ANAHEIM, Calif. — You would think there wasn’t enough room for any more entertainment in a city that is home to Disneyland. But it appears the Brewers are trying to bring their three-ring circus to town.
After barely winning the AL East (no, really, the roller coaster ride was fun, it was …) by losing three of four games to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brewers put themselves in a 1-0 hole in their American League Championship Series with an ugly 8-3 loss to the California Angels.
You can read all the gruesome details in our recap, but it wasn’t pretty as the Crew looked overwhelmed in Game 1. And while we’re asking you if you think Game 2 is must win, let me put it this way, no team in either league has rebounded from a 2-0 deficit in a league championship series. None. No one. Not one. Never.
Then again, these are the Brewers, causers of cardiac arrest, messers of minds, archdukes of anxiety. They seem to take a certain glee in making the faithful sweat. But history shows the sweating will become profuse with another loss even with the final three games at County Stadium.
The Crew will send Cy Young candidate Pete Vuckovich (18-6) against Bruce Kison (10-5), who started the season as a starter, but was moved to the bullpen. He hasn’t started a game since June 22.
The Brewers’ results against Kison have been mixed. He pitched eight shutout innings in a 7-2 Angels win in Milwaukee on May 19. Just 11 days later, the Crew rocked him for five runs on May 30.
This is a prime opportunity for the Crew to avoid an 0-2 hole. Let’s hope they take it.
Here are today’s lineups. Go Crew!
# | Brewers | POS |
1 | Molitor | 3B |
2 | Yount | SS |
3 | Cooper | 1B |
4 | Simmons | C |
5 | Oglivie | LF |
6 | Thomas | CF |
7 | Howell | DH |
8 | Moore | RF |
9 | Gantner | 2B |
Vuckovich | SP | |
# | Angels | POS |
1 | Downing | LF |
2 | Carew | 1B |
3 | Jackson | LF |
4 | Lynn | CF |
5 | Baylor | DH |
6 | DeCinces | 3B |
7 | Grich | 2B |
8 | Foli | SS |
9 | Boone | C |
Kison | SP | |