Game 9: Brewers Survive Suppan’s Start

W: Chris Narveson (1-0)
L: Jeff Samardzija (0-1)
SV: Trevor Hoffman (3)

CHC HR: Derrek Lee (2), Marlon Byrd (3), Aramis Ramirez (3)
MIL HR: Casey McGehee (3), Ryan Braun (3)

Forgive me for not having a lot of confidence heading into this afternoon’s series finale in Chicago.  Doug Davis stunk in the first game, Ken Macha pulled a Yost in the second game, and Jeff Suppan started today’s game.  And yet, the Brewers won.  If anything, it just goes to show you that weird things can happen during the season.

Now, Suppan was predictably bad, but at this point I think I would take 5 innings and only 4 earned runs every time out from him.  Heck, he was even in line for the win by the time he was replaced by Chris Narveson.  Suppan didn’t get the win because Narveson gave up the lead on an Aramis Ramirez homer the next inning, but let’s just call it a moral victory.

Narveson got his first win of the season despite the Ramirez homer, thanks to a Rickie Weeks RBI single in the 7th.  The Brewers pulled away from there, with Ryan Braun hitting a solo home run in the 8th and driving in another run on an infield single in the 9th.  Carlos Villanueva was the bridge between Narveson and Trevor Hoffman today, and was again nearly flawless, throwing two innings of no-hit ball and striking out 4.  He’s definitely been a nice surprise through the first nine games.

Of course, nothing could be easy this series, and for a second it looked like another possible bullpen meltdown when the Cubs were able to score a run off Trevor Hoffman.  Hoffman was able to get Ramirez to fly out to end the game, though, allowing everyone in the state of Wisconsin to exhale.

It’s the second straight series that you can’t help but come away feeling like the Brewers should have gotten more than one win.  The good news?  Even though this team heads for Washington at 4-5, it definitely feels like they’re playing better than that.  Hopefully the offense continues to click in Washington and Pittsburgh, and the Brewers can pick up a pair of series wins.