Ralph Michael! I mean, come on. The best part of these Donruss cards is the full given name. Brutal for razzing purposes.
Renko Needs 93 Pitches to Dispose of Crew
Angels 4, Brewers 1
Brewers now 18-16 (3rd)
Box Score | Season Schedule
MILWAUKEE — The Brewers collected three whole hits today. Angels starter Steve Renko retired the last 20 batters he faced.
Yeah, it was one of those games. The Angels scored a run in each of the first two innings, but even though the Brewers made it a one-run game in the third, the game seemed strangely out of reach.
If you’re looking for positives, Mike Caldwell recovered from an embarrassment last time on the mound to look passable as a starting pitcher. He allowed nine earned runs on 13 hits in five innings in a 13-2 loss to the White Sox May 13, and he allowed four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 7 1/3 today. Not great, but better. Makes the last debacle seem more like a hiccup than an illness.
The only pitcher that mattered, though, was 37-year-old Steve Renko. It took him all of 93 pitches to finish this game. The Brewers were lucky to score one. Even luckier that it was light-hitting Marshall Edwards, who smacked his second homer since being called up from Vancouver a little over a week ago.
Are you worried? I’m worried. This team has won two of their last eight games. They’re still playing with a short bullpen, refusing to replace Bob McClure and Pete Vuckovich on the roster. While McClure appears close, Vuke isn’t. He tried throwing today and couldn’t land on his injured foot.
Paul Molitor left today’s game with an injured shoulder. He first hurt it making a throw on May 16. He is not a player the Brewers can stand to lose.
Nearly the entire middle of the Brewers’ order is struggling. Since starting their current slide against the Royals, Ben Oglivie is 4-for-29; Ted Simmons is 3-for-24; and Gorman Thomas is 4-for-31.
So the offense is down. Vuke and McClure are still hurt and the bullpen is scuffling. Now Paul Molitor is hurt. It’s bound to get better, right?
It needs to, and fast. Down four games in the AL East, the Brewers can’t stand to lose more ground.
Pitching a Problem for Crew
The Brewers have a day off today, which gives us an opportunity to take a closer look at how the team stacks up with the rest of the league. Let’s focus on the dreaded “P” word: PITCHING.
I don’t think anyone needs to tell you that the Brewers have pitching problems. They’ve lost games in the past week by scores of 17-3, 9-7 and 13-2. Part of it is due to injuries. Both Pete Vuckovich (ankle) and Bob McClure (elbow) are out, and they haven’t been replaced on the staff. So not only is the team lacking two of it’s more dependable pitchers, but there is no depth to be found.
Once you look at the pitching leaders, you see just how dire the situation is. Mike Caldwell has one shutout, technically putting him in the top four (tied with several pitchers) in that category. Rollie Fingers is third in saves. But otherwise, no Brewers pitcher gets a sniff of the top.
The fourth best qualifying ERA in the American League is 2.15. The best qualifying ERA on the Brewers is 3.62, from Moose Haas. For goodness sake, Rollie Fingers is tied with Haas for the team lead in strikeouts with 23. The closer leads the team in strikeouts! By comparison, the fourth most strikeouts in the AL comes from starter Dennis Eckersley, with 42.
You can complain until you’re blue in the face about the offense. But this team needs more consistent pitching to win.
Stats through 5/16/82
AL Wins 1. La Marr Hoyt (CHW) – 7 2. Ron Guidry (NYY) – 5 3. Jack Morris (DET) – 5 4. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 5 |
NL Wins 1. Don Sutton (HOU) – 6 2. Dickie Noles (CHC) – 5 3. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 5 4. Bruce Berenyi (CIN) – 4 |
Brewers Wins 1. Pete Vuckovich – 4 2. Randy Lerch – 3 3. Jim Slaton – 3 4. Dwight Bernard – 2 |
AL ERA 1. L Hoyt (CHW) – 1.43 2. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 2.07 3. Don Aase (CAL) – 2.11 4. J Matlack (TEX) – 2.15 |
NL ERA 1. S Rogers (MON) – 1.93 2. S Sanderson (MON) – 2.34 3. B Berenyi (CIN) – 2.35 4. Mike Scott (NYM) – 2.36 |
Brewers ERA 1. Moose Haas – 3.62 2. Pete Vuckovich – 3.79 3. Mike Caldwell – 4.12 |
AL Strikeouts 1. Floyd Bannister (SEA) – 49 2. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 47 3. Ron Guidry (NYY) – 42 4. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 41 |
NL Strikeouts 1. Mario Soto (CIN) – 66 2. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 63 3. Steve Rogers (MON) – 43 4. Tim Lollar (SDP) – 41 |
Brewers Strikeouts 1. Rollie Fingers – 23 2. Moose Haas – 23 3. Pete Vuckovich – 20 4. Dwight Bernard – 18 |
AL Saves 1. Salome Barojas (CHW) – 9 2. Dan Quisenberry (KCR) – 9 *3. Rollie Fingers (MIL) – 8 4. Rich Gossage (NYY) – 8 |
NL Saves 1. Bruce Sutter (STL) – 11 2. Neil Allen (NYM) – 9 3. Tom Hume (CIN) – 8 4. Gene Garber (ATL) – 7 |
Brewers Saves 1. Rollie Fingers – 8 2. Dwight Bernard – 1 3. Jim Slaton – 1 |
AL Innings 1. Ken Forsch (CAL) – 71.0 2. S McGregor (BAL) – 69.7 3. Rick Langford (OAK) – 68.0 4. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 65.0 |
NL Innings 1. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 65.0 2. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 63.0 3. Mario Soto (CIN) – 62.7 4. Jerry Reuss (LAD) – 61.0 |
Brewers Innings 1. Moose Haas – 49.7 2. Mike Caldwell – 48.0 3. Pete Vuckovich – 40.3 4. Randy Lerch – 35.7 |
AL Hits Allowed 1. Rick Langford (OAK) – 73 2. Scott McGregor (BAL) – 69 3. Gaylord Perry (SEA) – 66 4. Mark Bomback (TOR) – 62 |
NL Hits Allowed 1. Steve Carlton (PHI) – 67 2. Bob Forsch (STL) – 60 3. J Eichelberger (SDP) – 59 4. Nolan Ryan (HOU) – 59 |
Brewers Hits Allowed 1. Mike Caldwell – 56 2. Moose Haas – 55 3. Pete Vuckovich – 40 4. Randy Lerch – 39 |
AL Shutouts 1. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 2 2. Dave Stieb (TOR) – 2 3. Geoff Zahn (CAL) – 2 *4. Mike Caldwell (MIL) – 1 |
NL Shutouts 1. Mike Krukow (PHI) – 2 2. Tim Lollar (SDP) – 2 3. Rick Mahler (ATL) – 2 4. Jerry Reuss (LAD) – 2 |
Brewers Shutouts 1. Mike Caldwell – 1 |
AL Complete Games 1. Ken Forsch (CAL) – 5 2. Rick Langford (OAK) – 5 3. Jack Morris (DET) – 5 4. Dennis Eckersley (BOS) – 4 |
NL Complete Games 1. F Valenzuela (LAD) – 4 2. Mike Krukow (PHI) – 3 3. Rick Mahler (ATL) – 3 4. Steve Rogers (MON) – 3 |
Brewers Complete Games 1. Mike Caldwell – 2 2. Pete Vuckovich – 1 |
Card of the Day: 1982 Fleer Robin Yount
The Kid. Eight years since his debut, he still hasn’t turned 27. He keeps getting better every year!
Brewers Strand Win in Scoring Position
White Sox 6, Brewers 1
Brewers now 18-15 (3rd)
Box Score | Season Schedule
CHICAGO — Paul Molitor scored on a Robin Yount single in the first inning. And that… Well, that was it for the Brewers today in Chicago.
Sure, they had 11 hits. Molitor and Jim Gantner each had three hits. But they were awful when it counted. The Brewers left 10 men on base and went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Awful.
I guess another positive was that Randy Lerch was reasonably effective. He didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning, when the White Sox scored two. But as we know, the offense failed miserably. When Randy Lerch is on the mound, you know you need to score runs.
Sure, Lerch was pretty good today. But he’s not the kind of guy who goes deep into games. And when that happens, the Brewers’ shaky bullpen is often exposed. It was again today.
Dwight Bernard allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one miserable inning. Jamie Easterly faced two batters and couldn’t get either out.
At least Jerry Augustine pitched a scoreless ninth to get his ERA down to 7.47. That thing is going to be inflated for a while after his surprise start against the Royals.
It was a disappointing game. Not a heartbreaker. You looked at this one on the schedule and figured it would be tough to win. But when Lerch pitches well and your offense collects 11 hits, you’d think you would have a chance.
Not on this day.
The Brewers have a day off tomorrow before opening an eight game homestand against the Angels.
Game Notes: Ted Simmons is now hitting just .208 on the season … Cecil Cooper had his first game off of the season … A rumor is swirling that Pete Vuckovich‘s ankle was not injured in a fall behind Royals Stadium, but instead due to a video game mishap. He is not happy. “I’m having my lawyer look at it. I don’t appreciate being called a liar.” Vuckovich has missed two scheduled starts and will likely miss a third.
Cooper is Super in 8-3 Win
Brewers 8, White Sox 3
Brewers now 18-14 (3rd)
Box Score | Season Schedule
CHICAGO — Down 1-0 in the third with two outs to 22-year-old All-Star lefty Britt Burns, the Brewers needed a hero. Cecil Cooper, the Crew’s most consistent offensive contributor and an early MVP favorite, stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.
Cooper promptly doubled home Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor, and Robin Yount to give the Brewers the lead. Dependable Cooper comes through again.
The White Sox would tie the game in the 8th when Ron LeFlore doubled in two runs off of Dwight Bernard, who had come in to relieve starter Moose Haas. The lead was temporary.
Cooper walked to lead off the bottom of the 8th, and would then score along with Gorman Thomas on a Don Money double to left to take the lead and knock Burns from the game. A perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Jim Gantner off of reliever Jerry Koosman would bring in the third run of the inning to make it 6-3.
The Brewers would pad their lead in the ninth when Cooper singled home Yount and a run scored on a bases loaded, Charlie Moore groundout.
Cooper would finish the day with two hits, a walk, two runs scored and four driven in. He’s now hitting a robust .354 with 21 RBI on the season. Cooper was super, and his contributions are becoming commonplace.
Moose Haas started on the mound for the Brewers, allowing three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Two of those runs scored with Dwight Bernard, who relieved him in the seventh, on the mound.
It was a solid win against a young star in Burns and the now 20-12 White Sox. The Brewers go for the sweep tomorrow with Randy Lerch on the mound.
Game Notes: Don Money collected three hits, all doubles … Unsubstantiated reports that Pete Vuckovich actually hurt his ankle when a video game fell on it, not slipping on a hill … Jim Gantner and Ned Yost collected two hits apiece.