Brewers record: 5-2 (week), 59-35, 1st place, MGL (season).
July 20-22, versus Portland:
4-3,
5-8,
3-1.
The Brewers bullpen was unusually successful in the first game against Portland, holding onto 1 run lead to preserve the victory for
Cheol-han Lee. Lee (11-3, 3.29) lasted 7 2/3rds, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits.
Jeremy Walker (5.06 ERA) earned his 5th save.
Joe McPhillips hit his 11th HR in the game.
Josh Schaeffer and
Joe Willemse each went 2 for 4.
Erik Sloan (5-4, 3.40) took the loss in the second game, giving up 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits in 6 innings pitched.
Josh Schaeffer (.318/.404/.552) went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI, hitting 2 doubles to get to 11 on the season. Schaeffer also threw out 2 runners at home plate.
Steve Green's (10-2, 3.11) strong season continues, as he worked 8 innings, giving up just 1 run on 9 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1 in game 3.
Tim Shore pitched the 9th inning for his 6th save as a Brewer (7.11 ERA.)
Josh Schaeffer hit his 4th triple of the season and threw out a runner at third base who had wandered too far on a fly out to Schaeffer in right field. Schaeffer has 11 outfield assists and has been involved in 2 doubles plays as a defender during this breakout season for the 26 year old.
Ryan Rodgers (.291/.454/.318) went 3 for 4 in the win.
July 23-25, at Charlotte:
1-0,
6-0,
3-2.
The strong starting pitching continued in the first of three games against the Sting. Perhaps
Harry Lyerly had gotten wind of the trade rumors swirling around involving him and felt he had something to prove. If so, mission accomplished, for this day at least. Lyerly lasted 7 1/3rd innings, giving up no runs on 4 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1. The bullpen upheld his shutout, with
Tim Shore getting his 7th save (6.75). Good thing too, since the Brewers could only manage a single run, which came when
Joe McPhillips doubled (15) in the 8th inning and came home on a
Sepi Koller single.
In game 2,
Matt Helm gave the Brewers likely the best start of his career. In spite of some wildness (he walked 6 batters) Helm got a complete game one-hit shutout to improve to 8-3 with a 2.24 ERA.
Jonathan Koch (perhaps also aware of rumors of possible impending trade) went 2 for 4 in the game, scoring twice and driving in 2 and hitting his 6th HR.
Jorge Gonzalez hit his 2nd HR of the season.
The Brewers barely held on in the 9th inning to get the series sweep and get
Sadahige Kawasaki (11-4, 2.65) another win. Sadahige pitched 8 1/3rd, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, striking out 6 and walking 1.
Tim Shore got save #8 (6.59 ERA.) Joe McPhillips hit his 16th double. Andrew Kennedy (.363/.395/.446) went 2 for 3 and hit his 1st triple of 1975.
July 26, versus Baltimore:
4-5.
Sekien Hamasaki gets just his 2nd start at the WPK level this season and it didn't go well. He gave up 5 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits in 7 innings pitched to take the loss and drop to 1-1 with a 4.11 ERA.
Ben Flynn pitched great in relief, with 2 scoreless innings, and drove in a run in the 8th inning, an inning in which the Brewers scored 4 runs to get oh so close to getting back to even. But it ended there, a 1-run loss.
Joe McPhillips (.308/.388/.570) went 3 for 5 and hit his 17th double. McPhillips also threw out a runner at 3rd base for his 8th assist.
This was a week where the starting pitching was mostly terrific, the bullpen was mostly good enough, and the Brewers managed to get just enough offense to have a good week.
Notes from around the league: Columbus remains the best team in the SJL at 65-29. Boston is now 6 games behind (59-35.) Philadelphia, winners of 7 in a row, are in third at 55-39.
The Brewers are currently 4 games ahead of Brooklyn (55-39) in the MGL. The L.A. Spinners fell flat again a bit and are 5 games back in 3rd place.