8/21/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Tuesday
20 August 2024 Sports
From Wayne Mausser:
After an off-day Monday, the Brewers return to action tonight in St. Louis against the Cardinals. RHP Frankie Montas (5-8, 4.86 ERA) will start for Milwaukee against St. Louis right-hander Erik Fedde (8-6, 3.40 ERA). First pitch is at 6:45.
In games played in the NL Central Monday the Reds downed the Blue Jays 6-3 and the Rangers edged the Pirates 4-3. The Brewers lead the Cardinals by 11 games, the Cubs and Reds by 11 ½ and the Pirates by 14 games.
There were no games Monday in the Midwest League. Tonight the T-Rats play on the road against Great Lakes with the first pitch at 6:05 CDT.
The Packers return to the practice field today, still licking their wounds following a 27-2 loss at Denver to the Broncos Sunday night in Denver. Green Bay (1-1) did not play their starters and overall 31 players did not see action.
Coach Matt LaFleur said there was no clear winner in the battle between Sean Clifford and rookie Michael Pratt for the backup quarterback job. Clifford started and completed six of ten passes for 43 yards and an interception while Pratt was 10 of 16 for 52 yards and a fumble. The Packers close out the preseason at home Saturday against the Ravens in a noon start at Lambeau Field.
Meanwhile, the Packers will welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Green Bay this week for a joint practice, set for Thursday, Aug. 22nd. Thursday will also mark the final open practice at 2024 Packers Training Camp. The practice will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. The Ravens will begin practice on Clarke Hinkle Field, on the west side of the Don Hutson Center, before joining the Packers on Ray Nitschke Field on the east side of the Don Hutson Center for the joint portion of each practice
This was expected to be the season the Milwaukee Brewers finally took a step back after making five playoff appearances over the last six years in Major League Baseball’s smallest market. It hasn’t happened.
After losing manager Craig Counsel to the rival Chicago Cubs and trading 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, the Brewers have withstood numerous injuries to build the largest division lead of any team.
Milwaukee has won five straight and leads the NL Central by 11 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, who host the Brewers in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Manager Pat Murphy says the Brewers are still “in the middle of a fight.”
Murphy has a chance to be named manager of the year, an award no Brewers skipper has won. Murphy was an interim manager for the San Diego Padres in 2015, but this is his first full season managing.
Murphy had been the bench coach on Counsell’s Milwaukee staff since 2016, so he knows these players well. He has them believing they can overcome any setback.
They played the first four months without two-time NL reliever of the year due to stress fractures in his back. The starting rotation that had been Milwaukee’s biggest strength for most of those playoff seasons was a major question.
Burnes is gone. Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff isn’t pitching this season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Veteran left-hander Wade Miley made just two starts and rookie lefty Robert Gasser made five before both had Tommy John surgery.
Milwaukee experienced its latest setback last week, when All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich had season-ending back surgery.
Yet the Brewers have remained “undaunted,” to borrow the word Murphy uses as a team slogan. They have gone 14-9 and their division lead has more than doubled since July 23, when Yelich played his last game.
All-Star catcher William Contreras, shortstop Willy Adames and rapidly improving rookie outfielder Jackson Chourio lead a lineup that ranks 10th in the majors in runs, up from 17th last season.
The Brewers’ 3.66 ERA ranks second in the majors, behind Seattle’s 3.48. They’ve used 17 starting pitchers, matching the Los Angeles Dodgers for the most in the majors, according to Sportradar.
Milwaukee has gotten the second-fewest innings from its starters of any MLB team — only Miami has fewer — but a deep bullpen has picked up the slack. Eleven Brewers have recorded a save, second to the Dodgers’ 12.
The Brewers acquired veterans Aaron Cibale and Frankie Montas last month to boost a rotation that has also benefited from a couple of guys who have rejuvenated their careers.
Colin Rea was pitching in Japan in 2022 after going 8-8 with a 4.90 ERA from 2015-21. He’s 17-10 with a 3.67 ERA for Milwaukee the last two seasons. Tobias Myers, in his sixth organization, has a 6-5 record and 2.81 ERA as a 26-year-old rookie.
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