MVN - Most Valuable Network

Brewers bats pound Pirates and the latest on CC

The Brewers offense provided a ton of fireworks in a 9-1 win over the Pirates on Friday. The bats are on fire and it appears the talk of acquiring CC Sabathia has sparked the team.

Ben Sheets pitched 5 2/3 innings and only gave up one run to pick up his tenth win of the season. His record improved to 10-2 on the season and he lowered his ERA to 2.77. Sheets struck out six and walked three. He seems to have had some control problems over the last month but hopefully it’s something he can work out in his next few starts.

Carlos Villanueva came on in relief of Sheets and pitched 3 1/3 innings of one hit ball to pick up his first save of the season. CV has been great for the Brewers since moving to the bullpen. He appears more relaxed and comfortable on the mound and has the utmost confidence in all of his pitches.

Bill Hall led the Brewers offense on the day going 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBIs. JJ Hardy remained hot at the plate as well. Hardy went 4-5 with two RBIs and hit his tenth homer of the year. Ryan Braun made his first start in three days and finished 1-3 at the plate with two walks.

Okay, time for your CC Sabathia update. As of this writing, the latest rumor has the Brewers sending top prospect Matt LaPorta, Taylor Green and Lorenzo Cain to the Indians for Sabathia. That’s three of the Brewers top 15 prospects for a three month rental. I still believe the Brewers need to make the trade as acquiring Sabathia has to make the Crew the favorite in the National League.

Dave Bush takes the mound for the Crew on Saturday as the look to move closer to both the Cubs and Cards in the standings.

Sabathia to the Brewers almost a reality

I can’t believe the course of events that are taking place, but it appears that CC Sabathia is going to be a Brewer. The only thing that is crazier than that is that it may happen before the end of the weekend.

The Indians have been scouting the Brewers Minor League system and they may be ready to unload the reigning Cy Young winner. Names that keep popping up going to Cleveland in return for Sabathia are Matt LaPorta, Taylor Green and Alcides Escobar.

While I hate to see the Brewers lose Matt LaPorta, I’d take it if it meant that the team will be playing in October. The offer of LaPorta and Escobar wouldn’t happen unless the Indians sent something else along with Sabathia. A LaPorta and Green trade is much more likely.

LaPorta was the Brewers’ first round draft pick last year and is currently ripping the cover off the ball at Class AA Huntsville. LaPorta was drafted as a first basemen but converted to an outfielder in the Minors. Green was the Minor League player of the year for the Brewers in 2007 and plays third base. He is currently in High A for the Brewers.

Brewers’ management held a meeting in Arizona yesterday and no doubt Sabathia was discussed. Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio will be in town this weekend, making the likelihood of a deal all the more reasonable to happen.

This is a trade that the Brewers need to make. Acquiring Sabathia not only makes them the favorite for the NL Wild Card, but it puts them in great position to challenge the Cubs for the division. The Brewers need to go for it this year. Ben Sheets is an impending free agent and there is no guarantee that he would re-sign with the Brewers next year. Prince Fielder has also expressed his lack of desire to sign long-term with the Brewers and he could be traded in the offseason.

The Sabathia deal also would all but guarantee over 3 million fans in Miller Park this season giving Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin more payroll to play with this winter. If the deal gets done this weekend, look for a sell-out at Miller Park Monday, as the team will put their second ace on the mound for his National League debut.

This time it was the Brewers’ pen that blew it

What goes around, comes around.

On Thursday, the day after the Brewers scored 3 runs off of the D-backs’ pen to win the game, Arizona returned the favor…in spades.

Starter Manny Parra pitched 6 scoreless innings and left with a 5-0 lead (thanks, in part to home runs by J.J. Hardy, to continue his hit streak, and Mike Cameron–both of ace and likely NL All-Star game starter Brandon Webb)…yup, Webb allowed 5 ER over 6 IP.

Mitch Stetter then pitched a scoreless 7th…and Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless 8th.

Then, figuring a 5-run lead was safe, Brewers’ manager Ned Yost thought Guillermo Mota would be okay…wrong. Mota proceeds to give up a single, a walk, and then another single to start the inning…to the 7-8-9 hitters. Brian Shouse spells Mota, but sees pinch-hitter Chad Tracy, who promptly doubles to clear the bases. Yost opts for closer Salomon Torres, now leading only 5-3. Torres allows three straight hits, leading to three runs, and the loss.

Fortunately, both the Cards and Cubs lost as well.

So the Crew finishes with a series split, and probably the most disheartening loss of the season. Mota should never have been put in, in hindsight, and has given up at least one earned run in each of his last three appearances, and finished June with a 6.48 ERA for the month. Torres was overdue for a bad outing, but he sure picked the wrong day to do it.

The Crew returns home for the holiday for three against the Pirates.

McClung keeps Brews in it ’til bats can get to pen, 4-3

Brewers’ starter Seth McClung got behind early Wednesday night in Phoenix, spotting the D-backs a 2-0 lead after 3 IP. But the Brewers’ bats came alive once D-backs starter Yusmeiro Petit started to tire, and plated a run in each of the last four innings to win the third game of the series, 4-3.

After cutting the lead to 2-1 in the 6th, the Crew tied the game in the 7th on a two-out triple by Gabe Kapler, followed by an RBI double by Mike Cameron off D-backs reliever Chad Qualls. Rickie Weeks homered to start the 8th and give the Crew a 3-2 lead, only to see Justin Upton take it back with a home run of his own in the bottom of the inning.

The Crew scored the winning run off of D-backs closer Brandon Lyon in the top of the 9th…Russell Branyan led off by getting on thanks to a Mark Reynolds‘ error, and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Kapler. Cameron proceeded to single in Branyan with the eventual winning run.

The Crew goes up against D-backs’ ace Brandon Webb Thursday afternoon to go for the series win. Manny Parra takes the hill for the Crew.