Game Thread (4/25/2022): Giants (Long) at Brewers (Burnes) - 5:10 PM CDT

[DuWayne Steurer]

I know it's a small sample size, but if you look at Cain's batted ball data at fangraphs.... it ain't pretty.  

His exit velo is down, his hard hit% is WAY down, and according to statcast, his barreled up is 0.  Yes, 0.  

Not only that, and I hate to say it, but he doesn't pass the ol' eye test.  He just looks absolutely burnt.  I know we had a short spring training, and on top of that, Lorenzo Cain has never exactly looked "athletic".  He always looks like he's in every imaginable ache and pain just to jog out to CF and back, but he looks absolutely, 100% done.  I hate to agree with the DFA crowd, but I think it's time. 

[Eye Black]

The Cardinals led the Mets 2-0 in the top of the 9th inning with two outs and nobody on. The Mets were down to their final strike, but Arenado made a throwing error on the would’ve been game ending toss across the diamond.
 

The Mets now lead 5-2 after a glorious turn of events.

[NBBrewFan]

10 minutes ago, Eye Black said:

The Cardinals led the Mets 2-0 in the top of the 9th inning with two outs and nobody on. The Mets were down to their final strike, but Arenado made a throwing error on the would’ve been game ending toss across the diamond.
 

The Mets now lead 5-2 after a glorious turn of events.

What? Teams can score after they're down to their last out? How did they get a 5 run HR?

[trwi7]

10 minutes ago, NBBrewFan said:

What? Teams can score 

There, fixed that for you.

[Pugger]

3 hours ago, mtrebs said:

Wish the Brewers would have signed another bullpen arm this off-season.

I don't think pitching is the problem here.  This anemic offense is what has to be addressed.  Two runs isn't gonna cut it.

[BruisedCrew]

10 hours ago, ReverendBrewmeister said:

Can't have both the bullpen giving away late-game leads and the offense consistently putting up 3 or fewer runs. That would be a lethal combination this season. 

The two things are related.

Because the Brewers have trouble scoring more than 2 or 3 runs in a game, even with outstanding starting pitching they rarely take more than a small lead into the late innings. So, to protect those small leads they have to use their top relievers, usually starting in the 7th inning. 
 

Obviously, pitchers like Boxberger, Williams (who has been erratic so far), and Hader can’t pitch every day, so some times, like Friday and yesterday, protecting those small leads is going to fall to the middle and back end of the bullpen.

Hader has been exceptional, saving 8 of the Brewers 10 wins. But it isn’t sustainable to have a closer save 80% of the team’s wins if the team expects to win the 90 or so games it it usually takes to make the playoffs. They have to be able to score enough runs on occasion to win games without a save.

Last season the Brewers only lost 4 games when they took a lead into the 8th inning. They’ve had 2 in the last 4 days, and there are going to be a lot more if the offense can’t score more runs in the first 6 or 7 innings, no matter how good the starting pitching is. 

[mtrebs]

9 hours ago, Pugger said:

I don't think pitching is the problem here.  This anemic offense is what has to be addressed.  Two runs isn't gonna cut it.

Yes and no. Since the offense wasn’t improved this off-season the middle relief could have been improved more (and at a more reasonable cost). Our mid-relief isn’t very good. Since we aren’t going to score many runs we can’t afford to give up 2-run home runs when we have great starting pitching.