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Brewers 1982

Brewers 1982

Covering the Milwaukee Brewers throughout the 1982 season, in real-time, as it would have happpened.

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Barry Bonnell

Fingers Missing, Caldwell Loses Game

August 14 Leave a Comment

Blue Jays 4, Brewers 2
Brewers now 68-47 (1st by 5.5 games)
Box Score | Season Schedule

Rollie Fingers
Without Rollie Fingers, the Brewers lost grip of the lead late.

MILWAUKEE — Holding a 2-0 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the top of the eighth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers were on cruise control. Mike Caldwell had allowed two hits and was untouchable. A two run lead seemed insurmountable. And then…

With two down, Barry Bonnell hit a double to left center field to score Damaso Garcia to make it a 2-1 game. Caldwell would get out of the inning when Leon Roberts grounded out, but the fact that he allowed as many hits that inning as he had in the first seven should have been a warning sign.

Caldwell was out of gas.

Jesse Barfield led off the top of the ninth with a sharp single to left. Willie Upshaw bunted, hoping to sacrifice Barfield to second. Instead, Caldwell fumbled the ball and the Blue Jays had two runners on with no outs. Tony Johnson hit a triple off of the wall in right center to score Barfield and Upshaw. And then former Brewer Buck Martinez brought home Johnson on a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2 Blue Jays.

Dave Stieb nearly matched Caldwell pitch-for-pitch. But while Caldwell ran out of gas late, Stieb shut the door when it mattered. He retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced, and the Brewers’ offense never had a chance.

So, how could this happen? How could manager Harvey Kuenn leave Caldwell in a close game when he was clearly losing it? It’s simple. All-world closer Rollie Fingers wasn’t on the premises. He is back in San Diego getting treatment for a sore elbow. With Fingers, this would have been a win.

The Boston Red Sox fell to the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 in 10 innings, so the Brewers maintained their 5 1/2 game lead. But today is a preview of what can happen if Rollie Fingers is not available to anchor the bullpen. Get well, Rollie. We can’t afford to blow many more of these.

Game Notes: Randy Lerch has been sold to the Montreal Expos. Lerch had been recently demoted to the bullpen, and veteran hurler Doc Medich was acquired to take his place in the rotation. No corresponding transaction has been made. … Gorman Thomas went 3-for-4 and hit his MLB-leading 31st home run of the season.

Filed Under: Game Recap Tagged With: Barry Bonnell, Blue Jays, Buck Martinez, Damaso Garcia, Dave Stieb, Doc Medich, Gorman Thomas, Harvey Kuenn, Jesse Barfield, Leon Roberts, Mike Caldwell, Randy Lerch, Rollie Fingers, Tony Johnson, Willie Upshaw

Jays Roll Over, Give Brewers Two

August 12 Leave a Comment

Brewers 7, Blue Jays 1 (Game 1)
Box Score
Brewers 4, Blue Jays 3 (Game 2)
Box Score
Brewers now 67-46 (1st by 5.5 games)
Season Schedule

Gorman Thomas
Gorman Thomas hit a home run in each game to take the MLB lead.

MILWAUKEE — Earlier in the week, the Toronto Blue Jays did the Milwaukee Brewers a big favor by sweeping the second place Boston Red Sox in a three game series. It was only natural that they’d roll over in a double header with the first place Brewers today.

Maybe they didn’t roll over. Maybe it wasn’t intentional. But Brewers fans appreciate their effort, or lack thereof.

In the first game of today’s double header, Brewers starter Bob McClure took on the Blue Jays for the second time in 10 days. Last time, he lasted only an inning and took the loss. Today, he pitched a complete game, allowing only a run on five hits and four strikeouts.

McClure looked like a completely different pitcher. He retired the last 15 batters he faced and didn’t walk anyone, the first time he accomplished that in 25 career starts.

“I felt in a lot more control than the last time,” McClure assured us. “It’s always easier when you score a lot of runs early.”

Well, maybe not “a lot” or “early.” The Brewers scored two runs in the second inning on a two-run home run by Gorman Thomas, his 29th of the season. The Blue Jays pulled to within a run in the fourth inning and then the Brewers pulled away in the fifth with four runs to make it a 6-1 game. Jim Gantner, Paul Molitor and Robin Yount all had RBI hits in the inning.

But McClure was the story of the game. His approach was completely different this time around.

“He mixed up his pitches good,” manager Harvey Kuenn explained. “He threw more fastballs than previously, which makes his curveball and change-up more effective.”

The Blue Jays made the second game interesting when they tied the game at three in the sixth inning. But with two down and runners on the corners in the bottom of the inning, Robin Yount lifted a lazy liner into left field. Outfielder Barry Bonnell jogged in… and dropped the ball. Charlie Moore trotted across the plate for what would be the winning run. A gift.

Gorman Thomas hit another two-run home run in the third inning to give him 30 on the season, taking the MLB lead over Atlanta’s Dale Murphy. Randy Lerch, making his first spot start since being demoted to the bullpen, pitched a solid six innings in return to a temporary spotlight.

But in the end, this game was a gift. And since neither the Red Sox nor the Orioles played today, the Brewers gained a game on both. Tomorrow, the Brewers hope the Blue Jays will continue to be in a giving mood.

Game Notes: Outfielder Mark Brouhard was sent to Triple-A Vancouver to make room for recent acquisition Doc Medich. Brouhard is expected to be recalled when rosters are expanded on September 1. The Brewers were rumored to be trying to trade a pitcher, presumably Lerch or Jerry Augustine, but instead decided to go with four outfielders and 11 pitchers. … Jamie Easterly, out since July 12 following knee surgery, is eligible to return but is not expected to be activated until rosters expand on September 1.

Filed Under: Game Recap Tagged With: Barry Bonnell, Blue Jays, Bob McClure, Charlie Moore, Dale Murphy, Doc Medich, Gorman Thomas, Harvey Kuenn, Jamie Easterly, Jerry Augustine, Jim Gantner, Mark Brouhard, Paul Molitor, Randy Lerch, Robin Yount

Fingers Slips, Brewers Lose in 10th

April 10 Leave a Comment

Blue Jays 3, Brewers 2 (10)
Brewers now 1-1 (2nd)
Box Score | Season Schedule

Barry Bonnell
This is the powerful force who went 5-for-5 and drove in the winning run off of Rollie Fingers.

After the Brewers’ demolition of the Blue Jays in Toronto on Opening Day, it was easy to get a bit cocky. The Brewers, after all, proved to be the superior team last season. And after one game, we were pretty certain nothing had changed.

One important detail did change, however. Rollie Fingers was beatable.

From June 2 on last year, Fingers allowed a grand total of three earned runs in 43 1/3 innings pitched for a ridiculous 0.65 ERA. If Rollie came into a game with the lead, that game was over. If he came in with a tie, he’d hold on until the Brewers scored, which rarely took long.

[Read more…] about Fingers Slips, Brewers Lose in 10th

Filed Under: Game Recap Tagged With: Barry Bonnell, Ben Oglivie, Blue Jays, Cecil Cooper, Charlie Moore, Damaso Garcia, Dave Stieb, Jim Gantner, Lloyd Moseby, Mike Caldwell, Paul Molitor, Rollie Fingers

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