Yovani Gallardo’s six scoreless innings and seven K’s led the Brewers to a 6-1 win over the Pirates Tuesday evening in a game much like last night’s–closer than one might have thought.
Pirates’ starter Bryan Bullington kept the Crew scoreless until Prince Fielder’s solo shot in the top of the 4th (his 44th); two more runners that Bullington put on in the 6th were also charged to him.
Gallardo is now 8-4, 3.99; Gallardo hasn’t given up an earned run in his last two starts.
Dave Bush tries for the rubber match on Wednesday…Bush is 11-10, 5.25 on the year. After an off day on Thursday, the Brewers return home to face the Reds again. The off day gives Ned Yost a chance to tweak his rotation for the stretch run: Sheets will go on Friday on his usual four days rest; Carlos Villanueva–who pitched on Monday and could go again on Saturday–is apparently going to get bumped back a day, in favor of Jeff Suppan. Suppan last pitched on Saturday, the 8th, against the Reds in a game that the Crew won, despite Suppan giving up 3 ER over 6 IP. Suppan is 0-2, 5.94, in 3 starts against the Reds this year, but Yost apparently feels that Suppan’s experience, his last outing against the Reds, and six days rest will give him an edge over Villanueva. That tweak also gives Villanueva an extra day’s rest for Sunday.
In other news, Doug Melvin has decided to throw in the towel on Dennis Sarfate, trading him to division rival Houston for cash. Sarfate, at 26, was once considered for the Brewers’ starting rotation, but was used predominantly in relief last season and this year in Nashville. Sarfate’s 4.52 ERA for the Sounds this year over 45 games was enough proof that Sarfate would not make Milwaukee next season. The fact that Zach Jackson was not called up, either, doesn’t bode well for his chances in making the parent club next season, although the fact that Doug Melvin hung onto Jackson over Sarfate means that they must still see something in him. There is going to be a logjam in the rotation next season, and odds are that either Dave Bush, Carlos Villanueva, or Claudio Vargas will get dealt, with Vargas being the early favorite to leave, due to his higher salary, age, and seemingly better market value, at this point, than Bush.
The Astros (finally) handed the Cubs’ their 71st loss of the season in the 11th tonight, bringing the so-called Magic Number for the Crew down to 18 (the combination of Brewers’ wins and Cubs’ losses to give the Brewers the division crown)…but at least the Brewers’ still control their own destiny…an 18-game winning streak by the Beermakers makes the Cubs’ outcomes irrelevant.
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