Climbing Back Toward .500?

The Brewers have won two in a row following a strong start by Zack Greinke in his home debut on Monday and an offensive breakout on Tuesday. They now hold a record of 16-20 as they look for a series sweep today against the Padres. Their recent road trip put them in a hole that won't be easy to climb out of quickly; to do so during this home stand would require them to beat the Padres again today and then sweep the Pirates this weekend. I may take the optimistic view, but some signs indicate they could pull it off, however unlikely that would be.

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.

Marcum's Command Returns, Brewers Become First Team in Majors to Throw Three Shutouts

The Brewers beat the Pirates 6-0 yesterday at a nearly empty PNC Park. The Pirates announced the official tally at 8,755, but spectators insisted that much less actually attended. It's too bad, since Shaun Marcum and Pirates starter Kevin Correia matched no-hitters for the first half of the game. The Pirates broke Marcum's up in the fifth, while the Brewers ended Correia's bid in the sixth. Jonathan Lucroy, in his first Brewers start of 2011, led off the inning with a double. Marcum managed a bunt single, pushing Lucroy to third, and the Brewers scored on a Carlos Gomez sac fly. After a single by Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder continued his April domination with an opposite field, three-run home run.

What a Difference a Week Can Make

I've been busy the last few days and haven't had time to post. I'm glad to be back at it today, but with everything that's gone on over the past week that also means that this will be a long one. Bear with me, though; there's a lot of good stuff in here that will make you feel great about the Brewers.

Last Tuesday Brewer fans found themselves lamenting an 0-4 start with their team facing the tough Atlanta Braves for three more games. Yovani Gallardo took the ball that day, put the team on his shoulders, and delivered a two-hit complete game shutout in which he also scored the Brewers' only run. That game started a stretch by the Brewers that left them 5-2 on the home stand and 5-5 overall, moving them back to .500 quicker than even the most optimistic Brewer fans likely hoped.

Erick Almonte Hits Second Career Home Run Exactly Eight Years After His First

There weren't too many positives to take from yesterday's loss to the Reds. Shaun Marcum struggled to find his location in the first two innings (with some help by an umpire who apparently thought Marcum's strike zone should be tighter than his opponent's). Perhaps that should have been expected after he missed one of his spring starts. He found his groove in the third and struck out seven over 4.2 innings. The biggest highlight of the day, however, had to be Erick Almonte's solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. The second of his career, he hit his first way back in 2003 with the Yankees while filling in at short stop for the injured Derek Jeter.

Brewers Starting Pitchers Coming Into Focus; Opening Day Roster Set

Some good news on the pitching front this week. Shaun Marcum pitched for the Brewers yesterday and experienced none of the shoulder tightness he felt his last time out. He threw 68 pitches, so he's slightly behind schedule, but he'll be able to start vs the Reds on Saturday, with a likely pitch limit of around 80-85.

Time to Start Worrying?

This spring it seems like every other day news comes out from the Brewers of another injury to a key player. Yesterday they added Shaun Marcum to the list after he exited early vs the White Sox with shoulder tightness. In spite of all the previous injuries, this is the first time I've actually worried about the Brewers' 2011 season. When Greinke went down we realized how truly thin the Brewers' starting pitching is. If any of the five starters, especially Greinke, Gallardo, or Marcum, miss significant time this season, the Brewers might be in trouble.

Most of the injuries thus far have been minor. Players frequently play through minor injuries throughout the regular season but there's no reason to push it during Spring Training. Even Marcum said yesterday that he would play through his shoulder tightness if it arose during the regular season. Still, his injury history and troubling mechanics make him a more worrying case. All in all, this will be an exciting year for Brewers fans, but a lot of things need to go right for it to be as special as we think it can be.

Marcum Blanks Angels, Fielder Homers in 2-1 Win

Brewers fans got a glimpse of what the club traded Brett Lawrie for yesterday when Shaun Marcum threw three scoreless innings against the Angels. The changeup specialist threw his number one pitch especially well as he struck out three while giving up two hits and no walks. Said Craig Counsell of Marcum's outing: "That was impressive."

Meanwhile Prince Fielder, originally slated for a day off, batted fourth as designated hitter and provided the Brewers' sole runs with his first homer of the year, a two-run shot. Fielder asked manager Ron Roenicke if he could DH in order to get in a couple more at-bats. Roenicke was pleased with Prince's initiative and was happy to oblige the slugger.

Takashi Saito relieved Marcum, walked the first batter he faced and retired the next two on flyouts to right field. He then exited, having reached his pitch limit.

The Brewers play split squad road games today vs the Rangers and A's, both at 2:05 CST. Zack Greinke starts against the Rangers while Chris Narveson leads off against the Athletics.

Who Will Be Milwaukee's Opening Day Starter?

Yovani Gallardo makes his 2011 debut today as the Brewers host the Cubs in Cactus League play. The question persists as to whether the Brewers' 2010 opening day starter will stand as such in 2011 after the arrival of Cy Young winner Zack Greinke. Shaun Marcum started on opening day for the Blue Jays last year but he's widely expected to start the Brewers home opener vs the Braves and he's said that he's ok with flying under the radar. Ron Roenicke remains mute on the subject, not yet wishing to tip his hand. So who, in the end, will be the opening day starter?

Brewers Baseball Is Here!

The Brewers began Cactus League play on Monday, splitting their split squad games against the Cubs (W, 5-3) and Giants (L, 10-9). Shaun Marcum looked sharp starting vs the Giants, retiring the first four in a row while throwing only fastballs and changeups for the day. He threw 16 of his 17 pitches for strikes and said he "accomplished what [he] wanted to get accomplished."

Marcum Discusses Brewers Rotation

Today Shaun Marcum spoke with MLB Network about the Brewers rotation and his approach on the mound. Here is a link to the short video, and below are pictures from this past weekend 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!

ESPN Lists Brewers' Marcum as #1 Player Poised For Breakout Season

The Brewers again found themselves mentioned in Buster Olney's column this week, this time as part of an entry on players positioned for a "breakout" season in 2011. Olney picked Brewers starting pitcher Shaun Marcum as #1 on the list, having escaped last season with a 3.64 ERA while competing in a division containing 2010's three highest scoring teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Rays). Now in the National League, he "has the type of pitching smarts and competitiveness to take advantage of the inherent holes in the NL batting orders." Olney says that the Brewers' weak defense may hinder Marcum's success (surprise!), but one long time scout thinks he has a chance to win 20 games if he remains healthy.

Brewers Sign Marcum, Avoid Arbitration

Last night the Brewers reached agreement with Shaun Marcum on a contract that will pay him a base salary of $3.95 million with incentives to push him beyond $4 million, the midpoint between the two sides' exchanged figures. Apparently inclusion of the incentives served as the impetus to get the deal done. It's not unusual for a salary to be finalized as an arbitration hearing draws near, but the Brewers are surely glad they won't need to welcome their new pitcher to the club by airing his faults to the panel. Marcum earned $850,000 in 2010 and received a salary increase of 364.7%. Still, if Marcum puts up similar numbers as last year, $4 million represents a bargain for a sub-4.00 ERA starting pitcher.

Arbitration Deadline Looming For Brewers, Marcum

Arbitration hearings are quickly approaching and the Brewers still need to work out contracts for 2011 with Rickie Weeks and Shaun Marcum. With much of the recent focus on Weeks the attention now shifts to Marcum, whose arbitration hearing is scheduled for Thursday if the two sides can't reach a deal before then (versus next Thursday for Weeks).

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.

Brewers Arbitration Updates

Yesterday clubs exchanged salary figures with arbitration eligible players for 2011. Remaining arbitration eligible Brewers include Rickie Weeks, Shaun Marcum, and Kameron Loe. Significant gaps persist between the club and all three players, Weeks being the largest.