Scrubs/Crew

[BUCKnation]

The most predictable sweep in brewers history (sarcastically)

[Bernman]

Biggest win in several years. It was the difference between being in the divisional race and out of it, essentially. Really hard to envision them making up 4 games against a team as talented as the Cubs, but 2 seems quite doable against anyone, especially with a series ahead against them.

Stellar pitching performance under pressure by Knebel. The Cubs' crowd were still very much in it, and we've seen plenty of late collapses there to greatly harm playoff chances. Was able to throw the breaking ball for strikes and was mixing it in with the high 90's heat well, to be virtually unhittable. Had a couple breaks go against like the Hayward nubber, but none as influential as the one that went in their favor when Knebel missed 2-0 to the first batter but the ump bailed him out. Completely changed the complexion of the AB, and in turn possibly the inning.

[Iheartfootball]

Gosh. Anything now is gravy to me. I see the future and it looks very bright for this franchise.

[GB_Packers]

Now to continue the trend and **** their pants against the Pirates. Prove me wrong Crew.

[El Duderino]

The Brewers pitching continues to blow me away. Such a shame about Nelson.

With Davies beasting, a first four next year of

Nelson
Anderson
Davies
Woodruff

That could have been the best first four of a rotation in a long time, especially when age and price tag is also factored in.

Frustrating the Dodgers got swept at home by Colorado.

[Bernman]

The Brewers pitching continues to blow me away. Such a shame about Nelson.

With Davies beasting, a first four next year of

Nelson
Anderson
Davies
Woodruff

That could have been the best first four of a rotation in a long time, especially when age and price tag is also factored in.

Frustrating the Dodgers got swept at home by Colorado.

Hader says hi, hader. No rule a player has to stick in the pen just because he started there.

[blazza18]

Guys.....

[JimmyTheKid]

Ugh. This series really fudged up our draft position. Did not enjoy at all.

[Kerb Hohl]

Well boys its been fun but I would think this is the death blow for the season. Probably get to see garza pitch more... super sweet.

Sent from my SM-G930V using RealGM mobile app

I was busy over the weekend but here is my commentary on the matter:

It's not as huge of a deal as it seems*.

For the rest of this season, Garza/Suter can start the game** and we can basically play a full bullpen game with expanded rosters and pretty much get a DH for those games subbing every time the pitcher comes around. For the playoffs if we somehow get there...well, first off, I didn't expect to be there...but we can again play the bullpen game the 1 time we may have to use our 4th starter.

* - for 2017 given our expectations. If he somehow were to have to miss 2018, a full season of Nelson missing or being ineffective due to injury is killer.

** - This assumes Counsell isn't an idiot. Start the game with Garza and let him go once around the batting order. If it's a crappy offense he's facing, fine, maybe let him pitch out of trouble once. If not, if in the 3rd inning the leadoff guy gets on base, go to the bullpen.

[Ryan5UW]

** - This assumes Counsell isn't an idiot. Start the game with Garza and let him go once around the batting order. If it's a crappy offense he's facing, fine, maybe let him pitch out of trouble once. If not, if in the 3rd inning the leadoff guy gets on base, go to the bullpen.

I was thinking about something like this recently. I wonder what would happen if a team just decided to go with 4 starters and the "fifth starter" was really a combo of a few guys going once through the order (flexing a little based on match ups, how they look that day, etc.) Say you had 12 pitchers on the roster - 4 starters, and then 4 guys more or less being your set up and closer guys. That leaves you with 4 more guys to pitch those days you would normally your fifth starter going. If you don't have a fifth starter who is worth a damn, I'm curious how this would work.

[Kerb Hohl]

** - This assumes Counsell isn't an idiot. Start the game with Garza and let him go once around the batting order. If it's a crappy offense he's facing, fine, maybe let him pitch out of trouble once. If not, if in the 3rd inning the leadoff guy gets on base, go to the bullpen.

I was thinking about something like this recently. I wonder what would happen if a team just decided to go with 4 starters and the "fifth starter" was really a combo of a few guys going once through the order (flexing a little based on match ups, how they look that day, etc.) Say you had 12 pitchers on the roster - 4 starters, and then 4 guys more or less being your set up and closer guys. That leaves you with 4 more guys to pitch those days you would normally your fifth starter going. If you don't have a fifth starter who is worth a damn, I'm curious how this would work.

There are articles/analysis that almost any team/pitcher is best to go with a patchwork rotation and just have your guys only have the offense see them once or twice. The Dodgers do this a bit with their middle-tier pitchers. They're willing to have a quick hook with some of the guys not-named Kershaw if trouble arises.

I think the one issue that some of these studies don't really address is the smaller roster size and therefore for a full season, you want to have a lot of guys that can go 6-7 innings. Eventually you'll just deplete your bullpen in a lot of cases at times during the season.

Teams already kinda do this for the playoffs as it is, but this is why Nelson's injury shouldn't destroy us in September - expanded rosters.

I also wonder if we get to the playoffs and we need a 4th starter or even the 3rd slot: Hader "starts" the game knowing that he only will throw 50 pitches. Maybe a bit unrealistic since he'll probably have been used in a key game earlier in the series, but if you have to play a bullpen game in the playoffs, you may as well work backwards for the most part. Maybe save Knebel for a major jam later in the game, but basically pitch your best guys first and keep going down the pecking order if you hold the lead or the game is at least close.

[crkone]

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[BucksPackers]

Read on Twitter

When did he start throwing that pitch.

[trwi7]

Ugh. This series really fudged up our draft position. Did not enjoy at all.

We'll see what these guys in their primes who have never done anything close to what they're doing now do next year.

[Tfence92]

Prickle is right on the entertainment factor but lets also really take into consideration the point I made. Pitchers dont even practive anything basically but pitching after ST. They dont read batted balls, they dont take BP (generally), they dont run bases, and generally dont even do specific exercises or stretches that address the normal muscles used while hitting. Were basically putting at risk one of the best multi-million dollar assets on a franchise for almost zero guaranteed positive outcome. Even the best hitting pitchers are under WAR level offensive players. At this point in baseball were causing more harm than good for no reason other than "being a purist".

Pitchers have all the time in the world to do these things, maybe teams should actually help these guys out some?

And I may be wrong here (often am), but I'm pretty sure that the Brewers pitchers routinely take a short BP.

[Kerb Hohl]

I think the one interesting thing about adding the DH to the NL would be that games in Colorado would routinely be pushing the all-time highest scoring game and their offense would be the best offense in MLB history most years.