2018-10-20 (NLCS Game #7): Dodgers (Buehler) at Brewers (Chacín) 7:09 PM CDT [Brewers lose, 5-1 -- 2018 Season Comes to a Close]

[PinaMadness]

“So much to be proud of...” and “they’ll be back next year...” just the worst things to hear as a fan.

[MrTPlush]

We can be optimistic about how this is the start of the window blah blah blah, but I bet we get MAYBE one more solid NLCS shot with this bunch. Not trying to be negative, but we are a small market and can’t sustain this every single year...it’s hard. We don’t have the money to fix every years holes. Even when we do get to the postseason we won’t always be hot and do great.

 

10 years from now this probably still stings a lot.

[TJH123]

They blew a chance at the World Series. Tell me more how “it was a great year” “next year they’ll be better” “what a great season” now I know how it must’ve been to be a Cubs fan for all those years

[Fear The Chorizo]

The bunt by Machado is getting love. Unbelievably the Brewers never tried it even with the shift and wouldn't even try one just to get a guy over. Fundamental baseball always wins.

 

I don't want to get too deep in the weeds adding to that thought right after the season ends, but there's going to be an organization or two that looks this offseason at how crazy shifting has become MLB-wide and find ways to exploit it in certain spots. For a game that has put a premium on OBP that largely stemmed from drawing walks, a half swing or dedicated opposite field approach to a vacated side of the infield is probably easier to accomplish than drawing 4 balls to get a walk.

 

Particularly in game 4, but also tonight and several other games this series - the Brewers' lack of situational hitting cost them dearly and is the reason they are now on the couch.

[The stache]

If I'm Craig Counsell, I'm pulling the team out of the dugout while the Dodgers are celebrating, and making them watch it.

 

Then, I'm handing every hitter a bat...pitchers, too, and we start working on bunting until the sun comes up. I learned how to bunt in little league, and the fact that this team can't advance a runner to save their life is embarrassing for a bunch of Major Leaguers. It's a bunt that made the first home run a 2-run blast, and not a solo shot to tie the game. And it was Manny Machado, a Hall of Fame caliber power hitter that did it. Think Aguilar, or Shaw, or Moustakas could do that? LOL.

 

This team needs to go back to the basics. You cannot go up there hacking at every pitch at your eyes, or bouncing in the dirt, hoping to jack it over the wall. And that happened way, way, way, way too much in this series.

[TJH123]

Game 2 Jeffress... Game 4 nonexistent offense for 13 innings in a very winnable game... gonna remember those for awhile. Should’ve been a sweep. And now I have to see Machado and Puig celebrate in our city. I’ll love to see JJ back even though he completely choked but I want Aguilar gone. He peaked this year. The first half I should say.

[adambr2]

Yeah, the Cubs might roar back and win the division next year. Or we might win a Wild Card and lose the WC game. There's just so many things that fell into place for us last month that simply might not next year.

 

The future may be bright, but it still offers no guarantees. Tonight was our chance to win a pennant. We didn't get it done.

[phnxcrew]

I have no doubt the starters will be better. The bullpen will

Be strong. The offense needs another couple major major upgrades. Get a real catcher. Sign Brantley. Real at bats. Real leaders. The offense has been the problem all year. Such a shame they just crumbled in this series. How can the mlb keep allowing this big market crap. It’s boring. Develop markets like Milwaukee and you’ll have more sales and engagement. Big markets draw no matter what.

[Pugger]

Welp, it took until game 7 for the Brewers to look like they didn't belong in this series...guess there's much worse fates, but man that sinking feeling is disappointing.

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure how much fun it would've been to see them go against Sale 2-3 times in the World Series, either.

 

Earlier today I told my hubby whoever won this series was going to go up against a buzz saw with the Red Sox. They are a complete team and should make mince meat out of those damn Dodgers. I hope they sweep them big time.

 

I'm bitterly disappointed but man, do we have a lot to be happy about.! We have a hell of core of players for next year. We need more clutch hitting - hitting with RISP and better starting pitching. If we can fix our hitting approach and get a couple of real starters we'll be back in 2019 even stronger.

[lcbj68c]

Don't blame Jeffress. The game was over as soon as Bellinger went yard in the 2nd. It's the offense.

 

Win as a team...lose as a team. It's not offense, it's not a single player, it's not a single coach, or a single decision. They had opportunities as a team and just came up short. No blame or finger pointing needed.

[Pugger]

It has probably been mentioned in the IGT earlier but I don't understand what Jeffress or Cedeno have shown in the last 2-3 weeks to make you think that is who you go with in the high leverage situation of a Game 7!

 

If the logic of the game is to use Hader in the 3rd, then the next pitchers in have to be Knebel & Woodruff after that. I put this squarely on Counsell for messing up this game. You can argue all you want that the Brewers only got 1 run so it doesn't matter, but the reality is that a 2-1 game puts a lot more pressure on the Dodgers than a 5-1 game.

 

Counsell ended up getting only one inning from Knebel in a Game 7. That is unexcuseable.

 

I think CC panicked and put Hadar in waaayyyy to soon. Chacin didn't have it but we had other options out there in the 3rd. I would have put Woodruff or Davies or anyone else in there instead and saved Hader for later on.

[The stache]

Our Milwaukee Brewers, perfectly summed up in one agonizing gif.

 

http://williamgregory.net/images/charlie_lucy.gif

[The stache]

I'm bitterly disappointed but man, do we have a lot to be happy about.! We have a hell of core of players for next year. We need more clutch hitting - hitting with RISP and better starting pitching. If we can fix our hitting approach and get a couple of real starters we'll be back in 2019 even stronger.

 

No offense, but I said the exact same thing in 2011.

[MrTPlush]

Our Milwaukee Brewers, perfectly summed up in one agonizing gif.

 

http://williamgregory.net/images/charlie_lucy.gif

 

Just post a video of a Viking kicker shanking a field goal. Cause that is what we did.

[folly412]

This team needs to go back to the basics. You cannot go up there hacking at every pitch at your eyes, or bouncing in the dirt, hoping to jack it over the wall. And that happened way, way, way, way too much in this series.

 

Maddon had the balls to fire half his staff after not getting to the World Series last year. Can Counsell move on from Coles? Spending unprecedented money and shipping half the farm out to revamp the entire lineup yet again isn't the answer.

[Bulldogboy]

I agree with the thought that if you going to bring hader in the third why not bring him in the second when you had the lead? Interesting thought.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Don't blame Jeffress. The game was over as soon as Bellinger went yard in the 2nd. It's the offense.

 

Win as a team...lose as a team. It's not offense, it's not a single player, it's not a single coach, or a single decision. They had opportunities as a team and just came up short. No blame or finger pointing needed.

 

Yep ... I think we gotta give some credit to the Dodgers too. They just beat the hottest team in baseball mainly by beating the team's strongest group, the bullpen. That was very impressive.

[TJH123]

The pitching pretty much couldn’t have been better during these playoffs, the offense simply didn’t get it done. Game 4. Game 5. Game 7. Of course the only times the pitching faltered this series was JJ in big situations especially game 2 after he had been lights out all regular season. Not sure what his issue was. That’s just the way it is as a Wisconsin sports fan I guess. Still can’t believe Roethlisberger didn’t lead a game winning TD drive to beat the Packers in 2010 with how things go being a Wisconsin sports fan.

[Pugger]

In the end the acquisition of Schoop not panning out was a killer. If the guy just did what he did before he came all of the issues with lefties may be softened. It really was a killer.

 

Yes, of all of the moves by Stearns this one was the one that backfired. Is Schoop returning in 2019? We should have gone for a starting pitcher instead.

[Ennder]

If I'm Craig Counsell, I'm pulling the team out of the dugout while the Dodgers are celebrating, and making them watch it.

 

Then, I'm handing every hitter a bat...pitchers, too, and we start working on bunting until the sun comes up. I learned how to bunt in little league, and the fact that this team can't advance a runner to save their life is embarrassing for a bunch of Major Leaguers. It's a bunt that made the first home run a 2-run blast, and not a solo shot to tie the game. And it was Manny Machado, a Hall of Fame caliber power hitter that did it. Think Aguilar, or Shaw, or Moustakas could do that? LOL.

 

This team needs to go back to the basics. You cannot go up there hacking at every pitch at your eyes, or bouncing in the dirt, hoping to jack it over the wall. And that happened way, way, way, way too much in this series.

 

 

There is almost no situation in baseball where a major league hitter bunting helps your chances to score a run unless you have a really fast runner and an elite bunter. This has nothing to do with why we lost.

[rickh150]

Our Milwaukee Brewers, perfectly summed up in one agonizing gif.

 

http://williamgregory.net/images/charlie_lucy.gif

 

Maybe tonight.... not the season. Charlie would kick several GW field goals in that gif.

[3and2Fastball]

Have to agree with Stache & Mr TPlush here. This was a wasted opportunity. An opportunity that comes along very rarely. There is reason to be optimistic about next year but next year is not guaranteed to even be a good season. They had one game at home to get a W and go to the World Series, and couldn't get it done. This one will hurt for the rest of my lifetime.

[KeithStone53151]

Come on you guys. This whining is friggin pathetic. So easy to be a monday morning qb. It's been a fun season. Move on, be optimistic that we can improve

[PinaMadness]

It has probably been mentioned in the IGT earlier but I don't understand what Jeffress or Cedeno have shown in the last 2-3 weeks to make you think that is who you go with in the high leverage situation of a Game 7!

 

If the logic of the game is to use Hader in the 3rd, then the next pitchers in have to be Knebel & Woodruff after that. I put this squarely on Counsell for messing up this game. You can argue all you want that the Brewers only got 1 run so it doesn't matter, but the reality is that a 2-1 game puts a lot more pressure on the Dodgers than a 5-1 game.

 

Counsell ended up getting only one inning from Knebel in a Game 7. That is unexcuseable.

 

I think CC panicked and put Hadar in waaayyyy to soon. Chacin didn't have it but we had other options out there in the 3rd. I would have put Woodruff or Davies or anyone else in there instead and saved Hader for later on.

+1. Total panic move.

[Ennder]

Good job Brewers. If any players happen to come and look at this thread you should be proud of yourselves. You won the most games in the NL, you had the best run differential in the NL in the playoffs, going into game 7 you outplayed the Dodgers in the series, had more runs than they did, had better expected stats than they did. You just couldn't quite get the big hit in a couple of key situations. If you ask me who the best team in the NL was this year I probably side Brewers with the Dodgers a close 2nd and no other team really in the running. Fantastic job overall.