I loved how the TBS guys keep talking about Gibby "playing a hunch" with Goldschmidt.

He's the starting first baseman ! He's started 44 of the 57 games since he got called up.

Overbay DID get 10 starts in 6 weeks.

If Overbay starts again this series though Gibson should have his MOY award revoked.

Goldy has gotten Lincecum twice, and Cliff Lee in the regular season, and now Greinke and Marcum in the post season.

Thats not bad for a guy that scouts say has a slow swing and can't handle inside pitches. Tonights was oppo....the first one against Lincecum was an inside FB that he crushed to LCF bleachers in AT&T

The Goldschmidt at bat was one of the more interesting at bats of the season in that clearly Marcum and Lucroy and the dugout were completely on different pages. Marcum's glove toss after a pitch that got way too much of the plate got driven to the right-center bleachers said a lot about what was going on.

The Brewers hit more pop ups tonight than I ever remember seeing a team hit in person.

Ken Macha passed out intentional walks like candy at Halloween and it regularly killed the Brewers. RR has been much VERY reluctant to go that route, wisely and tonight was a harsh reminder as to why IBBs stink.

Ultimately, this was a manager managing like this was a game in mid-June where he wanted his starter to have a chance for the win so he was nursing him through five. Terrible mindset.

But this is also the third game for the Crew against the Arizona kid starter where the Brewers have done squat. So they lost 8-1 instead of 3-1.

Thats not bad for a guy that scouts say has a slow swing and can't handle inside pitches. Tonights was oppo....

KEITH LAW: NOT IMPRESSED BY 2-STRIKE, 2-OUT, OPPOSITIVE FIELD GRAND SLAMS OFF OF BELOW AVERAGE FASTBALLS, MR. PRESIDENT

The Brewers hit more pop ups tonight than I ever remember seeing a team hit in person.

And you have seen many Diamondbacks lineups that have featured both Chris Young and Eric Byrnes!

I also noticed that strange argument between Marcum and Lucroy. First they had a discussion at the mound, then (prior to the next pitch) Marcum shook off Lucroy in a seemingly annoyed way. I would have thought the mound discussion would have decided everything -- how come he had to shake off the sign? And then that pitch was the home run, and as Voros pointed out the glove toss showed a certain amount of disgust. Was he disgusted with himself or was he annoyed at Lucroy?

Has anyone read an article where this was explained? Did Marcum explain himself after the game? I was very curious about it at the time, and still am.

the glove toss showed a certain amount of disgust. Was he disgusted with himself or was he annoyed at Lucroy?

As someone tweeted (and @nickpiecoro retweeted), Marcum wanted to be the anti-Ted Lilly in the pantheon of post-season glove tossing.

Back

Shaun stated that he was furious at himself for throwing a grapefruit down the middle on a 1-2 pitch.

The larger item looming is that Marcum stunk down the stretch and even with a long rest was ineffective last night. And he didn't help himself in booting that DP grounder by Upton earlier in the inning.

As I wrote last night, the blowout was 1/3 Shaun and 2/3 Ron. Shaun wasn't sharp but it was Ron who kept with his guy despite having two viable long men in the pen (Narveson/Estrada), the heart of the order coming up and the danger zone of seeing the lead balloon out of control. Then to compound that scenario with an IBB that LOADS the bases to me is just flat out awful. You automatically increase the OBP AND SP of the next hitter.

You can IBB against the Astros or the Pirates. But against good teams they will take that IBB and shove it up your *ss.

By the way, Kirk Gibson as a manager is reminding me of Phil Garner. Teams all amped up and take crazy chances thinking they are superheroes. Manager makes weird decisions based on instinct versus fact/probable outcomes

yeah, that lasts about a season and a half and then everyone is burned out.

I hope I am wrong.

Who could have guessed, in their four years together on the Mariners, that one day Yuniesky Betancourt and Willie Bloomquist would be the two starting shortstops in a playoff series.

I hope I am wrong.

I fear you are right. And you articulated it perfectly.

yeah, that lasts about a season and a half and then everyone is burned out.

I hope I am wrong.

I can see that, but:
1. Gibby the Ass-Kicker was exactly what the team needed after the laid-back disaster of A.J. Hinch.
2. Flags fly forever.

I'm interested to see what Towers does this offseason. With a lineup settled at only 4 positions, perhaps 5*, there's work to be done.

* - C, 1B, RF, LF and, maybe, CF. I like Young's D in center but don't think it can carry his bat. Then again, Chase Field's outfield is so large, I can see the logic of sending a premium gloveman out there, no matter his offense.

Twitter allows you to get in-game impressions from players on other teams. Here is Bud Norris' tweet:

Why is Marcum throwing Goldsmidth a fastball period?

Link

Norris also retweeted Buster Olney saying:

Doug Fister may have been the best AL trade this summer; Delmon Young may be the second-best AL trade.

I guess it was obvious those two would work out - the Tigers were due after they torpedoed their playoff chances a couple years ago by getting Jarrod Washburn and Aubrey Huff.

1. Was Delmon Young REALLY the 2nd best AL trade this summer? I don't remember what went on at the deadline but it's hard for me to believe that.

2. Thats not bad for a guy that scouts say has a slow swing and can't handle inside pitches. Tonights was oppo....the first one against Lincecum was an inside FB that he crushed to LCF bleachers in AT&T

Hasn't he struck out in like a third of his at bats so far? I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the bandwagon.

Now that the Brewers are in crucial playoff games, "Beast Mode" isn't enough firepower. They need to bring back Mike Cameron and the shirt-untucking celebration.

1. Was Delmon Young REALLY the 2nd best AL trade this summer? I don't remember what went on at the deadline but it's hard for me to believe that.

Mike Adams was certainly better.

What the Brewers really needed was Front Row Amy.