Brewers’ bullpen crumbles as they lose to Rockies 11-7

A win on Friday night would’ve put the Milwaukee Brewers in a tie for first with the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. However, a bullpen meltdown cost the Brewers as they fell to the Rockies 11-7.

Manager Craig Counsell has consistently pulled his starters early during their September surge but it didn’t work out in their favor against the Rockies. Starter Zach Davies turned in a solid outing going five innings of one-run ball.

A 2-1 lead turned into a large deficit quickly in the bottom of the sixth when Counsell called upon his bullpen. Relievers Ray Black, Alex Claudio and Jay Jackson combined to give up seven runs in the frame as Colorado jumped in front 8-2 leading to the victory.

The loss also dropped the Brewers two games back of the Washington Nationals for the top wild card spot. With only two games remaining the Brewers need to win out and get some help from the Chicago Cubs (vs Cardinals) and/or Cleveland Indians (vs Nationals).

Next up, the Brewers (89-71) will look to get one back against the Rockies (69-91) on Saturday night. Gio Gonzalez (3|2, 3.70 ERA, 73 SO) will get the start opposite of Chi Chi Gonzalez (2|6, 5.68 ERA, 40 SO). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm.

    Brewers finish off sweep of Pirates with 4-3 win

    The Milwaukee Brewers took down the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Sunday afternoon. The win tied them with the Washington Nationals for the top wild card spot. With six games to go, their magic number to clinch a postseason berth is four.

    The Chicago Cubs couldn’t help out the Brewers as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals leaving Milwaukee three games back of a division lead.

    Milwaukee got a lot offensive help from Eric Thames hit not one, but two home runs. Orlando Arcia also showed off his power with a homer of his own.

    Brandon Woodruff, Gio Gonzalez and Jay Jackson took a combined perfect game into the seventh inning.

    Pittsburgh made Miller Park sweat a little in the eighth inning scoring three runs to pull within one. Josh Hader came out in the ninth inning and struck out the side to pick up his 35th save of the season.

    Next up, the Brewers will begin a three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

      Brewers 10, Pirates 1: Last takes

      MILWAUKEE | No, this isn’t the same story from Friday night. The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates again 10-1 on Saturday.

      Closing in on a playoff berth

      It has been an incredible September for the Brewers. They are an MLB-best 16-4 in the month and now hold a three game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot. Their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is five.

      Saturday’s win marked their 14th victory over their last 16 contests. They are still three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the division, but a one-game wild card is more and more likely.

      Offense looked strong again

      After making an error in the first inning, Keston Hiura followed by putting the Brewers in front. With two outs and one on, Hiura blasted his 18th home run of the season to left-center field putting the Brewers up 2-1.

      https://twitter.com/fswisconsin/status/1175553828927655936

      Milwaukee found more runs in the fourth inning. Ryan Braun led off the frame with a walk before Eric Thames was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Then Lorenzo Cain hit a single back up the middle to score Braun making it 3-1.

      Pirates’ pitcher James Marvel then had a hard time locating the strike zone. He walked Travis Shaw and Trent Grisham forcing in another run for Milwaukee. Parker Markel took over on the mound and struck out Yasmani Grandal before walking Mike Moustakas making it 5-1.

      The Brewers went on to score five more runs over the next three innings including a two-run homer from Grisham in the seventh.

      What’s next?

      The Brewers (85-70) will look for the series sweep over the Pirates (65-90) on Sunday afternoon. Brandon Woodruff (11|3, 3.69 ERA, 140 SO) will get the start before Gio Gonzalez comes in. Trevor Williams (7|7, 5.59 ERA, 102 SO) will take the bump for Pittsburgh. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm.

        Brewers 10, Pirates 1: Last takes

        MILWAUKEE | The Milwaukee Brewers continue to roll as they picked up another win on Friday night defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1. The Brewers have won 13 of their last 15 games and are two games up on the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot.

        Chase leads the way

        Chase Anderson was terrific in his outing. He went six innings allowing no runs on just three hits. His six-inning start tied a season high and it was the first time he went that deep since Aug. 1 at Oakland.

        Anderson threw 85 pitches and struck out four batters. He allowed a baserunner in each of his first five innings and had a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth. Anderson was ready to come out for the seventh but understood the need for more offense.

        Offense blows up

        It was the first time the Brewers got to double digits since beating the Washington Nationals 15-14 on Aug. 18. Milwaukee got off to a quick start jumping on Steven Brault in the first inning.

        Lorenzo Cain led things off with a walk and then stole second. Mike Moustakas singled to get Cain home for an early 1-0 lead.

        Ryan Braun followed Moustakas with a double to put runners on second and third.

        Milwaukee had some luck when Kevin Newman made a horrible throw to first on what should’ve been a routine ground ball to get Hernan Perez out. The error allowed Moustakas and Braun to score giving the Brewers a 3-0 lead.

        Pirates’ starter Brault settled in and pitched four straight scoreless innings before the Brewers put together a four-run sixth. Yasmani Grandal led off the frame with a walk before Moustakas singled.

        Hiura singled to center field to score Grandal and give Milwaukee a 4-0 lead ending Brault’s night.

        Trent Grisham was walked to load the bases and Manny Pina was hit by pitch to bring in another run. Then, Ben Gamel drew a walk extending the lead to 6-0.

        Milwaukee tacked on four more runs in the seventh inning to really open the game up.

        Win #400 for Counsell

        In his fifth overall season (fourth full season) as the manager for the Brewers, Craig Counsell is 400-378.

        What’s next?

        The Brewers (84-70) will look to keep things rolling into game two against the Pirates (65-89) on Saturday night. Zach Davies (10|7, 3.70 ERA, 98 SO) will get the start opposite of James Marvel (0|2, 9.00 ERA, 4 SO). First pitch is scheduled for 6:10pm.

          Brewers 3, Padres 1: Last takes

          MILWAUKEE | The late-season charge for the Milwaukee Brewers continues. They defeated the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Tuesday night. The Brewers gained ground on both the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs as both teams lost their respective games.

          Chicks dig the long ball

          Home runs have been a big part of the Brewers offense all season long and they hit two more on Tuesday night. Lorenzo Cain (9) and Mike Moustakas (35) each hit leadoff dingers to help Milwaukee to the win.

          Cain’s 431-foot blast to center field was his first homer since July 31.

          Moustakas’ homer in the seventh inning was his 11th this season against left-handed pitching. It’s also his fourth dinger in his last eight games.

          Woodruff/Gonzalez combo throws a two-hitter

          Brandon Woodruff went to the mound to start a game for the first time since being injured July 21. Woodruff was designated the “opener” title as he threw two innings.

          He threw a total of 37 pitches while striking out four batters and registering as high as 99 mph on the radar gun.

          Gio Gonzalez took over in the third inning. He went three innings allowing no runs on two hits while striking out four.

          Josh Hader 2.0?

          Drew Pomeranz has excelled in his role out of the bullpen since joining the Brewers. With Josh Hader unavailable, Milwaukee turned to Pomeranz to attempt the two-inning save.

          He mowed through the six batters he faced while striking out four of them to pick up his second save of the season.

          “Hader is Hader,” Pomeranz said. “He’s pretty good. I do my best to do a Hader impression with a two-inning save.”

          “We’ve gotten ourselves into a place where we feel like we have a bunch of weapons in the bullpen again,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

          What’s next?

          The Brewers (82-69) will look for their fifth straight win and 12th out of their last 13 games against the Padres (68-83) on Wednesday night. Adrian Houser (6|6, 3.84 ERA, 104 SO) will get the start opposite of Dinelson Lament (2|5, 4.06 ERA, 81 SO). First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm.

            Brewers 5, Padres 1: Last takes

            MILWAUKEE | The Milwaukee Brewers continued their great stretch with another win beating the San Diego Padres 5-1 Monday night. They improved to an MLB-best 12-3 in the month of September. It was also their 10th win out of their last 11 games.

            Milwaukee really doesn’t like Machado

            Manny Machado became public enemy number one in Milwaukee after the NLCS last season. We all remember Christian Yelich calling him a dirty player after Machado stepped on the ankle of Jesus Aguilar running to first base.

            The Brewers fans wouldn’t forget something like that. They booed him loudly during all his at bats.

            Spangenberg steps up

            It must be an amazing feeling to play well against your former team. That’s what Cory Spangenberg did Monday night. He went 2-3 with a triple while driving in three runs.

            Ryan Braun led off the second inning with a double and later came around to score thanks to a base knock by Spangenberg.

            Then, in the fourth inning, Braun hit a one-out single to get things going. Eric Thames followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Next, Spangenberg came through with a bases clearing triple to put the Brewers up 3-1.

            Spangenberg’s motivation didn’t come from playing against his former team though. His motivation comes from competing for a spot in the playoffs.

            “You know, playing in the playoffs is all the motivation I need,” Spangenberg said. “This is the first time that I’ve ever had a chance, so I want to do everything I can to get there and be able to experience that.”

            Shawtember?

            The Brewers need some role players to step up to replace the production they would get from a healthy Christian Yelich. Travis Shaw got the memo on Monday night.

            He led off the fifth-inning with a pinch-hit home run to put the Brewers up 4-1. It was his first homer since June 23.

            https://twitter.com/fswisconsin/status/1173764993428312064

            “I needed a result,” Shaw said. “I haven’t stopped working this whole season. It’s been well-documented that this season has been quite the grind. I try to stay positive everyday and be ready for any moment if it comes.”

            What’s next?

            The Brewers (81-69) will look to take game two from the Padres (68-81) on Tuesday night. Brandon Woodruff (11|3, 3.75 ERA, 136 SO) will make his return to the mound as the “opener” ahead of Gio Gonzalez. Chris Paddock (9|7, 3.38 ERA, 144 SO) will take the mound for the Padres. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm.

              Woodruff set to return from IL, will “open” Tuesday against Padres

              The Milwaukee Brewers have battled through several injuries this season. They haven’t had much luck with health. Even the reigning NL MVP, Christian Yelich got bit by the injury bug and will miss the rest of the regular season.

              There was some good news though on Monday. Right-handed starter Brandon Woodruff is expected to return to the roster and “open” against the San Diego Padres for Gio Gonzalez on Tuesday. Woodruff has been out since July 21 with a strained oblique.

              Before going on the injured list, Woodruff was the Brewers best option in the starting rotation. In 20 appearances this year his 3.75 ERA and 4.69 strikeouts per walk earned him a spot on the NL All-Star Team.

              The plan for Woodruff is to have him make three starts the rest of the way. Milwaukee entered Monday just one game back of the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot and three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the division.

              The Brewers could for sure use the help and if Woodruff is anything close to what he was before hitting the IL it will be a huge boost for Milwaukee.

                Brewers streak ends, shutout by Cardinals 10-0

                The Milwaukee Brewers couldn’t extend their winning streak to eight games Friday night in St. Louis. They fell to the Cardinals 10-0.

                Paul Goldschmidt had himself a night for the Red Birds. He blasted a grand slam and three-run homer. The Brewers dropped back to one game behind the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card spot and five games behind the Cardinals in the division.

                Adam Wainwright was dominant from start to finish. In his six innings of work, the Brewers managed to produce only two meaningless singles off him while striking out seven times.

                Adrian Houser didn’t have the same success. His night ended after just three innings of work after allowing all four of his runs in the third frame. Wainwright got things started with a one-out double. Then, Dexter Fowler drew a walk before Kolton Wong loaded the bases with a bunt base-hit. This brought up Goldschmidt to make it 4-0 with one swing of the bat.

                The Cardinals exploded for six more runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.

                Next up, the Brewers (78-69) will look to bounce back against the Cardinals (83-64) on Saturday night. Jordan Lyles (10|8, 4.38 ERA, 127 SO) gets the start for Milwaukee opposite of Jack Flaherty (10|7, 2.99 ERA, 196 SO). First pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm.

                  Brewers pull within one game of wild card with 4-3 win over Marlins

                  The Milwaukee Brewers continue their playoff push picking up their fifth straight win on Tuesday night. They took down the Miami Marlins 4-3.

                  However, they still suffered a loss. Christian Yelich had to leave the game after fouling a ball off his knee in the first inning. It was announced after the game that he will miss the remainder of the season with a right kneecap fracture.

                  The Brewers pushed on without their star player. Starter Chase Anderson only went four innings allowing two earned runs on three hits.

                  Offensively, Hernan Perez put the Brewers on the board in the second inning with a two-run homer. Then, Yasmani Grandal added another run in the third with a double scoring Anderson.

                  Milwaukee’s bullpen the fifth, sixth and seventh innings without allowing a run. But, in the eighth, Starling Castro smacked a solo home run off Junior Guerra to tie the game at 3-3.

                  It didn’t take long for the Brewers to break the tie. Grandal singled to lead off the top of the ninth before Trent Grisham doubled putting runners on second and third with no outs. Tyler Austin then hit a sacrifice fly to score Grandal giving the Brewers a 4-3 lead.

                  With Josh Hader unavailable after working back-to-back days, Drew Pomeranz got the opportunity to close things out. He allowed two base runners but was able to pick up the save.

                  Next up, Milwaukee (76-68) will look for their sixth straight win and third straight against Miami (51-93) on Wednesday night. Zach Davies (9|7, 3.69 ERA, 91 SO) will get the start opposite of Pablo Lopez (5|8, 4.75 ERA, 83 SO).

                    Brewers pick up fourth straight victory with 8-3 win over Marlins

                    The Milwaukee Brewers are heating up in September. They picked up their fourth straight win Monday night beating the Miami Marlins 8-3.

                    Rookie outfielder Trent Grisham sparked the offense. He fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle while tying a franchise rookie record with five hits.

                    The seventh inning was huge for Milwaukee. They entered the frame leading 4-3 and were looking for some cushion. The Brewers plated four runs in the seventh and it started with a two-out double from Hernan Perez.

                    Tyler Austin was walked before Grisham hit a triple to right-center giving Milwaukee a 6-3 lead. Then, Yasmani Grandal hammered a 430-foot home run.

                    https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1171247182177083394

                    It was his fourth dinger in his last five games.

                    At the completion of the game, Milwaukee sat just 1.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot.

                    Next up, the Brewers (75-68) will take on the Marlins (51-92) in game two of the four-game set on Tuesday. Chase Anderson (6|4, 4.58 ERA, 110 SO) will get the start opposite of Elieser Hernandez (3|5, 5.23 ERA, 71 SO). First pitch is scheduled for 6:10pm.