Brewers record: 6-0 (season), 96-43, 1st place, MGL (season).
September 3-4, at Baltimore:
4-3,
12-7.
September 6-8, versus Oklahoma City:
1-0,
4-1,
4-1.
September 9, at Brooklyn:
4-0.
And after losing the first two games of the month of September, the Brewers go on a six-game winning streak to all but guarantee that they will be headed back to the KCS at the end of the season.
Against Baltimore, in game 2 of the series, the Brewers needed an 8th inning rally to tie things up and then scored a run in the top of the 10th and held on for the win. In both the 8th and 10th innings, the sequence that lead to scoring was started by a two-out
Val Guzman walk and capped by a big hit by fellow young outfielder
Antonio Acuna. In the 8th
Acuna homered following
Val's walk and in the 10th he drove
Val in with a double. It was
Acuna's 8th homer and 11th double and he also singled in the game, scoring once and driving in 4 runs. He also threw a runner (Robert Mustard) out at home plate from his spot in center field, his 2nd outfield assist of the season and first as a center fielder.
Guzman went 1 for 3, but walked 3 times and scored twice.
Erik Sloan started for the Brewers and allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits over his 6 innings pitched.
Brandon Veach (1-0, 0.00), recently called up from AAA, pitched the final 2 innings for his first win of the season as a Brewer. This was also, however, the game in which
Bobby Erbakan hurt himself in an on-base collision.
And the Brewers took the series against the Lords with an offensive explosion in game 3, sparked by rookie
Jose Figueroa's 5-hit game.
Figueroa, who figures to get the majority of the starts at second base in
Erbakan's absence, made a strong argument in favor of that notion in this one. His 5 for 6 performance also saw him scoring 3 runs, driving in another, while hitting his 6th double of the season.
Brett Taranto, hitting behind in the order, went 4 for 6 and drove in 3 runs, hitting his 26th double.
Val Guzman hit his 11th home run, the first inside-the-park home run hit by a Brewer this season. He also hit his 24th double, scored twice, and drove in 4 runs.
Jake DiCesare and
Kirk Patnode also each contributed 3 hits games.
Jim Atwell started but did not get a decision, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits over 5 innings pitched. Veteran lefty
Chris Pollack (1-0, 6.35) got his first win in a Brewers uniform. 1977 MGL MVP Chris Tobin's 2-homer game, including one in the 9th inning, made the final score look a bit closer than the game actually felt.
After a travel day off, the Brewers returned to Centennial Stadium in the Mile High City to square off against the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings, who have been fading for some time after a strong first half of the season.
And the Brewers struck the final nail into the coffin on the Diamond Kings season.
In game 1, it took a marvelous start from veteran
Steve Green to get the narrow 1-0 win.
Green (12-8, 3.80) allowed just 4 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1. 1977 KCS MVP
Jon Williams provided the lone run of the game, hitting a 5th inning solo homer off Oklahoma City's talented rookie starter Joe Shetler (14-10, 3.00).
Williams went 2 for 3 in the game.
Val Guzman picked up his 20th stolen base in the win.
More great pitching for the Brewers in game 2, this time with staff ace
Sadahige Kawasaki going the distance for the win.
Kawasaki (16-6, 2.23) gave up 1 run on 6 hits. He also drove a run in for the cause with a single in the sixth inning, giving himself an insurance run.
Rich White hit his 17th double and scored twice in this one.
And the Brewers duplicated the score of game 2 in game 3, though it took three pitchers to accomplish it this time.
Sekien Hamasaki (16-4, 2.54) got the start and the win, allowing the 1 run on 7 hits over his 7 1/3rd innings.
Jason Gottula, who has been horrible lately, struck out the only 2 batters he faced and earned his 11th hold while
Tim Shore finished the game up for his 23rd save.
Geoff Bartholomew, who just keeps raking, sparked the offense from the leadoff slot, going 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Antonio Acuna hit his 9th home run and
Brett Taranto his league leading 15th triple.
The Brewers then traveled to Brooklyn to take on the second place Aces in what is finally the last chance for Brooklyn to claw their way back into the race. The Aces almost need a series sweep to even hope to catch Denver
They aren't going to get it.
In game 1 they got shut down by rookie
Jim Atwell in spectacular fashion.
Atwell (15-6, 3.08) hurled a 2-hit shutout, striking out 6 and walking 2. Brooklyn's Mike Hiatt went the distance, but the Brewers were able to plate 3 runs off him in the 1st inning before he settled into a groove and that was plenty.
Val Guzman led the way, as he often does these days, with a 2 for 3, 1 run scored, 2 RBI, 1 walk performance, hitting his 25th double and stealing his 21st base. (Man I like this kid!)
So as the week ends the Brewers now have a 12 game advantage over the 2nd place Aces with 23 games remaining for each team. And the Los Angeles Spinners are 21 games back in 3rd place, not yet technically mathematically eliminated, but let's face it, they are toast. And all other MGL teams have now been officially eliminated from contention this season.
Much more fun over in the SJL, where the El Paso Dawgs are holding a narrow 2 game lead over the suddenly surging again Philadelphia Mud Hens. Boston and San Antonio still are hanging in there at 4 games back. And while the mighty Columbus Whalers could still three-peat, it will be tough climb as they are 6 games back in 5th place (though they have won 5 straight to end the week).