I think the Phils may have the edge on the mound today.

Gabe Kapler, RBI Machine?

PRINCE!!!!! #2!

3-0 Brewers

Now Hart with a hit. Brewers 4-5 against Hamels to start the game.

I'm amazed every day that Jason Kendall goes out to start another game and hasn't died yet.

Jenkins with a classic Jenkins dive there. I'm not enjoying this one as much.

10 HRs for Utley

Utley is ridiculously hot. He can't possibly sustain this, can he?

Dobbs. Bah. Tie game.

About 80 pitches for Bush. Figures.

And on cue, Dave Bush on the verge of collapsing at his normally scheduled time.

At least Bush only gave up the one run that inning.

Jesus. What a botch by Yost. He let Bush hit with Hardy on second and two out in the bottom of the sixth, then took him out after Werth doubled to lead off the top of the seventh.

And this game is the perfect example of Ned's shortcomings.

Only 3 bats on the bench, the backup catcher and two lefties. And even with 14 freakin' pitchers on the roster, the pen's so spent Bush has to come back out for the 7th.

And of course, Dobbs and Utley, both of whom had homered already today were due up second and third in the seventh, so it's not like Yost couldn't predict that Bush would struggle after going back out.

Rock thinks that JJ can challenge Utley in the power-per-pound competition. This after they just fell all over themselves the last five minutes defending Yost. This #### gets irritating.

Heart of the order coming up in the 8th... half of me hopes we don't score this frame, so we'll be spared the sight of the remains of Eric Gagne being wheeled onto the field.

I would think Gagne isn't pitching tonight, no matter what.

You would think, but you're not Ned Yost.

PRINCE!!!!

5-4 MIL

Fielder! Did you hear how excited BA got? I don't think I've ever heard him that jacked up. "She's gone!!!"

Prince!!!

Fielder is hitting some Rickie Weeks bullet homers, not the Prince moonshots of yore. Not that I care how they get out.

It was a two-strike count, with a runner on. Better he wasn't taking an all-out hack in that situation.

Look at Tony rocking the I'm-good-at-baseball socks. I don't believe you, Tony.

Gagne isn't up. He's sitting in the pen with his jacket on. Who gets the call?

It looks like Turnbow's the guy.

"All eyes on Derrick Turnbow." No kidding.

Bruntlett/pinch hitter/Werth. He can handle that, right?

Good luck Derrick...

You'd like your closer to be able to put away Eric Bruntlett.

Bruntlett/pinch hitter/Werth. He can handle that, right?

He can handle anybody.

The question is, will he?

Ten pitches. Whew.

Turnbow walks Taguchi. Here we go.

Heh... even Taguchi thought that 3-1 was a strike.

Looked like a strike to me.

Still shouldn't have gone to 3-1 in the first place on So Taguchi.

He seems to be able to throw the offspeed stuff for strikes a bit better, but the fastball's still a bit dicey.

Oh no.

Oops... didn't need that. Runner on third w/ one out.

Two strikes. Time for the curve!

Fine, don't listen to me. Throw the fastball.

Huge strikeout. Hope springs.

Whiff! Big.

Yes!

He did it!

Turnbow saved one!

Huzzah!

Hey look, it's a unicorn!

"Fielder's gotta be the player of the game, but honorable mention has to go to Ned Yost."



WHAT?

Congrats Derrick.

Ned, I am a hard-hearted ruthless bQstard. If Wes Helms was standing next to me at a crosswalk I would "accidentally" bump him into traffic.

And I would give Turnbow a chance....

LEt's go Brewers! Let's go Brewers!

Hey Chris, how's the Brewers defense look with your numbers?

Froeming is on the post-game demonstrating umpiring positioning.

Now he's describing catcher/umpire protocol, and other umpiring matters.

Cubs just got two in the top of the ninth to take a 6-5 lead on the Rockies. Damnit.

Yost: "Gagne was not getting up today, no matter what".

You think?

Mitch Stetter also deserves a lot of credit for getting through the heart of the Phillies' order over two innings, allowing only one hit and striking out three. Yes, the Phillies are lefty-heavy, but still, real yeoman's work by Strutter.

Old Scotty Pods keeping the Rockies alive with a single, followed by a Spilborghs triple to tie the game. Go Rox.

Crazy game today. Don't know how much of this was televised, but booing started as soon as Turnbow came out. Fortunately some guys near me started a "Here we go Turnbow" chant. That was cool, glad that not everybody is a booing buffoon.

Hey Chris, how's the Brewers defense look with your numbers?

Awful. Weeks and Fielder are terrible, and we'll have to see how Hall does, but Braun was bad at 3B.

Fielder moves well. I think he's limited for some other reason.

I meant this season so far, relative to the last couple.

Awful. Weeks and Fielder are terrible, and we'll have to see how Hall does, but Braun was bad at 3B.

Weeks is moving better this year, but is making some bad throws. Frequently.

Fielder moves well. I think he's limited for some other reason.

I think a lot of it might be due to his size -- he just can't get down for the low ones. A low throw to first goes into the dugout far too often.

In post-game talk radio, Stetter said Kendall called the move to 2nd which picked off Werth in the 7th, as he tried to steal 3rd.

I wasn't watching Hamels too closely before the 8th, but he looked gassed when he was pitching to Fielder. I guess Charlie wanted Hamels to pitch to Fielder, then go to the bullpen. This is the first really questionable move by Manuel that I can think of this year.

I guess there is no logical explanation for a 14 man pitching staff, is there?

I guess there is no logical explanation for a 14 man pitching staff, is there?

Well, logical, just completely effing stupid.

See, Sheets has a sore arm. He missed last night's scheduled start, but it still isn't (supposedly, you never know with Big Ben) too bad. Still, with Ben's injury history, mightn't you want to put him on the 15-day? Maybe? Just to be sure?

No, even though he's not able to pitch, he's on the active roster. Which means Joe Dillon (who can hit) was sent down. Leaving us with a 3-man bench consisting of the backup catcher (with Kendall going out every game, he's sure to be a full-timer soon), Craig Counsell, and whoever isn't playing between Gwynn and Kapler.

Of course, why we need a 13-man staff in the first place, I'll never know. If Ned could manage a bullpen worth a damn, we could get by 12 pitchers. At the most. Jesus H, this is the National League. Don't you think you might want to have oh, I don't know a PINCH HITTER on your bench?

Sorry, I've been fuming about this 14-pitcher thing for the past week.

Looks like the Primer Chimp is sleeping in like my College Freshman son sleeps in.

Somehow the old men have held the Brewers to 1 run today through 7. Nice job (at least on Gameday) by Gordon.

I see Howard's benched -- not a moment too soon. He's all out of whack, as he can get.

I'm liking the .989 OPS from Werth -- not that it will hold. He's passable against RHP and just kills LHP.