The Vacation is Over
The Brewers pitching staff is running on all cylinders following the All-Star break, they rank among the National League leaders in many statistical categories following the All-Star break:
Category Total, Team Ranking
Team ERA . . . . . . . . . . .2.29 (55ip, 14er), 1st
HR Allowed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 1st
Hits Allowed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42, 2nd
Win Pct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.000 (6-0), 1st
Opp Batting Avg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..216, 1st

Lucky 7
The Brewers won their 7th game in a row last night, their longest winning streak since 4/28-5/5, 2005.....they are looking for their 7th straight road win tonight which would mark the longest road winning streak since their last 7g road win streak, 4/15-5/5, 1999.

Above the Watermark
The Brewers are 15g over .500 for the first time since they finished the 1992 season 92-70.....this is the latest in the season the Brewers have had a winning road record since the end of the 1999 season when they finished 42-39.

Homer Happy
The Brewers have homered in each of their last 19 games (30hr), which ties thelongest streak in team history.....the team is 14-5 in those 19g.....the following list highlights the three longest streaks of games with a home run in team history:
Games Total HR Dates
19          30   7/1-present
19          35   6/11-6/30/96
16          29   6/20-7/7/07

Road Warriors
The Brewers are currently enjoying their longest road winning streak since 6/19- 29, 1999 when they also won 6 straight.....the Brewers hve the 4th best road record in the majors and the second- best in the N.L......since 6/11, Milwaukee has the best road record in the majors:
Team Road Record since 6/11
Milwaukee . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5 (.722)
New York-NL. . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7 (.632)
Los Angeles-AL . . . . . . . . . 10-6 (.625)
Detroit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8 (.600)

The Best in Baseball
The Brewers are 38-19 since 5/20, which is the best record in the majors since that date.
Team Record Since 5/20
Milwaukee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38-19 (.667)
Los Angeles of Anaheim . . . . . . .36-19 (.655)
New York-AL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-21 (632)
Detroit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35-22 (.614)
Tampa Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33-22 (.600)

Cards vs. Sheets
Rick Ankiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..333 (1-3)
Juan Encarnacion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..050 (1-20, 1hr, 7k)
Troy Glaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..000 (0-2, 1bb, 1k)
Cesar Izturis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..091 (2-22, 4k)
Adam Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..333 (5-15)
Jason LaRue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..154 (2-13, 1hr, 1bb, 6k)
Aaron Miles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..333 (5-15, 4k)
Yadier Molina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..273 (6-22, 1bb, 2k)
Albert Pujols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..394 (26-66, 4hr, 2bb, 14k)
Brendan Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..667 (2-3)
Skip Schumaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..143 (1-7)

Brewers vs. Wellmeyer
Branyan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.000 (1-1)
Braun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .667 (2-3)
Cameron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000 (0-4, 2k)
Counsell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000 (0-1, 1k)
Durham. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 (1-4)
Fielder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500 (2-4)
Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000 (0-6, 3k)
Hardy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000 (0-2)
Hart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .333 (1-3)
Kapler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .000 (0-1, 1bb)
Kendall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 (1-5, 1bb)
Weeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 (1-4)

Ben Sheets is making his 20th start of the season and his second start vs. St. Louis.....Sheets last started on 7/19 at San Francisco and did not factor a decision (5ip, 9h, 4r, 2er, 1bb, 3k)....he enters tonight’s start ranked fifth in the National League in ERA (2.88).....he leads the Brewers with 12 quality starts this season.....he is holding opponents to a .242 BA (118-for-487).....the Brewers are 13-6 in his starts

I say sheets get roughed up today. LaRussa has his team fired up trying to avoid the sweep and Ned gets tossed again.  Weeks will have a few crucial errors as well.  7 to 2 Cards.

Edit:  Weeks is out of the lineup so no errors there....maybe Brewers squeek out another one 4 to 3

Here's the line-up per Witrado

Dan Walsh:

Here's the line-up per Witrado

St. Louis - Even with Rickie Weeks hitting well right now, Ned Yost is giving him the day off and starting Ray Durham at second base. He'll lead off. I know you want to play your new acquisition, but with the way Weeks has gone this year, I'd ride out any hot streak, no matter how minimal, until it ends.

2B Ray Durham
SS JJ Hardy
LF Ryan Braun
1B Prince Fielder
RF Corey Hart
3B Bill Hall
CF Mike Cameron
C Jason Kendall
P Ben Sheets

 I don't like the decision to sit Weeks just when he is coming around.  I understand the desire to play with a new toy, but right now seems like a odd time to work him in.

Weeks has been on fire lately, not sure why you mess with that. But, Ned's played his cards pretty well lately.

fmrmarinesgt97:

I say sheets get roughed up today. LaRussa has his team fired up trying to avoid the sweep and Ned gets tossed again.  Weeks will have a few crucial errors as well.  7 to 2 Cards.

Edit:  Weeks is out of the lineup so no errors there....maybe Brewers squeek out another one 4 to 3

Keep The Hate Alive!!!

Him having a FEW errors, that is a bit of a stretch, isn't it??

And Ned will get tossed out in back to back games, when he has only been tossed twice this year???

Talk about Doom and Gloom.........

and how, in a 7-2 game do you have "a few crucial errors"?

I would rethink this whole thing if I were you, or at least admit to your poor attemts at humor.

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

radio silence:

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

crichar3:

 I don't like the decision to sit Weeks just when he is coming around.  I understand the desire to play with a new toy, but right now seems like a odd time to work him in.

I'd agree there crichar. None of us are in the clubhouse however, perhaps there is a reason which we are not privy to. Who knows? Sore wrist, sick, could be anything but assuming Ned's stupid is the usual MO around here and I don't see that changing anytime soon. ..even if the club is red hot and Durham goes off tonight.

I do think it is funny that on less than one page of this thread, the view of  Week's day off is so disparate. 

fmrmarinesgt97:

radio silence:

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

I am of the camp that believes you ride the hot hand.  Apparantly Weeks is the hot hand right now so I do not agree with sitting him.

I thought you were glad he was sitting, sorry sarge.

fmrmarinesgt97:

radio silence:

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

I am of the camp that believes you ride the hot hand.  Apparantly Weeks is the hot hand right now so I do not agree with sitting him.

Then why did you write this earlier on this thread.....

"I say sheets get roughed up today. LaRussa has his team fired up trying to avoid the sweep and Ned gets tossed again.  Weeks will have a few crucial errors as well.  7 to 2 Cards.

Edit:  Weeks is out of the lineup so no errors there....maybe Brewers squeek out another one 4 to 3"

Are you bi-polar or something, believing in two completely opposite ideas?

Greg Brock......Who?:

fmrmarinesgt97:

radio silence:

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

I am of the camp that believes you ride the hot hand.  Apparantly Weeks is the hot hand right now so I do not agree with sitting him.

Then why did you write this earlier on this thread.....

"I say sheets get roughed up today. LaRussa has his team fired up trying to avoid the sweep and Ned gets tossed again.  Weeks will have a few crucial errors as well.  7 to 2 Cards.

Edit:  Weeks is out of the lineup so no errors there....maybe Brewers squeek out another one 4 to 3"

Are you bi-polar or something, believing in two completely opposite ideas?

fmrmarinesgt97:

Greg Brock......Who?:

fmrmarinesgt97:

radio silence:

This ought to be the most entertaining game of the year, given that it is generally the same crowd that bashes Yost's line up moves and has little faith in Rickie Weeks' skills as a ballplayer -- I'm thrilled to see which one wins: will the Weeks haters rather see Yost make one of his inexplicable line up changes in which he benches a white hot player, or will the Yost haters rather see a white hot Weeks remain in the line up?

The universe is going to explode tonight!

I am of the camp that believes you ride the hot hand.  Apparantly Weeks is the hot hand right now so I do not agree with sitting him.

Then why did you write this earlier on this thread.....

"I say sheets get roughed up today. LaRussa has his team fired up trying to avoid the sweep and Ned gets tossed again.  Weeks will have a few crucial errors as well.  7 to 2 Cards.

Edit:  Weeks is out of the lineup so no errors there....maybe Brewers squeek out another one 4 to 3"

Are you bi-polar or something, believing in two completely opposite ideas?

I figured it worked yesterday, why not do it again.  Superstitous I guess.

Well, whatever works I suppose.....

This is one of Yost's little line up ploys that I absolutely love -- he keeps his guys ready by switching them in and out of the line up. I don't think we can discount that as a reason this team is so successful -- the most recent example being Counsell's last stint as a lead off hitter, which went fairly well, and the full-season success of Kapler.

For all we know, Yost decided to give Rickie the day off days ago, in one of his usual ploys to keep his bench guys fresh and ready to play.

The raging Weeks apologist in me can wait another day at the hands of Yost's brilliant line up manipulation.