04/11/04 Houston (Oswalt) @ Milwaukee (Davis)

[squarepusher]

A convincing win at home yesterday puts the Crew at 4-2, and try to win the rubber match today.

 

NL Central standings:

 TEAM WON LOST PCT GB HOME ROAD EAST CENT WEST STREAK CINCINNATI 4 1 .800 - 4-1 0-0 00-00 04-01 00-00 WON 4 [b]MILWAUKEE 4 2 .667 1/2 1-1 3-1 00-00 04-02 00-00 WON 1[/b] ST LOUIS 3 3 .500 1 1/2 1-3 2-0 00-00 01-03 02-00 WON 2 CHICAGO CUBS 2 3 .400 2 0-0 2-3 01-01 01-02 00-00 LOST 1 PITTSBURGH 2 3 .400 2 2-1 0-2 02-01 00-02 00-00 LOST 2 HOUSTON 2 3 .400 2 1-2 1-1 00-00 01-01 01-02 LOST 1 

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Brewerfan.net / Statfox matchup info:

www.brewerfan.net/matchup.jsp

 

MLB.com game preview:

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mil/news/mil_news.jsp?ymd=20040410&content_id=699463&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp

 

Fox Sports game preview:

www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=2310410

 

Fox Sports gametrax:

www.foxsports.com/named/FS/MLB/gameTrax?gameId=240411108

 

Yahoo sports game preview:

sports.yahoo.com/mlb/preview?gid=240411102

 

CNNSi game preview:

sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/previews/2004/04/11/6592_preview.html

 

ESPN game preview:

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=240411108

 

The Sports Network matchup info:

www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/scores/live/match11223.htm

 

The Sports Network game preview:

www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/scores/live/pv11223.htm

 

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SportsTicker game preview:

Houston (2-3) at Milwaukee (4-2) 2:05 pm EDT

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MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers look to continue

their strong start to the young season Sunday afternoon as they

face the Houston Astros in the rubber game of a three-game

series at Miller Park.

 

Milwaukee has scored 43 runs and owns a winning record through

six games for the first time since 1998. A win Sunday would

move the Brewers three games over .500 for the first time in

nearly three years.

 

On Saturday, Milwaukee evened the series with an impressive

performance by righthander Ben Sheets. Sheets struck out 10 in

six scoreless innings to lead the Brewers to a 6-1 victory.

 

Wes Helms hit a three-run homer for the Milwaukee, which has 12

home runs on the season.

 

The Astros scored 13 runs in the series opener on Friday but

managed just six hits Saturday. Brad Ausmus had three hits.

 

Pitching matchup:

 

Houston - Roy Oswalt (2-0, 5.63 ERA) ; last season vs. Milwaukee

(1-1, 4.91).

 

Milwaukee - Doug Davis (1-0, 5.68 ERA); last season vs. Houston

(0-1, 3.15).

 

Who's Hot:

 

Houston - 1B Bagwell, 10-for-18, seven runs, eight RBI; RF

Hidalgo, 10-for-21, five runs, nine RBI.

 

Milwaukee - 3B Wes Helms, 6-for-16; CF Scott Podsednik,

9-for-28.

 

Who's Not:

 

Houston - LF Lance Berkman, 2-for-13.

 

Milwaukee - 2B Junior Spivey, 3-for-21, six strikeouts.

 

2004 Series: Houston, 1-1; All-time series: Houston, 56-35.

 

Injuries:

 

Houston - LHP Andy Pettitte (strained left elbow, on the 15-day

DL).

 

Milwaukee - None.

 

Upcoming probables:

 

Milwaukee - Matt Kinney (0-0, 4.50) at San Francisco on Monday,

April 12.

 

Houston - Jared Fernandez (0-0, 27.00) at St. Louis on Monday,

April 12.

[RyDogg66]

Easter Sunday, everyone is either at the game, at church or with their families...I am stuck in the library reading about property...anyway.....

 

We're up 1-0, Jr. Spivey nice line drive to score bill hall. man, if we can get to Oswalt early....well let's just get this done one run at a time. Go Crew.

 

By the way - anyone have any idea why sportsline.com gamecast put up that Biggio lead off with a HR? I listened to the first inning thinking the Crew was down 1-0. Oh well, I was pumped when I found out it was an error.

[tomwopat]

his cutter is looking lights-out... which is good, because there isn't a single lefty in the 'stros lineup.

[SenatorShriv]

After a wild pitch to score the first run...

 

Davis gives up a Grand Slam to Berkman in the third.

 

Davis is showing flashes of really good stuff, but is fading quickly.

[gregmag]

I know it's very early in the season, but Davis has done very little to make me question the bad feeling I've had about him. Granted, he's taken his knocks against a couple of great lineups . . . but he had a lot of his success last year against marshmallows.

 

Prove me wrong, Doug! Put it together.

 

Greg.

[AJAY]

Mike Maddux should have been out there to talk to Doug Davis before he faced Berkman.

 

Wake up coaching staff.

[burniebrewer]

By the way - anyone have any idea why sportsline.com gamecast put up that Biggio lead off with a HR?

 

RyDogg- The ball was hit to the left center gap and Jenks made the catch on the track. Not like he went up and brought it back in.

[SenatorShriv]

Davis serves up another one...

 

6-1 Houston

 

I know that it is a really tough line-up, but Davis has not looked good as a whole. As I said, a few flashes of good stuff in the first two innings, the cutter was looking good, but has really faded quickly.

 

Edit:

Davis pulled:

4 1/3 innnings

4BB

6ER

[AJAY]

Davis looked like Wayne Franklin or Glendon Rusch out there today. It was like watching a terrible flashback.

[Dogger192003]

Given Davis' career record, I'm afraid this is going to be the norm and last year was a fluke. I hope he turns it around though, if not maybe de la Rosa in June.

[RyDogg66]

Woulda could shoulda in the late innings. Failing to get runs in from third base with fewer than 2 outs in the seventh, and then failing to get anything with runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out in the eight might end up costing us.

 

Spivey - nice game. Love to see that after getting sat down with a bad game the guy comes out and just rips the ball - with something to prove. Love it.

 

7-3 right now, and if we could have gotten a run in both the seventh and eighth we'd have the go ahead run at the plate

 

Check it - score now 7-4.

[Dogger192003]

Agreed, nice to see Spivey come out and drive the ball, especially off Oswalt, no slouch. Of all the new Brewers I hope he has a huge year.

[RyDogg66]

Game now over.

 

I just caught the first two and last 3 innings. I really have to question the thinking of Ned Yost in the 8th when he PH for the pitcher with Brooks Kieschnick, rather than using Keith Ginter or Craig Counsell. With two runners on and nobody out, with the top of the order coming up, I would think that you'd want to put someone out there who will more than likely make contact and keep, or move the runners over, or at the least just keep the rally going.

 

Ginter had been tearing the cover off the ball and I thought Counsell was supposed to be on this team for those situations.

 

Maybe last year Brooks was the best player in the spot - because our bench was so bad, but this year, Brooks has got to be the worst hitter on our bench - right?

 

It is easy to be arm-chair manager and say after the fact what Ned should do - but this was a move that I was questioning as soon as Kieschnick was announced at the PH.

 

Also - what if the game went to extra innings? You just spent one of your relief pitchers.

 

Oh well.

[tomwopat]

why did they intentionally walk hidalgo after going 3-1 on him, to get to berkman? i've had my beefs with choices in pitching so far this year, but this one takes the cake. even if hidalgo hits a jack there's one less run to worry about.

 

once again it seems like they seem like they're trying too hard to get out of the inning with pitching when davis was obviously struggling. i know our defense is questoinable in places (wes helms, anyone?) but putting the ball in play seemed like a much better idea than letting berkman tee off. but then again, hindsight is 20-20.

[endaround]

Brooks is a better hitter than Counsell and comparable to Ginter. Yost may have wanted a left handed batter, in which case Brooks should be the choice.

[RyDogg66]

I know that Brooks made contact, and that Lidge is a RH pitcher, but given the situation, I would have looked at my bench and thought about PH with either Ginter or Counsell in that spot, probably Counsell, before I even looked at putting in Kieschnick. I think Yost was looking for the 3-run HR rather than getting that run in from third base.

[clancyphile]

Which was a good call to make, IMHO. They needed the boost.

 

I'm willing to give Davis a mulligan for this one.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Davis' poor start notwithstanding, this game was lost from leaving a small village on the bases. Constantly getting guys on base, then hitting into twin kills, or just leaving them out there.

 

This is what I am kinda expecting a lot of from this team this year. We have some good OBP guys, but not a lot of sluggers. I know it's been brought up before, but it bears saying again, SOMEONE has to be able to bring people in.

 

Davis gets a mulligan I guess, that's a tough lineup, but 4 walks in 4 1/3 is way too many.

[endaround]

Counsell over that last three season has an ISO less than 100 meaning he really has no power left. Counsell might have a slightly better chance to get on base than Brooks but seeing the point in the game, playing for the home run is the smart move since the number of outs to score runs in was dwindling. In general I see few places where I would prefer Counsell over Brooks for pinch hitting.

[clancyphile]

But a couple were intentional. So, two in 4.1, I could live with.

 

But one notion needs to end: Brady Clark over Keith Ginter in RF when Grieve sits.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Grieve sits because of his terrible D, which is why Clark plays. Ginter is not on par with Clark in the outfield, and on top of that, Clark is hitting right now.

[11]

Electing to INT BB Hidalgo after falling behind 3-1 in the count was the correct move. 1st base was open and Hildalgo is hitting .549. Berkman, hitting .111, was hitting from the right side, not his better side. He hit a terrible pitch by Davis, an 85 MPH slider right in Berkaman's wheelhouse.

 

The reason why Davis looks good for 2 innngs then looks very hittable after that is simply that the lineup sees him for the second time. Davis' stuff is at best, middle relief quality and I think that's where he belongs - in the bullpen. At least it would give the MGR a left handed option out of the bullpen.

[clancyphile]

Davis can go longer. It may be that in April, he has to be watched more closely.

 

I'd suggest seeing if he could add a split-finger/sinker to his repetoire.

[MassBrew]

Small sample fans, let's focus on the positive 4.3 % into the season:

 

Brewers are 2nd in the NL in OPS, .872 (STL - .989)

 

Brewers are 2nd in the NL in SLG, .502 (STL - .621)

 

Brewers are 3rd in the NL in OBP, .370 (behind HOU, SD)

 

Plenty of other things to dwell on the other way, but we'll take a 4-3 record at this point, huh?

[950opsLHcatcher]

Brewers are 2nd in the NL in OPS, .872 (STL - .989)

 

Brewers are 2nd in the NL in SLG, .502 (STL - .621)

 

And the only reason STL is ahead in both catagories is because STL played the Brewers four times.

 

I rain on parades.