Trouble Brewing

...the Brewers just dropped a three-game series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who previously were 4-12.

Little concerning, don't you think?

It's concerning enough that Yelich isn't hitting. It's concerning enough that next to no one in this damned lineup is hitting over .250, including Eric Sogard. It's concerning enough that Brock Holt, Logan Morrison and Ryon Healy couldn't help this team. But to not only drop 3 games to Pittsburgh, but be outhit by people like Jarrod Dyson, Adam Frazier and Bryan Reynolds, all contact guys? Something is wrong.

Omar Narvaez, after a strong 2019, is back  to refusing to hit for average, so Manny Pina has been getting more reps and is getting a surprising amount done. Luis Urias is hitting well off the bench, but so is Orlando Arcia, the guy he was supposed to replace. Jedd Gyorko is doing well for a team that really doesn't have a place for him. Josh Lindblom may be the only pitcher in  recent history who came back from an Asian-ball residency and didn't improve his stats.

And while the pitching is marginally better, and Woodruff, Houser and Brett Anderson are all solid starters [and Josh Hader has yet to allow a run], it doesn't amount to anything if the lineup remains petrified. I mean, it HELPS to have a good bullpen, which they do, but it doesn't mean anything if they can't score any runs.

It's frustrating, because the Brewers were so close the last few years, and are now slowly being edged further and further from competition. This team has talent, and deserves better...but  this week isn't cutting  it for them.

Coming  Tomorrow- Steady pitcher for, that's right, the top team in the AL West.

What Happens When You Finally Drop to Second

Let's face it, as good as the Brewers were for a few months, there was no way they were gonna be a legitimate first-place team. They got lucky for a while. They have a ton of okay players, some streaking pitchers, Eric Thames, and some nice momentum. This is, to be honest, a mediocre team that for a brief instance was playing astonishingly well. They lost just enough games back there to convince me that they might not be for real.

Right now the Cubs are in 1st. Alright, it's technically a tie, but the momentum is lapping. The Cubs have been streaking since the All Star Break, and to be perfectly honest they're the team I'd rather have on top right now. Yes, the Pirates are 3 games out of second place, and seeing them come back is a rather nice pipe dream, but the Cubs have the redemption arc here, and the Brewers need to go back to the 'so close but loses' arc that was staying steady since 2014.

To be fair, I do respect the Brewers, and the rise of people like Domingo Santana, Manny Pina, Chase Anderson and Corey Knebel into the fold is much appreciated. However, the Cubs are structurally the better team, and they're more capable of keeping a stranglehold on the division. There's still a tie for first, but the Brewers will need to reverse things to keep the momentum going.

Coming Tomorrow-From a World Series Champion reserve outfielder to a starter on one of the most underrated teams of the year.