A Tyler Thornburg eighth-inning implosion helped the Angels beat the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, 7-3. Top Play (WPA): The eighth inning was the disaster inning for the Brewers, as a 3-2 lead became a 6-3 deficit. Mike Trout hit a leadoff home run to tie the game at 3, but Thornburg nearly managed to escape […]
Author: Seth Victor
Chris Carter’s Success and the Brewers’ 2016 Plan
This offseason, Brewers GM David Stearns pursued a low-risk, high-reward strategy of building a big-league team. He spent the first few months of his tenure accumulating minor league assets, and he continued to do that as he traded pieces from his big league club. This strategy acknowledged that the team was unlikely to be competitive […]
Checking In On Jeremy Jeffress
Jeremy Jeffress was supposed to be a co-closer for Milwaukee, but Will Smith’s preseason injury threw a wrench into manager Craig Counsell’s best-laid plans. Instead of just being part of a bullpen by committee, Jeffress has been the club’s first option in the ninth inning. And while he is six-for-six at converting save opportunities, his […]
Game 15 Recap: Brewers 10 Twins 5
The Brewers turned a back-and-forth slugfest into a blowout, scoring six runs in their last three innings to beat the Twins 10-5. Top Play (WPA): Solid but definitely unspectacular outings from starters Jimmy Nelson and Tommy Milone blew up in the pivotal sixth inning, when the Twins scored three runs in the top half of […]
Colin Walsh’s Place on the Roster
Colin Walsh is currently the Brewers’ least-used position player aside from Martin Maldonado, the backup catcher, who clearly is in a category of his own. Aaron Hill has been the regular third baseman, and Yadiel Rivera’s ability to play shortstop makes him a more compelling option off the bench. But Walsh is a Rule 5 […]
Game 8 Recap: Brewers 6 Cardinals 4
Top Play (WPA): No surprise here, but the top play in terms of win probability was Domingo Santana’s home run off Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal in the top of the ninth inning (+.490). After a solid, methodical offensive performance that saw four separate two-out hits drive in four runs, Brandon Moss hit a Michael Blazek […]
Wily Peralta’s Discouraging Start
To anyone who has watched or followed the first several Brewers’ games, Wily Peralta’s stat line will not be a surprise: two starts, 8.1 innings, and eleven runs. He has struck out six and walked six, which is a terrible ratio on both counts. But pitchers get off to bad starts, and their basic peripherals […]
Game 3 Recap: Brewers 4 Giants 3
The Brewers got their first win of the season on Wednesday, a 4-3 win over the Giants. Top Play: This was an interesting game by WPA, as the Brewers pulled out the victory despite the Giants having the top play and the Brewers having the bottom one. With the Brewers leading 3-2 heading into the […]
2016 and the Brewers Middle Infield
Opening Day was a delight for the Brewers’ young middle infield. Scooter Gennett has had a rough few years, but he was the Opening Day second baseman and remains just 25 years old. Jonathan Villar is 24 and already in his third organization. But on the first day of the season, both players hit home […]
What We Can Learn About Wily Peralta from his 2016 PECOTA Projection
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell recently named embattled righty Wily Peralta as his Opening Day starter. On pure performance, this is a surprise and generally undeserved. However, this is a club without a clear choice for this spot, and Counsell’s decision is therefore likely as much about motivation and confidence than anything else. Veteran Matt Garza […]