Brewers did seem to play better, although it wasn't enough. That pinch-hit by Blanco to give an extra insurance run was huge, since the Cubs closer has been Kerry Gagne this month (and after giving up the one run, he was able to wiggle out of a jam to end the game using the sneaky 3-2 hanging curveball)

Despite that last AB, Prince hadn't had a game like that in seemingly some time.

The surging Phillies taking the NL East lead, and the struggling Mets now being the Brewers' main competition for the wildcard, is good (or at least more favorable) for the Brewers.

That did not look like a hanger to me. Or Prince, I'd imagine.

Fielder wasn't expecting a curve AT ALL there. It was an excellent pitch selection to go with the curve, but it was right down the middle of the plate and quite hittable.

MIL J-S:

One of the first major changes under interim manager Dale Sveum's 12-game "regime" was removing faltering lefty Manny Parra from the starting rotation.

“Manny is in an area where he’s never been before, innings-wise. And we’re talking way beyond what he’s ever done before,” said Sveum, noting that Parra has thrown 160 innings, 22 more than in any of his minor-league seasons.
...
Former manager Ned Yost was asked that very question Saturday after Parra took another beating in Philadelphia (seven hits, three walks, five runs in 1 1/3 innings) but said he did not think Parra had “hit the wall.” In three starts in September, Parra is 0-2 with a 7.94 earned run average.
...
Right-hander Yovani Gallardo pitched three innings of a simulated game in Phoenix and moved a step closer to returning to active duty with the Brewers. Gallardo will have another session there Friday and rejoin the team for the final week of the season.

If Gallardo pitches again for the Brewers this year, it probably will be in relief because he hasn’t built up his arm sufficiently to start.
...
Reliever David Riske has been shut down and will undergo surgery next week to remove a bone spur in his pitching elbow. Riske received an injection early last week but tried to throw in the bullpen over the weekend and still experienced discomfort.

That did not look like a hanger to me

Daily Herald:

"I think I kind of got away with one there," Wood said. "It looked like a pretty good pitch to hit, but he was geared up for fastballs. It was kind of a slurvy-slider, but I'll take it."

I don't see 22 innings as way beyond what Parra has ever done before. But he has had arm trouble in the past and has sucked recently, so whatever.

Last five games:
Astros 2-3
Mets 1-4
Brewers 0-5
Cardinals 0-5 (lost six in a row to drop 5 GB, and realistically out of the hunt)

This race is going to be a hot one!
OK, would you believe...a mild one?

After their best pitcher got drilled and their offense sputtered yet again in front of no one tonight in Miami, the "you can blame MLB and all those mean Cub fans if the Astros don't win the wild-card" excuse seems to have lost a bit of luster.

Justice does agree with you on that one: Astros go quietly again. Is Selig to blame for this, too? (Houston Chronicle)

NTN,
Ever get the feeling you're just talking to yourself?

Cardinals 0-5 (lost six in a row to drop 5 GB, and realistically out of the hunt)

This year's cardinal September swoon reminds me a lot of last year's.. and the year before...and the year before...

So I thought, do Tony LaRussa-led squads typically suck in September?

I guess that depends on your definition of "typically": back in 2002 they went 21-6 in September en route to a 97-win season.

But in the six seasons since then, they've played terribly in September, going 71-81 (.467) while their record otherwise was 100 percentages point better, at 458-349 (.568).

The only season since 2002 they've been above .500 in September was in their 105-win season of 2004, when they went 16-12 (.571) while the rest of year they were at .664.

They've currently lost 6 in a row, and they lost 9 in a row last September, 7 in a row in Sept. 06.

They look terrible right now---since the Cubs squeezed the life out of them with excruciating back-to-back 1-run losses last week, they've lost 4 more to the Pirates and Reds by a cumulative score of 27-12.