Tigers 7, Brewers 3
Brewers now 29-28 (4th)
Box Score | Season Schedule
MILWAUKEE — This team… This team…
This team was in near disaster mode under Buck Rodgers. When he was let go, Harvey Kuenn appeared to have injected new life into this team. They scored runs and prevented runs like at no other time this season for a four game stretch.
Then this team lost three straight games to the Orioles in which they scored a total of seven runs and bowed to three consecutive complete games by Baltimore starters.
When this team bounced back to win the final game of the four-game series with the Orioles 8-6, we thought maybe… just maybe, they were back.
Today, this team lost a 2-0 lead and eventually the series opening game to the Tigers. And once again, the starting pitcher (this time Milt Wilcox) went the distance.
Pardon Brewers fans if we’re a bit schizophrenic, but we have no idea what to make of this team. One day we’re adorning our beloved squad with a lovable nickname after only a few games, and today we’re setting decibel records when Ted Simmons grounded into his second double play of the game.
Mike Caldwell is the perfect representation of this team. He was considered a “cancer” under Buck Rodgers, but in Kuenn’s debut on June 2 Caldwell surprised us all with a complete game masterpiece against the Mariners.
In his next appearance, however, our doubts resurfaced when Caldwell allowed six runs and couldn’t last five innings against the Orioles on June 7.
Today? Today was perfect. We were starting to believe that Caldwell had returned to his June 2 form when he allowed only one hit through the first four innings. Then in the fifth and sixth, he imploded, allowing seven runs on six hits in one-plus innings. The only runs the Tigers would score.
So what do we make of this team? Are they the underachieving trouble-makers they were under Rodgers? Are they the Harvey’s Wallbangers that surfaced for four glorious days beginning June 2? Or are they something in between?
I have no freaking clue.
Game Notes: Cecil Cooper, still out with a right buttock injury, was replaced in the lineup by Roy Howell at first base … Two Brewers errors led to two unearned runs for the Tigers … Ben Oglivie went 4-for-4 with two RBI … Rollie Fingers was not available due to back spasms. He is day-to-day.