-I forgot how much fun Yovani Gallardo is. He's such a smart, composed young pitcher. I particularly love how he pitches backwards around his fastball, utilizing his curveball and other pitches (2-seam, change, slider) to set up his fastball -- the manner in which he throws curveballs in fastball counts is a brilliant strategy becuase then he has that 91-93 MPH fastball sitting in his back pocket. That's a pretty good fastball to begin with, but it must look even faster with his simple over the top delivery and smooth mechanics -- and that 76-78 curve cannot help but make it appear faster.

I liked YoGa since I watched his first start, and that's why I have been so nervous about his return. He has an excellen future ahead of him, and last night he showcased one of the reasons why.

-Sveum's gambles are paying off, but I wonder at what price. He has utilized the same bullpen arms night in and night out, which makes me question their availability for the Cubs series. Now, I understand why Sveum needs to keep defecits close, ties tied, and leads in tact, but there has to be a way to work other relievers back into the fold to rest the main arms (especially the surging Mota and Gagne).

-Here is an excellent excerpt from an Official Site article about Sheets and Bush pitching Saturday, from the omnipresent Adam McCalvy:

Sheets will have to "impress" Sveum by Friday if he wants to start on Saturday.

"You're going to have to look in his eyes," Sveum said. "A lot of times people are going to say, 'I want to pitch,' because of the nature of athletes, but he's going to have to be really honest with this one. That game is going to mean everything in the world."

Said Sheets: "I don't know, deep down, which way I'm going to go."

I love this exchange for so many reasons. It catches the absolute need for Sheets to pitch, or the need for Sheets' willingness to pitch, but also the need for him to be effective if he does pitch, given the magnitude of the game.

I am guessing from Sveum's comment that Sheets said he will go, but Sveum is not certain of his effectiveness. I will also guess that Sheets, deep down, is not certain of his own effectiveness at the moment.

I know it is disappointing that Sheets left the Chicago start early, but given his contract push, the injury must be really bad if he has not been able to pitch through it with the playoffs and a contract on the line. His ineffectiveness hurts the Crew, his resting hurts his contract; right now I can imagine that Sheets is a very conflucted person, and I can imagine just how difficult it is to admit a playing ability that is less than full strength.

Contrary to popular belief, Sheets is tough. Sheets pitched through awful back pain in 2004, requiring surgery in the offseason, and he has pitched through vestibular neuritis at times, admitting to the press at one point that when the vertigo hits him on the mound from the inflamed ear, he looks into the stadium lights to set himself straight. He also pitched through the early portion of this elbow injury, and has pitched through moments of ineffectiveness due to injury in 2005-2006, which resulted in starts in which he was knocked around.

The trouble with Saturday's start is that the Brewers can ill-afford a 3 IP, 5 R outing from a Sheets with an 88 MPH fastball and a flat curve. That's the brilliance of Sveum's quote -- he captures the need for Sheets to want to go and help the team to the playoffs by pitching effectively.

Now is not the time to simply gut it out without consequence. That's why the gambles with short rest for pitchers accustomed to regular rest are tough -- same with the YoGa gamble.

I feel for Sheets decision, and will stand behind him if he says that he cannot pitch effectively on Saturday. It must be an awful position, and a difficult decision to make. But there is nothing to worrry about -- without Sheets' early performance, the Brewers do not energize their rotation and spark the run that resulted in Sabathia. Along with an improved Bush, a solid Parra, a spectacular Sabathia and a good stop gap in McClung, Sheets is an integral part of the Brewers 2008 success, and before you chastise him for not pitching hurt, just think about where we would be without his efforts in 2008.

I'll take an effective Sheets on Saturday, but I'll also understand if he is not physically able to succeed. Right now the Brewers need to gamble with relative certainty, not uncertainty.