Twins

Brewers Mash Four Homers in Win

July 21

Brewers 10, Twins 4
Brewers now 54-37 (1st)
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Don Money hit two home runs to lead the Brewers

MINNEAPOLIS — The Brewers have been playing a finesse game of late to varying levels of success. That style does not fit Harvey’s Wallbangers.

Today, the Brewers returned to their roots, mashing four home runs en route to a 10-4 win over the Twins, salvaging the finale of a three-game series. Don Money, filling in for Cecil Cooper who sat with a sore right knee, mashed two long balls while Ben Oglivie and Charlie Moore knocked out one.

The tone was set early in this game. In the bottom of the first, Tom Brunansky hit what appeared to be a home run to right center, but Gorman Thomas made a leaping grab that pulled the ball back into the park.

The Brewers scored their first run on a leadoff homer by Money in the 3rd. Then they benefitted from Frank Viola‘s bout of wildness in the fourth, tacking on six more runs. Viola walked in one run before Paul Boris took the mound. Simmons hit a sacrifice fly, Gorman Thomas walked, and Ben Oglivie hit a grand slam just clear of the 327 foot sign in right.

“There was no doubt it was out of here but only in this place,” said Oglivie. “Any other park and you can forget about it.”

It was Benji’s 22nd home run of the season, tying him with teammate Gorman Thomas, Cleveland’s Andre Thornton and California’s Reggie Jackson for the AL lead.

Moose Haas picked up his third straight win and struck out eight in eight innings.

The Red Sox split a double header with the Rangers, giving the Brewers a half game lead in the AL East. The Brewers have a day off tomorrow before heading to Kansas City.

Game Notes: The Brewers won the season series with the Twins 7-5. The Twins are the only team to beat the Brewers since July 4.

Brewers, Twins Brawl

July 20

Twins 5, Brewers 3
Brewers now 53-37 (1st)
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1982 Donruss Robin Yount — Robin Yount's slide started the brawl.

MINNEAPOLIS — When you open your newspaper and look at the box score in the morning, you’ll see that the Twins beat the Brewers 5-3, beating the Crew for the second straight time and forcing a first place tie with the Red Sox. But if you focus on that, you miss the story.

This wasn’t a baseball game. It was a brawl. During breaks from the brawl, they played some baseball.

It all started in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kent Hrbek slid hard and high into Jim Gantner in an unsuccessful attempt to break up a double play. Gantner was sent sprawling and would be removed from the game with a deep thigh bruise.

“I don’t care when they slide low,” Gantner told the Milwaukee Sentinel after the game, “but when they hit me up here [upper thigh] they were in the air.”

Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn was furious about the slide. He immediately charged the field to come to his second baseman’s aid. On the way off the field, he was seen jawing at Hrbek.

“You can quote me,” Kuenn said later. “I called him a no good SOB for taking a cheap shot at my second baseman. He told me he was just sliding but he’s full of it. You might be able to slide like that in A ball but up here’s a different story. He’s a big boy in a big man’s game. It was a cheap shot. Period.”

Hrbek watched the tape after the game and admitted it was a poor slide. “I am a poor slider and I guess that proved it.”

Kuenn didn’t buy it. “If he’s a bad slider,” he said, “get some sliding lessons.”

The Brewers would get their revenge in the sixth. With Paul Molitor on second and Robin Yount on first, Cecil Cooper hit a double play ball to second baseman Juan Castino. Castino flipped to shortstop Lenny Faedo for the force and Yount went far outside of the baseline to take out Faedo and knocked him on the temple with his forearm.

“I knew something would happen,” said Faedo, “but I never thought he’d come after me. I was just going for the force. The next thing I know he was on the turf trying to get me.”

Castino and centerfielder Bobby Mitchell then charged Yount while Brewers first base coach Ron Hansen tried to break up the fracas. It was too late as both benches cleared for a 10-minute brawl. Players were seen pushing and shoving across the field. Kent Hrbek and Brewers pitcher Bob McClure would emerge from the pile throwing punches. Ben Oglivie, Charlie Moore and Ted Simmons then came to McClure’s aid and ambushed Hrbek.

“I figured something was going to happen,” said Hrbek. “He [Kuenn] told me he was going to get me. I guess they got me.”

Hrbek and McClure would be ejected from the game.

When order was finally restored, a game was played. Jack O’Connor limited the Brewers offense to two runs on five hits through 6 2/3 innings. Mike Caldwell allowed five runs on 11 hits in the same length of time.

But the game was the side show. Everyone who witnessed this game will forever be talking about the brawl. Though the Brewers lost, it could be a moment that further brings them together as a team.

The first test is tomorrow, as they look to avoid the sweep.

Twins End Brewers’ Streak at Eight

July 19

Twins 6, Brewers 4
Brewers now 53-36 (1st)
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MINNEAPOLIS — Heading into today’s game, the last time the Brewers lost was on July 8 to the Minnesota Twins. Guess it was only fitting that those same Twins would be the team to end the eight-game winning streak that took place in between.

After the first at bat, there was a sense that this game may not go the Brewers’ way. Paul Molitor lined a rocket into center that Twins outfielder Bobby Mitchell chased after. He took the risk of diving for it at full extension. It’s a risk in this situation because if Mitchell misses and the ball gets by him, it was a likely inside-the-park home run. Instead, Mitchell made a magnificent catch and Molitor was the first out of the game.

“If there was ever an omen for what my night was going to be like that was it,” said Molitor. The worst was yet to come for him.

Brewers spot starter Jerry Augustine was cruising through the Twins lineup into the third inning. Seven up, seven down. Then Lenny Faedo hit a grounder that spun out of Molitor’s glove and reached first on the error. Juan Castino then grounded into what should have been the inning-ending out. But thanks to Molitor’s miscue, there were only two down with a runner on.

Augustine then walked Mitchell and DH Dave Engle rolled another grounder Molitor’s way. The third basemen again misplayed the ball, and the bases were loaded with two outs. Tom Brunansky then launched a drive to center reminiscent of Molitor’s first inning drive. Gorman Thomas attempted to play the part of Bobby Mitchell in center. He dived, but the ball got by him and to the wall.

“If [Thomas] catches that ball,” Brunansky told the Milwaukee Sentinel, “the game’s over and they win it.”

Instead, it was an inside-the-park grand slam for Brunansky. A play that never would have happened if not for one Molitor error, but he made two. That inning was the story of the game.

Augustine would pitch well enough to win, allowing only two earned runs in eight innings. The Brewers would score four runs, three thanks to two home runs by Robin Yount. But because of that one inning — and ultimately because of Molitor — the streak ended today.

It’s tough to be too hard on a player like Molitor, who by all accounts is having a good season with a .289 batting average. But it’s moments like these that give Brewers fans flashbacks to the “old Brewers” of only a couple of months ago that couldn’t get out of their own way in the field.

For now, we’ll chalk it up to a bad day. A new day is tomorrow.

Game Notes: Jim Gantner, who continued his hot hitting with three base hits today, was named AL Player of the Week. Now hitting .346, his average is high enough to lead the league but he does not have enough at bats to qualify.

Mighty Wallbangers Shut Out

July 8

Twins 3, Brewers 0
Brewers now 45-35 (2nd)
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1982 Topps Stickers Pete Vuckovich — Pete Vuckovich wasn't perfect, but perfection wouldn't have been good enough in this shutout.

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.

Twins Blast McClure

July 7

Twins 11, Brewers 8
Brewers now 45-34 (2nd)
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MILWAUKEE — It’s pretty easy to boil today’s 11-8 loss to the Minnesota Twins down to one inning and one player: The second inning and Bob McClure.

After neither team had a hit in the first, the Twins came out swinging in the second. After retiring rookie Kent Hrbek for his fourth consecutive out, McClure endured the following:

Engle (walk)
Laudner (walk)
Ward (single)
Gaetti (home run)
Castino (single)
Mitchell (single)

Dwight Bernard then relieved McClure and got the final two outs, but not until his inherited runners scored.

Down 6-0 in the second inning, the Brewers offense didn’t give up. They never do. They played up to Harvey’s Wallbangers standards, scoring eight runs on 13 hits, including home runs by Ed Romero (1), Robin Yount (14) and Ted Simmons (12).

Of course, even if your offense scores eight runs, when you spot the opposition six you have to expect your bullpen to allow fewer than two runs over 7 2/3 innings. That didn’t happen.

And not to bag on the bullpen, but other than Bernard they didn’t do their job. After Bernard held things together with only one earned run over 4 2/3 innings, Jamie Easterly allowed two runs in two innings and Rollie Fingers allowed two more in one inning. So, if you want to get technical… Really, all the Brewers needed was for Easterly and Fingers to shut out the Twins over the final three innings. If you want to assign some blame there, feel free.

The loss was the Brewers’ second in three games and their third in six. Not awful. But the Red Sox beat the Rangers 8-5, so the Brewers now trail by a full game.

Game Notes: Robin Yount, Ted Simmons and Charlie Moore each had three hits.

Brewers Resilient, Sweep Twins

May 9

Brewers 6, Twins 2
Brewers now 16-10 (2nd)
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MILWAUKEE — When things are going well, it seems even the worst predicaments can be overcome. Today’s predicament qualifies.

Brewers starting pitcher Bob McClure threw one pitch today. That one pitch immediately came back to him. Ron Washington lined it off of McClure’s pitching elbow.

Luckily, it hit the fleshy part of McClure’s elbow. But it still left a mark, and he wasn’t able to continue. Jim Slaton took over on the mound.

This is only a guess, but I pictured Slaton lounging in the bullpen with a candy bar in one hand and binoculars in the other, checking out female fans in the stands. It was the first pitch of the first inning. No reason to think he’d be in the game any time soon.

But just like that, Jim was summoned. It would have been perfectly understandable if he wasn’t mentally prepared to pitch at that point. You just don’t go in to start a game on the mound (for all intents and purposes, that’s what he did) at a moment’s notice. As a result, Slaton allowed a couple of hits and the only two Twins runs of the game.

But Slaton was typically fantastic from that point forward. He allowed three more hits through the fifth before Dwight Bernard took over. Even Bernard was fantastic, allowing only a hit in three innings. And Rollie Fingers finished off the relief pitcher’s dream with a perfect inning of his own.

This is what happens when things are going well. Despite losing your starting pitcher on the first pitch, and despite falling into a first inning 2-0 hole, you never lose confidence. The relief pitchers did their job, and the offense did theirs.

The Brewers tied it up in the fourth on a two-run, two-out triple by Jim Gantner. Then took the lead for good in the fifth on a two run homer by Ben Oglivie (his seventh). Gantner would come a double away from hitting for the cycle. The Brewers swept the four game series from the Twins, an impressive feat even when your opponent is the Twins.

You can’t phase this team. The Crew’s unheralded relievers are ready to step up. And the offense is always capable of digging out of a hole. That’s what happens when you’re in the midst of a four-game winning streak. You are never out of a game.

Game Notes: Jim Gantner, needing a double to complete the cycle, accidentally wore Cecil Cooper‘s batting helmet in his eighth inning at bat. He flied out … The Brewers are 16-10 and have won 13 of their last 17. They now trail the Boston Red Sox by 2 1/2 games … X-rays on Bob McClure’s elbow were negative, and he may not miss a start.