What's Going On With The Brewers?

Four weeks ago when the Brewers had dropped to 3-8 I wrote a blog entry on the pathetic Brewers and how this team was destined for a terrible season.

And although there is a long way to go, I will admit this much: I didn’t think they would have a stretch like they have had over the past four weeks at any point in the season. The Brewers have gone 19-6 since that 3-8 start and find themselves in first place in the surprisingly competitive NL Central.

Here is what has impressed me during this run. First, they have won a number of different ways. They have won the way we all thought they would win games this year: by pounding the ball and putting up a lot of runs in spite of bad pitching outings. However, they have also won pitching battles including two 1-0 victories, one in which pitcher Yovanni Guiardo provided his own run support by hitting a home run for the lone score in the game. They have won by jumping out in front and not letting the other team come back and they have also won several games by coming from behind. They have won on the road and at home and against good teams and bad teams.

The second impressive things is the starting pitching. Manny Parra after a terrible start as equalized and kept the Brewers in the games he has pitched. Jeff Suppan has looked terrible against the Cubs and on Opening Day. But in his other five or six starts he has looked very sharp. Brandon Looper has had a couple shaky moments but has been very consistent. And Dave Bush and Yovanni Gallardo have been spectacular. I honestly don’t expect this to continue from all five of these guys but hopefully like my last blog entry, I can be proven wrong.

Most impressive has been the bullpen. How about DeFelice evolving into a heck of a setup guy with an ERA hovering around 1.00. And then the coolest thing is being a fan and knowing that if you have the lead after eight innings, you will win the game. That is the feeling I get when Trevor Hoffman comes into the game. It has been lights out. What a pleasant reversal from last year’s feelings as a fan going into the ninth inning!

And lastly, I’m impressed with the consistency and the winning attitude. It’s almost like this team has learned how to win. That isn’t something we have experienced in Milwaukee over the past 40 years. For the exception of Ryan Braun’s torrid stretch during this winning span and JJ Hardy’s ice cold start, there has not been a lot of inconsistency. A player might go a couple games without a hit or a few without a home run but then they break out of it. It’s been nice to know what you can expect.

Now we’ll see if this continues!