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May 11, 2007
Upcoming Series: Milwaukee Brewers Pitchers
Following a very successful 5-2 road trip, the Mets (21-12) return to Flushing for their longest homestand of the season. First up are the surging Milwaukee Brewers, who surprisingly have the best record in baseball at 24-10 after winning six straight games. The Brewers have a young offensive core, which is capable of carrying the team when the pitching falters. Some hitting performances don’t look sustainable (J.J. Hardy, Geoff Jenkins), but others are along expectations (Prince Fielder), and others still have some room to get better as the season progresses (Rickie Weeks, Bill Hall). Add in a very capable starting rotation, and you’ve got a team that should contend all season long. In game one, Jeff Suppan (5-2, 2.63) pitches against Jorge Sosa (1-0, 2.84). Game two’s matchup features Ben Sheets (2-2, 4.04) and Mike Pelfrey (0-4, 6.39). Chris Capuano (5-0, 2.31) starts for the Brew Crew in the final game, as the Mets throw Oliver Perez (3-3, 3.48). Game 1: Jeff SuppanWhat’s the Story? So fact this season, Suppan has picked up right where he left off. In the second half of 2006, he was extremely tough to beat, going 6-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 94 innings, while halving his homerun rate from his pre-break numbers. When Suppan is pitching well he’s a slop-slinging, finesse pitcher capable of getting groundball outs. He throws a four-seam fastball that doesn’t hit 90, a fair sinker, a tight slider, a changeup, and a curve. Last Year: Suppan made one regular season start against the Mets and performed merely okay. He pitched seven and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on five hits (including a homer to Jose Reyes) and four walks while striking out four. He also made a pair of starts against the Mets in the postseason, but for the sake of my sanity I will do little more than mention it. What to Expect: Interestingly, Suppan hasn’t been very groundball-happy lately; his percentage of groundballs induced sits under 40%, somewhat below his norms. The real key to his success this season has been a drastic reduction in his walk and homerun rates. The latter should be worrisome for Brewer fans: right now only 4.2% of his outfield flies are sailing over the wall, which is largely a result of luck. This means that he’s leaving pitches up in the zone that just haven’t been hit well yet. Mets hitters should be looking for these to press their advantage. Game 2: Ben SheetsWhat’s the Story? After enduring a year and a half of injury problems, Sheets finally pitched a healthy second half of 2006, and the results were better than they look at a glance. While his ERA was an unexciting 3.82, he posted an incredible 116:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, supplementing it with a decent homerun rate. So far this season, his performance has been puzzling. His walks and homeruns are up, and his strikeouts have vanished with nary a trace (21 in 42 innings). Sheets has incredible stuff: a hard mid-to-high-90’s fastball, a hard overhand curve that comes in around 78, and a decent changeup which can fool hitters. His pinpoint control and command only make it harder for opposing hitters. Last Year: Sheets made his first start of the year against the Mets and was removed after five innings. He was hittable, which was understandable given he was returning from injury, allowing four runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out six, while giving up a homer to Xavier Nady. What to Expect: Sheets just hasn’t been sharp lately. He’s been extremely disappointed in his command, especially with his curveball. Some mechanical fixes have been made to his delivery, which have produced better results, but he’s still leaving the curve up in the zone, which gives batters a pitch to hit—so far he’s allowed six homers in 42 innings. He still has great velocity on his fastball, however, and hitters should expect a steady diet of them on the outside part of the plate. He’ll combat lefties by pitching them inside. Keep an eye on the curve; if they start dropping below the zone, the strikeouts will return in a hurry. Game 3: Chris CapuanoWhat’s the Story? Capuano’s an interesting pitcher. Last year the lefty vastly improved his walk rate while maintaining his strikeouts. This year, he’s showing even further refinement by reducing the number of outfield flies—thus reducing homeruns—he allows. His stuff is okay—not great—but he always manages to get a good feel for what’s working and will adapt on the mound. He’s got a fastball that he throws 87-92, a sinker, a great change, and a decent slider. He’s normally got very good control, but will leave the occasional fastball out over the plate, which can result in the longball. Last Year: Cap pitched against the Mets in a loss last April. He pitched decently, allowing three earned runs (four total) on six hits and a pair of walks. He allowed a homer to Nady, but struck out six Mets. What to Expect: Capuano has called his inside fastball and his changeup his “foundation,” and hitters should expect to see both early in the game. He’ll mix in the slider to lefties, whom he has dominated over his career (.220 average against). However, don’t be surprised if his plan changes, and the sinker comes out instead. His groundball rate is up this year, indicating he’s throwing it more often. Overall: This is a tough series to predict. Both teams are playing good baseball right now, and they’re similarly balanced teams. The Brewers advantage on the pitching end is that they are throwing three control pitchers against the Mets, which is usually a wise thing to do: the Mets are a patient team, and they’ll take advantage of free passes when they’re offered. This is especially true at Shea where displays of power are less common. Still, I’m going to pick the Mets to win the first two games of the series while losing the third. First, I think the Mets are due to defeat Suppan now that it matters a whole lot less—just a feeling. Second, Sheets has only been pitching like the Brewers’ fourth-best starter lately, and I’m betting that trend continues this weekend. Of course, the Mets have been doing well against lefties this year, but I don’t want to get greedy. 62 Responses to “Upcoming Series: Milwaukee Brewers Pitchers”Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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The brewers are in for a bruising. How dare Espn call then the best team in baseball because of thier record. They have played a schedule of relative lighweights so far.Time for the Mets to set them straight.
Dodgers, Cubs-2series, fla, Stlouis-2series ,cincy, pitt-2 series, houston, washington have been the teams they have faced so far, The dodgers being the only team who is above .500 on the year and they played them first series of the year. I sincerley hope the Mets whip thier asses and show everyone the fruads they are.
You have a lot more faith in Pelfy than I do. And I hope the Mets can hit Cap. I am looking forward to the series and hope the Mets pound the Brew Crew.
Should be a good test for both teams.
An asswhooping by the Mets would cause people to take notice. And stop all the sillines about the Brewers being the class of the NL.
This is the weekend the meat of our lineup heats up. I can feel it.
I can’t wait for this. 7 games against the midwest. I will be thrilled with 5 out of 7. Tonight is one we should win. I think Pelfrey steps up Saturday.
from the news:
pelfrey should pitch the first inning in the bullpen.
pelfrey isnt a good mothers day gift. ;)
Confused…I mentioned a similar scenario yesterday! I suggested that Pedro2 start the game and let Pelfrey come in in the 2nd! Hey…it’s worth a shot!
Pelfrey should pitch the first inning down in New Orleans. Hurry back, El Duque.
Is anyone else excited about seeing Sosa tonight. I know it’s only been one game, but given how he was dominating AAA, and how nasty that slider looked playing off of 95 mph heat, I’m getting ready to dub him Sosa’05. Tonight he has a chance to cement a spot in the rotation, I would think.
lets go mets
I have to say, the Brewers turnaround is impressive but I can’t imagine all these players are going to sustain their current output. J.J. Hardy has never ever been able to hit and suddenly he’s at an MVP/Hall of Fame pace? Plus, all the WRONG pitchers for the Brewers are doing well while their more established (like Sheets) aren’t pitching as well.
In the end, the Central sucks enough that I think they’ll take it at this point. However, to call them anything close to the “Best team in the NL” is ridiculous. Let’s see where they are come the All-Star break.
HaHaHaHa. Keep smoking that crack. Your METSrosexuals are getting swept this weekend… HaHaHaHa.
You guys can deny it all you want, but the best team in baseball is coming to town this weekend, and your Mets are going to get swept. I’m bringing my broom to the ballpark on Sunday.
And when was the last time the Brewers were good in baseball
:crikets:
I can’t wait to read your comments when the Brewers take 2 of 3 from this series…
And if the Brewers lose the series, without having to face either Glavine or Maine - and getting the not-ready-for-prime-time Pelfrey instead of El Duque - the Cheesehead posters shall quietly slink back to that little sisters of the poor division they’re racking up those numbers in, and leave us alone until we’re forced to deal with them again prior to sweeping them out of the playoffs.
Deal?
Wow. The Brewers play good for 30+ games and they start beating their chests.
You can tell how bad of an organizaton they’ve been.
Pipe down cheeseheads…hey look Brett Favre, everyone wave.
The east has lost more games than they have won against the central so far this year…. and the central also won the world series last year…. keep on underestimating us.
and keep on overestimating yourselves based on 30 games and the some of the weakest teams in baseball. you’ve played pretty much no one.
listen i think you guys are solid and its nice to see the Brewers not suck donkey ass like they do pretty much every year, but you have no business spouting off the way you are after 30 games.
No.Business.
Just enjoy the ride man and stop beating your chests.
Go do it on http://www.brewersareactuallygoodthisyear.com or something
When does J.J. Hardy come out and say that the Brewers are the team to beat this year?
dear milwaukee fan,
your city sucks, bro. i wise hepatitis on you.
sincerely,
twisted lister
By the way, the Mets/Braves/Phillies/Marlins against the Central this season: 9-7. The Nationals: 0-6.
Way to beat up on the Nats.
*wish
::GoddAMNIT::
Don’t listen to Lister: he’s drunk again.
Hahahahahah brewers fans talking chit. This is nto the nationas or any team in your weak division.
I cant wait for you bozos to dissappear in shame when the Mets give the Brew crew the beating of the week.
When the Brewers take the series, are you going to use “without having to face either Glavine or Maine” as your excuse? Your rotation is only two deep? Ours goes at least 7 deep. How do you expect to sweep the Brewers out of the playoffs when the bottom 3 of your rotation will be hovering around a 5.0 era? Injury guaranteed Pedro & El Duque will save you? Perhaps your offense can put up numbers to still win games, but I don’t see your rotation winning a World Series. No I’m not saying the Brewers will win the World Series. Yes I’ve watched quite a few years of shitty Baseball…you expect me to not get excited? You have no idea what this is like for Brewers fans…I would describe this season as a 162 game world series. Way more exciting than berating small market team fans for entertainment.
You all must run around in sausage costumes when the Brewers sweep this series. Deal?
its not their fault lunk…they’ve sucked for so long, they forgot how to intelligently read and interpret stats.
All they’re read if Brett Favre retirement stories for the last 4 years, they’ve probly watched a total of 5 brewers game over that period too. real diehards I’m sure!
hahahaha, now that was funny.
Fine. You can rely on always healthy Ben Sheets. Oh wait….
Oh, wait you can rely on the always consistent Turnbow and Cordero…. oh wait….
Ah, yes. The old best of 9 playoff series where you have to use 5 pitchers.
How are you even on this website? I didn’t think hayseeds from your pissant bumblefuck state knew how to harness search engines…
Oh, now I remember, you can rely on the consistent bats of J.J. Hardy and Geoff Jenkins…. oh wait….
TAPmoney molests collies.
The Nats are 8-13 against the east, and 1-12 against the rest of the league. Whose the weakest division now?
Ummmmmm…. that would be the NL Central. I didn’t even realize anyone in their right minds would even be questioning that.
Ha…keep barking up this tree. you’re proving to all of us how baseball smart you are…really!
I could be wrong, but you came here…
These Brewer fans are all NERDS!!!
I’m going to spacedock Shoe’s momma tonight.
Honestly, what amazes me is just how bandwagon they are. No one watches the Brewers when they are losing (95% of the time). Yet, they go on an 8 game winning streak and suddenly THEY ARE THE GREATEST FANS EVER!
wow i can’t believe they censored s p a c e d o c k that is so awesome.
Does he have a cute sister?
Ummm, we didn’t come over THERE to berate you. Don’t go out of your way to mouth off to the biggest kid on the block, and then cry “bully” when he cracks you in the teeth, OK?
And as far as I’m concerned, having your owner run the league (poorly) cancels out any sympathy you might otherwise get for your payroll-envy.
And, for the record, the pitchers you’ll face in the playoffs go: Glavine, Maine, Duque, Perez. Unless, of course Pedro is back, in which case, well, you get the idea.
To further that note, I have a friend in Green Bay who is, of course, a huge Packer’s fan and spends most of the baseball season telling people they are stupid for liking baseball because the sport sucks…. all of a sudden, needless to say, he’s the greatest Brewer fan ever.
For the record, I’m no bandwagon fan & I hate our bandwagon fans. In the playoffs you’ll be facing Sheets, Gallardo (might need to do some research), Cappy, Suppan. For this series…good luck…you’ll need it.
hahahah Gallardo (do some research? Do you think you’re talking to idiots?). Go ahead and start a rookie as your #2 in the playoffs. Have fun with that.
brewers fans,
our starters have the best ERA in baseball. a few of them might even be better than JEFF SUPPAN and DAVE BUSH…
um excuse me our top 4 pitchers are doing great and only 1 is struggling, get a clue before you open your trap loser
you really think your rotation is better than glavine, pedro, maine, el duque, perez?
and what’s with those accents? honestly…
is the playoffs you will be facing,
Pedro Martinez
Tom Glavine
John Maine
Orlando Hernandez
4 pitchers they will kick your ass
nice stats, wood. this is really too much fun. i remember being at one of the games last year in milwaukee against the brew crew…fans were talking so much shit…and we all remember what happened…
I just love how the guy threatens us with Ben Sheets (injury prone, very mediocre this season) and Yovani Gallardo, a prospect who only recently made it to AA.
This is where you all are….i made a funny at the gamethread and no one was there to laugh!
Brewers fans….HA…..I actually like the Brewers, but they are clearing second tier to the Mets…
Maybe Cordero can pitch in 82 games this season…..
That seemed to work for him in Texas… oh wait…
After our pitchers shut you down then our bullpeb comes in and does the same thing. I do believe the mets have poutscored your team 174-169 and have given up less runs 11- to your 132 playing against good teams over .500, where as your Brewers have faces all below .500 teams all year so far with the exception of the dodger who you played the first series of the year. Its sucks when FACTS are brought into the discussion huh.
117-132 on runs given up
and i heard that the brewers watch kiddie porn in the clubhouse
gross!
no need for that Zod, we slew them with facts
back to our regular scheduled program
But it is true.
hush
hmmm mets win 5-4 brew crew gets beating no 1.
So the Mets took 2 of 3 from the brewers. Im suprised ti wssnt a sweep. What happened to all the loudmouth brewer fans?