Do or Die For the Wolfman

The Brewers fell to the Cardinals two games to one yesterday after their bats couldn't quite overcome a deficit created by what can only be termed a horrible first inning. Moving on, the Brewers send Randy Wolf to the mound tonight versus Kyle Lohse for game four. Wolf comes off one of his worst starts of the year when he threw three innings of seven run ball in game four of the NLDS. Lohse, on the other hand, has not thrown since game one of the NLDS in which he allowed six runs (five earned) in 5.1 innings.

Brewers Host Reds After Taking Two of Three From Astros

The Brewers won their series against the Astros yesterday led by another strong start by Randy Wolf (8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 K, 1 HR). It's a good thing they won, because many of us would have been pretty mad if they lost the series after bungling Saturday's game. I was at Saturday's game with a group of friends and family. It was actually a pretty exciting game, and we had a great time. Yes, the 8th inning was a circus act (much thanks to Jaymes Langrehr at the Brewers Bar for this awesome version of it). It was definitely a game of wasted opportunities, but I was sure excited when Braun scored off of Prince's double in the bottom of the ninth, and it was great to see Axford pitch a clean inning for the first time this year. (I snagged a picture of Prince swinging for that hit, included in this post. The ball hasn't reached him yet and can be seen just above the third base line.)

Brewers Secure Series Win in Philly, Move Into First Place

Brandon Kinztler earned his first Major League win on Monday

After dropping three straight to the Nationals this weekend the Brewers won the first two games of their series in Philadelphia against the NL East leading Phillies. Combined with a Reds loss to the Diamondbacks, the win puts the Brewers in first place for the first time this season (shared with Cincinnati). The Nationals entered this weekend's series with a record of 5-7 while the Phillies were sitting at 10-4 before Monday's contest. The assumption before the road trip began was that the Brewers should be able to win series against the Pirates (which they did) and the Nationals (needless to say, they didn't), and would probably only win one while facing the Phillies and dual-aces Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Baseball is an unpredictable sport, and one thing is certain about the 2011 Brewers: like any team, they're going to have their ups and downs, but when they play well, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Two Brewers Lefties Show Improvement Saturday

It's only Spring Training, but the early struggles of Randy Wolf and Zach Braddock surely worried some of the Brewers faithful. Wolf signed a three year, $30-million deal with the Brewers prior to the 2010 season. He underperformed during the first half, the low point coming against the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates in which he pitched 5.2 innings with 13 H, 2 BB, and 12 ER. He put together a strong second half (3.71 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) after working on his tempo with then pitching coach Rick Peterson, bringing hope to Brewerland that he may yet live up to his contract.

With regard to Braddock, his 2011 performance thus far led me to wonder if he might lose his spot to Mitch Stetter. Braddock burst onto the scene last year as part of a retooled bullpen after the original 'pen fell apart rather quickly. A reliable, late-inning left-handed specialist also able to pitch against right-handers, he finished the year with a 2.94 ERA, 19 BB, and 41 K in 33.2 innings. Both pitchers showed improvement Saturday vs the Dodgers.

John Axford to Make His 2011 Debut Today vs San Francisco

The Brewers play the San Francisco Giants for the second time this spring today at 2:05 CST. Tim Dillard leads a pitching staff that will include appearances by some of the team's best bullpen arms of 2010, including closer John Axford, whose debut was delayed by a bout of food poisoning at the beginning of camp. Axford tweeted this morning that he's "SUPER PUMPED" for his first Cactus League appearance.

More Pics From Spring Training

Prince Fielder arrived in camp today, leaving Mark Kotsay as the only Brewer yet to show up. Here are some more pics of this week's workouts (again courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

Early Pics From Spring Training

Here are some early pics of Brewers pitchers working out this week courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I have to admit, it sure is awesome to see Greinke in a Brewers uniform! Enjoy!

Roenicke Thinking of Batting Pitcher Eighth

Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday and everyone is getting geared up for baseball. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke spoke with reporters today and with the ink on Rickie Weeks' contract still drying his name inevitably came up for discussion. Of Weeks Roenicke said: "He's lead-off but he can hit anywhere. You put him in the 3rd spot last year and maybe he drives in 100 [RBI]." Roenicke mentioned he's even considering batting his pitchers eighth in the lineup to give Weeks more RBI opportunities.

Brewers Announce 2011 Bobblehead Giveaways

The Brewers made some interesting choices for their 2011 bobblehead giveaways. Obvious selections include John Axford (April 24 vs Astros), Casey McGehee (May 22 vs Rockies), and Zack Greinke (June 12 vs Cardinals). Less expected were the picks of the racing Hot Dog (July 10 vs Reds), Craig Counsell (August 14 vs Pirates), and Randy Wolf (September 25 vs Marlins). Note, too, that single-game tickets go on sale on February 26 at 9:00 am CST.

Brewers Starting Rotation Thoughts

Answering fans' questions last week, Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com discussed how the Brewers should line up their starting pitchers for the first couple of weeks of the regular season. Of course, things might happen during Spring Training that would lead to a reconsideration of the starting pitching order, but most fans expect Zack Greinke to start on opening day, followed by Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Randy Wolf, and Chris Narveson. McCalvy suggested a slightly different order, and I agree with him.