04/07/04 Brewers (Kinney) @ Cardinals (Williams)

[squarepusher]

Matt Kinney and the NL Central leading Brewers take on veteran Woody Williams and the Cards, trying to earn a series win.

 

Brewerfan.net / Statfox game matchup:

www.brewerfan.net/matchup.jsp?teamId=1

 

MLB.com game preview:

milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=mil

 

Yahoo! game preview:

sports.yahoo.com/mlb/preview?gid=240407124

 

Fox Sports gametrax:

www.foxsports.com/named/FS/MLB/gameTrax?gameId=240407124

 

ESPN game preview:

sports.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=240407124

[scoop53714]

just a heads up.....I know the game isnt on FSN North but I checked on the Digital Cable and they list the game on their MLB extra innings package (free this week) I believe on chanell 870. I have no idea if its going to be blacked out but it is currently listed on that channel. Its worth checking out. Anyone thinking about shelling out the 150 for the MLB package?

[Kraft4a3]

I would but the wife would not have it. I can see the Brewers just about every game. The only reason I would pay $150 would be to watch my AL team, the Indians. I haven't been able to follow the Indians through their rebuilding, and I have lost some fimiliarity with the team. One thing I know for sure is I still don't like Ron Belliard's attitude.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif

[RyDogg66]

Matt Kinney....(gulp!)

[MachMeister5]

Although, i was thinking alot about the Summer of 1998 the other day... I remember going camping up north in late april/early may, and the Brewers and Cubs were tied and playing each other with a 13-6 or 13-4 record, something like that....

 

A winning April would be freakin awesome...

[igor67]

OK some quick comments while enjoying the fact that the Brewers are alone in first for the the first time since my birthday in 1996.

 

The bullpen results have been solid so far, but not dominating. The pitching overall has been league average, which isn't all that great considering the number of pen innings and we've only thrown are two best starters. I get away with saying League average because it's reasonable to project the Cards to score about 900 runs, or 5.5 per game. That said our offense clearly isn't going to keep going like this, and I agree that the pitching match-up clearly favors the Cards today.

[DHonks]

These are how the early Cards-Brewers games were last year. Didn't the Brewers have a comfortable opening day lead last year until a comeback led by Matt Morris? I know he did it to us at least once last year where a big double or triple broke out back.

Still, it's good to see us finish off a team like the Cards.. now let's take the series and give Kinney some of the ol' Franklin run support

[JohnBriggs12]

While this pitching matchup on paper clearly favors the Cards, keep in mind that Williams was not fully stretched out this spring due to shoulder tendinitis and he wasn't very effective in the innings he did pitch. Williams insists he's ready but Dave Duncan isn't so sure.

 

This game could come down to Adrian Hernandez vs. Cal Eldred in the middle innings. That is a much better matchup for Brewers than Williams/Kinney.

 

Hopefully Ned will have a very short hook today.

[clancyphile]

The offense had better score a lot of runs...

 

If Kinney gets in trouble... the Cards will get a big inning. Most teams usually do.

[burniebrewer]

Anyone thinking about shelling out the 150 for the MLB package?

 

I probably will. I'm just a baseball junkie and a late night person. Being a night owl, it's nice that there's usually at least 1 west coast game on every night. As for tonight's game, if there is no local broadcast and they are advertising it as being on the package, it should be on. It will probably be the Cards broadcast, but take what you can get, right? I know ESPN has a broadcast tonight, so I'm surprised at the number of games listed for the package.

[rluzinski]

I really wanted to savor the 2-0 start, so i went over to the Cardinal's message board. Ahhh, that felt good.

 

Hopefully Kinney throw a complete game shutout so Clancy has to move on.

[AJAY]

For whatever reason, I think Keith Ginter would match up better against Woody Williams than Wes Helms. Williams has some nasty stuff and I think Ginter's compact stroke would give him a better chance to be successful. If I am Yost, I give Helms a day off and let Ginter have a start.

[Vgmastr]

I probably will. I'm just a baseball junkie and a late night person. Being a night owl, it's nice that there's usually at least 1 west coast game on every night. As for tonight's game, if there is no local broadcast and they are advertising it as being on the package, it should be on. It will probably be the Cards broadcast, but take what you can get, right? I know ESPN has a broadcast tonight, so I'm surprised at the number of games listed for the package.

 

The first two games of the season were also advertised to be on Extra Innings, but they were both blacked out. From what I understand, if you live in Wisconsin, you won't get any Brewer games on Extra Innings period, even if FSN doesn't broadcast it.

[burniebrewer]

Really? That sucks.

[Kraft4a3]

I assume the blackout would only be for home games. Like tonight the game is not on FSN, but it should be on the MLB Preview. Right?

 

That wouldn't be bad, home games I could just ride the good old bike down to The Keg and get some cheap seats.

[BrewCrewin2005]

Brewers winning streak will likely come to an end tonight with Kinney pitching. Unless the offense can come alive like in the first two games.

[cooprules]

Anyone see this on the Fox Sports preview?

 

Gary Bennett, C

Brewers catcher Gary Bennett will start today and every day that Matt Kinney or Wes Obermueller pitch. Chad Moeller will start when Ben Sheets, Doug Davis, and Chris Capuano start. This limits Moeller's fantasy value. Bennett won't hit enough to have any.

 

I thought Moeller was our starting catcher? I realize he wouldn't play most day games after night games and stuff like that but I thought the ratio of him playing would be more than 3 to 2?

[scoop53714]

If Kinney sucks tonight I will admit that I am wrong. But I think Kinney is much better than dudes like Clancy think. His numbers were awfully similar to dozens of pitchers around baseball who have good reputations. Kinney will begin shutting mouths tonight.

[squarepusher]

[ I thought Moeller was our starting catcher? I realize he wouldn't play most day games after night games and stuff like that but I thought the ratio of him playing would be more than 3 to 2? ]

 

Once Kinney gets shelled and released and Wes Obermueller gets relegated to the pen, Moeller will be the starting catcher. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Athens Badger]

What is the Cards board? I want to check it out.

[JoeHova]

Once Kinney gets shelled and released and Wes Obermueller gets relegated to the pen, Moeller will be the starting catcher.

 

 

love that Brewer Fan optimism. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

 

 

seriously, I hope they start Moeller at least 130 games. Bennett really can't play. I hope Kinney is ok, but you are robably right, he won't be. I have a soft spot for him because I was at a game in the 'Dome last year when he pitched a CG against the Twins, his former team. He shut those hayseeds in the stands up real nice.

[endaround]

If Bennet plays that much, catcher goes from being an improvement over last year to a minus.

[7rebmun]

Regarding the comments on most of the Brewers games not being shown on the Extra Innings package . . . I don't believe that's true unless something has changed.

 

You will see "most" of the games. No Wednesday night games (ESPN holds all rights to broadcast and everything but their games are blacked out), no Saturday day games (Same rules, but FOX controlled), but pretty much everything else. I was an Extra Innings subscriber in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Since that time I had to go back to apartment living, so no dish. Now I've been using the MLB.TV ($80 season) and it plays by the same rules and you see approximately 80% of their games. I always end up watching about 100 games the first month while following my fantasy team religiously in the early going.

 

As for the match-up tonight it - I agree with the Hernandez/Eldred match up. It seemed like when Yost went back to Bennett again last night that he had pretty much made up his mind to see what Hernandez has tonight. While I like Kinney, I hope we get to see Hernandez tonight (hopefully with the lead).

[DHonks]

I really like the mlb extra innings package free preview. I may just pay the money and get it. Like right now I'm watching the White Sox and Royals.

[7rebmun]

DHonks - I think its worth it even when baseball fever wears off in May, because when the stretch run rolls around you'll be back to watching random games again in September.