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MILWAUKEE BREWERS VISIT CHICAGO CUBS
SATURDAY JULY 17 AT 4:05 EST
We have two AL Central foes squaring of today and although neither is battling for first, they are separated by only one and a half games. Cubs are in second and the Brewers are back one and a half in fourth. Chicago will send out Greg Maddux who has always been able to confound batters with his ability to dominate them without over powering stuff. Unfortunately at age thirty eight his fastball no longer has it's normal movement, nor is his ability to spot it on the corners as effective. Greg used to have as much deception as anyone in the game, and was constantly ahead in the count because of his brilliant control and ability to change speeds. The operative word here is used to, and may be why Maddux is a mediocre 7-7 with a 4.51 ERA.
His mound opponent is All Star Ben Sheets who is presently 9-5 with a 2.26 ERA, and has only walked nineteen batters in 123 innings of work. Couple that with a league leading .89 WHIP and you can see where the RED ZONE is heading. Sheets has a hard overhand curve, a fastball in the low to mid 90's which has been his bread and butter pitch and an ever improving changeup. In previous seasons, batters would lay off the curve and wait for the fastball, but with the addition of the changeup it keeps them off balance. Ben is now inducing far more ground balls and has greater command of his pitches and regularly goes deep into the game.
Your expert analysts from the RED ZONE see Sheets who in 4-1 in his last five outings having a strong showing Saturday, and Maddux an early shower. Take Milwaukee to win and move closer to passing Chicago in the AL Central. Brewers win!!
SATURDAY JULY 17 AT 4:05 EST
We have two AL Central foes squaring of today and although neither is battling for first, they are separated by only one and a half games. Cubs are in second and the Brewers are back one and a half in fourth. Chicago will send out Greg Maddux who has always been able to confound batters with his ability to dominate them without over powering stuff. Unfortunately at age thirty eight his fastball no longer has it's normal movement, nor is his ability to spot it on the corners as effective. Greg used to have as much deception as anyone in the game, and was constantly ahead in the count because of his brilliant control and ability to change speeds. The operative word here is used to, and may be why Maddux is a mediocre 7-7 with a 4.51 ERA.
His mound opponent is All Star Ben Sheets who is presently 9-5 with a 2.26 ERA, and has only walked nineteen batters in 123 innings of work. Couple that with a league leading .89 WHIP and you can see where the RED ZONE is heading. Sheets has a hard overhand curve, a fastball in the low to mid 90's which has been his bread and butter pitch and an ever improving changeup. In previous seasons, batters would lay off the curve and wait for the fastball, but with the addition of the changeup it keeps them off balance. Ben is now inducing far more ground balls and has greater command of his pitches and regularly goes deep into the game.
Your expert analysts from the RED ZONE see Sheets who in 4-1 in his last five outings having a strong showing Saturday, and Maddux an early shower. Take Milwaukee to win and move closer to passing Chicago in the AL Central. Brewers win!!