Brewers 10, Pirates 2

Box Score

Player of the Game: Russ Branyan, Junior Spivey, & Carl Lee

Record: 2-0

 

Don’t you wish we could play the Pirates every day?  I know that the Brew Crew has struggled against that damn team for the past few years, but you’ve got to figure that will stop this year.  The Pirates are just an awful team that has no business beating the Brewers more than 50% of the time. 

 

Once again, the Brewers showed what the offense can do when healthy.  I caution everyone not to get too optimistic here because it is the Pirates that gave up 19 runs in the first two games.  However, fans can rejoice in the fact that if injuries don’t annihilate the team, the Crew should be, if not the most, one of the most improved offenses in baseball.  Today was a good example of why.  Let’s take a look at the players in the lineup today versus the players in the lineup during the weakest offensive stretches last season.

 

1) Second Base: Hall vs. Spivey.  Since Spivey was out basically all of last year, we can basically consider him a whole new addition.  Likewise, Keith Ginter, an above-average hitter himself, lost a lot of playing time, and Hall picked it up.  Spivey is an above-average hitting second baseman (when healthy) and marks a ridiculously large improvement over Bill Hall, the lease patient out-creating machine in the majors.

 

2) Outfield: Podsednik. vs. Lee  Even non-statheads can’t possibly think Podsednik is anywhere near what Lee is, can they?

 

3) Third Base: Wes Helms vs. Russell T. Muscle Branyan: Though Branyan isn’t going to play every day, his presence in the lineup, even in only half the game, should mark a huge upgrade over Wes Helms and his sub .400 slugging percentage.  And don’t even get me started on how much better the defense will be at third.

 

4) Shortstop: Counsell vs. Hardy.  Though Hardy might put up similar numbers to Counsell by the end of the season, Hardy at least is young, with a much higher ceiling, and can’t possibly do worse than the output at SS last season.  Let’s hope he doesn’t get intimidated by major league pitching and doesn’t injure his shoulder again.

 

5) Catcher: 2004 Moeller and Bennett vs. Miller and 2005 Moeller: Of all the positions, catcher could be the most improved.  Though Damian Miller is an average catcher, nothing, absolutely nothing could be worse that last year.  There is almost no way that Chad Moeller bats as bad as he did last year.  Moeller’s improvement and any production from the catcher’s spot this season could have as much as a four or five game impact. 

 

What did these five players do today?  A combined 10/21, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 6 2B, and 2 HR.  Not bad, eh?  This is why people are excited for the year. 

 

I am particularly excited because I don’t think Overbay or Jenkins will drop off much in production this season.  Though I can’t see Brady Clark repeating last season’s OBP superiority, I can’t see him slipping too far.   If everyone can stay healthy, except for Hall and Helms, this stands to be one of the best lineups the Crew has fielded in a really long time.

 

Do I think the Brewers are going to be .500 this season?  No, because I don’t think they will stay healthy, and there are too many question marks with pitching.  But, at least there’s real hope this season.  Unfortunately, it rests on injury-prone players playing 150 games, an unproven bullpen exceeding expectations, and starting pitchers proving their track records wrong. 

 

Today, Lord Davis got off to a good start, though he gave up a homer to Tike Redman.  What the hell was that?!  Likewise, the bullpen pitched well and got through three scoreless.  It’s good to get some blowout wins so that the bullpen can get some pressure-free work.  As it was on Monday, I can’t say much about the pitching because they were facing a AA lineup.  We’ll see how the staff fares against the Chubs this weekend.  I’ll be back at ya on Friday.