Is Brouhard a future regular in the Brewers’ outfield? Or is he destined to be a fringe major leaguer after dominating the minors?
Mark Brouhard
Brewers Pile on in Sixth
Brewers 8, Angels 5
Brewers now 81-55 (1st by 4.0 games)
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MILWAUKEE — Entering the sixth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers could get nothing done in support of another terrific start by Mike Caldwell. Geoff Zahn was shutting them out on two hits and carried a 1-0 lead.
It all started when Jim Gantner led off the inning with a hit by pitch, taking a high fastball off of his wrist. Gantner would be replaced by Rob Picciolo, and x-rays revealed only a deep bone bruise.
Molitor singled to left, Robin bunted both runners over, and then Cooper hit a harmless groundout to short.
So there it was. The Brewers had runners at second and third with two outs, trailing 1-0. It’s where pennant contending teams cash in. It’s where others do not.
The Brewers cashed in. Zahn threw a wild pitch, plating Picciolo. Gorman Thomas then hammered a rare opposite field single to score Molitor. Don Money hit a looper into the corner in right that Reggie Jackson couldn’t cut off for an RBI triple. And then Mark Brouhard, filling in for the injured Ben Oglivie, launched a three-run homer to make it five two-out runs in the inning.
The Angels would battle back with a two-run homer by Reggie Jackson in the top of the seventh, but the Brewers then put their collective foot on the throat with three runs on four hits in the eighth. Every offensive player other than Gantner got into the act, collecting either a hit, run score or RBI.
Caldwell allowed all five runs in eight solid innings of work to pick up his 14th win and sixth in his last seven starts. Caldwell has been a revelation since Kuenn took over, going 9-3 with a 3.63 ERA since early July and 7-1 with a 2.70 ERA since August 1.
Pete Ladd, the temporary closer while Rollie Fingers nurses a slight tear in his right forearm, allowed only a single in a scoreless ninth for the save.
If there was anything to worry about as a Brewers fan following this game it was Gorman Thomas’ health. He injured his arm in the second making a throw and struggled with the pain for the rest of the game.
Thomas originally hurt the arm 12 days ago in Anaheim making a diving catch. Manager Harvey Kuenn says it’s something that most players would miss time with, but Thomas simply treats it with ice.
Thomas was in so much pain that he asked Charlie Moore, who was playing right, to go after anything close.
“I was shading everyone to center more than I usually would,” Moore said. “He also told me if a ball got through to get ready to make a throw for him. You know he’s really hurting when he says something like that and is showing pain on his face.”
The Brewers need to get healthy because their rivals are getting stronger. The Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox each won to remain 4 and 4 1/2 games back respectively.
Game Notes: Moose Haas has officially moved to the bullpen, thereby granting the fifth spot in the bullpen to Doc Medich.
Card of the Day: 1982 Topps Mark Brouhard
Brouhard hit .350 with 29 homers for El Paso in 1979, following a .310 and 29 season a year prior. He’s done all he can do in the minors!
Rickey Ties Record, Gorman Steals the Show
Brewers 10, A’s 3
Brewers now 74-51 (1st by 5.5 games)
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MILWAUKEE — Rickey Henderson got all of the attention, but Gorman Thomas stole the show.
Henderson led off the game with a single to center and promptly stole second base to tie him with Lou Brock for the single season record at 118. Considering the A’s have 34 games remaining, it’s safe to say that record will be broken. Shortly.
Will the Brewers try to prevent Henderson from breaking the record? Tigers manager Sparky Anderson walked batters in front of Henderson to clog the bases, an interesting strategy.
“If he’s gonna steal,” manager Harvey Kuenn told the Milwaukee Sentinel, “he’s gonna have to go out and earn it. Our goal is to keep him off base four times. The same goal we have for all the hitters.”
Other than the one at bat in the first, the Brewers were successful at keeping Henderson off the bases and the A’s off the scoreboard. Oakland, meanwhile, was not so successful holding down the Brewers offense. In particular, Gorman Thomas.
Gorman hit a three-run homer in the third inning and a two-run shot with two outs in the seventh to give him a major league leading 34 on the season. Thomas also singled and drove in six, putting him one RBI shy of the club record set by Ted Kubiak.
Unlike the A’s and Henderson, of course, the Brewers aren’t a one trick pony. All-Star shortstop Robin Yount went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple while starting pitcher Mike Caldwell tossed yet another gem.
Caldwell allowed three runs on seven hits in his team-high ninth complete game of the season to improve to 12-11. He’s won five of his last seven decisions and seven of his last 11. During his last 52 innings, Caldwell has allowed only 13 runs for a 2.25 ERA.
Is this the same Mike Caldwell who pitched under former manager Buck Rodgers? Caldwell was nearly shipped out of town for later acquisition Doc Medich, who has been far from dependable for the Brewers. Rodgers hinted at naming Caldwell a cancer on the team, and his days as a Brewer seemed to be numbered.
But now? Now he’s pitching like an All-Star.
“He’s pitched great the last two months,” Kuenn said. “If we would have scored some runs in a couple of his losses, he could be 16-7.”
Often overlooked as a factor in the ascension of Harvey’s Wallbangers is the performance of Caldwell. The offense has been great, but other than ace Pete Vuckovich the Brewers needed another reliable arm in the rotation. Caldwell has been it, and then some.
The second place Boston Red Sox split a double header with the Angels, so they fell to 5 1/2 games back of the Brewers.
Game Notes: Ted Simmons had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. … The Brewers will likely call up an outfielder from Vancouver, either Kevin Bass or Mark Brouhard, in the next two days.
Card of the Day: 1982 Donruss Mark Brouhard
The 26-year-old has had some big years in the minors, and it was thought that 1982 would finally be his breakthrough. He’s still on the outside looking in, but a key contributor.
Jays Roll Over, Give Brewers Two
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)
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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.