This Week in Brewers Baseball: Where Art Thou, Pitching?
The Milwaukee Brewers completed the month of April and kicked off May as week 4 of the MLB season wrapped up. Unfortunately, the Crew's struggles continued - especially from the pitching side of things. The club will keep searching for answers, even if it means calling up some new arms.
Series Recaps
Swept in 2 games on the road against the Chicago Cubs (L-L)
Lost 2 of 3 games at home to the Miami Marlins (L-L-W)
This week's record: 1-4 (9-15 overall)
Three Up, Three Down
Jonathan Villar
He's been a bit inconsistent, but Villar's numbers for the week are strong, especially since the Brewers only played 5 games. He hit .300 with a .364 OBP and an OPS of .814, which included 3 doubles and 2 walks. Villar also stole 4 bases without being caught - 3 of which came in one game (on Thursday vs. Chicago).
In that game against the Cubs, Villar went 3-for-4 and scored the run that snapped Jake Arrieta's scoreless streak at Wrigley Field at 52.2 innings. For the season, Villar owns a .367 OBP and leads the Brewers in walks (12) and stolen bases (6).
Hernan Perez
Called up to replace Scooter Gennett on the roster, Perez proved valuable without starting a game this week. He went 3-for-8 (.375) in part-time duty, posting a 1.125 OPS and blasting a big 2-run HR late on Saturday. He also scored a run and stole a base this week.
Still only 25 years old, Perez remains an intriguing player to keep an eye on as a former prospect. He was batting .339 in Triple-A before the call-up and could see time around the infield with the injury to Gennett and the struggles of Aaron Hill.
A Better Start Than Last Year (Technically)
Despite some ugly losses and awful pitching, the Brewers actually had a better record this April (8-15) than they compiled a year ago (5-17). Milwaukee then went 12-17 in May last season, but the 2016 version opened the 2nd month with a bang, winning 14-5. It's all a positive in a rebuilding campaign.
Brewers' Starting Pitching
Save for Jimmy Nelson, the starting staff continues to be a hot mess. This week, they owned the worst ERA (7.50), batting average against (.340) and WHIP (2.13) in Major League Baseball. They also had the National League's worst BB/9 (5.63) and HR/9 (2.25).
None of the starters recorded a quality start (minimum 6 IP, 3 ER or less) in the 5 games played. Wily Peralta, who got the team's only win this week, gave up 5 runs on 13 hits without a strikeout in 5.2 innings Sunday.
This obviously isn't any different than what we've seen all season as the Brewers' staff as a whole now ranks dead last in ERA, WHIP and hits-per-9 innings (H/9) for the 2016 season. To see some more detailed ugliness, check out Adam McCalvy's article.
Taylor Jungmann
Yes, he falls under the header above, but he was especially egregious this week and it led to his demotion to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Jungmann lasted just 3.2 frames in Chicago, yielding 5 runs on 6 hits, while also walking 3 batters and hitting a pair (Kris Bryant twice, actually).
In his last 4 starts, Jungmann is 0-4 with an 11.49 ERA. In 15.2 innings, he allowed 24 hits, 20 runs and 11 walks. In those 4 contests, opponents are batting .358 with a .458 OBP, .687 SLG and an incredible 1.144 OPS.
One more frightening thought about his status moving forward is that his final 5 starts a year ago were equally as awful. In 22.2 IP he had a 9.53 ERA (25 total runs) with batters owning a .315 AVG, .402 OBP, .641 SLG and 1.043 OPS. Much concern is warranted right now.
Yadiel Rivera
The 24-year-old utility infielder had a rough week, going 0-for-8 with 5 strikeouts and playing sloppy defense. Many would like to see Rivera get regular time at 2nd and 3rd, but he has made it hard on himself this week.
In one inning against the Cubs, he dropped a throw for an error, allowing a pair of Chicago base runners to be safe on bungled play. Then he failed to turn a tailor-made double play when the ball flew from his hand on the transfer.
Rivera has also had trouble with his positioning and footwork recently, causing some to wonder if he is pressing a bit too much.
Browsing the Box Scores
1) Milwaukee nearly became to the 1st team in MLB history to turn a triple play and be held hitless in the same game. The Brewers turned a nifty 5-4-3 triple play on Friday against the Marlins, but Jonathan Lucroy broke up the no-no with 1 out in the 9th inning.
2) Three of the Brewers' 5 games this week lasted at least 3 hours and 20 minutes, often a sign of bad pitching. In 2016, 17 of the team's 23 full games (non-rain shortened) have been at least 3 hours. The Brewers rank 5th in average time of game in the NL at 3 hours, 9 minutes.
3) The Brewers collected their first triple of the season on Saturday, and it came from an unlikely source: Jonathan Lucroy. That was only Luc's 17th triple of his career in more than 2,800 plate appearances. Baltimore and Atlanta are the only teams without a triple this year.
Looking Ahead...
Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim visit Miller Park for a 3-game series. The Angels have actually won 8 straight games in Milwaukee, with the streak dating back to 1997.
Milwaukee then makes their first trip to Cincinnati to take on the Reds in a 4-game weekend set in a matchup of the projected bottom feeders in the NL Central. The Crew went 10-9 vs. the Reds last season, including 6-3 at Great American Ballpark.
Fun With "On Pace" Stats
It's foolish to truly project counting stats based on a small sample of games, but it's also fun to look at. Here are some of the interesting "on pace" numbers:
Chris Carter: 47 HR, 68 doubles, 101 runs
Ryan Braun: 34 HR, 196 hits, 135 RBI
Domingo Santana: 47 doubles, 74 BB, 189 K
Jonathan Villar: 81 walks, 41 stolen bases Jeremy Jeffress: 41 saves