Pete’s always working hard to look angry for the camera. Job well done, Vuke.
Pete Vuckovich
Mighty Wallbangers Shut Out
Twins 3, Brewers 0
Brewers now 45-35 (2nd)
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MILWAUKEE — What? The Brewers have been shut out? The mighty Harvey’s Wallbangers?
It happened. For the first time in 137 games, it happened. And the last time they were shut out, on June 8, 1981, it was also at the hands of the Twins.
The loss was Pete Vuckovich‘s fourth this season and eighth in two seasons with the Brewers. He still shares the AL lead in wins with 10. He wasn’t perfect, but he allowed only three runs in a complete game loss.
The thing is, this game could have easily swung the Brewers’ way. Twins starter Jack O’Connor was fantastic, but the Brewers were inches away from swinging this game the other way. In the first inning with two on and two out, Gorman Thomas launched a fly ball to left field that was snagged at the wall by Bobby Mitchell. In an identical situation in the fifth with two on and two out, Robin Yount hit a shot to the warning track in right.
It was a painful loss, one that dropped the Brewers to two games back of the AL East lead (the Red Sox won), but it wasn’t meant to be.
But what was meant to be? Cecil Cooper and Rollie Fingers in the All-Star Game. Reserves were announced today, and the deserving duo join shortstop Robin Yount on the squad. That’s nice. All three have played at an All-Star level. But what about Gorman Thomas, who leads the AL in home runs? What about Pete Vuckovich, who leads the AL in wins? What about Ben Oglivie?
It’s okay. It’s just an exhibition game and a popularity contest. Not like the game actually counts. The Brewers will get back to winning the games that matter tomorrow.
Game Notes: Twins super rookie Kent Hrbek had four hits. … Brewers reliever Jamie Easterly was noticeably limping on a sore right knee prior to the game. If it is not better by July 11, he will undergo an arthroscopic exam. It is the same knee he had surgery on seven years ago. … Ned Yost and his wife Debbie became first time parents of a baby boy this morning. … A huge tailgate party to benefit the MACC fund will be held prior to tomorrow’s game starting at 3:00 in the parking lot near center field. Tickets are $15 and include a game ticket. Tickets for just the tailgate are $10.
Brewers Celebrate Bat Night in Style
Brewers 7, Red Sox 0
Brewers now 44-32 (1st-T)
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MILWAUKEE — Tonight was Bat Night at Milwaukee County Stadium, and the Brewers faithful showed up in record numbers. Of course, not all 55,716 attended the game for the free bat (and of course, not that many bats were available). First place was on the line.
So how did the Brewers celebrate Bat Night? They hit four home runs, of course.
Cecil Cooper cracked two more homers, giving him 20 on the season and three during the past two days. Paul Molitor smacked his eighth to lead off today’s game, putting him one shy of his career high just 76 games into the season. Robin Yount hit his 12th, continuing his All-Star-type season (even if he isn’t voted in). That’s the team’s one, two and three hitters.
The numbers are getting laughable. Harvey’s Wallbangers have now clubbed 35 long balls in 15 games, breaking the record formerly held by the mythical 1961 New York Yankees. They now have 113 homers on the season, putting them on pace to finish with 238, two shy of the record set by those same Yankees.
The Brewers are 21-8 under Kuenn, hit a lot of homers, yadda yadda yadda. You’ve heard it before. It’s almost getting tiresome.
“You make a mistake,” said Red Sox starter Mike Torrez, who allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits in 4 2/3 innings in yesterday’s drubbing, “and they’re going to take advantage of it. What you have to do is be flawless to beat them right now.”
It’s true. And no opponent, other than the Yankees’ Mike Morgan, has been flawless of late.
Of course, the general storyline these last few weeks has been that the Brewers are sending baseballs out of the park left and right while their pitchers are doing just well enough to win. Today was different.
Pete Vuckovich was nearly perfect. In fact, he was perfect, not allowing a baserunner until a one-out walk broke up the perfect game. He held the Red Sox hitless until two outs in the fifth, and would pitch a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits.
But Vuke was never thinking no-hitter. “I just wanted to keep putting goose eggs on the scoreboard.”
And he did. Nine times.
For the first time since April 14 when they were 3-2, the Milwaukee Brewers are in first place in the AL East. Of course, they currently share those honors with the Boston Red Sox.
“We’ve had to work hard for everything we’ve got,” Vuke told the Milwaukee Journal. “Hard work got us where we are at. Now we just have to try to stay there.”
Tomorrow, the Brewers look to move into the top spot by themselves. And stay there.
Brewers Pound Yankees, Guidry
Brewers 11, Yankees 4
Brewers now 41-31 (2nd)
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NEW YORK — After the Yankees jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the third inning with ace Ron Guidry on the mound, things wouldn’t have looked good for most teams.
You know Ron Guidry. Since the start of the 1977 season, he came into today’s game with a 95-35 record and a downright silly 2.71 ERA. So it would be understandable if most teams would pack it in at that point.
But the Brewers aren’t most teams. They are Harvey’s Wallbangers. No lead is safe.
The Crew chipped away with a run on an RBI double by Don Money in the fourth, but that was just the opening act. In the fifth, the Brewers opened the flood gates on the Yankees ace and brought wrath he is not accustomed to experiencing.
The Brewers opened with consecutive singles by Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Cecil Cooper to score the first run. After Ted Simmons grounded out, Gorman Thomas drew a walk to load the bases and Ben Oglivie singled home Yount and Simmons.
Four singles, three runs. That was all for Ron Guidry. But the Brewers weren’t done.
Don Money then singled home Gorman, and with runners at first and third Ed Romero dropped down a squeeze bunt that resulted in the sixth single of the inning that scored one more run. Charlie Moore then grounded out to drive in the sixth run of the inning to give the Brewers a 9-4 lead.
Wait, what happened to Harvey’s Wallbangers? Six singles including a squeeze bunt? Who are these guys?
Well, Cecil Cooper also hit two homers on the day, including a 420-foot shot to center in the sixth. Is that good enough?
There is no proper superlative to describe this offense right now. The Brewers have scored 45 runs on the five-game road trip against the Red Sox and Yankees, batting a ridiculous .337.
Mike Caldwell also deserves recognition for recovering from a slow start. He allowed four runs on five hits and three walks through the first three innings. From the fourth through seventh innings, he allowed no runs on five hits. Jerry Augustine then came on to pitch two innings of no-hit ball.
Ron Guidry stepped on the mound with an 8-2 record and 3.04 ERA today. The Brewers didn’t blink. After giving up eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, Guidry left with a 3.57 ERA.
“Did George call and send Guidry down yet?” Rollie Fingers joked, referring to the impatient Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner. It was funny, only because such a reaction wouldn’t have been out of character. Last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, Dave Righetti, was recently sent to the minors after starting the season 5-5 with a typically acceptable 4.23 ERA.
By the time this series is over, George may send his entire pitching staff to the minors.
Game Notes: Pete Vuckovich was ejected from the dugout after arguing balls and strikes … The Brewers are now 18-7 under Harvey Kuenn and remain three games back of the Boston Red Sox … Jim Gantner, recovering from an injured shoulder, has been hitting well in batting practice and may be used as a pinch hitter if he isn’t put on the DL … Charlie Moore has started every game in right field on the current road trip … A Brewers fan who said he was assaulted by a security worker at County Stadium two years ago filed a suit of $125,000 against the team.
Vuke is Wild, Red Sox Take Finale
Red Sox 9, Brewers 7
Brewers now 40-31 (2nd)
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BOSTON — After winning the first three games of this series, it was easy for Brewers fans to get greedy. We have Pete Vuckovich on the mound for the final game, and he had won eight straight games. The offense had scored 27 runs on eight homers in the first three games. We didn’t only see the fourth win as possible, we expected it.
Well, the offense actually held up its end of the bargain. The Brewers hit two more home runs as Gorman Thomas slugged his 18th and third of the series and Roy Howell slugged his second of the season. With seven runs on 10 hits and the ace on the mound, it should have been enough for the four-game sweep that would have pulled the Crew to within a game of first place.
Well, first place will have to wait. Pete Vuckovich was not on his game. Not even close. In 6 2/3 innings, he allowed eight runs (five earned) on nine hits. Most alarming was that he walked seven. In the pivotal seventh, Vuke walked two and hit a batter to load the bases with two outs before Jerry Remy hit a bases-clearing double.
Sure, the defense also didn’t do its job. An Ed Romero error led to two unearned runs and a Ted Simmons passed ball led to another. But still. When you walk eight (Jim Slaton walked one) in addition to 10 hits, you can’t expect to win many games.
While we could leave disappointed knowing that a winnable game got away, the Brewers can hold their heads high. They outplayed the division leaders for most of the four games on foreign soil. This was a statement series.
The Brewers aren’t going away.
Game Notes: Jamie Easterly pitched for the first time since allowing a Dan Ford grand slam 13 days ago … Jim Gantner has a rotator cuff bruise and won’t throw for five days. Not yet known if he will go on the DL.
Steinbrenner Protests Brewers Win
Brewers 3, Yankees 2
Brewers now 37-29 (2nd)
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MILWAUKEE — Following today’s game, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was fuming. He was so steamed that he is protesting the results and sent a videotape of two plays to league president Lee McPhail.
In other words, the Yankees lost and George needed someone to blame. The plays in question were of little consequence. Had they gone another way, there is little guarantee the Yankees could have found a way to score.
The truth is that had the Yankees taken advantage of a first inning opportunity, George would be happy. After nine pitches and no outs, New York had loaded the bases on Brewers starter Pete Vuckovich, who had thrown only two strikes. Somehow, some way, Vuke escaped that inning by only allowing a single run. It would be important in what would become a low scoring game.
Cecil Cooper quickly made the Yankees pay for failing to score more runs when he hit a booming two-run home run to right in the bottom of the first. The Yankees would tie it up on a Roy Smalley solo homer in the top of the second, but Marshall Edwards would give the Crew the lead for good in the bottom of the inning with a run-scoring, infield single.
That’s right. Each team scored at least one run in each of the first two innings, but that was it. Of course, that doesn’t mean the following innings lacked controversy.
Willie Randolph led off the top of the third with a bunt in front of the plate. Vuckovich made an athletic play to get to the ball and throw a bullet to first. Randolph was called out, and he showed his disapproval. George, too, griped about the call.
Ken Griffey would follow with a walk, but the Yankees would fail to get a hit that inning. So there is little reason to believe that a close call at first would have changed the game in the third.
In the eighth, Yankees left fielder Dave Collins popped up a foul behind the plate. Ted Simmons went back to the screen and made the catch. Steinbrenner claimed Simmons trapped the ball against the screen. This dispute borders on ridiculous. Had Simmons actually trapped the ball, Collins still needed to reach base. Vuke had retired the Yankees in order in the eighth, so this was far from a game-changing call.
What isn’t in dispute? Rollie Fingers‘ dominance. After Jerry Mumphrey singled to lead off the top of the ninth, Fingers was summoned from the bullpen. Eight pitches and two strikeouts later, the inning and game were over.
Covering his last two outings, Rollie has thrown 18 pitches, 17 for strikes. He’s retired all six batters he’s faced and five were via the strikeout.
The Brewers keep winning, and they’re having fun. “We were a squabbling, bickering bunch of guys for a while,” first baseman Cecil Cooper said of the days under former manager Buck Rodgers. “I think [Kuenn] deserves a lot of credit just for creating that type of atmosphere. It’s fun. I think that’s the way it should be. Come out and have fun.”
It’s this type of atmosphere that is lacking in New York. It’s why the Yankees are losing, and it’s why George Steinbrenner needs someone to blame.
Game Notes: It was the Brewers’ seventh straight win, remaining four games back of the Red Sox … At 23-6, Pete Vuckovich has won more games than any pitcher in baseball since the start of the 1981 season. He’s won eight straight, tying Mike Caldwell for the club record … Rollie Fingers recorded his 16th save … Yankees shortstop Bucky Dent announced after the game that if he is selected to start the All-Star Game that he would decline. Robin Yount is currently second in the balloting.