The Old Milwaukees

Wolf takes loss after shaky four-inning outing

May 16, 2012

Left-hander Randy Wolf allowed six earned runs over four innings as the Brewers lost, 8-3, to the Astros on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park.

Stat Of The Night: RicKKie WeeKKs

May 16, 2012

In what's becoming an increasingly alarming trend, Rickie Weeks didn't bring anything to the table offensively tonight. He struck out in each of his four plate appearances, raising his season total to 48 in 37 Brewer games. He's on pace to strike out 210 times this season, which would be the third highest mark in National League history.

Weeks has multiple strikeouts in eight of his last eleven appearances (and one of the others was a single plate appearance as a pinch hitter). This is the eighteenth time he's had multiple K's in a game this season, which is already tied for the 118th highest single-season total in Brewer franchise history. He's on pace to do it 79 times this season, which would blow away the franchise record:

Hitter	Season	Multi-K Games
Rob Deer	1987	62
Jose Hernandez	2002	58
Rob Deer	1986	54
Jose Hernandez	2001	53
Rickie Weeks	2010	50

Weeks only had 30 multi-K games in all of 2011.

Gomez feeling good after first rehab game

May 16, 2012

Carlos Gomez went 0-for-3 during his first rehab game with Class A Wisconsin, but the Brewers outfielder went first to third on a single and scored on a sacrifice fly to test his injured hamstring.

Astros 8, Brewers 3: Tonight’s Turning Points

May 16, 2012

1) Jed Lowrie's second inning RBI double: -.122 WPA (Video)

If nothing else, this was an interesting play defensively. Ryan Braun was fooled by the flight of this ball and wasn't in position to field it when it caromed off the short porch in left field. As such, Cesar Izturis had to come out and get it, creating a rare "double to shortstop." Carlos Lee scored from first with the game's first run.

2) Carlos Lee's third inning two-run single: -.078 WPA (Video)

Lee drove in the first two of three third inning runs with this hit that narrowly avoided being a double play ball, blowing the game open.

3) Justin Maxwell's second inning RBI single: -.063 WPA (Video)

This hit scored a run too.

4) Chris Johnson's second inning double play: +.052 WPA

After two runs scored in the second the Brewers got this play to help them get out of the inning.

5) Aramis Ramirez's third inning groundout: -.046 WPA

The Brewers had two on with two out trailing 2-0 in the third, but failed to score.

And the next five:

6) Jed Lowrie reaches on Corey Hart's fielding error in the third inning: -.045 WPA (Video)
7) Corey Hart's fourth inning solo home run: +.044 WPA (Video)
8) Randy Wolf's third inning single: +.041 WPA
9) J.D. Martinez's third inning walk: -.039 WPA
10) Nyjer Morgan's third inning fly out: -.038 WPA

And the win expectancy graph:

Source: FanGraphs

Astros 8, Brewers 3: Ron Roenicke’s Postgame Comments

May 16, 2012

As seen on FS Wisconsin:

Didn't get to hear the first question:

I don't know if I'd say mystifying, but I'm concerned about it. It's frustrating, that's what it is. It's frustrating. The guys are working hard every day, we have a good game, we think we're going to get going, and we don't. I know Norris threw a nice game, was hitting his spots with his fastball and he's got such a good slider, but we can't repeat and get things going in too many consecutive days.

Was Bud Norris' stuff that good?

It was good. It was good stuff. And I always think he has good stuff. It wasn't the stuff that he had last year when...

The feed jumped ahead here, and cut out the next question.

Command. First inning really good. Just everything came out live, hitting his spots. Then we go into the second inning and he's losing it a little bit, then continued to battle with his command. Same inning but we're still in the ball game, the ground ball that Carlos Lee hit up the middle, it's a ground ball. If that's hit at somebody it's a double play. Corey doesn't catch a ball in the outfield. So if you make those plays it's a different ball game.

Is that the way things are going?

It happens. I say it all the time: when you're not playing well these things happen. But I think it changes what happens in the game for a pitcher. He thought he made a good pitch on Carlos Lee, which he did, and Carlos tops the ball and it's placed perfectly up the middle. And you can see it's disappointing on a pitcher because he thinks he's got a ground ball double play and it ends up being a base hit and two runs score. Now, they did hit some balls hard off him but we've got to make better pitches and get ahead of people. And Randy started getting behind some guys and all of a sudden they find some holes and...I've said before these guys are a scrappy team. I know they didn't have a good series in Philly but offensively these guys can really swing the bat. They're always on base, they're always a problem trying to get them out.

On the fly ball to left in the second that bounced past Ryan Braun:

Yeah, we're only talking about eight inches where he thought it was going to hit off the side there and it ends up caroming off. Even if he plays it off there's no way you'd figure the ball's going to go that way. So even if he stopped early, he's still not going to make that play.

Izzy did a nice job getting out there to get it and keeping the guy at second base.

On Corey Hart's dropped fly ball:

I don't know what happened. Sometimes you're in a ball game and you really don't want to ask that question in the game. I'm sure he'll say something to me tonight or tomorrow.

Oh yeah, if he sees the ball he makes the catch. The way it looked, I don't know if he lost the ball in the lights or not. I don't know.

Momentum Halted As Wheels Come Off: Astros Beat Brewers 8-3

May 16, 2012

W: Bud Norris (4-1)
L: Randy Wolf (2-4)

HR: Corey Hart (8), Carlos Lee (3)

MVP: Ryan Braun (+.027)
LVP: Randy Wolf (-.320 pitching, +.041 hitting)

Win Expectancy Graph and Star of the Game Voting

First it was the final game in the first Cubs series. Then a pair of games back-to-back in the Padres series. And tonight, the Brewers did it again: Coming off a nice win with a little momentum, they brought absolutely nothing to the table and made us wonder if this team is ever going to put it together.

Tonight the carnage started when the Astros scored two in the second inning. Then they scored three more in the third (aided by Corey Hart's dropped fly ball). When two more scored in the fourth the Brewers were down 7-1 and this game was already more or less over.

Randy Wolf allowed all seven of the aforementioned runs, but one of them was unearned. He completed just four innings and allowed seven hits and three walks, striking out just one. His ERA is back up to 6.38 this season.

Corey Hart drove in the Brewers' first run with a solo homer. Rickie Weeks struck out in each of his four plate appearances tonight. He has two or more strikeouts in eight of his last eleven games. Aramis Ramirez also went 0-for-3 with a walk tonight, ending his hitting streak at 12 games.

The Brewers got a couple of consolation runs in the ninth when Jonathan Lucroy's pinch hit triple plated two.

For the second time this week the Brewers can only hope to salvage a split in the series finale tomorrow. Shaun Marcum takes on J.A. Happ at 7:05.

Brewers ready for rival Twins in Interleague

May 16, 2012

Rickie Weeks hit his first career homer against the Twins in 2005, and the Brewers will renew their Interleague Play rivalry with Minnesota this weekend at Miller Park.

Lucroy wants Brewers to be more consistent

May 16, 2012

Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy is looking for the team to gain the consistency it had last year.

After career day, Ishikawa back in lineup

May 16, 2012

Travis Ishikawa would like to be an everyday player. The numbers over his 10 starts this season present a strong case for it.

Game Thread #37: Brewers (16-20) at Astros (15-21)

May 16, 2012

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