WEEKEND Sports

The Brew Review

by Gerald Winters
Well, even though it was a short week due to the all-star festivities and an additional day off, the common theme seems to be the same.

The Milwaukee Brewers did not get off to a good start to begin the unofficial second half of the 2006 Major League Baseball season.

They went down to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks of the National League’s West division, and proceeded to lose 2 out of 3, salvaging the final game of the series.

Lefty Doug Davis started the first game of the series and pitched well coming off the extended break, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) and five hits in 6 innings. Then the bullpen took over.

Matt Wise and Brian Shouse combined to pitch two scoreless inning before turning the ball over to Closer Derrick Turnbow with a 3-2 lead going in to the ninth inning.

That’s when the D-backs turned the tables on the Brewers. The Brewers have become the "Cardiac Kids" of 2006 routinely finding ways to win games in their final at-bat.

This time, though, Arizona got to the Brewers’ all-star closer. Luis Gonzalez doubled off the wall, followed by Johnny Estrada’s walk off homerun to right--on the very next pitch. The end result-Arizona 4, Brewers 3.

They were never in it on Saturday. The ace of the staff, lefty Chris Capuano, was in rare form--he was off his game, giving up all 8 runs (5 earned) and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings in the 8-1 loss, including 3 homeruns.

The bullpen did its job and held them right there, but the offense was not able to make up any ground until the 8th inning. A RBI double by LF Carlos Lee was the only thing keeping them from being shut out in this one.

The offense was able to put it together in the finale. RF Geoff Jenkins got the party started in the first inning with a 2-run homer, and the Crew never looked back.

The 1B Prince Fielder also hit his 17th homer of the season, which ties a club record for rookies. The Brewers actually hadn’t scored double digits in runs since May 20 before their 10-5 win on Sunday.

Right-hander Dave Bush pitched well enough to win, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits in 6.1 innings.

And once again, the bullpen held it down, giving up no runs while striking out 4 in 2.2 innings.

The Brewers remain tied for third with the Houston Astros in the NL Central division, 8 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, and 4 games out of the wildcard.

Meanwhile the Cards have gotten hot, having won 7 game in a row, and the Cincinnati Reds, who are currently in 2nd place in the NL central, are keeping pace, winning their last 4.

Those two teams appear to be trying to run away and hide from the rest of the division, but they are not totally out of reach--yet.

However, if the Brewers don’t put a winning streak together of their own, they may find themselves saying "Wait ’til next year" as far as the playoffs are concerned (it’s never too early to start thinking about the playoffs).

This week they make their only trip to San Francisco, where they will face the Giants in a three game series. They are currently tied for 2nd in the NL West, 2.5 games out of first place.

When you say SF Giants, the first name the pops into any baseball fan’s head is their controversial LF Barry Bonds.

Even though he is not putting up the type of numbers this season that we are accustomed to seeing from him, the man who is second on the all time homerun list is still dangerous and can beat you with one swing of the bat.

But he is not all that the Giants have to throw at you. They have their stud right-hander Jason Schmidt pitching the series opener. Though his record is just 6-5, he is among the league leaders in era (2.78) and strikeouts (105).

Taking this series would move them one step closer to playoff contention.

Although the Giants are a veteran team, they have very capable players that can win games for them, including RF Moises Alou, CF Steve Finley, and 2B Ray Durham, all of whom play major roles to the success of the team.

From there, after a day off on Thursday, the Brewers get to come back across country to Cincinnati, where they will face the Reds.

The Reds are hot right now, and they have just acquired a closer in Eddie Guardado, and others to shore up their bullpen. He wasn’t cheap though.

The Reds had to give up talented outfielder Austin Kearns to the Seattle Mariners. But it shows that the Reds are serious about making a run at the Cardinals.

Even without Kearns, the offense is still loaded, and leading the way is the future hall-of-famer, Ken Griffey, Jr.

He is currently 11th on the all-time homerun list, and has stayed away from the injury bug that has plagued him ever since he got to Cincinnati.

He has managed to hit 19 homers this season, and has driven in 51. He does have some help in the power department.

Adam Dunn leads the team in homeruns and RBI (30, 64), and his swing is tailor-made for the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Although, the "Big Donkey" can hit the baseball a long way in any ballpark.

Additionally, the Reds have added speed to their lineup in utility man Ryan Freel. Also making strong contributions to their success is IFs Rich Aurilia and Scott Hatteburg. And their pitching has been solid, lead by Bronson Arroyo and Eric Milton.

The Reds play well in their home park, so taking a series from them there will not be easy, but with the offense that consists of Lee, Jenkins, utility man Bill Hall, and 1B Prince Fielder, all of whom can provide plenty of power so scoring runs should not be a problem. And with 2B Rickie Weeks establishing himself as a quality leadoff man, he should be able to put pressure on the pitching staff and the defense, setting the table for the big boppers.

Additionally, the Reds have won their last 4, but are only 5-5 in their last 10 games, so they can be inconsistent. The Brewers defense has to be flawless, and cannot give the Reds any additional outs, because they have the bats to take advantage of miscues.

This is a huge week for the Brewers, with a real opportunity to make up significant ground in the NL. Being only 4 games out in the Wildcard race, winning these series this week will do a lot to help their cause. And as we are now getting into the dog days of summer, with the trade deadline looming, the time is now to make a run at the playoff. It is never too early to start thinking playoffs, and these Milwaukee Brewers have the horses to get it done.