If you’re not one of those baseball nerds who follows every single thing going on in the Milwaukee Brewers Organization, don’t worry, because The Sports Bank’s Nick Grays has you covered with what happened in the past week and what’s going on in the future.
And if you are one of those nerds, feel free to join in on some good old analysis of America’s pastime in the Brew City.
This week we discuss the return of Mr. Braun and upcoming series with the bottom-dwellers of the NL Central!
Standings:
Milwaukee Brewers (54-49) (14-15-4 in series)
– Part of a three-way tie for FIRST in NL Central
– Pittsburgh and St. Louis slightly ahead with .525 winning percentage (Brewers at .524)
– Run differential at -9 (up 3 from last week)
– Brewers an even 5-5 in their last ten
Last Week’s Headlines:
Welcome Back Mr. Braun and Hitting Concerns
How nice it feels to have Ryan Braun back in the line-up and in full force at that. Over the last week, Braun hit four home-runs and batted in six runs in only five games. Unfortunately, the Brewers only won two of those games because the rest of the hitters were no-shows.
Granted Milwaukee did play three games against the San Francisco Giants, one of the best pitching staffs in the NL. Nonetheless, the Brewers are still wasting away their great pitching performances. With Gallardo’s quality start on Sunday, Milwaukee starters have now tossed seven straight quality starts and have only three wins to show for it.
If (a very large IF) the Brewers can figure out how to get their offense clicking at the same time as their quality pitching, the Brewers are a playoff team. If not, it’s going to be a bumpy ride all the way into September.
Looking Ahead:
Brewers Return Home to Play Bottom-Dwellers
After a rare off day on Monday, the Brewers return to Miller Park to engage in a three-game series with the Chicago Cubs (42-60). Winners of their last three, the Cubs seek to rise above .500 for the second half of the season where they are 5-5. The Brewers have struggled against their rivals to the south while losing four of the seven match-ups played in 2011.
Next, the last-place Houston Astros (33-68) come to town with the worst record in all of the MLB. They’ve also lost seven of their last ten and own quite possibly the worst pitching staff in the majors as well.
Series against Chicago and Houston should provide a great opportunity for the Brewers to turn their recent offensive woes around. Winning any less than four games would be a disspointment.
Monday, July 25th (OFF)
Tuesday, July 26th 7:10 PM (vs. Chicago Cubs)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Chris Narveson (6-6) vs. TBA
Wednesday, July 27th 7:10 PM (vs. Chicago Cubs)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Zack Greinke (7-4) vs. RHP Ryan Dempster (7-7)
Thursday, July 28th 1:10 PM (vs. Chicago Cubs)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Shaun Marcum (9-3) vs. RHP Carlos Zambrano (7-5)
Friday, July 29th 7:10 PM (vs. Houston)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Randy Wolf (6-8) vs. RHP Jordan Lyles (0-5)
Saturday, July 30th 6:10 PM (vs. Houston)
Probable Pitchers: RHP Yovani Gallardo (11-7) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (4-11)
Sunday, July 31st 1:10 PM (vs. Houston)
Probable Pitchers: LHP Chris Narveson (6-6) vs. RHP Brett Myers (3-10)
What do you think of Ryan Braun’s return to the line-up and how will the Brewers fare against the Cubs and Astros? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.