The 2-1 extra inning win over the Rockies likely left some fans with a sense of cautious optimism that the bullpen could hold on to win tight games.
Plus Ben Sheets’ early exit had many fans crossing their fingers and holding their breath that the injury was minor.
Sheets started Saturday night’s contest, but only lasted 3.33 IP before getting yanked for what is being described as a “sprained finger by Adam McCalvy at brewers.com:”
“Something happened on the last pitch,” Sheets said. “I felt something pop, snap. I don’t know what it was. But I knew, when the trainer got out there and tested it, that there weren’t going to be any more pitches today.”
The injury occurred to the distal joint near the fingernail, and X-rays taken during the game were negative, Sheets said. If symptoms persist, he will undergo an MRI scan on Monday, at which time the team will know more about Sheets’ availability to make his next scheduled start on Thursday against Arizona.
“It’s really just one little thing that’s giving me fits right now,” Sheets said after the Brewers’ 2-1, 10-inning win over the Rockies at Miller Park. “It actually feels pretty good right now. We’ll see more [on Sunday]. I’m proud that we won the game.”
Oh, yeah, the game. The Rockies scored first, a solo shot by left-fielder Ryan Spilborghs off Sheets in the 3rd; the Crew countered on a Corey Hart’s solo shot off Rockies’s starter Rodrigo Lopez in the bottom of the 6th. The 1-1 score lasted through nine innings, thanks to Yovani Gallardo’s relief of Sheets–Gallardo went 4.67 IP, allowed just 1 hit, 0 BB’s, while fanning 4; Coco Cordero pitched the top of the 9th, and Derrick Turnbow pitched the scoreless 10th; a Tony Graffanino single in the 10th drove in Geoff Jenkins with the game winner.
Kudos to Yost for using Gallardo tonight–if Sheets does need to miss a start, Gallardo is now set up to fill Sheets’ spot in the rotation next Thursday, and the relatively lengthy work today mimics a start, probably preventing Yost from using him for a couple days anyway.
The Crew is now 50-40, and 3.5 up on the Cubs (3 in the loss column). Jeff Suppan (8-8, 5.00) starts Sunday’s rubber match. Suppan was 3-0, 2.89 versus the Rockies in ’06…giving fans a bit more cautious optimism on Sunday.
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