Padres series--any hope?

[SeriesFinale]

At this point, I'd assume we need to take at least 3 of 4 to force a playoff. It's a hefty task, but I think the team is capable of it.

 

I was at the Giants' game tonight, and I was pretty surprised how Bud Black kept sending Jake Peavy out even though the game was well out of hand by the top of the 5th...he ended up getting close to 100 pitches over the course of the night. At the least, we can hope Peavy gets gassed early if he happens to have to pitch Sunday and it still matters to the Brew Crew.

[Invader3K]

Well, I will be there tonight, hopefully cherring the Crew to another win. At this point, things are completely out of the Brewers' hands, due to their own ineptitude. I'm not exactly getting ready for the playoffs at this point, like everyone else here.

[pretendastronaut]

With the struggles of their starting pitching lately, I think we have a chance to take at least 3 of 4, if not an outside chance of all 4. Combine that with the fact that the Pads probably didn't get to Milwaukee until sometime this morning and I think we can do well tonight. I have confidence in the Marlins tonight, they've taken 9 straight from the Cubs. If we can still get the lead down to 1 tonight, there's still a chance, but its going to take some luck and work, the same as its took all week. I don't have as much optimism as I had on Tuesday, but its not over yet.

[brewmann04]

hopefully the Pods pitch their good pitchers cause the Brewers seem to better against them instead of the no name Pitchers. So we should have a Shot at Maddux and Young

[pretendastronaut]

Plus, Maddux has a bad back right now, and Young has been ugly for awhile now. He's 0-5, 6.08 ERA in his last 10 starts.

[jeffy]

3-1 with Cubs going 1-3 is definately still a possibility. Cubs have not done well against the Marlin and Cincinatti could have take 2 of 3 at Wrigley, if not for one horrible 9th inning.

[BrewCrewForever]

I still have have hope. I will be at MP for the next two, I hope I see two wins to start this series off.

 

I think a one game playoff between the Brewers and Cubs would be so exciting I might crap my pants.

[naivin]

I am very confident about the Brewers taking 3 of 4. I just don't see the Cubs losing 3 of 4. If they win today, what we do isn't likely to matter. I suppose 4-0 and 2-2 is possible, but seems very unlikely.

[RightFieldCoder]

But if any team could make the 1-3 collapse, it would be the Cubs.

[rluzinski]

If the Cubs lose today, there's still a glimmer of hope.

[BrewCrewForever]

But if any team could make the 1-3 collapse, it would be the Cubs.

That is one of my thinkings as well.

 

[JohnBriggs12]

From what I saw last night when the entire Brewer team seemed to freeze up, even if the Cubs go 0-4, I don't think our guys are capable of performing under that pressure.

 

The Brewers are in a similar situation that the Orioles were in 1982. When they were seemingly out of it having to sweep 4 from the Brewers the final weekend, they played loose and well against a tight Brewer team trying to finish things. But by Sunday, the Orioles suddenly had pressure too and going from no pressure to real pressure like that is very, very hard. I saw that in the Brewers last night. They realized that it was right there before them after the Cubs lost again and they tightened up.

[SeriesFinale]

The travel factor could come into play. Padres had to go from SF to Milwaukee after game ended on West Coast after midnight Milwaukee time. They should not be real fresh tonight at least.

 

Yeah, last night with the score 11-2, I was really cheering on the Giants' meaningless mini-rally in the 9th...anything to stretch that game out.

[twobrewers]

I just want the last game of the season to matter. I have tickets on Sunday and really want to be able to go to the game knowing there is a *chance*.

 

If we don't make it, we don't make it - but after the lead we had to start the season, going to the last game with absolutely nothing on the line is kind of depressing. That is why last night hurt so so bad. Whether we would have caught the Cubs or not - we would at least have known that on any night we had a chance.

 

Kinda like when the Brewers have home games. I always want them to win. But I at least want to see a batter at the plate in the 9th representing the tying run so I have something to cheer for.

[SeriesFinale]

It'll be very interesting to see how the young Brew Crew responds to the pressure--I really hope they don't come out pressing too hard here.

 

This is pretty much a de facto playoff series now, with the Crew being in very much like the position their forebearers in '82 were against the Angels in terms of needing to win a series of games with their back against the wall. The odds are still pretty stacked against the Crew, but I feel confident that the Reds can help the Crew and the Brewers can take at least 3 this weekend. It would've been great to have won last night but that's spilt milk.

 

Wow, I didn't see this coming Sunday night.

[And That]

Basically, as long as we aren't mathematically eliminated I'll hold a candle. I'm not going to get ultra-worked up about the outcome of this series because I have full confidence that the '08 Brewers are going to shred a lot of teams.

[rluzinski]

So, when the Brewers won the first 2 games of the Cardinals series, there was no pressure. Only the third game had pressure, which they lost because they couldn't handle it.

 

Clear as mud.

[jeffy]

If the Cubs lose today, there's still a glimmer of hope.

 

 

Well, we have the glimmer...now what'll that glimmer become if the Brewers win tonight?

[SeriesFinale]

So, when the Brewers won the first 2 games of the Cardinals series, there was no pressure. Only the third game had pressure, which they lost because they couldn't handle it.

 

Clear as mud.

I'm apt to agree with you, but it seems like we've seen this team press in big-game situations before (first game against the Mets in May) and the pressure cooker's only going to get warmer the closer they get to the lead.

[And That]

So, when the Brewers won the first 2 games of the Cardinals series, there was no pressure. Only the third game had pressure, which they lost because they couldn't handle it.

 

Clear as mud.

I'm apt to agree with you, but it seems like we've seen this team press in big-game situations before (first game against the Mets in May) and the pressure cooker's only going to get warmer the closer they get to the lead.

And I'm apt to agree with you, and also think this experience will be uber-beneficial for next season and beyond.

 

[pitchleague]

this situation kind of reminds me of the Indians a few years back, who played really well only to falter down the stretch big-time to allow the Twins to win the division. It was a big learning experience for that club and, although they didn't win the division last year, the Indians did contend and did end up winning it this year.

[SeriesFinale]

Yeah, whether we miss the playoffs, force a one-game playoff, or win it outright (stranger things, stranger things...), this should hopefully be a big building block. There's still #82 to root for, and it would even be great to play spoiler if that's what Sunday came down to.

[PlayerHader]

Yovani Gallardo is right on tonight. Spotting his fastball perfectly. I'm predicting he goes 8 innings (if needed) and 3 runs wins this game.

 

EDIT-F'n defense.

[dlk9s]

I just checked the schedules and ESPN has Peavy listed as the Sunday starter. Hopefully, that will matter to the Brewers.

 

Reasons why we won't catch the Cubs: 1) they play the Reds sans Griffey and Dunn and will have Zambrano and Lilly on the hill, 2) the Padres' starting pitching is ridiculous, 3) the Padres' relief pitching is ridiculous, 4) the Cubs still need to lose at least one game.

 

Reasons why we will catch the Cubs: 1) they stink, 2) they choke, 3) Eyre, Wuertz, Dempster, 4) Arroyo and Harang go against them, 5) the Padres' are a light hitting team that is without a couple of their best hitters, so it might not take a ton of runs to pull these games out.

 

One thing I read that was interesting is that every single base runner that has attempted a steal against Chris Young has been successful. Something like 45 out of 45. So, in that game maybe more than the others (again, hopefully it will matter), the Brewers hitters need to be patient at the plate and try to work some walks.

[And That]

Brewers.com has Tomko listed as the Sunday starter unless the game is of importance to the Padres, and then Peavy would start on 3 days. Peavy was terrible in his last 3-day stint, whatever you want to read into that.