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Huge series, will be a playoff atmosphere.

Anderson was slated for Monday but he's being skipped and the bullpen will pitch the whole game. No word on who actually starts. CC said it won't be Hader.

Monday - 7:15 - Undecided vs. Flaherty

Tuesday - 7:15 - Gonzalez vs. Gomber

Wednesday - 6:15 - Chacin vs. Gant

It would be nice to lock up the WC1 and knock the Cardinals out.

Interesting a BP game. I am going to guess maybe a guy like Burnes starts? Although he just pitched 1 inning, he could go what 2-3 innings?

Burnes, maybe Junior. Probably not Freddy, he's had first inning struggles

I'm fine with a Johnny wholestaff game but I guess I'm a little confused why not just start Anderson on a short leash which is essentially the same thing.

I'd list albers as the starter just in case the pitchers spot comes up to bat in the 1st that way you can bat for him without burning a guy.

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So, if Chase Anderson is alone in the bullpen does he still give up HR's during his otherwise scheduled start?

I love that they're not half-assing this strategy. One of the main goals should be to ensure Hader pitches when it clearly matters at the time. So I'd start him and try to get him to or thru the 3rd. Then handle Burnes and Guerra similarly. Cap it off with Jeffress, with maybe an in-form Knebel going for 1 in between.

If it works, you've ensured a game in this series so the Brewers will at the very least leave the series with the lead over Cards. It may set them up to do the same at the start of the next series. And ultimately the play-in game. Miley is also a candidate for a short start, but he scuffled today, and he's not lined up to be ready, although it would be abbreviated or maybe the bullpen game strategy delays him for his start to line up.

Bernman wrote:I love that they're not half-assing this strategy. One of the main goals should be to ensure Hader pitches when it clearly matters at the time. So I'd start him and try to get him to or thru the 3rd. Then handle Burnes and Guerra similarly. Cap it off with Jeffress, with maybe an in-form Knebel going for 1 in between.

If it works, you've ensured a game in this series so the Brewers will at the very least leave the series with the lead over Cards. It may set them up to do the same at the start of the next series. And ultimately the play-in game. Miley is also a candidate for a short start, but he scuffled today, and he's not lined up to be ready, although it would be abbreviated or maybe the bullpen game strategy delays him for his start to line up.

I am a little confused on your first few sentences. You want to start Hader, but also say you want to use him when it matters most at the time?

livestrong4ever wrote:

Bernman wrote:I love that they're not half-assing this strategy. One of the main goals should be to ensure Hader pitches when it clearly matters at the time. So I'd start him and try to get him to or thru the 3rd. Then handle Burnes and Guerra similarly. Cap it off with Jeffress, with maybe an in-form Knebel going for 1 in between.

If it works, you've ensured a game in this series so the Brewers will at the very least leave the series with the lead over Cards. It may set them up to do the same at the start of the next series. And ultimately the play-in game. Miley is also a candidate for a short start, but he scuffled today, and he's not lined up to be ready, although it would be abbreviated or maybe the bullpen game strategy delays him for his start to line up.

I am a little confused on your first few sentences. You want to start Hader, but also say you want to use him when it matters most at the time?

I get what he's saying but I probably wouldn't start him today. The first innings could be deemed the highest leverage. You can use him in the middle innings still after using Soria or something like that right away.

Jennings starting. I imagine they plan to bring the righties like soria and knebel after him then hader.

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Jennings i cant see going more than 1. Why not go with Junior? Junior has owned the cards this season in 16 IP 1.1 ERA. let him go 2-3 innings. Then will be in 5th- and can go with the normal deep guys of Burnes, Hader, Jeffress.

I wonder how this will tax our bullpen for the rest of the series.

humanrefutation wrote:I wonder how this will tax our bullpen for the rest of the series.

With the 40 man roster and an off day Thursday, hopefully not too much. I think my feeling is "not much more than a game started by Anderson would."

They'll probably cover 4-5 innings with Soria, Cedeno, etc. and if Hader or Jeffress pitch, they probably would've in a theoretical Anderson game. Guys like Soria, Cedeno, etc. can probably pitch on Tuesday anyways if they only go 1 inning.

If the Brewers get down early, they probably just junk it with Lyles going long or something.

There are 2 ways of approaching this and they'll probably go with the "series view" strategy.

Either you start Hader or Jeffress because if you want to win just this 1 game and have off days after (like you would in the WC game) then you want to get your best guys out there right away no matter what.

The other way (I think they'll do) is cover the first 4-5 innings with their 2nd-level bullpen guys. This way you still get a DH effectively by pinch hitting every time through but you can also abandon ship if you're down 5-0 and save Hader, Jeffress, etc. for the rest of the series.

Getting 1 out significantly increases one's chances of pitching a shutout inning even if RH batters own Jennings. I wonder if they'll go to a righty after 1 batter or if he gets Carp out they'll let him keep going until someone gets on base.

I think I mentioned it in another thread about the idea of starting Jennings in the WC game strictly for trying to get Carpenter out.

Also this may be an attempt to try to get the Cards to start mostly righties and then Corbin Burnes or Soria come in. It's a chess game.

The Cards probably will put Carpenter at 3 in the lineup and it could backfire.

livestrong4ever wrote:I am a little confused on your first few sentences. You want to start Hader, but also say you want to use him when it matters most at the time?

I never used the term most. I said clearly. The only time it clearly matters is from the start of the game. After that point you're dependent upon the previous pitchers maintaining a lead or at least parity. That's far from a given. If the Brewers are down 3-4 runs already Counsell is not even going to bother. And with a deficit to that degree, I wouldn't disagree. It's the small ones where the under-usage has been critiqued. But either way you could theoretically put yourself in a position where Hader doesn't pitch in key series', or when it actually seemed to matter at the time, which we should never want to see happen otherwise it's wasting talent.

He's going with Jennings instead. That's not what I would have had in mind. I don't think I'd have utilized him against one batter let alone to start which ensures he pitches.

The most high leveraged situation is not in the first inning, you have 8 more innings to score. So if they hit off hader- there is room to score more runs. If its a 1 inning game in the 6th, and hader goes 2 innings- obviously less chances to score. Either way- i think we use hader similar manner tonight. 2 innigns or so- if we are tied/in the lead late in the game

I tend to obviously see the method to the madness and support Counsell/Stearns, but this one might backfire easily. Cards just move some righties up in the order and they can smoke Jennings.

UNLESS

They are just announcing Jennings in case they bat around in the top of the inning or if the Cards do, in fact, lead Carpenter off.

livestrong4ever wrote:The most high leveraged situation is not in the first inning, you have 8 more innings to score. So if they hit off hader- there is room to score more runs. If its a 1 inning game in the 6th, and hader goes 2 innings- obviously less chances to score. Either way- i think we use hader similar manner tonight. 2 innigns or so- if we are tied/in the lead late in the game

You keep getting hung up on the criteria of "most". I'm concerned with reliability. Without putting some of your best in from the outset you may not get into those potentially highest leverage situations for games or series' at a time. We've seen that throughout the season. Then we end up regretting not having played things differently. Hard to ever regret starting your best, regardless of outcome. Still got on the bump to influence meaningful innings.

If you force him on the mound for 2 today, you could get him on the mound for 2 for a second time on Wednesday, in this most important series of the season. That's maximizing usage of your best players. Usually a winning strategy.

Big game tonight. Can't wait