[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 5-1 (week), 43-20, 1st place, MGL (season)

June 12-13, at Portland: 2-6, 12-3.

June 15-17, versus Phoenix: 11-4, 12-1, 10-6.

June 18, versus Los Angeles: 4-2.

The Brewers started the week with a loss to Portland in the middle game of their three-game series at Riverfront Stadium. Erik Sloan (0-1, 8.50) continues to struggle since returning from the IL, and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits (including 2 HR's) over 6 innings pitched. Joe McPhillips hit his 7th homer of the season and Bobby Erbakan went 2 for 4 in the loss.
But Denver bounces back in the rubber match to take the series against the Wild Things. Easily. And largely because of the recently hot Joe McPhillips who went 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI, including hitting his 2nd triple of the season. Cheol-han Lee (3-4, 8.04) got a rare start and while he wasn't the old dominant Cheol, he wasn't horrible, giving up 3 runs on 10 hits over 8 innings pitched.

Coming home to face the last place Phoenix Speed Devils, with their abysmal pitching (and related horrible fielding) would seem to be a recipe for success. And indeed it turned out exactly that way.
In game 1 the Brewers got a nice game from leadoff hitter Josh Schaeffer who went 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and an RBI, hitting 2 doubles to get to 12 on the season. Sekien Hamasaki (8-0, 3.27) stayed undefeated, lasting 8 innings while giving up 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits.
Game 2, more of the same. with Brett Taranto going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI and hit his 3rd triple and 6th HR to lead the offense. Joe McPhillips went 4 for 5. Josh Schaeffer was 3 for 4 again, and this time hit his 6th homer of the season. And Jon Williams contributed a pinch-hit 8th inning homer, his 4th bomb of the season. Not that Matty Helm (4-2, 3.72) and the bullpen really needed all of that offense. Helm worked 7 1/3rd, giving up just 1 run on 7 hits.
The final game of the series was a bit closer but the Brewers bats kept booming (then again, what bats don't boom against the woeful Speed Devils' pitching staff) and they won by scoring 6 runs in the final 2 innings combined. Brett Taranto (3 for 4, 4 runs scored) and Bobby Erbakan (3 for 3, 2 runs, 3 RBI, hit his 10th HR and 18th double) led the way on offense. Steve Green (7-1, 4.18) was the beneficiary of all of the offense, in spite of giving up 6 runs on 10 hits over 7 1/3rd.

The week ends with the Brewers hosting the surging (and now 2nd place) L.A. Spinners.
And in game 1 the Brewers get a win behind staff ace Sadahige Kawasaki (8-5, 1.87), who got a complete game victory, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits. Another great game for 1974 MGL MVP Joe McPhillips who went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBI and hit his 8th homer of the season. He also stole 2 bases (consecutively- second then third) to get to 10 for the season (with just 1 CS).
With the win the Brewers stretch their lead over L.A. to 4 1/2 to end the week.