Since Tuesday evening, the Brewers:
UP: When ace Ben Sheets took to the hill to start the 2nd game against the Astros
DOWN: When Sheets gave up a run in the 1st inning
UP: When Sheets came back to start the 2nd inning
DOWN: When Sheets suddenly pulled up lame with a bad hammy in the 2nd inning
UP: When Johnny Estrada’s grand slam in the 4th and Ryan Braun’s 2-run shot in the 5th, coupled with 4 scoreless innings by Claudio Vargas and 4 more scoreless innings by 3 other relievers led to a 9-1 win
BIGGER UP: The Cubs lost on Tuesday night, putting the Crew back in a tie for first
UP STILL: Dave Bush pitched great to start Wednesday’s game, only allowing 1 ER in 6 IP
DOWN: When Brian Shouse gave up 2 ER in 0.67 IP to give the Astros a 4-2 lead after 8
UP: When Rickie Weeks followed J.J. Hardy’s double with his a 2-run shot just over the wall in right off closer Brad Lidge, to tie the game at 4-4 in the 9th
DOWN (AND OUT): When Matt Wise a walk and 2 hits that gave the Astros the 5-4 win in the 10th
Oh, and the Cubs won.
The Cubs (80-73) get today off, while the Crew (78-73) travels to Atlanta with a chance to gain ground…if the Brewers want to keep control of their own fate, they need to win both Thursday’s game and Monday’s game at home against the Cardinals…otherwise, they are at the mercy of the Cubs and whether or not they win. Jeff Suppan (10-11, 4.72) hopes to continue his hot streak–Sup is 2-0, 4.15 in his last 3 starts, and has not pitched against the Braves yet this year. Over the past 3 years, however, Suppan has struggled against the Braves, posting an 0-3, 9.22 mark in 3 starts and 13.67 IP with 9 K’s to 4 BB’s, but an OBA of .362.
Finally, the Brewers’ announced that they will break their attendance record this year…while 3.0 million is unlikely, it appears that the Crew has a good shot at 2.9 million…when combined with all that extra money from Prince Fielder jersey sales, maybe a $75 million payroll is possible next year?
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