MLB News: Brewers look to cahnge fortunes against Reds
The Milwaukee Brewers have only won three of their last 21 games against Cincinnati – and they hope to change that tonight at Miller Park.
MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers have only won three of their last 21 games against Cincinnati – and they hope to change that tonight at Miller Park.
The Reds come to town after losing two-of-three at Saint Louis. Cincy was held to just four hits in a 3-nothing defeat on Easter Night. Milwaukee is coming off a three-run victory over Houston, in a series in which the Brewers took 2-of-3 from the Astros. Milwaukee has won four-of-its-last-six, while the Reds have dropped 11-of-their-last-17 while batting only .239. National League MVP Joey Votto has a hot bat for the Reds. His batting average is .395, and his on-base percentage is a sizzling .515. Votto is a notorious Brewer-killer, with 19 RBI’s in his last 18 games against the Crew. Milwaukee has batted .332 in its last six contests, with nine homers and 42 runs scored. That’s an average of seven a game. Ryan Braun has been a big part of the Brewers’ offensive outburst. He has batted .480 in his last six games with three homers and nine driven in. And Braun has reached base in 21 straight games to open the season – two short of Robin Yount’s team record in 1983. Left-hander Chris Narveson starts for Milwaukee tonight against Reds’ right-hander Bronson Arroyo.
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Fan voting begins tomorrow for this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game. And as always, the Brewers are making an all-out pitch for fans to elect their players both at Miller Park and on-line. Milwaukee fans have elected at least one starter or final-roster player since 2007. Ryan Braun has been the top vote-getter for one of three National League outfield spots in each of the last two seasons. Braun is again on this year’s ballot, along with Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, Yuniesky Betancourt, Casey McGehee, Jonathan Lucroy, Carlos Gomez, and Corey Hart. And unlike political elections, it’s perfectly all right for teams to buy votes – and the Brewers will again offer prizes. The top one is a night in Braun’s luxury suite at Miller Park. All the information is at Brewers.com
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The Chicago Cubs will open a series against Colorado tonight at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have lost three-of-their-last-four – and they dropped two-of-three to the Rockies in Denver almost two weeks ago. Colorado is 14-7, while the Cubs are a game below .500. Matt Garza, who’s 0-2, will try again for his first victory in a Chicago uniform. Esmil Rogers, who’s 2-and-1, goes for Colorado.
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The Chicago White Sox might run into a buzz-saw tonight at Yankee Stadium. New York has won three straight and seven-of-its-last-nine, while hitting 18 homers in that stretch and averaging almost seven runs. The White Sox haven’t scored in over two games, and were swept for three at Detroit this past weekend. Chicago has only won three-of-its-last-16 in the Bronx. A.J. Burnett, who’s 3-0, will face White Sox starter Phil Humber, who’s 1-2.
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Brewers’ manager Ron Roenicke has kept his promise to have his speediest players run more on the bases. Yesterday, Milwaukee had three stolen bases off the Houston battery of Wandy Rodriguez and J.R Towles. Carlos Gomez picked up his sixth stolen base in seven attempts – and Rickie Weeks and Ryan Braun also had one steal apiece. And big Prince Fielder lumbered his way to third base for his fifth career triple which drove in a run a 4-1 Milwaukee victory. Roenicke says it’s all about selecting pitches to run on – and he knows the exact history of each pitcher and catcher in allowing stolen bases. He says it helps in making decisions on when to go. In the last two years, former manager Ken Macha would shut down the running game once somebody got caught stealing. He said it wasn’t worth risking the extra out. Fielder says this year’s clubhouse has a looser and more positive feeling to it – and Roenicke is a big reason. He says the manager is in his players’ corner and quote, “There’s no questioning your ability if you don’t have a good day.” After he was fired last October, Macha admitted being disconnected from his two biggest stars – Fielder and Braun.
Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, proam, baseball, brewers
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