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Brewers recap 5/23
Brewers’ staff pieces together win over Twins
MINNEAPOLIS — With the way things had been going, the Brewers needed a complete team effort from their pitching staff on Sunday against the Twins. That’s exactly what they got as five pitchers combined to lead the Brewers to a 4-3 win in the series finale at Target Field.
Before the series finale, manager Ken Macha worried that short pitching performances could leave his staff in a state of “total disarray.” That’s because after a one-third-of-an-inning outing by Dave Bush to open the series and a 12-inning game on Saturday, the Brewers had no starter available after using lefty Manny Parra in the 11th and 12th innings in the second game of the series.
Instead, the Brewers avoided that scenario and put together the best complete-team performance they’ve had since before losing 11 of their last 12 games.
“It was a total team effort today, and it’s been that way the whole way,” pitching coach Rick Peterson said. “Nobody has gone into bed and under the covers. Everybody realizes our struggles, but guys are making a concerted effort to improve themselves.”
With the Brewers down a run in the fourth, right fielder Corey Hart stayed hot, crushing a 1-0 pitch from Carl Pavano to the third deck in left, the first ball that has been hit there in Target Field. At an estimated 440 feet, Hart’s home run was the longest yet at the new stadium.
Hart’s blast was his ninth of the season and sixth in the last nine games. First baseman Prince Fielder added a solo shot to right in the sixth, which proved to be the eventual game-winning run.
But it was the Brewers’ pitching that stole the spotlight on Sunday.
Marco Estrada, who had thrown 21 pitches in relief less than 24 hours earlier, got the nod for the start and gave the Brewers three innings, in which he allowed two runs on four hits.
After Estrada was Parra, who remained available to pitch despite being unavailable to start. After being tagged with the loss the night before, Parra (1-3) got the win, throwing two scoreless innings while giving up three hits, walking two and striking out a pair.
With that, the Brewers led, 3-2, through five innings, despite having used two pitchers that had thrown in relief the previous night.
“That’s fighting right there,” Parra said. “We were trying any way we could to get nine innings. It was a good battle.”
But as impressive as the Brewers’ first two pitchers were, it’s the late innings that have been the biggest problem recently. Fortunately for them, the last three pitchers got the job done as well.
Lefty Zach Braddock, who was called up from Triple-A Nashville before the game, delivered two impressive innings, giving up just one hit and one walk while striking out a pair.
With the way Estrada and Parra started things off, Braddock said he didn’t want to disappoint.
“Everyone who pitched today pitched a great game,” Braddock said. “I just wanted to keep up with everyone else and do the job that was asked of me.”
Next up for the Brewers was veteran reliever Trevor Hoffman, making his 1,000th career appearance. In his first action since stepping out of the closer’s role to work with Peterson on his mechanics, Hoffman was dominant in the eighth.
He needed just 10 pitches, nine of which were strikes, to retire the Twins in order and set things up for John Axford to close it out in the ninth.
“He threw strikes, he was crisp [and] he was hitting the corners,” Macha said. “He threw a very good changeup to [Trevor Plouffe] for a strikeout. It’s encouraging.”
Axford, who got his first Major League save on the final day of the 2009 season, was sent out with a chance for his second in the ninth. In order to do so, however, he had to get through the heart of the Twins’ order.
After a leadoff double by Orlando Hudson to the gap in right, Axford got Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer each to strike out swinging with 96-mph fastballs. Axford still wasn’t done, though, as Jason Kubel singled in Hudson and the Twins loaded the bases two batters later.
But with a 1-2 curveball to Plouffe, Axford secured the win as they avoided what would have been the club’s fourth sweep in their last five series.
“It felt good; I just had to get it done,” Axford said. “It was great, it really was. A lot of emotion right there on the mound. That’s probably some of the most I’ll show really at the end. But I was excited. I wanted to get that save and go home with a win.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Brewers beat 5/23
Weeks hoping to break out of slump
MINNEAPOLIS — If his two-run, ninth-inning double on Saturday is any indication, Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks may be primed to break out of a recent slump at the plate.
Including a 1-for-5 showing in yesterday’s 8-7 loss, Weeks is 6-for-47 over his last 11 games, all of which he batted leadoff for the Brewers.
That slump is part of the reason manager Ken Macha opted to sit Weeks for the series opener against the Twins on Friday. But after Weeks’ double Saturday night, Macha is encouraged by the approach of his second baseman.
“What I really liked is he hit it to right center,” Macha said. “He stayed on the ball. Hopefully, he’s going to start coming around. Everybody says how [Ryan] Braun and [Prince] Fielder go, so goes the Brewers, but Rickie’s got to get on base, and he hasn’t been doing that.”
Weeks, who Macha characterized as being quiet and hard on himself when things are not going well at the plate, said he is not one to change anything when struggling offensively.
“My whole thing is, if you keep swinging the bat, good things will happen,” Weeks said. “It’s still fairly young in the season, but I’m the type of person that I still want to do good. So I’ve just got to keep working hard.”
One thing that may help Weeks string together a few hits soon is the return of center fielder Carlos Gomez to the everyday lineup in the No. 2 spot. With the way Gomez has looked so far in his return, Weeks is likely to see better pitches to hit than if the Brewers continued to cycle hitters through that spot in the order.
Though he admitted it would be a common reaction to press a bit in order to break out of his recent slump, Weeks said he kept the same approach throughout. After 11 straight games with one hit or less, the second baseman likes his chances of turning it around.
“As a hitter, it’s up to you to turn it around,” Weeks said. “I feel good right now with the way I’ve played. Over the last couple games, I couldn’t catch any breaks, but for the most part, I feel good right now.”
Brewers beat 5/22
Twins not mad at ex-mate Gomez
MINNEAPOLIS — When center fielder Carlos Gomez stood and watched his three-run home run in the eighth inning Friday, which made it a 15-3 ballgame, the Twins were not too happy about it.
But after expressing their displeasure with his actions, they realized that it should not have been a surprise coming from Gomez, who played with Minnesota for two years before being traded to Milwaukee in the offseason.
“That’s the type of player he is. It made me mad, but I shouldn’t be getting mad about that,” said Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn, who surrendered the three-run blast. “We were winning the game by 15 runs, so I’m glad he kept it fair.
“That’s the type of guy he is. He gets so caught up in the moment. We all saw it for us last year, so I don’t have too bad feelings. I don’t want to fight the guy, but he hit a home run.”
After the game, Gomez was aware that his actions were inappropriate and was very apologetic about the entire situation.
He added that he was prepared for any sort of retaliation the next time up from the Twins. In his first at-bat, however, Gomez was not thrown at. Instead, he lined out to third base.
When asked about it before Saturday’s game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire shared a similar opinion to that of Blackburn, while suggesting another player in a similar situation may not have been so lucky.
“Those are the moments we know Go-Go can have every once in a while,” Gardenhire said. “He was excited, and I think everyone in the clubhouse was a little fired up about it, but when all is said and done we like this kid a lot.
“If it were somebody else it might be a little different. But with Go-Go … you just live with it. He plays with a passion that not a lot of people do. He doesn’t have to apologize to me. I know what he’s all about, that’s him.”
Hawkins’ return from DL extended
MINNEAPOLIS — Though he was eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Saturday, it may be some time before Brewers reliever LaTroy Hawkins returns to the bullpen.
Hawkins, who has been out for two weeks with right shoulder weakness, is continuing to work to get back but is not expected to return any time in the next few days.
“From what I understand, it may be a while,” manager Ken Macha said. “It’s a strength issue. … So he’ll see the doctor when we get home.”
Despite the lack of progress with his shoulder, Hawkins did join the Brewers in Minnesota after missing the first two cities of the Brewers’ current three-city road trip.
Saturday morning, Hawkins and teammate Rickie Weeks joined a group of 24 fathers and their kids at a downtown Minneapolis hotel as part of the Fatherhood Initiative trip, sponsored by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and several other local business executives.
When asked about his shoulder, Hawkins confirmed he did not know when he would return and echoed his manager in discussing his plans.
“I’m still doing my strengthening program,” Hawkins said. “I’ll get re-evaluated when we get back to Milwaukee on Tuesday.”
Like Hawkins, outfielder Jim Edmonds, who is on the DL, with an oblique strain, may not be ready to return when he is eligible May 31.
Edmonds’ injury occurred on a check swing in the second inning of the Brewers’ second game against the Phillies last Saturday.
The veteran outfielder played another inning in the field — hoping the injury would subside — before being replaced by Jody Gerut in the top of the fourth.
Edmonds noted the next day that he thought the injury could be related to the back issues he dealt with earlier in the season. With oblique injuries often turning into lingering issues, Macha was not confident Edmonds would be ready by May 31.
“Just reading what we’ve got in here,” Macha said, referring to the Brewers’ daily injury report, “he may not be 15 [days] and off [the DL].”
Inglett exits game with sprained ankle
MINNEAPOLIS — A long injury report got longer Saturday as Joe Inglett, who started in left field, left the game with a sprained left ankle.
Starting for the second straight game, Inglett appeared to have injured his ankle sliding into home plate as he scored in the fifth inning on a single to center field by catcher George Kottaras.
Inglett was replaced in left field by Jody Gerut, who rejoined the team Saturday after going home for the birth of his child.
Worth noting
In Friday night’s 15-3 loss at Target Field, the Brewers set season highs for runs allowed in a game (15), runs allowed in an inning (seven) and largest margin of defeat. … Casey McGehee and Ryan Braun, with 37 and 30 RBIs, respectively, entered Saturday’s game tied for the Major League lead in combined RBI (67) this season. … Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut was expected at the ballpark just before game time on Saturday. He was home on Friday and Saturday for the birth of his daughter — Jody and Mary Gerut’s second child. … McGehee asked to play third base on Saturday, a day after he served as the designated hitter in the Brewers’ Interleague opener. Manager Ken Macha liked the idea of giving McGehee a chance to rest his surgically-repaired right-knee, but he honored the request and used Braun as the DH instead. McGehee could serve that role again on Sunday. … Reliever David Riske, who was moved to the 60-day disabled list Friday to free a 40-man roster spot, is eligible for reinstatement June 9 and could be an option for the big league club on that date. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow June 1.
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Brewers recap 5/22
Brewers’ five-run ninth all for naught
MINNEAPOLIS — For once, the Brewers were the ones that rallied from four down to take the lead in the ninth. That lead lasted all of four batters in the bottom half of the inning.
The Brewers batted around in the ninth and tagged a pair of Twins relievers, including closer Jon Rauch, for five runs on five hits to carry a one-run lead with three outs to go.
But it just wasn’t enough. The Twins tied it up in the bottom of the frame to send it to extra innings and added another run in the 12th inning to hand the Brewers a tough loss on Saturday, 8-7, at Target Field.
“We just can’t seem to get over the hump,” Brewers manager Ken Macha said. “This thing’s going to turn sooner or later.”
And it could have been even worse. Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo opened the game up much the same way Dave Bush did on Friday night, surrendering four runs with two outs and two runners on in the first inning.
Gallardo got out of the inning, however, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced. But the Brewers’ offense struggled early as just three runners reached base through the first four innings.
They didn’t get a lot of help from the Twins’ defense, either.
Minnesota turned a double play in four of the last six innings, including three that ended the inning. Making it even more impressive was the fact that not one of the four double plays came easily for the Twins.
“They made some big plays that maybe at the time didn’t seem like they were that big but turned out to be huge,” said Milwaukee third baseman Casey McGehee, who drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth. “It’s kind of what they do — it’s Twins baseball. You know they’re going to pitch, you know they’re going to play defense, they’re going to run the bases well and when they throw some hitting in there, they’re pretty darn good.”
The first double play came with two on and one out in the seventh, on a hard hit ground ball by Carlos Gomez to third. Twins third baseman Nick Punto stepped on the bag at third and fired to first to retire Gomez and end the inning.
In the ninth, the Brewers finally strung together a few hits, as the first five batters reached base in the inning. Ryan Braun ripped a low liner to the opposite field. Alexi Casilla — who entered the game in the eighth for an injured Orlando Hudson — snagged Braun’s line drive and caught Gomez too far off first to record the first two outs of the inning.
With the Brewers trailing, 6-5, at the time, a single from Braun could have made an already big inning even bigger for the Brewers.
“Brauny comes up and absolutely tattoos one there [but] can’t get it through the hole,” Macha said. “It’s just the way things are going right now.”
After getting a runner on with one out in each of the next two innings, the Brewers grounded to first baseman Justin Morneau, who started and ended both double plays.
But the Brewers still had a chance. Despite yet another early deficit, they continued to battle into the 12th. Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t hold on long enough, something that has become all too familiar for the Brewers this month.
Reliever Marco Estrada was tagged for two runs in the seventh, which came just after the rally-killing double play in the top of the inning. In the ninth, Carlos Villanueva — who has assumed the closer’s role in Trevor Hoffman’s absence — allowed the Twins to tie it up at 7 before escaping.
Finally, in the 12th, lefty Manny Parra — who was originally scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale — was the reliever who took the loss. Parra (0-3) entered in the 11th with the Brewers out of options in the bullpen and promptly shut down the Twins in order.
His final inning, however, was a different story.
Parra sandwiched two walks around a Joe Mauer single, loading the bases with none out in the inning. After getting Michael Cuddyer to ground into a fielder’s choice, Parra allowed the winning run to score on a sacrifice fly to right field by designated hitter Jason Kubel.
“I put myself in that situation walking two guys,” Parra said. “That’s brutal. You just can’t walk two guys. I mean, I gave them [the game].”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Hoffman note 5/21
Hoffman still out; role in limbo
MINNEAPOLIS — Brewers manager Ken Macha opened the door Friday to veteran closer Trevor Hoffman returning in a different role when he returns to game action, saying Hoffman is “open to anything that will help the club.”
Hoffman, Macha, and pitching coach Rick Peterson talked Friday afternoon about Hoffman’s progress in what Macha characterized as a “very constructive conversation.” Hoffman and Peterson will take part in another bullpen session on Saturday, Hoffman’s second such trip to what Macha referred to as “the repair shop.”
“[Hoffman] wants to make sure that it wasn’t just go out there and do one thing and say, ‘OK, I’m fixed,'” Macha said.
While Macha did not give any specific plans for the date or role in which Hoffman would pitch when he returns, he alluded to the fact that it could be as soon as this weekend in Minneapolis.
“We’ll see how things work out,” Macha said. “But he’s open to anything that will help the club. … If he says, ‘Yes, I’m OK,’ for Sunday, then we’ll see.”
Brewers beat 5/16
Gomez working his way back
MILWAUKEE — After a relatively injury-free five weeks to open the season, the Brewers’ list of injured players is beginning to add up.
Fortunately for the Brewers, many of those players look to be on their way to returning in the near future.
Among those is center fielder Carlos Gomez, who is on track to return Friday — as the Brewers visit the Twins, his former club — when he is eligible to come off the disabled list. Gomez, who is out with two injuries, a strained rotator cuff in his left shoulder and a strained left knee, which has been an issue since Spring Training.
“Gomez, if all goes well between now and then, will go on a rehab assignment to Wisconsin on Wednesday,” assistant general manager Gord Ash said. “He will not be in Cincinnati or Pittsburgh. He’ll go up there Tuesday and workout, play Wednesday and Thursday, and go to Minneapolis Friday if all is well.”
Gomez ran through the full gamut of pregame exercises on Sunday, including batting practice and running and throwing drills. He will work out again at Miller Park on Monday before traveling to Appleton on Tuesday.
“Fifteen days, no action. I feel bored,” Gomez said. “I’ll be happy to come back to the lineup.”
When Gomez suffered his shoulder injury he was also dealing with a sore left knee. The knee now feels, “awesome,” Gomez said.
In addition to Gomez, another pair of Brewers is scheduled to rehab this week in Brevard County, the club’s Class A Advanced affiliate.
Pitcher Josh Butler, who is recovering from a right elbow injury, is scheduled to start for the Manatees on Monday.
Third baseman Mat Gamel is expected to join the Manatees on Wednesday to begin his rehab assignment as well. Gamel suffered a slightly torn muscle just behind his right shoulder during Spring Training, and has been in extended spring training rehabilitating his shoulder injury.
Despite the growing nature of the Brewers injury report, which also includes the recent addition of lefty Doug Davis, Ash chalked it up to being part of the “nature of the game.”
“We get some guys back or on the road back and then you get some guys who are hurt,” Ash said. “This is an unusual circumstance with Doug. It’s nothing something you can plan or work toward. So we just have to make the best of it.”
Edmonds hopes to avoid DL stint
MILWAUKEE — Veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds was sore on Sunday after straining a left rib-cage muscle in the Brewers’ loss on Saturday, but was hopeful he could avoid a trip to the disabled list.
Edmonds, 39, strained his left oblique on a check-swing in the bottom of the second inning, but played another inning in center field before being replaced by Jody Gerut in the top of the fourth.
“The first day it’s usually pretty sore, so hopefully after this day with some work it’ll start to feel better,” Edmonds said. “It’s starting to loosen up a bit already, but it’s still pretty tender.”
With Edmonds unavailable and Carlos Gomez on the disabled list until at least Friday, Gerut got the start in center for the Brewers in Sunday’s series finale against the Phillies.
While he felt the injury following a particular swing in the second inning, Edmonds admitted the injury may not be entirely unrelated to the back injury he suffered earlier this season.
“I think it could be partially related to my back problem that I had,” Edmonds said. “I still was battling that a bit, and this is just around the corner from it.”
Despite the potential lingering nature of the injury, Edmonds hopes to be out on the field again as soon as possible.
“Usually, when you hurt yourself, it’s the opposite side from your throwing arm and this is on the same side. So that’s a good positive thing,” Edmonds said. “As soon as I can swing a bat, I’m going to get back in there.”
Stern’s travel route a short one
MILWAUKEE — Back with the big league club after being optioned the day before, outfielder Adam Stern had about the shortest trip to the Minors as possible this week.
Stern, who was sent to Triple-A Nashville on Saturday to make room for right-handed reliever John Axford, was recalled on Sunday as the Brewers sent lefty Doug Davis to the disabled list with pericarditis, an inflammation of lining around his heart.
Though he was sent down, Stern never left Milwaukee before being recalled.
“I was scheduled to fly out today,” Stern said. “But they told me to hold tight yesterday until they figured everything out. So, I just kind of hung out and waited for the call.”
Before being sent down, Stern got his first at-bat with the Brewers and his first Major League at-bat since 2006 on Friday, which resulted in a strikeout.
Now, he’ll get an opportunity to make the road trip with a big league club for the first time in a few years as well.
“The last time I was on a team charter was in ’06. It’s definitely better than flying commercial on Southwest getting Group ‘A,'” Stern said. “Any time you get to put a big league uniform on you look forward to it. I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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