Brewers Smoke Lefties, Yet Mirror Phils' Two Wins

Some people will wander through the desert for hours in search of water. The Brewers' equivalent of that is playing a series in Cincinnati against a team without lefty pitchers. These guys were begging for something, anything to tee off of. And comparatively this series against the Phillies was an oasis. Though, let me be clear, this was still another in a line of splits for the Brewers, as the Phils were able to stifle this team as much as the inverse. This one just felt better. 

While the Brewers did manage to keep their home record 13-15, far better than their road record, they still managed to ground into double plays way more than the norm and commit far too many errors. But we still took two games from a competitor, regardless of whether or not Sam will admit that this is what his team is. 

Here now the writeup, complete with lefties:

Game 1: Phils 5, Brewers 3

W: Ranger Suarez

L: Valente Bellozo

SV: Jesus Tinoco

On one hand, yes, Sam put up a lefty starter against my notorious lefty-killers. And in the second inning, Conforto doubled aboard and Connor Norby homered him back. So offensive production was possible against Ranger Suarez. But on the other hand...I was starting Valente Bellozo. I'd be banking on a better showing by my offense, and that just didn't happen. Suarez had a really strong night, striking out 8 through 6 and a third, and only allowing those two second inning runs. Bellozo, as you might expect, struggled, giving up a two-run homer to Francisco Lindor in the third, then putting men on base for a nasty Isaac Paredes error. Very interesting that that whole fourth inning contact business got started because Bellozo plunked Jacob Stallings, who the team was still mad at for last Phils series. 

The Brewers failed to do anything productive for the middle bit of the game save for a Carlos Santana RBI, and the game chugged along, 4-3 Phils. Even in situations with men on, the Brewers mustered nothing. The Phils, meanwhile, got insanely lucky. This was the game where Brandon Marsh landed on a 'double 1-2/out 3-20' split roll, and honest to god Sam hit a 1. And ya know what?? I was kinda rooting for him to do so. Like, go ahead, beat the odds. Defy fate. It was amazing, even if it was at the expense of my team, and even if it sent home another run [that made it to third on two straight steals]. Sure, fine, whatever, 5-3, but that was one-in-ten, and that was cool as hell.

The odds did not go my way on a similar split roll, with the game on the line. In the ninth, Jesus Tinoco walked two men on, then Travis d'Arnaud came to the plate, with one out. D'Arnaud had just been activated from the IL, and was ready to prove himself, and in three prior at-bats he'd come up with nothing. This roll landed on a diamond, meaning 1-13 was gone and the game was over. Sam was already proclaiming it a loss, and I went 'I haven't even rolled yet'. Sure enough it was an 18. And Bogie flied out to end it. So much for that.

Game 2- Brewers 8, Phillies 4

W: Ben Lively

L: MacKenzie Gore

You all won't believe this, but this was scoreless for three and a half innings, and perfect on both sides for two. Lively and Gore were pretty strong in the first few frames, with only some non-hit baserunners on Gore's part and a single by Trey Lipscomb that ended quickly on an attempted steal on Nick Fortes. The offenses were quiet, and the arms were working. Then in the fourth, Ramos and Paredes singled on for the Brewers and Carlos Santana smoked one into the bleachers, making it 3-0. Gore would let one more run come in on a sly baserunning move by Paredes. Lively, meanwhile, had his best start in weeks, going 7 strong with 2 hits, 5 Ks, and only a 7th inning two-run Corbin Carroll homer smudging his ledger. Sam was expecting to do better against Lively, but the veteran hurler delivered.

In the 7th, after the Phils had made it 4-2, the Brewers padded the lead, with Jackson Chourio doubling Kevin Pillar home, and Heliot Ramos, lefty-killer of all lefty-killers, smacking a Matthew Liberatore ball to tomorrow. Michael Conforto would add a bomb of his own in the 8th [look at him quietly heating up], and the Brewers would end the day scoring 8 runs off two lefties. 

Let the record also show that Sam made this closer than it needed to be, with two more runs in the last two frames [including a Stott homer off Kyle Finnegan], and a very similar ending moment with two men on and a contact man, Michael Harris, up. But, like Sam in Game 1, I squeaked out of it and A.J. Puk struck Harris out. 

Game 3- Brewers 5, Phillies 4

W: Jameson Taillon

L: Mitchell Parker

SV: Anthony Bender

Going into this game, Mitchell Parker had yet to allow an earned run for the Phillies. It took him exactly three batters. Isaac Paredes took him yard. Then Carlos Santana, his second homer of the day. The next inning Xander Bogaerts would hit a solo homer. I forget, what arm does Parker throw with again?

...ah yes. 

This was a bit sparser of an offensive effort than I'd have liked from the Brewers, though. A lot of solo shots, but a lot of strikeouts, some runners left on base in the sixth, and a lot of middle innings that truly could have been something. By the sixth, when the power was gone and Conforto doubled two runs home, I really worried it wouldn't be enough.

But...for the second series in a row, I could truly count on Jameson Taillon. Since being called back up, Jamo's been on like never before, and here he went 7 and two thirds with 5 hits, 4 Ks, and only 2 runs, both solo homers [from Carroll and Lindor, who had a lot of fun with my pitching tonight]. Taillon got out of a ton of scrapes, and kept the Phils at bay. 

Yet this game was the one that came the closest to truly going awry for me. In the 8th, Taillon left with a man on second. Anthony Bender gets on, Bryce Harper welcomes him with a bomb. Now it's 5-4. I really need to hunker down and stop the bloodflow. We get out of that inning fine, and though I really could have used run support, I got none in the eighth. Bender stayed on for the ninth, which I wasn't sure about but I just trusted my instincts. Bender, in actuality, got through those last three batters like a pro, and punched the game shut despite the strong possibility of J.J. Bleday or Brandon Nimmo spoiling it.

That was my 'check please' moment. Squeezed out of two straight bullpen meltdowns. That's it. I've accomplished everything I sought out to do. I can leave happy.

There was, however, a fourth game...

Game 4: Phillies 7, Brewers 4

W: Aaron Nola

L: Carlos Rodon

SV: Jesus Tinoco

I'd gone three games without giving up runs in the 1st inning. Three batters in, Bryce Harper hits a solo shot off Carlos Rodon. I think then I knew what I was in for.

Altogether, Rodon put up 7 runs, 4 of them thanks to homers. Castellanos, Lindor, and that rascal Jacob Stallings, who also smoked a triple [I recall this beating the odds as well]. Rodon, since coming over from Washington, has taken to Milwaukee like a sparrow to my toaster oven, and has yet to truly impress me in a start for my team. I know, next year's card will likely be better, but man has he underwhelmed so far.

Meanwhile, Aaron Nola was nearly untouchable for the Phils, going 8 innings without giving up a run, barely giving up many hits. My guys could do NOTHING this game. We grounded into three double plays this game alone. After a while I just had to laugh. Sam kept rolling more pain for Rodon yet I couldn't do jack against Nola. Admittedly my bullpen held the line, but this starting rotation is nightmarish sometimes. 

The ninth was fun though. Nola stayed in, going for the CG. First batter, Chourio, hits a solo homer. Bye Aaron. Kevin 'please stop calling me Keith' Ginkel comes in, cause it's a six run deficit, and I keep getting baserunners on. Then Kyle Stowers of all people smokes a 3-run homer. Bye Kevin. It's now 7-4, and now it's getting palpable. Sam throws in Jesus Tinoco, Pillar rolls into a dead ballpark single, and the pipe dream ends. I'm honestly just relieved we remembered how to score runs. 

Ultimately it was a split, but no game was truly a runaway. We both had to work for both wins. I was never completely out of it, and even in the game that looked like a complete wash I still managed to rally somewhat in the ninth. I'm happy to have taken two wins from a good team [no, really Sam, it's a good team], and Sam doesn't have to rethink his deadline strategy too drastically. It's a win-win.