Brewers Face Pivotal July

Thus far the 2012 Brewers have underperformed and, aside from stellar performances by Ryan Braun, Norichika Aoki and Zack Greinke, underwhelmed, to say the least. Although at times blame has been placed on the hitters and starting pitchers, the main problem has been the bullpen. Blown leads, blown saves, and altogether shoddy work have been the orders of the day far too frequently, and each reliever has an ERA of at least 4.06. Much of the finger-pointing finds its way toward John Axford, though in my opinion he's still the best available option in the bullpen and should remain the closer for the time being.

Despite the fact that it feels like every other day another game is lost by the bullpen, the Brewers have mostly tread water right around five games below .500. Sporting a losing record for each of the first three months of the season, they sit seven games back of the first place Pittsburgh Pirates(!), six behind the Reds, and 5.5 behind the Cardinals in the NL Central. Many now figure the Brewers to be sellers at the trade deadline and rumors have started to swirl, particularly regarding Zack Greinke.

What Can We Expect of Zack Greinke in 2012?

More than we got in 2011? After joining the team in May last year Greinke put together a pretty solid year for the Brewers. All told he finished with a 16-6 record, 3.83 ERA, 1.2 WHIP, 201 strikeouts and a league-leading 10.5 K/9 while pitching only 171.1 innings over his shortened season. He gave up long balls at a higher rate and underperformed in the postseason but for the most part was the co-ace the Brewers hoped for when they sent a slew of prospects to the Royals in December of 2010.

The Greinke We've Been Waiting For

Zack Greinke turned in a strong performance last night vs the Rays, pitching seven innings and allowing one run on four hits with ten strikeouts. He now has 80 strikeouts this season vs nine walks, good for a whopping 8.89 K/BB ratio. To put that stat in perspective, Shaun Marcum, known for his control and low walk rate, has a 3.5 K/BB ratio. Greinke also sports an equally impressive 11.98 K per nine innings pitched (K/9) this season, which, if it holds, will beat the franchise record set by Ben Sheets in 2004 of 10.025 (thanks to the Brewers Bar).

If they hadn't already, Brewers fans now have an idea of just how well Greinke can pitch. He kept the Rays guessing all night, racking up the Ks both swinging and looking by commanding his fastball, changeup, and slider with authority. He didn't disappoint at the plate, either, flying out to centerfield and lining a base hit to right. In short, last night was the Zack Greinke show, with supporting roles by Ryan Braun (1-3, 2 RBI, BB), Prince Fielder (1-2, RBI, 2 BB), and Jonathan Lucroy (3-4, R, while enduring a rough night behind the dish, including a pretty nasty ball to the crotch).

The Brewers look for a series win today at 1:10, as Shaun Marcum takes the mound vs Rays ace David Price.

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.

Happy Greinke Day, Brewers Fans!

As I'm sure you're all aware, today Zack Greinke makes his long-awaited Brewers debut in the second game of a double header in Atlanta. This is the day we've been waiting for since December and I am very excited to watch him pitch for the Brewers. The only question that remains is whether 2010 Greinke or 2009 Greinke shows up. It'd be great to see him in Cy Young-form right from the start, but it would be understandable if he's still a little rusty in his first start of the year. I might be asking too much for him to match a 2.16 ERA and 1.073 WHIP, but it sure would be awesome if he came close! Go Greinke, Go Brewers!

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.

Greinke Makes Progress

Adam McCalvy reported today that Zack Greinke took a significant step forward in rehabbing his cracked rib. He threw a baseball for the first time since being shutdown early in Spring Training. He's still a long way from debuting for the Brewers, but this certainly marks an important first step.

Greinke to DL; Will Miss 2-3 Regular Season Starts

The Brewers delayed Zack Greinke's first live BP session a couple weeks back due to soreness in his left ribs which he said he hurt slightly while doing "something stupid" off the field. We now know he was playing a pickup game of basketball and cracked a rib while falling to the ground after going for a rebound. This is certainly disappointing news for Brewers fans who expected Greinke to lead a much improved pitching staff that hopefully will help the Crew get to the playoffs in 2011.

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 Down White Sox 3-1

Brewers pitchers put together a solid day on the mound today in a Cactus League victory over the White Sox. The Brewers struck first in the top of the third when Rickie Weeks batted home catcher Wil Nieves after he singled and stole second.

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."

Still More Pics From Spring Training

Here's another set courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Select Brewers Spring Training Games to Air on MLB Network, FSN, and WMLW41

Here is a list of Brewers Spring Training games that will be televised (all times listed are CST). Also, click here for a short clip of Zack Greinke's first live batting practice session from this past week.

March 7 (Monday) at Cincinnati Reds (2:05 PM) airing on MLB Network on tape delay at 8:30 PM.

March 15 (Tuesday) at Cleveland Indians (3:05 PM) airing on MLB Network on tape delay at 9:00 PM.

March 16 (Wednesday) at Seattle Mariners airing on FSN-HD at 9:30 PM.

March 19 (Saturday) at Los Angeles Dodgers (3:05 PM) airing on MLB Network on tape delay at 4:00 PM.

March 28 (Monday) at Kansas City Royals airing on WMLW41 at 3:05 PM.

Injury Bug Bites Brewers

Greinke: That guy's finger looks like it hurts

The injury bug bit the Brewers camp today. Jonathan Lucroy broke his right pinkie finger this morning during drills. He'll have a pin inserted in his finger tomorrow and will miss four weeks. It's uncertain as to whether he'll need to start the regular season on the DL. This must be a huge disappointment for him as it's the first spring he's entered as the Brewers full time catcher. He's bound to lose some of the time he'd have spent catching new Brewers pitchers and he'll enter the regular season with little, if any, at bats under his belt. Here's hoping he's ready for opening day.

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!

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.

Braun Attends Bucks Game With Little-Known Football Player

While in town for "Brewers On Deck", Ryan Braun attended Saturday night's Bucks game with a football player named Aaron Rodgers (pictured above, to Braun's right). Apparently the two became friends over the past several years. I've never heard of him so he's probably only famous because he's friends with Braun. When asked if he planned to attend Rodgers' football game next weekend (did anyone else find it odd that they kept talking about football with Spring Training right around the corner?), Braun said he most likely would not as he did not want to miss any workouts this close to Spring Training. Braun has been working out near his California home with one of Major League Baseball's known fitness nuts, none other than former Brewer Gabe Kapler.

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.