2019-03-31: Cardinals (Wacha) at Brewers (Burnes) [Yelich’s 4th HR in 4 games; Burnes records 12 K’s; Comeback walk-off win on Yelich double]

[OldHeidelberg]

Awesome!!! They got kind of confused with the cameras in the live play, didn't know if the ball got past the CF, but loved the shot of Cain running around third and scoring. What an opening weekend!! whew

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Watched that game from first pitch to last, and I'm so glad I did. With all the heroics, pretty easy to forget that despite giving up the long balls, Burnes struck out 12 Cardinals in 5 innings. Maybe not a great outing overall, but certainly something to build on.

[Noche]

I figured a split at best was a lock. I am super impressed they took three. That was a playoff-level prove-it series for the Cards and Brewers were up to task.

[Brew crew 92]

I'm rather happy right now.

 

What a time for Gamel to get his first hit. A bit of luck for Cain to get on, but noone better to have at first there. And Yelich.... I don't even know anymore. I mean of course .500/.667/1.583 is very much unsustainable and will never last; but the thing is that when watching him, it doesn't look unearned, or lucky, or anything of the kind.

 

Also, Hicks looks like the most hittable 100mph pitcher I've ever seen. Not just based on today, he just doesn't seem to get much out of that velocity. Young guy, all the potential in the world to get it working, but right now he doesn't scare me one bit.

 

Good take.

Yelich is the best hitter in baseball now. We know this, it’ll take a little time for the baseball world to know.

[The stache]

I'm absolutely vibrating with happiness right now. 3-1, take three of four from the Cards, Christian Yelich hits a homer in his fourth straight game to start the season, and beats the Cards with a two run walk off double.

 

As much as Christian is getting praised, and absolutely should, let's give credit to the guys that got on ahead of him to make winning possible. If Benny Gamel and Lo Cain don't get on, we don't win. What a time for Gamel to get that first Brewer hit. He's going to be a weapon, I just have a feeling.

 

And the pen came in and shut the Birds down over the last four innings.

 

How can you not be romantic about baseball????

[PinaMadness]

Hamels gives up the Salami to DeShields. 5-4 Rangers.

[MrTPlush]

Hamels gives up the Salami to DeShields. 5-4 Rangers.

 

Maybe today can get even better.

[brewmann04]

Braun need to make teams pay for walking Yelich. But looks like i called this right in another thread 3-4 from the cards. Great job today by the bullpen but still think have craig makes us even better.

[TURBO]

Good start for you guys...congrats. I hope you treat those Cubbies as rudely

 

Thanks for being "classy" Dead Simmons...

[Brew crew 92]

I don’t think it is crazy to think guys like Burnes and Peralta could be more valuable as relievers than starters. With so many pitchers throughout baseball struggling the third time through a lineup I think there is merit to the idea of pairing serviceable starters with high end relievers to dominate the middle-to-late innings. Having the flexibility to deploy elite bullpen arms based on the specific situations that play out during the game is such a huge advantage. They will be valuable for the Brewers future either way, but I don’t think the importance of what they could offer in relief should be dismissed.

 

I want to know what TBBC thinks.

[phnxcrew]

I think the best thing about this is series is obviously we didn't play very well (aside from yelich) and took 3/4. Hitting should improve quite a bit and our pitching likely won't give up 2-3+ homers a game (hopefully). Great start, but there's more to come!

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Yeah, I thought each part of the team had good stretches, but nothing complete. This lineup is tough to get through. Good to see Barnes pitch well today! Every win without using Josh is big.

[markedman5]

Yelich double was on a 102 mph fastball.......

 

CC was beaming about the way Burnes through the ball......said when you have the stuff to strike out 12 cardinals in 5 innings that shows what kind of potential he has.....even with bad location on a few pitches that hurt him'

[Pugger]

It is always a great day when we beat those red birds. They have broken our hearts more often than I care to recall so I'm gonna enjoy this to the full.

[82brewcrew82]

Yelich double was on a 102 mph fastball.......

 

CC was beaming about the way Burnes through the ball......said when you have the stuff to strike out 12 cardinals in 5 innings that shows what kind of potential he has.....even with bad location on a few pitches that hurt him'

So much for that "un-hittable" Cardinal bullpen.

[PinaMadness]

You look at us, the Cubs and the Cards and the weakness for all three right now is the bullpen. Now getting JJ back will help but I think the team that gets Kimbrel will be the odds on favorite in the division, and the Cubs are already over the competitive balance tax threshold so they're cooked.

[Eye Black]

The Cubs lost to the Rangers on a walk-off wild pitch, 11-10.

 

The Cubs scored 28 runs in 3 games in Texas and lost two of them.

[markedman5]

What a great day.....

[MrTPlush]

The bullpen is not our weakness, that starting pitching is. Till it proves otherwise, on paper, it’s a pretty bad group. Just because of the fact the “proven guys” aren’t really all that good and while the young guys all have promise history would say their first year starting may not be very smooth.

[adambr2]

The bullpen is not our weakness, that starting pitching is. Till it proves otherwise, on paper, it’s a pretty bad group. Just because of the fact the “proven guys” aren’t really all that good and while the young guys all have promise history would say their first year starting may not be very smooth.

 

I mean small sample obviously but Burnes and Woodruff were really good prospects with really good MLB results last year and both have really good stuff. It's not going to be a rocky free road of course and they're probably not going to be Jacob DeGrom this year but I don't see any reason they can't be good in 2019.

 

Peralta I am less sure of. He's deceptive, although not overpowering, but he really doesn't have a 3rd pitch and his command disappears at times. We'll see.

 

But many of us certainly overreacted to Day 2 for the pen, myself included. It just felt like Barnes and Williams will struggle forever, in reality they're probably both going to be serviceable middle relievers, which is something.

[82brewcrew82]

The Cubs lost to the Rangers on a walk-off wild pitch, 11-10.

 

The Cubs scored 28 runs in 3 games in Texas and lost two of them.

People think our pitching staff has issues.

[jjfanec]

The Cubs lost to the Rangers on a walk-off wild pitch, 11-10.

 

The Cubs scored 28 runs in 3 games in Texas and lost two of them.

People think our pitching staff has issues.

 

This was obvious going into the year too. Their bullpen isnt good. Strop and Cishek are solid but that is it. Their rotation is old and lacks depth. Darvish looks like a huge question mark. Hamels wasn't good today and banking on him being the Hamels of old seems unlikely. I think a lot of people know the names of the Cubs pitchers so they assume they are better than they really are.

 

On the other hand man can that team hit.

[82brewcrew82]

This was obvious going into the year too. Their bullpen isnt good. Strop and Cishek are solid but that is it. Their rotation is old and lacks depth. Darvish looks like a huge question mark. Hamels wasn't good today and banking on him being the Hamels of old seems unlikely. I think a lot of people know the names of the Cubs pitchers so they assume they are better than they really are.

 

On the other hand man can that team hit.

So can ours.

[Fear The Chorizo]

The Cubs lost to the Rangers on a walk-off wild pitch, 11-10.

 

The Cubs scored 28 runs in 3 games in Texas and lost two of them.

People think our pitching staff has issues.

 

This was obvious going into the year too. Their bullpen isnt good. Strop and Cishek are solid but that is it. Their rotation is old and lacks depth. Darvish looks like a huge question mark. Hamels wasn't good today and banking on him being the Hamels of old seems unlikely. I think a lot of people know the names of the Cubs pitchers so they assume they are better than they really are.

 

On the other hand man can that team hit.

 

They can hit against the rangers...remember they have largely the same lineup that couldn't score during exteden stretches last year - they are a feast or famine offense

[clancyphile]

How confident must Burnes feel knowing that the offense can pick him up?

 

First Cain saves the opener by taking away a home run... Yelich ends the four-game series on a walk-off...

 

Cue up some Stan Bush - The Crew's got The Touch!