weekend at catcher and knowing the Brewers luck, he'll get a foul ball off the foot and break his toe again or something.

[Boomer5]

Especially seeing Braun go from possible trade chip to day to day. It can happen anytime and there is zero upside to playing him. His value won't get higher and the W/L record doesnt matter

[Boomer5]

First baseman leading off just looks weird.

 

Especially that first baseman.

[adambr2]

I wonder how much unspoken tension there was there between Counsell and Villar with him standing on 2nd with 2 out.

[Boomer5]

I wonder why Carter isn't so much better? He has such an easy effortless swing. He doesn't have that swing of a guy that strikes out so often.

[phnxcrew]

Can anyone shed some

Light on guerra's stuff for me? Is he legit? Haven't seen him pitch yet and decided to take a break from the minor league stats and trade rumors. Thanks in advance

[jerichoholicninja]

Can anyone shed some

Light on guerra's stuff for me? Is he legit? Haven't seen him pitch yet and decided to take a break from the minor league stats and trade rumors. Thanks in advance

 

Fastball 93-94 with a pretty good split when he throws it for a strike. I would assume he has another pitch too. Hitters look like they just have no clue what's coming. Not sure if it's because of his lack of track record, or deception in his delivery, or what.

[StearnsFTW]

Trade Guerra tonight please.

[wildcat2237]

Trade Guerra tonight please.

 

+1.

 

Talk about continuing to up the trade value.

 

With the premium placed on pitching this summer, I am shocked we have not heard anything about Guerra.

[wildcat2237]

Can anyone shed some

Light on guerra's stuff for me? Is he legit? Haven't seen him pitch yet and decided to take a break from the minor league stats and trade rumors. Thanks in advance

 

Fastball 93-94 with a pretty good split when he throws it for a strike. I would assume he has another pitch too. Hitters look like they just have no clue what's coming. Not sure if it's because of his lack of track record, or deception in his delivery, or what.

 

In my opinion the best article that has been written on Guerra is here: http://host.madison.com/wsj/sports/baseball/professional/brewers-junior-guerra-finds-success-at-end-of-long-winding/article_17169e09-577a-584c-8650-421c3799dcfb.html

 

It basically says Guerra is similar to RA Dickey in that he mastered a tough pitch late in his career. The danger is that the splitter is tough on a pitchers arm.

 

I've talked to a couple scouts who are in agreement with the author.

 

Here is the article in full.

 

MILWAUKEE — Were it not the first official transaction of David Stearns’ tenure as Milwaukee Brewers general manager, hardly anyone would have noticed when they claimed right-hander Junior Guerra off waivers from the White Sox on Oct. 7 of last year.

 

But fast forward nearly nine months and Guerra has become one of the most fascinating stories on the roster as the Brewers hit the midway point of their first season in the Stearns-orchestrated rebuilding process.

 

The 31-year-old Venezuelan native had appeared in just three big league games before the Brewers summoned him from Colorado Springs to replace struggling right-hander Taylor Jungmann on May 1.

 

He was hardly a dominant force in Class AAA, posting a 0-2 record and 4.63 ERA. But since joining Milwaukee he’s been lights-out, going 6-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts.

 

And he’s been getting better every time out. Guerra hasn’t allowed a run in his past two starts, covering 15 1/3 innings of work. In those contests, he’s allowed four hits, four walks and struck out 14 against the Dodgers and Nationals, two of the better teams in the National League.

 

“It feels like he’s even getting better,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said after Monday’s game against the Nationals. “In the biggest spots he seems to step up even a little more.”

 

On the surface, Guerra’s run is impressive enough. But it becomes even more noteworthy when you consider the route he took to get to this point.

 

Signed as an international free agent by the Braves in 2001, as an outfielder and catcher, Guerra spent five years in the Braves system before being converted to a pitcher only to be released the next spring.

 

Guerra spent a year out of baseball but signed with the Mets organization in 2007. A year later, he was suspended 50 games for violating Minor League Baseball’s drug policy and was later released.

 

This is when things really get interesting.

 

After sitting out of baseball a year, Guerra got back into the game by pitching for an unaffiliated, independent league team in Wichita, Kansas, in 2011. From there, he played for Yucatan in the Mexican League, back to Wichita and then a stint in Italy.

 

It was during that journey through baseball’s wilderness that Guerra developed his secret weapon: the split-finger fastball.

 

He learned the pitch from Giants reliever Jean Machi while both played in the Venezuelan Winter League. Guerra said it took about five years to master the pitch.

 

“I was just a fastball/slider guy, and it was around 2009 that I started throwing a splitter and playing with it,” Guerra said. It wasn’t good back then. “It wasn’t until 2011 that I started feeling comfortable with it, and I thank God I’ve had the chance to locate with it and use it. It helps a lot with my fastball and slider.”

 

Because of the stress it can put on a pitcher’s arm, the split-finger has fallen out of favor as the game tries to protect its top pitching prospects, but for an older player with little to lose, it’s been more than viable.

 

“Not many (throw the true splitter) and he has a really true split-finger,” catcher Jonathan Lucroy. “It is almost a borderline knuckle, the way it moves sometimes. It is hard to catch because you don’t know what is going to happen.”

 

It’s a hard pitch for hitters to handle, too, as evidenced by Guerra’s 1.017 WHIP and his 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

 

“I’ve always said the advantage goes to the pitcher when you haven’t seen him before,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after Guerra threw 7 1/3 shutout innings in Milwaukee’s 1-0 win at Washington. “He kind of had us fishing for that split-finger.”

 

Guerra will get one more start before the All-Star break, taking the mound Sunday against the Cardinals in the first-half finale.

 

Guerra is hoping to keep adding more chapters to his unusual story.

 

“You just have to thank God that he gave you this opportunity of having a good first year. You just have to keep working hard because nothing is guaranteed,” he said.

[MoreTrife]

I wonder why Carter isn't so much better? He has such an easy effortless swing. He doesn't have that swing of a guy that strikes out so often.

 

My layman's opinion is that he's a big guy without elite fast twitch muscles. He's strong and smooth but doesn't have much plate coverage and has some holes in his swing.

[Invader3K]

Trade Guerra tonight please.

 

+1.

 

Talk about continuing to up the trade value.

 

With the premium placed on pitching this summer, I am shocked we have not heard anything about Guerra.

This is definitely a showcase type appearance... Hope they don't get burned leaving him in here with two on and no outs.

[jason21nl]

absolutely love this move

[TURBO]

I like CC, I really do, but it is things like this that make me question his ability to lead a team. Starting Lucroy is/was very risky, but to leave him in the full game is even dumber than starting him. Take him out of there. Leaving Guerra in there, in the 9th with 2 on and no outs is also pretty questionable...

 

I hope Luc is on the bench tomorrow...

[TURBO]

absolutely love this move

 

Great move if it works, really dumb move if it backfires...

[valpocrewsader]

Jesus, just let him finish the game. Win or lose. Having a guy go 8.2 innings and coming up short is so Brewers. Second time it's happened in two months? Sick of crap like this.

[hurricanecrush]

Why is it dumb? We're not playing for anything, why not let the "kid" see what he can do?

[jason21nl]

That move to me was much more than win/lose the game...that's why I loved it

[valpocrewsader]

Feels like the Pirates won. What a letdown. Typical conservative, gutless managing. And downright silly considering we're 10 games below .500. So frustrating.

[Invader3K]

Feels like the Pirates won. What a letdown. Typical conservative, gutless managing. And downright silly considering we're 10 games below .500. So frustrating.

I seriously do not get what you're complaining about. It was a great moment at the end there, and a nice win. What is there to complain about?

[TURBO]

Why is it dumb? We're not playing for anything, why not let the "kid" see what he can do?

 

The more I think about it, the more I realize it was the right thing to do. I sometimes get caught up in winning, forgetting winning isn't our main goal this season, and not to get fired up about the win loss record. There was nothing wrong with CC letting him see if he could get it done. I probably over reacted. I stand corrected...

[TURBO]

Feels like the Pirates won. What a letdown. Typical conservative, gutless managing. And downright silly considering we're 10 games below .500. So frustrating.

 

Please explain... How does it feel like the Pirates won?