That left the Brewers infifth place and with a 4-14 record at Miller Park.The Observers, like everyone else, are baffled.
Artie: I'm not panicking yet, but I sure am trying to figure outwhat's going on. Are these guys really better than they showed against theBraves and Phillies?
Frank: Sunday night was the closest of the six games and filledwith "woulda, coulda, shoulda" moments. Corey Hart woulda hit a grandslam in the first inning if his drive had gone anywhere except dead centerfield.
Artie: But it did go there. When Hart did homer in the sixth,nobody was on base—the way it seems to be when any Brewer homers, atleast at Miller Park, ain’a?
Frank: It was obvious the starting rotation had to be better thanin ’09, but we bravely said it didn't have to be hugely better becauseof the offense. So far the starters are better statistically, but the hittingis too spotty.
Artie: Just how much better is the rotation really?
Frank: Through 37 games, the starters' ERA was 4.81—half a runbetter than last year's 5.37. And not counting Jeff Suppan's 8.64 in his twostarts and Doug Davis' 7.56 in seven, the other starters—Yovani Gallardo, RandyWolf, Dave Bush and Chris Narveson—had a combined 4.08.
Artie: But that 4.08 usually applies to only the first sixinnings. During the homestand, most of the games were close through five or sixand then the bullpen lit the dynamite. Gallardo pitched OK against Atlanta but only lastedsix because he threw 108 pitches. It seemed like every batter went to 2-2 or3-2.
Frank: Ah, one of my favorite themes. Big-league umpires call astrike zone that's too small. If they'd call something, anything, abovethe belt buckle, there'd be more swings, more balls in play, fewer deep countsand longer outings for starters.
Artie: Narveson threw 130 pitches Saturday and still couldn't gosix. Are the Crew's starters all "nibblers," which makes them throwmore pitches and tire out, or are they just not very good and easy to figureout by the third time through the order?
Frank: Gallardo is their only real strikeout guy. But even henibbles too much—again, because the umps make ’em all do it.
Artie: And if the starters can't get past the sixth, the relieversget overworked. It happened last year.
Frank: I think the "tired bullpen" mantra is overworkeditself, at least this early in the season. Besides, a six-inning start is whatmost managers plan for. They tend to overuse their bullpens under anycircumstances.
Artie: It's what the stat known as "quality start" isbased on—six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer.
Frank: Ken Macha is no exception. Sure, he'd love for his starterto go seven or eight, but if he goes six with the lead, the "program"can go forward. The skipper uses his seventh-inning guy, his eighth-inningguy—and often his "situational" left-hander—and then his closer. Ifone of them flops he says, "Well, we had our bullpen all set up."
Artie: In other words, "Don't blame me."
Frank: But if you routinely use four pitchers to get the lastnine outs, or three to get the last five outs, doesn't that help fry thebullpen, too?
Artie: I keep asking what else is different with the pitchingbesides the additions of Wolf and Davis. And it's the new coach, Rick Peterson,the guru whose approach is bio-scientific or whatever. I wonder if he's gotthese guys' heads somewhere they shouldn't be.
Frank: It's not a coach's fault if a pitcher can't make a throwto first or pick up a bunt, as Manny Parra couldn't Friday night. But goinginto this week the Brewers' overall ERA was 5.20, ranking 14th out of 16National League teams.
Artie: Some of that is Hoffman's amazing 11.08 through his first13 games and LaTroy Hawkins' 9.26 as the setup man before his shoulder wentbad. And of course Davis'7-plus in the rotation.
Frank: Davisjust went on the disabled list with a virus in the lining of his heart. We'reglad it's easily treatable and not related to his thyroid cancer in ’08, buthaving him out for a while is good for the team.
Artie: By the time he returns a familiar face might be in hisstarting spot. Chris Capuano, coming off his second "Tommy John"elbow surgery, had an ERA of 0.79 in his first four minor-league starts.Suppan's butt is parked in the bullpen, and I say, "Hey, Soup, save a seatfor Doug."
Frank: On offense, the Brewers went into this week second in theN.L. in batting (.271), runs (199) and homers (46). But a lot of the runs camein a few blowouts against the Pirates and D-Backs.
Artie: Prince Fielder seems to be coming out of his usual slowstart, with homers Friday and Saturday. But gosh darn, they were solo shots. Heseems to love to hit ’em when he has a clear path around the bases.
Frank: Rickie Weeks isn't burning things up the way he did lastyear before he hurt his wrist. And Alcides Escobar has been in a slump.
Artie: I was glad they moved Escobar from the No. 8 slot to No. 2on Sunday night. Hitting ahead of the pitcher he wasn't seeing anything good tohit. But hitting ahead of Ryan Braun he sure will.
Frank: Hart continues to be inconsistent. But at the No. 5 spotbehind Fielder, Casey McGehee is doing fine.
Artie: The best thing is that we only reach the one-quarter markof the season this week, so there's still plenty of time. But things have tochange!
Frank: If the swoon lasts through this week's road trip, Machamight well be gone. They have two coaches ready to take over, Dale Sveum andWillie Randolph.
Artie: The knock on Macha is that he's too passive, too quiet. Butthat describes Sveum and Randolph, too.
Frank: If they wanted a kick-butt, Lou Piniella type, they'd haveto look outside. But as a tension reliever, someone the players might relate tobetter, either Sveum or Randolph would fit.
Artie: Mark Attanasio and Doug Melvin aren't afraid to make amove. They dumped Ned Yost for Sveum with 12 games left in ’08 and squeakedinto the playoffs. And look at Coloradolast year; Jim Tracy replaced Clint Hurdle in late May and the team took off,all the way to the postseason.
Frank: And Tracyis no high-energy guy.
Artie: They have a day off Monday. If they're still strugglingthen, a Macha firing wouldn't surprise me.
Another Turn at Bat
Frank: Hey, Yost is back in the game as the manager in Kansas City.
Artie: Why would he want to get involved in that haplesssituation?
Frank: It could hardly be worse than what he found here in ’03,right after a 106-loss season. And it's a fact that he helped build acontending team.
Artie: I know one thing—from now on the K.C. pitchers will havefabulous "stuff," even when they get blasted. That's Ned's credo:"I thought he pitched really well except for those three balls that sailedover the fence." Hey, I wonder if Ned has the K.C. general manager talkingto Melvin about getting Suppan over there.
