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Sunday, June 6
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Sunday Night Baseball: Brewers at Cardinals
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Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (-245, 8.5)
The Milwaukee Brewers battle the Cardinals in St. Louis Sunday night in an NL Central division game on ESPN. Here’s how the two teams stack up:
Unhurried Holliday
When the Cardinals brought Matt Holliday in to bat cleanup in the lineup behind Albert Pujols, they were expecting big things.
After all, a typical year the last four seasons for Holiday was a .325 batting average with 30 home runs, 112 RBIs and 43 doubles.
Entering this brouhaha with the Brewers, Holliday’s 24 RBIs was only fifth-best on the team. Worse, he’s hit only two home runs at home. And despite a recent surge at the plate, he’s batting .215 with runners in scoring position.
The good news is, entering this series, Holliday was batting .520 in his previous seven games, with two homers and six RBIs and is showing signs of coming around.
"You put together at-bats where even if you get behind, you're still able to hit the ball on the barrel," Holliday said. "You start to feel like you can handle most of the pitches. It's a pretty good feeling."
Manager Tony La Russa insists Holliday is a high-average hitter who just happens to be very strong.
"I don't care if he hits no home runs, we need him to hit .320 to .340," LaRussa said. "That would be great for us."
Macha-watch
Brewers manager Ken Macha is under siege in Milwaukee and as a result has been tinkering with the lineup.
In an attempt to shake the Brewers out of their malaise, outfielder Ryan Braun has been bouncing back and forth between the No. 2 and 3 hole. Meanwhile, cleanup hitter Prince Fielder, like Holliday for the Cards, is fifth on the team in RBIs.
Former All-Star Corey Hart is having a career year with a league-leading 13 homers and 33 RBI. Along with Fielder, the 28-year old outfielder is rumored to be trade bait for a quality starter.
And, after relying on 42-year old change-up specialist Trevor Hoffman to open the season, Macha recently appointed John "The Ax" Axford as his new closer. Hoffman is 1-4 with an 11.00 ERA in 19 appearances this season and is now appearing in middle relief.
Just two years removed after posting its first wining season in 2007 (83-79) since 1992, Milwaukee fans are growing impatient.
"I need to take a couple of Advil," Macha said following a recent Brewers' victory.
Rookie rave
The Cards are relying on three rookie arms in the starting rotation because of injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Loshe.
P.J. Walters and Adam Ottavino join tonight’s starter, Jaime Garcia, to round out the rotation.
And while Walters and Ottavino do not figure to be around after Penny and Loshe return, Garcia (5-2, 1.32) should keep his spot.
The 24-year old southpaw continues to dazzle, leading all NL rookies in victories and strikeouts (51). He has not allowed more than two earned runs in all 10 of his starts this year and is holding left-handed hitters to a microscopic .103 average.
Garcia overcame a shaky start in a 12-4 win over the Reds on Monday. He allowed two runs and three hits in the first inning. The game was delayed for an hour by rain and that’s when Garcia got focused.
"I think in the first inning, sometimes it's kind of like a shaky one for me because I'm learning," Garcia said. "After the delay I was able to stay focused, stay in the game mentally and physically."
He only allowed an unearned run on four hits in the next five innings.
Man up
Lefty hurler Manny Parra will start in place of Dave Bush in this contest. Macha wants to give Parra more starting opportunities and he also wants to start three left-handers in the series against St. Louis. Heading into the series, the Cardinals were batting .272 against right-handed pitchers but only .243 against lefties.
Parra began the season in the bullpen but was given two starts when lefty Doug Davis recently went on the disabled list with inflammation of the heart lining. Parra went four innings against the Reds, allowing one run, and three innings against the Mets, surrendering three runs.
"We've not given Manny a fair shake," Macha said. "We asked him to come in relief in Minnesota (May 22) when he was supposed to start the next day. Manny has had a couple of good games against the Cardinals. We're trying to get him in an advantageous position."
That’s no lie either. In 2009, when Parra went 11-11 with a 6.36 ERA, he was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts against the Redbirds. In 12 career outings against the Cards, he owns a 2.97 ERA while going 3-2 in five career team starts at Busch Stadium.
Numbers crunching
- Through Friday’s contest, the Cardinals captured 12 of the last 18 games in the series, but the Brewers stood 13-4 in their last 17 games in St. Louis.
- Garcia is 3-2 in his five home team starts with a 1.50 ERA.
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Sunday, June 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Night Baseball: Brewers at Cardinals
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals (-245, 8.5)
The Milwaukee Brewers battle the Cardinals in St. Louis Sunday night in an NL Central division game on ESPN. Here’s how the two teams stack up:
Unhurried Holliday
When the Cardinals brought Matt Holliday in to bat cleanup in the lineup behind Albert Pujols, they were expecting big things.
After all, a typical year the last four seasons for Holiday was a .325 batting average with 30 home runs, 112 RBIs and 43 doubles.
Entering this brouhaha with the Brewers, Holliday’s 24 RBIs was only fifth-best on the team. Worse, he’s hit only two home runs at home. And despite a recent surge at the plate, he’s batting .215 with runners in scoring position.
The good news is, entering this series, Holliday was batting .520 in his previous seven games, with two homers and six RBIs and is showing signs of coming around.
"You put together at-bats where even if you get behind, you're still able to hit the ball on the barrel," Holliday said. "You start to feel like you can handle most of the pitches. It's a pretty good feeling."
Manager Tony La Russa insists Holliday is a high-average hitter who just happens to be very strong.
"I don't care if he hits no home runs, we need him to hit .320 to .340," LaRussa said. "That would be great for us."
Macha-watch
Brewers manager Ken Macha is under siege in Milwaukee and as a result has been tinkering with the lineup.
In an attempt to shake the Brewers out of their malaise, outfielder Ryan Braun has been bouncing back and forth between the No. 2 and 3 hole. Meanwhile, cleanup hitter Prince Fielder, like Holliday for the Cards, is fifth on the team in RBIs.
Former All-Star Corey Hart is having a career year with a league-leading 13 homers and 33 RBI. Along with Fielder, the 28-year old outfielder is rumored to be trade bait for a quality starter.
And, after relying on 42-year old change-up specialist Trevor Hoffman to open the season, Macha recently appointed John "The Ax" Axford as his new closer. Hoffman is 1-4 with an 11.00 ERA in 19 appearances this season and is now appearing in middle relief.
Just two years removed after posting its first wining season in 2007 (83-79) since 1992, Milwaukee fans are growing impatient.
"I need to take a couple of Advil," Macha said following a recent Brewers' victory.
Rookie rave
The Cards are relying on three rookie arms in the starting rotation because of injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Loshe.
P.J. Walters and Adam Ottavino join tonight’s starter, Jaime Garcia, to round out the rotation.
And while Walters and Ottavino do not figure to be around after Penny and Loshe return, Garcia (5-2, 1.32) should keep his spot.
The 24-year old southpaw continues to dazzle, leading all NL rookies in victories and strikeouts (51). He has not allowed more than two earned runs in all 10 of his starts this year and is holding left-handed hitters to a microscopic .103 average.
Garcia overcame a shaky start in a 12-4 win over the Reds on Monday. He allowed two runs and three hits in the first inning. The game was delayed for an hour by rain and that’s when Garcia got focused.
"I think in the first inning, sometimes it's kind of like a shaky one for me because I'm learning," Garcia said. "After the delay I was able to stay focused, stay in the game mentally and physically."
He only allowed an unearned run on four hits in the next five innings.
Man up
Lefty hurler Manny Parra will start in place of Dave Bush in this contest. Macha wants to give Parra more starting opportunities and he also wants to start three left-handers in the series against St. Louis. Heading into the series, the Cardinals were batting .272 against right-handed pitchers but only .243 against lefties.
Parra began the season in the bullpen but was given two starts when lefty Doug Davis recently went on the disabled list with inflammation of the heart lining. Parra went four innings against the Reds, allowing one run, and three innings against the Mets, surrendering three runs.
"We've not given Manny a fair shake," Macha said. "We asked him to come in relief in Minnesota (May 22) when he was supposed to start the next day. Manny has had a couple of good games against the Cardinals. We're trying to get him in an advantageous position."
That’s no lie either. In 2009, when Parra went 11-11 with a 6.36 ERA, he was 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in five starts against the Redbirds. In 12 career outings against the Cards, he owns a 2.97 ERA while going 3-2 in five career team starts at Busch Stadium.
Numbers crunching
- Through Friday’s contest, the Cardinals captured 12 of the last 18 games in the series, but the Brewers stood 13-4 in their last 17 games in St. Louis.
- Garcia is 3-2 in his five home team starts with a 1.50 ERA.
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