Brewers offense wasting this pitching staff

And the Luis Urias decision has yielded a .682 OPS and 9 errors already- another one last night that cost them the game.

Yeah going all in on Urias isn't looking too hot right about now.

I don't get the decision to just give away Arcia. He started out slow, but he had 11 ABs so that's a very small sample size. I get giving Urias a shot, but why not keep Arcia around for just this reason (if Urias flamed out). Arcia plays gold-glove level defense at SS and when you are in a lot of 2-1 or 1-0 games that is even more important.

They should have dealt Hiura when they had the chance.  What a colossal disappointment.

The Brewers have a championship level pitching staff.  They are 7th in the league in WHIP and 3rd in the league in OBA.  They have arguably the best set up and closer combo in all of baseball.  

Narvaez has turned it around nicely, rest of the team sucks. 

i still see Keston as a hitter even though he sucks right now. 

Brice Turang is a couple years away, and he’s the guy they seem to want . Lefty, plus bat, above average defender.

Hiura may need to stay down this year- and the Brewers need to go out and get a 1B bat.

This from FanSided Reviewing the Brew:

Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes have started a combined 15 games this season, heading into Burnes’ start on Wednesday against the Royals. The Brewers offense has been shutout in five of those games.

That’s ridiculous.

They might let a 23 year old Urias work it out too.  How many people were ready to give up on Corbin Burnes in 2019. 

The biggest shitter is that our 29 year old MVP doesn't have 40 ABs yet and that the NL doesn't have a DH yet.   

@El-Ka-Bong posted:

They might let a 23 year old Urias work it out too.  How many people were ready to give up on Corbin Burnes in 2019.

The biggest shitter is that our 29 year old MVP doesn't have 40 ABs yet and that the NL doesn't have a DH yet.   

The bigger long-term concern is that we have a guy signed for the next 7 years at 26 million a year guaranteed who has a chronically bad back. That generally doesn't improve when you get into your 30s.

In terms of the Burnes/Urias comparison, it's a lot easy to let a pitcher work things out by using them in low-pressure situations (blowouts either way) to eat up some innings. You can't hide your starting SS. If he was a great defensive player but struggling at the plate, I'd be fine with it (especially in these days of dominant pitching and low-scoring games). The biggest problem right now is that going from Arcia to him on defense is a huge dropoff.

Over a full season, Burnes is on pace to have a WAR of 6.4 (even having missed 2 weeks). Woodruff is on pace for 9.6 WAR. Woodruff's pace is in the same ballpark as 1999/2000 Pedro Martinez. For perspective, Clayton Kershaw is a first-ballot HOFer and his best WAR over a full season is 8.1.

The best Brewers season by this metric was Teddy Higuera in 1986 (9.4). This season reminds me of the 7.2 WAR season in 2004 by Ben Sheets, who got about the same level of support as Burnes and Woodruff are this year.

i didn't see Yeli being the chronic injury guy, seemed built all wiry to last forever like his coach. 

@El-Ka-Bong posted:

i didn't see Yeli being the chronic injury guy, seemed built all wiry to last forever like his coach.

I didn't think so either until I read this article that just came out recently.

https://www.mlb.com/news/chris...rewers-injury-update

A bad back is just that...a bad back.   I have one and can go for weeks, months and even years.  BUT, it always comes back.

RBI SINGLE FOR OMAR!

A MANUFACTURED FIRST INNING RUN!!

RUN SUPPORT FOR CORBIN! pic.twitter.com/dwKu9lhEs5

— Reviewing the Brew (@ReviewngTheBrew) May 20, 2021

Now Feyerheisen comes apart... they’re in total free fall now.

Another great start by Burnes without a win.

Burnes has had one bad outing (actually one bad inning) where he gave up 4 earned runs in 5 innings.

In the other 6 games he's 2-2 despite doing the following.

6.1 innings, 1 hit, 1 ER, 11 Ks, 0 walks (LOSS)

6.0 innings, 1 hit, 0 ER, 9 Ks, 0 walks (ND)

6.0 innings, 2 hits, 0 ER, 10 Ks, 0 walks (WIN)

6.0 innings, 4 hits, 0 ER, 10 Ks, 0 walks (WIN)

5.0 innings, 5 hits, 1 ER, 9 Ks, 1 walk (LOSS)

6.0 innings, 2 hits, 2 ER, 9 Ks, 1 walk (ND)

Royals showing the Brewers what putting the ball in play and small ball can do.

Yup.

Yelich may not see 10 pitches to hit this season, if everyone around him is going to strike the fuck out all season...

@Cheezers posted:

Royals showing the Brewers what putting the ball in play and small ball can do.

How exactly did the Royals show what putting the ball in play can do when they had 2 fewer hits and had 2 more strikeouts than Milwaukee?

How exactly did the Royals show what small ball can do when they scored 2 more runs via Home Run than Milwaukee, which also is exactly how many runs they won by?

@Timpranillo posted:

How exactly did the Royals show what putting the ball in play can do when they had 2 fewer hits and had 2 more strikeouts than Milwaukee?

How exactly did the Royals show what small ball can do when they scored 2 more runs via Home Run than Milwaukee, which also is exactly how many runs they won by?

See the 7th inning.

You mean the inning where they led off with a HR?

Also the inning where with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out they went strikeout, ground out?

That inning is where they showed what "small ball" and "putting the ball" in play can do?

The inning where back to back bunts moved runners into scoring position and scored the go ahead run - yes.   

Ah yes. When they went from runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs vs a pitcher that has just given up a HR, a 1B, and a walk and turned that in to all of 1 more run.

Great stuff.

We’re hurting and you’re not helping ,Tim.

@Timpranillo posted:

Ah yes. When they went from runners on 1st and 2nd and no outs vs a pitcher that has just given up a HR, a 1B, and a walk and turned that in to all of 1 more run.

Great stuff.

And it got them the lead.  Better than K, F8, K like a lot of teams would have done in that situation.   1st few innings I say swing away for the big inning.  7th inning in a tie game give kudos to the Royals for doing something that few, if any, teams in MLB would do in today's game.

FYI- I love CC

"He shouldn't be f--king managing that team” *NSFW*

CC Sabathia keeps it real about Tony La Russa and the 'unwritten rules’ 😳

(via @R2C2) pic.twitter.com/wbLK0Z0F2P

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) May 20, 2021

I'm just trying to square the argument that KC won by 2 runs last night because they showed what "putting the ball in play" and "playing small ball" can do.

When the facts are:

• Milwaukee put the ball in play more than KC
• KC outscored MKE by 2 runs via the HR (3-1)
• Both teams scored 1 run via the "small ball" being romanticized here. KC scored 1 via their 2 bunts and MKE scored 1 via "advance the runner on 2nd with a ground ball to the right side and then hit a sac fly" in the 6th

The problem with baseball right now is that numbers don't lie. There is a huge amount of data showing unambiguously that the best way to win games is to try to hit home runs, don't give outs advancing runners, and don't take risks stealing bases. Baseball has to do something to fix this as you just watch a game now waiting for a guy to hit a home run or work a walk to get on base for a guy to hit a home run.

I don't know how they fix it, but they need to something. How many no-hitters have been thrown so far this year? If you make it harder on the pitchers, you'll just end up with more home runs as it won't prevent guys from swinging for the fences every at-bat. That won't make it any more fun to watch.

They could get rid of the shift as a starting point.  Or lower or move back the mound.  But that won’t fix what I think the real problem is.  Some might say hitters have gotten lazy.  Or too focused on “launch angles” intended to drive the ball further.  Bottom line - it’s mechanics and discipline. And that starts early.  

With the way the home run has been glamorized it’s forcing guys to rethink their approach and just go up and hack away.  They aren’t taking pitches or even thinking about getting on base.  That’s the issue I think.  I also think it’s a big reason we’ve seen regression in guys like Hiura and Yelich.  

Yes, pitchers are throwing harder than ever.  But a well placed slider or curve is just as devastating and effective.   Pitchers can’t just stick with one pitch and be successful, so neither should hitters (HR swing or broke).

@Tschmack posted:

Some might say hitters have gotten lazy.  

Some might say potatoes are impregnating feral cats

@Tschmack posted:

Some might say hitters have gotten lazy.  Or too focused on “launch angles” intended to drive the ball further.  Bottom line - it’s mechanics and discipline. And that starts early.  

What ERA were hitters not lazy?

@Tschmack posted:

With the way the home run has been glamorized it’s forcing guys to rethink their approach and just go up and hack away.  

This is a point. Didn't use to be this way when solid fundamentals, taking pitches, hitting it where they ain't were all glamourized far more than guys that went up there hacking away hitting monster dongs. Today's culture of ESPN highlights and Nike's "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" campaigns, amirite?

It's the reason that in contrast to today, Earle Combs is the most famous NY Yankee of all from those 1920's teams because at that time they played, Home Runs were not at all glamourized and no one could stop talking about Combs and his ability to work a count! Same reason I can turn on any streaming service and watch one of a handful of movies about the life of Riggs Stephenson. 

@The Heckler posted:

I think you could move the mound back or do away with the shift I don't think any of that will matter because hitters go up there just hacking away trying to hit the ball 500 feet.

I find it interesting that these arguments always boil down to "these dang hitters just want to make ESPN Sportscenter and do nothing but swing for the fences" and rarely, if ever, does anyone acknowledge that pitchers and staffs have become more difficult to face. Every staff has like 8 guys that can sling in 100MPH - many without great control, hitters rarely ever face the same pitcher more than twice a game, analytics is helping pitchers as well with increasing spin rates, assessing release points, etc.

I mean look at this overlay. Same motion, same release point, ball at same point just out of the hand, one ball dives to his feet at 87 (let's also talk about a knuckle curve at 87mph which was a legit fastball for many pitchers back in the days everyone thinks of when they think about "back in the day hitters worked the counts"), one ball tails up and away at 97.

Craig Kimbrel, 87mph Knuckle Curve (swinging strike) and 97mph Fastball (swinging K), Overlay pic.twitter.com/2IXAwUWYeg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2021

Just go scroll through PitchingNinjas timeline any night and look at the insanity that hitters have to face these days. It's the hardest thing to do in all of sports.

Ted Williams said the same thing back in the late '50s.   Hitting a round ball with a round bat is the hardest thing in sports.

@MichiganPacker2 posted:

I don't know how they fix it, but they need to something. How many no-hitters have been thrown so far this year? If you make it harder on the pitchers, you'll just end up with more home runs as it won't prevent guys from swinging for the fences every at-bat. That won't make it any more fun to watch.

Hell, how many no hitters beyond 7 innings this year? It seems like about every night you see "so and so has a no no with x batters left".

@El-Ka-Bong posted:

Some might say potatoes are impregnating feral cats

Who would say such a thing, besides Osh?

Bottom of the 6th. White Sox down 4-1

Derek Holland, who has been horrible all year enters for the Tigers

White Sox do this.

• 1B - Runner on 1st
• 2B - Runners on 2nd and 3rd
• 2B - 2 runs score to pull to 4-3, Runner on 2nd
• Walk - Runners on 1st and 2nd (after trying to bunt)
• Sacrifice Bunt - Force Out at 3rd, Runners on 1st and 2nd, 1 out
• Ground Out - Force Out at 3rd, Runners on 1st and 2nd, 2 outs
• Ground Out - Inning over

2 runs in to cut the Tigers lead to 1, no outs, runners on 1st and 2nd against a horrible pitcher you've started 1B, 2B, 2B, and BB against. But, LaRussa was determined to give the Tigers a free out. White Sox don't score another run that inning. White Sox don't score the rest of the game. White Sox lose 4-3

SMALL BALL! PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY!

Streak ended- start a new winning streak tomorrow…

The offense didn't waste a great pitching performance today.  5 for 12 with runners in scoring position. And 2 of the not hitting was in the 9th when the bases were loaded with 1 out and they failed to score when the game was all but decided.   It will be interesting to see what the hitters averages do when the umps start checking pitchers more for doctoring the baseball.  Will they go up or stay the same?

Much better pitching today vs. Wed night.   Only 2 walks today compared to 7 on Wed.   If nobody is on base the other team can't score as easily.

Brewers maintain their 1st place tie with the Scrubbies who are idle today.   They are 3 ahead of St. Louis.