wrigley phantom
08-15-2007, 12:15 PM
MILWAUKEE -- The American League East title did not come easy to the Brewers in 1982, and it appears abundantly clear that the National League Central will not come easy in 2007.
While Robin Yount, Paul Molitor & Co. watched after a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the franchise's only pennant, the current crop of first-place Brewers lost to the Cardinals, 12-4, in a Miller Park matchup of '82 World Series teams.
The Brewers have lost each of Chris Capuano's last 15 starts including Tuesday's, when the left-hander was spotted a 3-0 lead but lost it during a six-run St. Louis fifth inning that blew the game open. One of those runs scored unearned after a key error by third baseman Ryan Braun on what could have been a double-play grounder to end a scoreless inning.
Instead Capuano remained winless since May 7 and fell to 0-10 with a 6.67 ERA during his drought. In 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday he surrendered seven runs, six earned, on eight hits, two hit batsmen, a walk and a wild pitch.
"Tough players," Capuano said, "are tougher than tough times."
Might they get tougher? Manager Ned Yost said he will meet with general manager Doug Melvin this week to decide whether the team needs to shuffle its starting rotation.
"It's something we'll review," Yost said. "I have to think about it. I have to talk to Doug and see what his thoughts are, see what our options are and go from there. The streak's gotten up to 15 now, and he's out there giving everything he's got and he's laboring through it right now. ... We have to see what our options are, first. 'Cap' might be our best option."
Yost added: "It's hard to make rash decisions after a game like that. I refuse to do it."
Asked about the team's predicament, Capuano was predictably silent.
"I haven't spoken to anyone about it, so I'm not sure," he said. "I really haven't thought about it too much. It's not for us to worry about at this point. That's for [Yost and Melvin] to discuss and decide."
The teams wore replica uniforms from the 1982 "Suds Series," so-named because of the brewery ties to Milwaukee and St. Louis. And they played a game vaguely familiar to Game 7, when Ben Oglivie homered as the Brewers built a 3-1 lead that slipped away in the sixth inning. On Tuesday, Prince Fielder and Geoff Jenkins homered as the Brewers built a 3-0 lead that slipped away in the fifth.
Fielder's two-out, solo home run was his NL-best 37th this season, his seventh in 12 games and the first off St. Louis starter Kip Wells (6-13) since June 2. Braun followed with a single and trotted home when Jenkins blasted his 208th career home run, tying '82 Brewer Gorman Thomas for second on the all-time franchise leaderboard. Only Yount (251) has hit more home runs as a Brewer.
But the Brewers were otherwise stifled by Wells, giving the Cardinals a chance to rally against Capuano, who was not particularly sharp but also continued a run of remarkably bad luck.
With one out and a runner at first in the sixth inning, Albert Pujols legged out an infield hit to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who made a diving stop. Capuano then made his biggest mistake of the inning, hitting left fielder Ryan Ludwick with a 1-and-2 pitch that loaded the bases for Scott Rolen, who hit a potential double-play bouncer to Braun. The rookie couldn't handle the high hop and was charged with his 18th error while two runs scored.
"That's a play I should have made," said Braun, who hit a solo home run, his 23rd, in the eighth inning. "It had a lot of topspin, but I think if I keep my feet moving instead of being flat-footed, I probably have a chance to make that play."
After a Jim Edmonds single re-loaded the bases, Capuano was replaced by rookie left-hander Manny Parra, who walked Yadier Molina on four pitches. Wells poked an opposite-field, two-run single past Fielder at first base and David Eckstein hit a sacrifice fly before the Brewers escaped the inning.
"That one big inning is kind of beating me right now," Capuano said. "I feel like I'm always one pitch away from getting a double play or getting out of something.
"My confidence is good. Even though the command is not exactly where I would like it, I still feel like I'm making pitches and I'm capable of making pitches. I feel like I'm capable of getting out of situations. I feel physically good."
Capuano's postgame conversations have often turned from balls and strikes to larger issues of staying positive amid what surely is the most difficult stretch of his baseball life, made more difficult by the fact the team is trying to win a postseason spot for the first time in 25 years. The Brewers have lost four straight to the Cardinals and six of their last eight overall.
"It's a challenge," Capuano said. "Especially with a young club that's not used to being in the pennant race. But most of the guys who get here have had to deal with some kind of adversity at some point in their lives. They've dealt with people telling them they're not good enough or they can't do it, and the reason they're here is because they overcame it."
Despite the loss, the Brewers didn't lose any ground in the National League Central and still lead the division by 1 1/2 games over the Cubs. The Cardinals now lurk only 4 1/2 games back.
"We're still plugging along," Yost said before the game. "We've got six weeks to go. But they know the importance and the urgency of coming out to win every day."
While Robin Yount, Paul Molitor & Co. watched after a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the franchise's only pennant, the current crop of first-place Brewers lost to the Cardinals, 12-4, in a Miller Park matchup of '82 World Series teams.
The Brewers have lost each of Chris Capuano's last 15 starts including Tuesday's, when the left-hander was spotted a 3-0 lead but lost it during a six-run St. Louis fifth inning that blew the game open. One of those runs scored unearned after a key error by third baseman Ryan Braun on what could have been a double-play grounder to end a scoreless inning.
Instead Capuano remained winless since May 7 and fell to 0-10 with a 6.67 ERA during his drought. In 4 1/3 innings on Tuesday he surrendered seven runs, six earned, on eight hits, two hit batsmen, a walk and a wild pitch.
"Tough players," Capuano said, "are tougher than tough times."
Might they get tougher? Manager Ned Yost said he will meet with general manager Doug Melvin this week to decide whether the team needs to shuffle its starting rotation.
"It's something we'll review," Yost said. "I have to think about it. I have to talk to Doug and see what his thoughts are, see what our options are and go from there. The streak's gotten up to 15 now, and he's out there giving everything he's got and he's laboring through it right now. ... We have to see what our options are, first. 'Cap' might be our best option."
Yost added: "It's hard to make rash decisions after a game like that. I refuse to do it."
Asked about the team's predicament, Capuano was predictably silent.
"I haven't spoken to anyone about it, so I'm not sure," he said. "I really haven't thought about it too much. It's not for us to worry about at this point. That's for [Yost and Melvin] to discuss and decide."
The teams wore replica uniforms from the 1982 "Suds Series," so-named because of the brewery ties to Milwaukee and St. Louis. And they played a game vaguely familiar to Game 7, when Ben Oglivie homered as the Brewers built a 3-1 lead that slipped away in the sixth inning. On Tuesday, Prince Fielder and Geoff Jenkins homered as the Brewers built a 3-0 lead that slipped away in the fifth.
Fielder's two-out, solo home run was his NL-best 37th this season, his seventh in 12 games and the first off St. Louis starter Kip Wells (6-13) since June 2. Braun followed with a single and trotted home when Jenkins blasted his 208th career home run, tying '82 Brewer Gorman Thomas for second on the all-time franchise leaderboard. Only Yount (251) has hit more home runs as a Brewer.
But the Brewers were otherwise stifled by Wells, giving the Cardinals a chance to rally against Capuano, who was not particularly sharp but also continued a run of remarkably bad luck.
With one out and a runner at first in the sixth inning, Albert Pujols legged out an infield hit to shortstop J.J. Hardy, who made a diving stop. Capuano then made his biggest mistake of the inning, hitting left fielder Ryan Ludwick with a 1-and-2 pitch that loaded the bases for Scott Rolen, who hit a potential double-play bouncer to Braun. The rookie couldn't handle the high hop and was charged with his 18th error while two runs scored.
"That's a play I should have made," said Braun, who hit a solo home run, his 23rd, in the eighth inning. "It had a lot of topspin, but I think if I keep my feet moving instead of being flat-footed, I probably have a chance to make that play."
After a Jim Edmonds single re-loaded the bases, Capuano was replaced by rookie left-hander Manny Parra, who walked Yadier Molina on four pitches. Wells poked an opposite-field, two-run single past Fielder at first base and David Eckstein hit a sacrifice fly before the Brewers escaped the inning.
"That one big inning is kind of beating me right now," Capuano said. "I feel like I'm always one pitch away from getting a double play or getting out of something.
"My confidence is good. Even though the command is not exactly where I would like it, I still feel like I'm making pitches and I'm capable of making pitches. I feel like I'm capable of getting out of situations. I feel physically good."
Capuano's postgame conversations have often turned from balls and strikes to larger issues of staying positive amid what surely is the most difficult stretch of his baseball life, made more difficult by the fact the team is trying to win a postseason spot for the first time in 25 years. The Brewers have lost four straight to the Cardinals and six of their last eight overall.
"It's a challenge," Capuano said. "Especially with a young club that's not used to being in the pennant race. But most of the guys who get here have had to deal with some kind of adversity at some point in their lives. They've dealt with people telling them they're not good enough or they can't do it, and the reason they're here is because they overcame it."
Despite the loss, the Brewers didn't lose any ground in the National League Central and still lead the division by 1 1/2 games over the Cubs. The Cardinals now lurk only 4 1/2 games back.
"We're still plugging along," Yost said before the game. "We've got six weeks to go. But they know the importance and the urgency of coming out to win every day."