By: David K. and Melissa S. Wollering
Thesportsbank.net’s inaugural Cubs-Brewers exchange! After taking two of three from the depleted Cubs, the Brewers have leapfrogged Chicago in what is shaping up to be a competitive NL Central Division. TSB’s Brewers expert Melissa S. Wollering and our resident Cubs fool, David K. share their thoughts on this weekend’s series.
DK: Well, at least we saved face by winning Sunday and avoiding an embarrassing sweep to your Brewers. After Saturday’s game, I was ready to quit the Cubs for about the 214,736th time. Somehow whenever I threaten to do that, they manage to get a win and just suck me back in.
Kudos to the Crew though. Ryan Braun’s game-winning home run Friday night was baller. Saturday, you guys treated our bullpen like they were Eric Gagne and Derrick Turnbow. You have the best record in baseball since April 19th, winning 15 of your last 20. Enough with the compliments though. It’s time to make some excuses.
We played this series without Carlos Zambrano, Derrek Lee, and with Aramis Ramirez separating his shoulder in the first game. That would be like the Crew being without Yovanni Gallardo, Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun. Doesn’t sound fun does it?
By the way, can we get Craig Counsell to take a drug test? He has to be on the juice after going yard Saturday night.
MW: I firmly believe I stood up during his home run and shouted, “that was just worth more than we paid you for your entire 2009 season contract.” When looking directly at Craig’s face I always think it has been frozen in time since he’s all of 12 ½ years old. Perhaps his going yard was more of sudden burst of youth circa 1987. But yes, you can test him for banned substances, by all means.
What has surprised me even more than the Brewers recent stellar offensive display is its pitching. The Crew is either tied with the Cubs or is now leading the league in quality starts with at least 18. Considering all 5 members of your Cubs starting rotation were said to be better than the best starter we had at the beginning of this season, how do you feel about that, David?
DK: I hate it because I was a big basher of the Crew’s rotation at the beginning of the season. Yo is living up to his stud potential and Dave Bush has been solid. As of late, Suppan has been more crafty veteran than washed-up junk-baller. As for that supposedly sweet Cubbies rotation; Zambrano, Rich Harden, and Ryan Dempster all have ERA’s in the upper-four’s. But that’s not the major issue. It’s our bullpen which I trust as much as I would trust Ron Santo not to scream after a Cubs walk-off home run. I mean, Chad Fox’s ERA is 135.00 in his two games. Granted, his arm is pretty much dead, but still, a 135.00 ERA? Even Gagne and Turnbow are laughing at that.
By the way, did you notice Braun’s home run Saturday night when he stared down Dempster after he knew it was gone. Granted, Dempster had beaned Braun in the helmet the at-bat before, but still, it seems like Braun is getting a little cocky these days which I am usually all about, just not against by Cubs. K? Thanks. For the record Braun is batting .619 against left-handed pitchers this season. That is shocking. Not 135.00 ERA shocking, but nonetheless shocking.
MW: That staredown you speak of consisted of steel-tipped darts protruding from Braun’s eyes, yes. Good thing Dempster was looking back at the ball in awe instead of at Braun or you would have had two pitchers go down in agony that night. Fox’s arm looked as though it fell off right then and there. That’s gotta be tough to rehab all that time and throw it out during one of your first outings back.
Surprisingly, our starting rotation is playing to its potential. Prior to Sunday, Suppan had 4 quality starts in a row. That’s a shocking as Paula’s song-and-dance return to the stage on last week’s American Idol. But our bullpen isn’t all that much better than yours with the exception of Trevor Hoffman. When you have someone like Jorge Julio, who’s given up 7 hits and 10 runs (9 earned) in the last 7 days, you tend to want to throw things at the television before the man even finishes running to the mound.
On a bright note, Fukudome’s on base-percentage when he comes to Miller Park is ridonkulous. Even with three of your stars MIA you might be able to win even if you skipped the other 8 men in the starting lineup and just sent him out to bat for you every third inning.
DK: A) Somehow I just picked up Trevor Hoffman in fantasy baseball league. B) I think we should call him George Julio, just like it was Bill Mota last year. C) We can say five of the Cubs stars are MIA. The aforementioned Big Z, D-Lee, and A-Ram, but don’t forget Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto who are both hitting well below the Mendoza line.
Besides about thirty pounds, what has gotten into Rickie Weeks this year? He is finally playing like an All-Star second baseman, no longer looks completely incompetent in the field, and doesn’t talk like he has marbles in his mouth during post-game interviews anymore.
Well a tip of the cap to you and the Brewers. You got us this time around evening the season series at 3-3. Finally, the Crew travel south to Wrigley in early July for a four-game series so we will get home field advantage. Hopefully by then our big guns will be healthy and our bullpen situation figured out. ‘Til then…
MW: …’til then get on the Rickie bandwagon. What’s gotten into him is aggressive swinging early in the pitch count combined with patience at the plate for more hits, more BB’s, and fewer K’s. Finally the leadoff hitter we’ve been waiting for. Too bad we almost gnawed our arms off it took so long. Braun and our pitching staff need to stay healthy for the Independence Week showdown in Chi. We may be even now, but we know your baby bears have every intention of setting off some fireworks on the field before the real thing lights up the skies above Lake Michigan. It’s always a superb matchup during which we’ll have to do this again.