2019-04-27: Brewers (Woodruff) at Mets (Syndergaard) [Brewers win, 8-6 -- Offensive production and Josh Hader overshadow bullpen woes]

[DuWayne Steurer]

One encouraging sign for Brandon Woodruff aside from the overall solid start tonight is that he now has 38 Ks in 31.1 IP this season.

 

If he can limit his pitch count and get some 6 inning starts occasionally, he has an outside chance to approach 180 or even 200 k's.

[Brew crew 92]

It’s obvious to some, the REAL problems not the rotation, but the pen, and this game SCREAMS that fact. When we only have one high lev. arm in the ENTIRE pen, whatever. It’s only 9-15 mil. There, problem solved. On to the playoffs.

 

How come you didn't post this one last night/morning? We won both games, BTW.

 

This game, win or lose notwithstanding, should tell us something has to change with this pen moving forward. Wilson throwing batting practice during game conditions, jeffress no velo, no command, JUST A PITCHER NOW. At the present time this bullpen stinks. And to consider putting woody or Burnes to pen to save money, at there developmental expense makes me angry and sad.

[DuWayne Steurer]

It’s obvious to some, the REAL problems not the rotation, but the pen, and this game SCREAMS that fact. When we only have one high lev. arm in the ENTIRE pen, whatever. It’s only 9-15 mil. There, problem solved. On to the playoffs.

 

How come you didn't post this one last night/morning? We won both games, BTW.

 

This game, win or lose notwithstanding, should tell us something has to change with this pen moving forward. Wilson throwing batting practice during game conditions, jeffress no velo, no command, JUST A PITCHER NOW. At the present time this bullpen stinks. And to consider putting woody or Burnes to pen to save money, at there developmental expense makes me angry and sad.

 

That is an assumption by you. Woodruff hasn't been moved to the pen. They could move him to the pen to limit his innings. They could move him to the pen to help the pen. They could move him to the pen because he could prove to be innefective as a starter. There are a lot of reasons to move a starter to the pen. The Cardinals are one team that develops a lot of starters as relievers first. I'm not saying that's the right way/only way, but it is a way to develop young pitchers.

 

You have this narrative built in your head and refuse to accept anything other than your narrative as fact, and saying it over and over, every day, in every thread you post in doesn't make it any more true.

[Fear The Chorizo]

I remember many people posting over the offseason that the NL as a whole was going to be a dogfight...

 

It's early and all, but looking at the standings right now really points to that being accurate. Getting any kind of separation is going to be difficult.

 

The current version of the Brewers' pen does stink - losing Knebel so late in spring training rocked them. They're now in a tough spot, with seemingly a conga line of starting pitchers making their way back from injury or inconsistency or just a late April signing - none of which being great candidates to thrust into late inning relief roles.

 

Maybe the Brewers will just say "Screw Bullpens", and just field a pitching staff with around 7-8 starters and turn two or three of the rotation spots into piggyback games for awhile.

 

Chacin + bullpen scraps + 1-plus IP from Hader

Gio/Nelson

Anderson/Burnes

Davies + bullpen scraps + 1-plus IP from Hader

Woodruff/Peralta (or Houser)

[Brew crew 92]

Am I the only one that see’s that jeffress is in trouble?

[82brewcrew82]

Am I the only one that see’s that jeffress is in trouble?

You're the only one that sees a lot of things. Which is very evident in the way you........passionately repeat the same things every post you make.

[BruisedCrew]

This game is a vintage example of why some fans are seriously concerned about this season.

 

Last year if the Brewers had almost any kind of lead in the late innings you could be reasonably confident they could pull it out. Now you can’t be comfortable with any lead, even against a relatively mediocre offensive team. With starters who rarely get into the sixth inning it’s usually going to take 4 pitchers to close things out, and none of them are consistently reliable, even Hader who has turned into a home run waiting to happen.

 

This is all fair, but Hader has given up 3 homers. Lets let the season play out a while before we declare him a gopher ball in waiting.

 

All I’m really saying here is that, from a fan’s perspective, it’s harder to think that bringing in Hader is totally comforting when he has given up home runs in 3 straight appearances and had one pulled back from over the fence in another appearance (on Opening Day).