The news wasn’t good for the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, when they found out that their ace, Ben Sheets, had been placed on the 15 day disabled list with a sprained finger.
Sheets was injured Saturday against Colorado when in the 3rd inning, after releasing a pitch to Todd Helton, he felt it “pop”. The right hander left the game immediately to have the finger looked at by team physicians. Initially it was thought to be not terribly serious, but on Monday, the decision was made to rest him for the next two weeks.
Sheets has been having a fantastic season so far and has been the steady hand for the Brewers, leading the way for their pitching staff all year. He already has 10 wins for the club and has been a big part of the Brewers resurgence this season as they lead the NL Central. His absence will leave a huge hole in the Brewers rotation for these few weeks but the Brewers have a few promising young pitchers to fill it.
The first choice will be top prospect Yovani Gallardo who has started a few times this season already and pitched in relief as well. He has been successful in each role and will get another shot at starting now. He is the ace of the future for this club and has the stuff to dominate whomever he faces.
Another option will be Manny Parra, another rookie, who will compete for playing time and be used in a Carlos Villanueva-type role for spot duty and long relief. Parra has been destroying the minor leagues this season and has been lights out in triple-A Nashville with a few good outings, including a perfect game, only the 8th in PCL history. Needless to say a call up was inevitable and with Sheets hitting the disabled list, the future is now for these fine young pitchers.
Showing posts with label Yovani Gallardo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yovani Gallardo. Show all posts
Monday, July 16, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Best Series of the Weekend
The Cubs – Brewers series kicked off on Friday afternoon, and in climactic and very dramatic fashion, the hometown Cubbies pulled it out, storming back from a 1st inning 5 run deficit.
Three hours or so earlier, I would have had a hard time believing that such a comeback could happen. The Brewers had Yovani Gallardo on the mound and the kid was hurling a gem, while his opponent, Rich Hill, had been touched up for 5 runs, including a 3 run jack by Kevin Mench, was strangely wild, and had thrown 73 pitches through 2 innings. By the time Hill had left, at the end of the 3rd, the score was still 5-0, and the Brewers were still firmly in control.
Then in came the much maligned Cubs bullpen. Led by Billy Petrick, for 2 innings Michael Wuertz for 2 innings, Carlos Marmol (who is the best reliever they have right now, check the stats) for 1 and finally, Bob Howry for 1. All tolled, the bullpen went 6 gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, 0 earned runs and 7 k’s. That is the kind of production a guy like Rich Hill, who has been great all year, deserves from his bullpen.
The comeback started slowly though as it took an RBI groundout, and a wild pitch by Gallardo to make it 5-2 in the 4th, followed than by an RBI single by Mike Fontenot in the 7th off Carlos Villanueva to make it 5-3. Than in the bottom of the 9th, in came Francisco Cordero, the MLB saves leader with 27, but a guy who has definitely cooled off noticeably since his hot start.
Cordero got a pop out right away but then Soriano and Fontenot (I told you this guy was good stuff) had back to back singles to put runners at the corners for Derrek Lee. Lee was able to get a sac fly to make it 5-4, leaving it up to Aramis Ramirez. So with 2 down, and the tying run on, Ramirez went yard. Big time. Huge game-winning walk-off home run to left field, taking some serious momentum for the rest of the series against the division leader, and closing the gap to only 6.5 games.
Pre-game, I had figured the Brewers would take 2 of 3 at least and possibly sweep based solely on the pitching matchups, but the bullpen I had thought to be the stronger of the two bombed, while the previously fallible Cubs bullpen looked impenetrable. Great win for the Cubs to start a huge weekend series.
Tomorrow’s affair should be just as good as Ben Sheets takes on Sean Marshall. 12:55 on FOX. Check it out.
Three hours or so earlier, I would have had a hard time believing that such a comeback could happen. The Brewers had Yovani Gallardo on the mound and the kid was hurling a gem, while his opponent, Rich Hill, had been touched up for 5 runs, including a 3 run jack by Kevin Mench, was strangely wild, and had thrown 73 pitches through 2 innings. By the time Hill had left, at the end of the 3rd, the score was still 5-0, and the Brewers were still firmly in control.
Then in came the much maligned Cubs bullpen. Led by Billy Petrick, for 2 innings Michael Wuertz for 2 innings, Carlos Marmol (who is the best reliever they have right now, check the stats) for 1 and finally, Bob Howry for 1. All tolled, the bullpen went 6 gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, 0 earned runs and 7 k’s. That is the kind of production a guy like Rich Hill, who has been great all year, deserves from his bullpen.
The comeback started slowly though as it took an RBI groundout, and a wild pitch by Gallardo to make it 5-2 in the 4th, followed than by an RBI single by Mike Fontenot in the 7th off Carlos Villanueva to make it 5-3. Than in the bottom of the 9th, in came Francisco Cordero, the MLB saves leader with 27, but a guy who has definitely cooled off noticeably since his hot start.
Cordero got a pop out right away but then Soriano and Fontenot (I told you this guy was good stuff) had back to back singles to put runners at the corners for Derrek Lee. Lee was able to get a sac fly to make it 5-4, leaving it up to Aramis Ramirez. So with 2 down, and the tying run on, Ramirez went yard. Big time. Huge game-winning walk-off home run to left field, taking some serious momentum for the rest of the series against the division leader, and closing the gap to only 6.5 games.
Pre-game, I had figured the Brewers would take 2 of 3 at least and possibly sweep based solely on the pitching matchups, but the bullpen I had thought to be the stronger of the two bombed, while the previously fallible Cubs bullpen looked impenetrable. Great win for the Cubs to start a huge weekend series.
Tomorrow’s affair should be just as good as Ben Sheets takes on Sean Marshall. 12:55 on FOX. Check it out.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Yovani Gallardo
Yovani Gallardo is here and you’d better pay attention. The Milwaukee prospect had his MLB debut this past week taking down the San Francisco Giants in efficient fashion going 6.1, and striking out 4 while allowing 3 runs. I was lucky enough to see this game as he worked his magic and it was enough to know that this kid just made the Brew Crew a whole lot more dangerous.
On Sunday he lit it up again as he took on the Royals, going 7 while putting up an 8K/2BB ratio. He allowed one run and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning.
The kid is scheduled to go on Saturday against Sean Marshall, who’s been lighting it up for the Cubs so far this season. Should be a dandy match-up and I’d advise you to check it out.
And on another note, how many superstars in the making under the age of 25 do the Brewers need? It's getting a little superfluous.
On Sunday he lit it up again as he took on the Royals, going 7 while putting up an 8K/2BB ratio. He allowed one run and didn’t give up a hit until the fifth inning.
The kid is scheduled to go on Saturday against Sean Marshall, who’s been lighting it up for the Cubs so far this season. Should be a dandy match-up and I’d advise you to check it out.
And on another note, how many superstars in the making under the age of 25 do the Brewers need? It's getting a little superfluous.
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