2017-09-18: Brewers (Suter) at Pirates (Taillon) 6:05 PM CDT [Brewers win, 3-0]

[TURBO]

"hammered" into center field! Really BA? I like the guy, but he struggles with how deep balls are hit on a regular basis...

[BrewCrewBlueDevil]

Brett Phillips is becong the CF of the future! The more he plays the better he looks.

[shanedog19]

I would make Phillips our every day CF and let Broxton spell him against LH's every now and again.

[jerichoholicninja]

John Goodman umping at 1B tonight.

[adambr2]

I know Broxton is everyone's favorite guy to hate for some reason, but he had a nice 2 for 5 day yesterday. Most importantly he's been putting the ball in play a bit more which is sometimes indicative of him starting to get hot. I like Phillips a lot. They both have their uses, there's no need to name an official starter.

 

Phillips should never ever start vs. Lefties, well at least not this year yet. Vs. RHP will be situatuonally based on the opposing starting pitcher, matchup history for Broxton, etc.

[BilliamdaIII]

Why even try to get 2nd? Great throw again by phillips

[owbc]

Can't give this team enough credit for continuing to win ballgames. Wish they could get some help one of these nights...

[3and2Fastball]

Memo to MLB: don't run on Brett!!!!!

[pacopete4]

I know Broxton Villar is everyone's favorite guy to hate for some reason

 

Broxton has done some good things but his streaks kill a lineup. Play him vs most lefties and move on from him in the offseason. He just doesn't get on base enough. And so far Phillips has looked like the better defender. A game like tonight could've been justified to have Broxton over Perez though if Santana couldn't play.

[adambr2]

For all the grief this bullpen has gotten this year, they are 9th in MLB in ERA, 6th in K's, 12th in opposing batting average. That's coming into tonight so probably better now.

[wibadgers23]

Brewers doing what they need to do. Go Giants and Rays.

[adambr2]

I know Broxton Villar is everyone's favorite guy to hate for some reason

 

Broxton has done some good things but his streaks kill a lineup. Play him vs most lefties and move on from him in the offseason. He just doesn't get on base enough. And so far Phillips has looked like the better defender. A game like tonight could've been justified to have Broxton over Perez though if Santana couldn't play.

 

He's actually been a lot more consistent since his late July stint in Colorado Springs. Looking at his game logs not a single slump longer than 8 plate appearances in a row without a hit. Weirdly he's pretty much been the opposite of his first half. Almost no hot or cold streaks. Plenty of 1 for 2, 1 for 3, 1 for 4 nights.

[pacopete4]

I know Broxton Villar is everyone's favorite guy to hate for some reason

 

Broxton has done some good things but his streaks kill a lineup. Play him vs most lefties and move on from him in the offseason. He just doesn't get on base enough. And so far Phillips has looked like the better defender. A game like tonight could've been justified to have Broxton over Perez though if Santana couldn't play.

 

He's actually been a lot more consistent since his late July stint in Colorado Springs. Looking at his game logs not a single slump longer than 8 plate appearances in a row without a hit. Weirdly he's pretty much been the opposite of his first half. Almost no hot or cold streaks. Plenty of 1 for 2, 1 for 3, 1 for 4 nights.

 

Consistently not on base enough. No matter how you carve up the numbers, they're not great. His last 28 day stat line: .189/.271/.208/.479

 

Yikes. If he truly was treated like Villar I can't imagine what some would be saying.

[adambr2]

I do think the hate for Villar is over the top at times as well but Broxton has plain and simple been the better player of the two this year so if Villar is indeed disliked more it's more productiin related.

[markedman5]

For all the grief this bullpen has gotten this year, they are 9th in MLB in ERA, 6th in K's, 12th in opposing batting average. That's coming into tonight so probably better now.

 

Bullpen situation has changed completely with the acquisitions of Jeffress and Swarzak along with the callup of Hader.

 

Early in the season with Feliz and having to use guys like Torres, Hughes, Drake and Barnes in late inning situations was rough.

[pacopete4]

For all the grief this bullpen has gotten this year, they are 9th in MLB in ERA, 6th in K's, 12th in opposing batting average. That's coming into tonight so probably better now.

 

Bullpen situation has changed completely with the acquisitions of Jeffress and Swarzak along with the callup of Hader.

 

Early in the season with Feliz and having to use guys like Torres, Hughes, Drake and Barnes in late inning situations was rough.

 

Nothing can take back those losses earlier in the season by our bullpen. Stearns whiffed on preseason pen. He's hit on some mid season moves that have rejuvenated this pen into a pretty darn good one. It's made a big difference.

[pacopete4]

I do think the hate for Villar is over the top at times as well but Broxton has plain and simple been the better player of the two this year so if Villar is indeed disliked more it's more productiin related.

 

2nd Half:

Villar- .292/.315/.425/.740 (10XBH, 7 SB) *125 PA

Broxton- .214/.298/.381/.679 (9XBH, 2 SB) *142 PA

Perez- .263/.288/.391/.679 (9XBH, 5 SB) *141 PA

 

Last 28 Days:

Villar- .400/.417/.629/1.045 (4 XBH, 1 SB) *37 PA

Broxton- .189/.271/.208/.479 (1 XBH, 1 SB) *59 PA

Perez- .296/.339/.426/.765 (3 XBH, 2 SB) *60 PA

[adambr2]

I do think the hate for Villar is over the top at times as well but Broxton has plain and simple been the better player of the two this year so if Villar is indeed disliked more it's more productiin related.

 

2nd Half:

Villar- .292/.315/.425/.740 (10XBH, 7 SB) *125 PA

Broxton- .214/.298/.381/.679 (9XBH, 2 SB) *142 PA

Perez- .263/.288/.391/.679 (9XBH, 5 SB) *141 PA

 

Last 28 Days:

Villar- .400/.417/.629/1.045 (4 XBH, 1 SB) *37 PA

Broxton- .189/.271/.208/.479 (1 XBH, 1 SB) *59 PA

Perez- .296/.339/.426/.765 (3 XBH, 2 SB) *60 PA

 

That's why I said this year, over the course of the entire season.

 

Not denying Villar has come around nicely since the break. Walker has been a nice acquisition but unfortunately it has cut into Villar's playing time significantly.

 

For the season Broxton has a .731 OPS, 0.9+ WAR and .312 wOBA, compared to a .671 OPS, -0.4 WAR and. 290 wOBA for Villar. Offensively not a huge disparity but Broxton has had the better offensive season and the superior defensive season.

[adambr2]

Brewers doing what they need to do. Go Giants and Rays.

 

80 wins. No matter what happens, who would've thought?

 

It's a shame that the Cubs and Rockies have gotten hot at exactly the wrong time as we are now 10 games over. 500 and would be looking to be in really good shape for the postseason if we were getting any help whatsoever this month.

 

The second week of September looked like a great shot to make up ground with the Rockies having a brutal 8 game road trip in Arizona and in L.A. and they end up going 6-2. If they had just even split it, we'd be tied.

[adambr2]

At a bare minimum, they need to hold serve the next 2 days and go into the 4 game series against the Cubs down 3.5.

 

That would put us within 1.5 if we took 3 out of 4 which at least we give us a fighting chance in the last 5-6 games. That's about the best balance of optimism and realism I can come up with.

 

Obviously sweeping them is a total game changer and would be fantastic but it's just hard to fathom that happening again especially in a 4 game series.

 

Still, you'd have to think they'll be feeling the pressure in that series more than us. They're the defending champs. Winning the division is supposed to be a given. We're not even supposed to be here. We've already exceeded expectations.

[Baldkin]

 

Consistently not on base enough. No matter how you carve up the numbers, they're not great. His last 28 day stat line: .189/.271/.208/.479

 

Yikes. If he truly was treated like Villar I can't imagine what some would be saying.

 

Yep, he's started 14 games in 28 days. After putting up an .800 OPS in August, he's ridden the pine in favor of Jonathan Villar and Hernan Perez. I just can't fathom that.

[pacopete4]

 

Consistently not on base enough. No matter how you carve up the numbers, they're not great. His last 28 day stat line: .189/.271/.208/.479

 

Yikes. If he truly was treated like Villar I can't imagine what some would be saying.

 

Yep, he's started 14 games in 28 days. After putting up an .800 OPS in August, he's ridden the pine in favor of Jonathan Villar and Hernan Perez. I just can't fathom that.

 

Ending the month of August 1 for 12 with 0 walks doesn't help his case. He's been streaky too many times to trust him in this playoff push and it feels as though Counsell realizes that. He also hasn't had an extra base hit since Aug 18th. Using him against lefties strickly is probably the way to go with him.

[KeithStone53151]

Has anyone noticed how Thames has looked most of this month? He seems to be hitting everything very hard. I just checked his september stats. 357/438/786/1223 with 8k in 31 AB. He's had a decent amount of off days this month, I wonder if the extra rest and/or work in the cage with Coles has helped him? I watched him hit a rocket for a single and a rocket for a line drive double play yesterday. Both were hit hard enough to be extra bases if placed better in the outfield. He should be in the lineup against most RH pitchers the rest of the way, I also like him batting in the 5/6 area of the order over top of the order.