Series Preview Milwaukee Brewers (9-8) Vs. San Diego Padres (5-13)

Probable Starters

Monday April 22nd 9:10pm

Game 1

Kyle Lohse (0-1 2.70 ERA) Vs. Jason Marquis (1-1 2.41 ERA)

Tuesday April 23rd 9:10pm

Game 2

Yovani Gallardo (1-1 5.24 ERA) Vs. Clayton Richard (0-1 5.28 ERA)

Wednesday April 24th 9:10pm

Game 3

Marco Estrada (2-0 4.50 ERA) Vs. Edinson Volquez (0-3 8.84 ERA)

The Brewers are winners of seven straight and are heading into San Diego to take on the sinking Padres. Milwaukee just swept back-to-back series against the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants and division rival Chicago Cubs. Over this, seven game winning streak the Brewers lead the league in home runs and are in the tops in the National League in ERA and runs scored.

The Padres are coming off being swept by the Giants just after sweeping the reeling Los Angeles Dodgers (that’s three of their five wins this season). And not only are they one of the few teams already in double digit losses, they are sending three men to the mound who have been horrible in the past against the Brewers, and only one of them has had any success in this season.

Game one puts a pair of former Cardinals on the mound. Kyle Lohse is on the hill for the Brewers. Lohse has been phenomenal so far in the blue, white and gold, but still hasn’t been able to pull off a win. As long as he can throw another quality start the Brewers should be in good shape to win this game, but Kyle might still not get a win. Lohse has only had one bad inning in his Brewers career this far, and that amounted to just three earned runs making him probably the hottest starter in this series.

Jason Marquis takes Lohse on and is having a surprisingly successful campaign in just three starts. With one loss due to a lack of offense, Marquis carries an ERA under three into the matchup. Unfortunately, for him, Jason has 11 career losses to six wins against Milwaukee. Couple that with a career ERA above 5 when taking on the Brewers and an offense just getting by in the MLB and the chances of a win look grim for the Padres in game one.

Game two sends Brewers staff ace Yovani Gallardo to take on Clayton Richard. Gallardo has had just one good start for Milwaukee so far. In good news for the Brew Crew, that was his last start. Gallardo is known as someone who strings together good and bad losses so after a game where he allowed just one run in six innings he is poised to have another good game in pitcher friendly Petco Park. Oh and in three starts in Petco, Gallardo has a career ERA of 2.84 and 24 strikeouts to 19 innings. And politics aside, Gallardo is charged up to perform extra well after his quick run in with the law earlier this month.

Richard is having a rough season so far but he is also coming off his best start of the season where he blanked the red hot Colorado Rockies through six. Richard is one the San Diego’s best pitchers, despite the stats, and can definitely give the Brewers some trouble in this game. He has a 2-2 record against the Crew in his career with an ERA over four, but that includes his early years when he was a little more wild and inconsistent. I still think he will have trouble conquering Milwaukee.

I won’t spend much time on game three because it’s simple. Estrada is pitching well but not great and can do better for the Brewers, but I find it very unlikely that he’ll be able to pitch as bad or worse than Edinson Volquez who is off to one of the worst starts in the league. Volquez’s 8+ ERA and his 3-3 record against Milwaukee with a 5.64 ERA just makes it even less likely that the Padres will have a chance in the series finale. I am hammering this game down as Milwaukee’s sure bet to win.

Overall Milwaukee could easily sweep this series and keep their hot streak running and I am a person who doesn’t like to predict sweeps. The Padres are one of the worst teams in the MLB this year and will only piece together wins one at a time unless they play teams that are also horrible. The only thing that gives San Diego a chance to get a win is that they are pitching at home in a very pitcher friendly ball park, but the Brewers are getting the same advantage in the pitching department and their pitchers are overall better than the Padres’.

Fantasy buffs the Brewers player you have to start this week is Jean Segura. Hitting the ball on the ground and speed kills in Petco and that’s what Segura does. Not only that but he’s hitting .321 and has scored six runs during the Brewers winning streak and Ryan Braun can still clobber the ball while behind him to add to that run scored total. Also, please stop making Segura stealing first jokes.

Make sure to sit Rickie Weeks (as if you weren’t already). Weeks is on a huge slump and plays horribly in Petco. As if his .182 average wasn’t enough, .175/.257/.254 line in Petco. User beware on Rickie in this series.

-Brad

Series Preview Chicago Cubs (5-9) Vs. Milwaukee Brewers (6-8)

Probable Starters

Friday April 19th 7:10pm

Game 1

Jeff Samardzija (1-2 2.75 ERA) Vs. Marco Estrada (1-0 4.50 ERA)

Saturday April 20th 6:10pm

Game 2

Edwin Jackson (0-2 6.06 ERA) Vs. Hiram Burgos (--- ----)

Sunday April 21st 1:10pm

Game 3

Scott Feldman (0-2 6.00 ERA) Vs. Wily Peralta (0-1 6.19 ERA)

The Cubs and Brewers meet up for the second time this season, this time inside the weather friendly confines of Miller Park. The two teams have had very different experiences since they met just over a week ago. The Brewers are on a 4 game winning streak after dropping two to the Cardinals directly after the Cubs series. The offense is starting to perform better collectively and some pitchers, especially in the bullpen, are starting to pitch better than they were earlier in the year. Meanwhile the Cubs lost 3 of 4 to the very same San Francisco Giants the Brewers just swept, and took 1 of 2 from the Rangers.

In the first game, the Cubs will send one of their only bright spots in this short season to the mound in Jeff Samardzija. He has performed very well in his first season as the Cubs’ number one starter, but has been on the bad end of a couple of losses where he could not get run support.

On the other side, the Brewers are sending out Marco Estrada. Estrada put together two strong starts back to back. The first game could rely solely on who gets more run support. I will take Estrada as the favorite here. Samardzija is 2-3 against Milwaukee but Marco hasn’t lost to the Cubs, so I think that gives him the edge. However there is a first time for everything.

In the second game of the series, the Cubs’ big offseason purchase takes on Hiram Burgos in his first major league start. Edwin Jackson is performing well below expectations, and has an ERA just over 6. Jackson is a starter known to have his share of rocky starts and suddenly turn things around, so you can’t look at those numbers as a sign that this well be an easy win. Jackson is 3-3 against the Brewers with a 3.47 ERA in his career.

Meanwhile, Burgos is making his first major league start. After a strong performance last year in the minors, in this year’s World Baseball Classic and to start the season in AAA he won the favor of management and gets the ball. It’s hard to predict how he’ll perform considering the only major league experience he truly has is the batters he faced in the WBC and in Spring Training. I will go with Jackson here, because he is bound to break out of this slump at some point and although Burgos proved he could handle major league talent in the WBC, I still think he will have some problems in his first start.

The best game of the series for the Brewers to win in my opinion is Wily Peralta against Scott Feldman. Feldman is as bad as his 0-2 6.00 ERA shows. He hasn’t made it through 5 innings and is coming off extra rest since the Cubs decided to skip his last start, and that isn’t always a good thing for pitchers who are well known as creatures of habit. Feldman has one start against Milwaukee and shut them out in 6 innings to get a win but that was 3 years ago.

Peralta takes the hill against Feldman and isn’t as bad as his numbers. He is a very strong pitcher like we saw last year who has had a couple of bad innings. Wily is 0-0 with just a 2.70 ERA against the Cubbies. Even if he has another bad outing he is still better than Feldman. I think Peralta will finally put it together this outing and come away with a quality start after a dew bad starts to begin the 2013 season.

Overall I can see the Brewers sweeping the series, but I believe they will take 2 of 3 from Chicago winning games 1 and 3. Don’t count the Cubs out though. Like most division rivals, no matter how bad one team is, it will still give the other a fight.

Fantasy fans, the player to start in this weekend series: Norichika Aoki. In just 18 games Aoki is .407/.486/.661 against the Cubs with 2 homers and 5 RBI. In a small sample size he blows the Cubs away and plays some of his best ball against the southern rivals.

The player to sit: Rickie Weeks. Not only is Weeks slumping at the plate in general, but he his .22/.323/.353 against the Cubbies with 120 strikeouts in 96 games.

-Brad

Series Preview Milwaukee Brewers (1-5) Vs. Chicago Cubs (2-4)

Probable Starters

Monday April 8th 1:20pm

Game 1

Marco Estrada (0-0 7.20 ERA) Vs. Edwin Jackson (0-13.60 ERA)

Tuesday April 9th 7:05pm

Game 2

Wily Peralta (0-1 6.75 ERA) Vs. Travis Wood (1-0 0.00 ERA)

Wednesday April 10th 7:05pm

Game 3

Kyle Lohse (0-0 1.50 ERA) Vs. Scott Feldman (0-1 7.71 ERA)

The Brewers head into Chicago for their first road series of the year, and they really need a win. After winning the first game of the season, the Crew is 0-5 and not only are the bullpen woes from last year back but now injuries are plaguing the lineup.

On the other side of the matchup, the Cubs had a strong opening series, but were just swept in Atlanta by a superior Braves team. As we all know, their expectations for the season aren’t very good to begin with and they were probably lucky to get 2 wins from division rival Pittsburgh.

The Cubs are coming into the picture at the perfect time for Milwaukee. Not only does Wrigley field give plus power to anyone with a little bit of pop, but the Cubs hitters aren’t intimidating. Without Corey Hart and Aramis Ramirez for the next few weeks the Brewers need to scrap together every win they can get.

The first game should be fun to watch if Marco Estrada pitches better than he did in his first game. Both Estrada and Edwin Jackson can strike out batters at a decent rate and keep runners off base. It could shape up to be an unexpected pitching duel with two sub-par offenses behind them.

Game 2 is a matchup that should go in Milwaukee’s favor but according to current stats won’t. Wily Peralta is a very good pitcher, but falling behind in the count his first start gave hitters the upper hand. If he is more aggressive he should rebound. Travis Wood pitched above his own ability. He’s done this before in his career and can either repeat or give up 10 earned runs.

The best matchup for the Brewers to win is without a doubt Kyle Lohse against Scott Feldman. Feldman is a poor pitcher to begin with and Lohse is coming off a strong first start with the Brewers. His career numbers aren’t great against Chicago at 4-4 and a 5.17 ERA in 16 starts, however in the last 2 years he is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA again the Cubs.

Prediction? I hope the Brewers go 2-1 but with all the injuries I’m predicting 1-2. If Ryan Braun returns they will be better off, and more likely to win at least two games. They could sweep with Braun and if their pitchers perform up to expectations.

-Brad

Series Preview Arizona Diamondbacks (2-1) Vs. Milwaukee Brewers (1-2)

Probable Starters

Friday April 5th 7:10pm

Game 1

Wade Miley (0-0 – ERA) Vs. Kyle Lohse (0-0 – ERA)

Saturday April 6th 6:10pm

Game 2

Patrick Corbin (0-0 – ERA) Vs. Mike Fiers (0-0 – ERA)

Sunday April 7th 1:10pm

Game 3

Ian Kennedy (1-0 2.57 ERA) Vs. Yovani Gallardo (0-0 5.40 ERA)

The Arizona Diamondbacks come into Milwaukee for a three game series. Milwaukee faced some tough losses against the Colorado Rockies in the first series of the season. Meanwhile the Diamondbacks are heading out of the desert, where they took 2 of 3 from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Both teams are coming off a series where their bullpen pitchers saw a lot of action. None of Milwaukee’s starters made it through six innings, and they opened the year with an extra inning win against the Rockies. Meanwhile the last game Arizona played lasted 16 innings against the Cardinals. Good for them both, there is an off day separating the series. Bad news, Wade Miley and Kyle Lohse could both have short leashes.

Lohse was signed very late into spring training and only squeezed in one start. He will probably be on a very tight pitch count in his first start. Miley on the other hand suffered from dead arm in spring training and had to be shut down for a small period of time.

Milwaukee stands to gain some ground in this series. If Miley’s dead arm continues into the season, Lohse should easily out match him in game one. Corbin had a strong spring, but still had an ERA well over 4 in 2012. In his one game against Arizona, Mike Fiers went 6 innings and allowed zero runs while striking out ten. Also, Milwaukee tends to feast on left handed pitching, continuing to tilt the scales in favor of Fiers.

The best chance to win for Milwaukee? Yovani Gallardo against Ian Kennedy. Although Kennedy is Arizona’s staff ace he is just .500 against the Brewers with a 3.03 ERA. That’s very good, but Yovani is even better against the Diamondbacks. In seven games started Yo is 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA. He has been nearly untouchable against Arizona since he entered the league and gives Milwaukee the advantage in what could be a great pitching duel in the third game of this series.

Overall I predict the Brewers to come out 2-1. I think Miley Vs. Lohse is a tossup, but the matchups over the series goes in Milwaukee’s favor. Milwaukee should head into Chicago with a record at .500. The biggest win for the Brewers would be if Axford could squeeze in a couple of saves before they leave town.

-Brad

Astros at Brewers Series Preview 7/30 through 8/1

Milwaukee Brewers (45-56) vs. Washington Nationals (35-68)

Miller Park

Probable Starters

Monday July 30th 7:10pm

Game 1

Marco Estrada (0-4 4.52 ERA) vs. Bud Norris (5-8 5.05 ERA)

Tuesday July 31st 7:10pm

Game 2

Yovani Gallardo (8-8 4.07 ERA) vs. Dallas Keuchel (1-3 4.63 ERA)

Wednesday August 1st 1:10pm

Game 3

Michael Fiers (4-4 1.77 ERA) vs. Jordan Lyles (2-7 5.54 ERA)

Good news! The Astros come to town! Better news! Every starter the Astros are sending to the mound had an ERA of 7 or worse in July! Bad news, the Brewers still have the same bullpen they did during the Nationals series, so really no situation is every a good situation after the starter leaves.

The picture for this series: the Astros are bad, very very very bad. But collectively they probably have more talent than our bullpen that can give up multiple leads in one game and nine runs in a matter of 5 innings. The Brewers starters should be looking at going 9 innings to get a win.

The best chance for the Brewers to win? Wednesday with Fiers taking the mound. Fiers has given up ONLY 4 RUNS OVER HIS LAST SEVEN STARTS. They also have a great chance with Yovani going against the Astros. Yo has an 11-2 record with a 2.72 ERA in his career against the ‘Stros.

This is probably the best chance for the Crew to win in a long time, unless major changes come to the ‘pen that are much more significant (and less douche) than firing a bullpen coach that has minimal impact on pitching performance, the Brewers can get swept in any series. I think the Brewers will take 2 of 3. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go 0-3. I suggest every fan stops watching in the seventh. That’s what I started doing and the Brewers are a lot better in my head than they are in real life.

-Brad

Nationals at Brewers Series Preview 7/26 to 7/29

Milwaukee Brewers (44-53) vs. Washington Nationals (58-39)

Miller Park

Probable Starters

Thursday July 26^th 7:10pm

Game 1

Yovani Gallardo (8-7 3.72 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson (5-6 3.73 ERA)

Friday July 27^th 7:10pm

Game 2

Mike Fiers (3-4 1.96 ERA) vs. Ross Detweiler (5-3 3.01 ERA)

Saturday July 28^th 6:10pm

Game 3

Randy Wolf (3-6 5.46 ERA) vs. Jordan Zimmerman (7-6 2.31 ERA)

Sunday July 29^th 1:10pm

Game 4

Zack Greinke (9-3 3.44 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (13-5 3.13 ERA)

And enter the Nationals. Washington has been destroying competition left and right. They have the best record in the National League (by a very small margin) and lead all of baseball in team-ERA at 3.20. They have the likely Rookie of the Year on their team in Bryce Harper. They are just having an amazing year.

The Brewers, on the other hand, are not having the greatest season. They are in sell mode, lost 6 straight, including a lot of blow saves, and have sunk into the depths of MLB sucking. But they do have some good things going for them. They get Jonathon Lucroy back and have a 15-2 record over their last 17 home games against the Nationals, but I should reiterate, they aren’t the same Nationals.

The Brewers best chance to win is Game 2. Fiers looks like he can outpitch anyone in the majors right now. They also have good chances on Game 1 and Game 4, but Greinke’s probably out the door and Yo isn’t a sure thing in any game this year.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brewers lost all four games. Mainly because of their well documented crappy bullpen. At the same time I can see the Brewers taking 3 of 4 here. The best news for them in this series? It’s 4 games and not a single one is against Stephen Strasburg. Let’s be optimistic, Nats take the series 3-1

-Brad