To say that the Milwaukee Brewers have had their ups and downs throughout the first half of the season would be an understatement. The Brewers began the year 0-4 with some key players on the disabled list and it looked like a season that was filled with promise would instead be a disappointment. But one by one, these important players made their return from injury. First it was Jonathan Lucroy from a broken pinky; then Corey Hart from a strained rib cage. And finally, the main attraction Zack Greinke made his first start in early May after breaking a rib while playing basketball during spring training. As the Brewers got healthy, their record shot back up to respectability.
Once the Brewers were able to climb all the way from worst to first in the NL Central, they stretched out a three game lead thanks to their top-notch play at home. However, a tough interleague schedule and the poor performances on the road finally caught up to Milwaukee and they now sit in second place behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who just saw Albert Pujols return from his broken forearm. Just this week, the Brewers suffered their first two-game losing streak at home in large part to lackluster performances on the mound and a calf strain to Ryan Braun. The last four games for Milwaukee shows just how much trouble the Brewers would be in should either Braun or all-star starter Prince Fielder missed an extended period of time with injury.
The main storylines thus far for the Milwaukee Brewers are as follows: Fielder’s MVP-like performance in the season before he becomes a free-agent, the struggles of expected ace Zack Greinke, the boost in centerfield and in the interview department from new acquisition Nyjer Morgan, and the down year for Casey McGehee, the man who has protected Fielder in the lineup over the past two seasons. This is not to mention the growing pains that come along with a first year manager (Ron Roenicke) and the emergence of another all-star in second baseman Rickie Weeks. Currently, the Brewers stand at 46-42 and a game back of the Cardinals with a four game series upcoming against the Cincinnati Reds, a fellow division contendor, before the break.
There’s no question that the Brewers have the horses to reach the postseason as long as they stay healthy. Looking ahead, they may want to look to add an arm to the ‘pen or a player to bench. However, should McGehee return to form and long reliever Manny Parra come back from injury, a move may not be necessary.
Even with the strong play at Miller Park, Milwaukee needs to find a way to win consistently on the road…and just flat out become more consistent…if they want to be a legitimate contender. The split between their home and away record is inexplicable. Still, there have been promising signs; starters Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf have all pitched admirably to help pick up Greinke and with LaTroy Hawkins finally entering the eighth inning role, it has essentially turned into a seven inning game thanks to lock down closer John Axford. Despite McGehee’s season long slump, he came up huge in a pinch hitting role in the final game of the series against Arizona. The tough stretch for McGehee led to long time prospect Mat Gamel getting a call-up, the man who is expected to replace Fielder after his departure but has also played third base in the past. If McGehee gets going, his bat will provide a major spark to an offense that hasn’t seen much aside from its three all-stars, and Gamel will most likely return to the minors. All in all, the Brewers are in good shape considering everything said and are looking forward to the All-Star break to recoup, get healthy and prepare for a second half surge.