Coming into the game, the Brewers had yet to win against the American League this year. Friday night's loss to the Twins plus being swept by Boston earlier in the year put the Crew at 0-4 against the AL in 2008. Would this be the night the Crew would finally earn a victory against their former league mates?Jeff Suppan was hoping so early in the game, as he ended up going 7 innings giving up 2 runs, for another quality start. He also had a double early in the game, and contributed to his effort by scoring a run. However, Carlos Villanueva gave up a run, and Salomon Torres would give up another (athough unearned, thanks to a misplay by Corey Hart) and the Brewers were down 4-3 come the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and the Crew down a run, Ned Yost made a great decision by pinch hitting with Russell Branyan. His decision paid off because Branyan hit the game tying homerun which actually had me jumping up and down, even though I was by my lonesome at the time. As a fan, you know there is a difference how you cheer, depending on the number of people you are surrounded by. So when you're alone screaming at the top of your lungs, you know something's going right.
The game went into extras from there, and was nearly over when Prince Fielder hit a ball that looked like it would be a homerun in the 10th. The ball did hit the yellow stripe, although never left the park, and the best Prince could do was muster up a triple. The Brewers couldn't score him, and the game went on.
Julian Tavarez came in relief for the Crew in the 11th, and he didn't look good from the start. He ended up loading the bases with 1 out, but somehow got out of the inning. When there was just one out, I told someone this, "I don't care if he gets out of it or not, Tavarez's days with the Crew are numbered." He eventually got out of it, and looked like he proved me wrong.
Guillermo Mota started to warm up in the bottom of the 11th, looking like he'd be the guy to pitch the 12th. Apparently, he was only getting warm incase the pitcher's spot came up, which it did not. So Mota sat down, didn't enter the game, and Tavarez came on for another inning.
Let me first tell you this. Tavarez is old. He shouldn't be pitching more than one inning in a game, ever. But Ned decided Julian was his best option, and kept him in. Tavarez looked awful from the start, and gave up an infield hit, and then a walk. With two runners on, I was screaming at my TV for Ned to take him out. He did not. Tavarez walked the next guy, and the bases were now loaded.
"TAKE HIM OUT NED!" I yelled to the TV.
Nope. Tavarez stayed in the game. Delmon young hit the ball back to Counsell, and Counsell threw it home for the force, and there was one out, bases loaded again. It was more of the fact that Young will swing at anything than it was Tavarez is a good pitcher.
"GET HIM OUT OF THERE NED!" I yelled again.
No such luck.
Wouldn't you know it, Tavarez gave up two runs on the next batter, and the Crew was down 6-4. Finally, Ned decided to take him out for Mark DeFelice, who then let three runs go by (thanks to a Mike Cameron error). By the time the Brewers finally got out of the inning, it was 9-4 Twins. The game was over, well before Dave Bush pinched hit for the final out.
I've been saying all year that we need to support Ned, as he is the manager for this team, and he will be the one to get us to the promised land. Well, I'm finally ready to admit that I was wrong. Ned Yost is an idiot. He's terrible. Remember when Grady Little caught all that flack for keeping Pedro Martinez in through the 8th when he should have been taken out? NED DOES THAT THREE TIMES A WEEK! Sorry for the caps, but it's true. Ned is clueless when it comes to managing his bullpen, and that is going to cost us at least 8-10 games this year, I guarantee that. This game was not about Prince's almost homerun, this was about Ned's mismanaging of Tavarez. Maybe your options were limited in the pen, Ned, but at that point you have to put in someone, anyone, other than Tavarez.
I'm going to post a Fire Ned Yost banner on this blog every day until it happens. I'm sorry to be the stereotypical Brewers blogger that hates Ned Yost because it's trendy, but it's finally time to let this guy go before he does any further damage to this team. This team is a playoff contender, we just need the right guy calling the shots.
Clearly, Ned Yost is NOT that guy.
Box Score.
TBC's Player of the Game: Russell Branyan
(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
13 comments:
Funny how back on May 6th The Bucky Channel was officially backing Ned Yost.
Normally I understand & support Yost's moves, but I agree wholeheartedly that Yost was one of the main people to blame for this loss. Corey Hart was another one.
It's been about three weeks since the Brewers lost their last series. Are you just taking your Anti-Yost wagon for a spin around the block until they go on another tear here?
I'll bet that you guys will change your stance back in ... less than two weeks. I'd be wiling to wager on it.
I for one will not attend another Brewer game as long as Ned Yost is still the manager. If I saw him out on the street I'd punch him in the face.
OMG the sky is falling fire Yost. We have went 15-9 since the Boston sweep. That is unacceptable.
On a serious note we are 5 back in the wild card with with Florida and St. Louis (Who put their ace Wainwright and slugger Pujols on the DL recently) ahead of the Crew. This thing aint over yet. There is a reason they play the games anything can happen.
Even after Yost defended putting Tavarez back for a second inning, I still disagree with him.
He said he wanted to rest DeFelice & Dillard because they pitched Friday. Fine.
He said if the game went another inning he would have put in Mota. He claimed that keeping Tavarez in an extra inning & having Mota available for the next inning was done because he wanted to win the game. He was playing to win.
C'mon, Ned, you don't play to win by putting old timer Tavarez out for a second inning! He didn't pitch that well in his first frame & seemed fatigued around the start of his second inning.
Like I said before, I normally back Yost. The significant majority of the Brewers' woes this year have been the direct result of their play on the field, not mismanagement. But Yost tends to make a real stupid mistake every once in a while. Usually every couple weeks or so. This was one of those times.
I don't think it's time to fire Ned Yost. I think the Brewers should wait & see where they're at a week or so before the July trade deadline. The wild card is still definitely in our crosshairs.
Maybe the Rockies should've fired Clint Hurdle last August. Maybe the Phillies should've fired Charlie Manuel with 2.5 weeks to go last season. Harken, all ye of little faith! Maybe everyone's just crabby because of the lousy Wisconsin weather lately.
Just wondering if anyone has the exact numbers on this but I would love to know the brewers record when tied or ahead by 3 or less runs in the 7th inning. It seems like they are always tied, manage to get even or have a 1 run lead in these games but I would wager that they are only winning them at like a 36% clip which just isn't good enough
Hey Kevin ...
Sounds like you just talked yourself into a little project. Why don't you get back to us with those numbers? Thanks!
Alright, I may have overreacted a little last night, I hope you can forgive me.
The Brewers have been playing well lately, and it's been fun to watch. That makes it more frustrating when we lose games based on mismanagement.
I think Ned Yost was the perfect guy to mold this group into major leaguers, I'm not sure he's the guy to make them contenders in the bigs. These guys have won at every other level, you'd think by now that would start translating in the pros.
You didn't overreact Bart... Summed things up perfectly. Only thing more frustrating last night was the complete lack of caring by the Brewers after Tavaras gave up the go ahead runs. Cameron, Hall, etc. just gave up. I maintain I will not go to another game with Yost as the manager and a team that cares less then the fans. Nothing has been said about Yost using Dave Bush to pinch hit with 2 outs either -- sure the game "might" have been out of reach, but Hardy is suppose to be available to pinch hit. What if the game was still tied at that point? Do we bring Dave Bush out to pinch hit?
I think Ned Yost was the perfect guy to mold this group into major leaguers, I'm not sure he's the guy to make them contenders in the bigs.
This is exactly right. Different styles of management succeed in different settings. Not just true in baseball and other sports, but in "real life" as well.
Changing managers midseason can be a very successful tactic for underperforming teams.
Recent example: 2003 Marlins.
Historical example: 1982 Brewers.
Saw the post-game show today, and Ned said, paraphrased, "There couldn't have been a better game of baseball for our fans to see than last night's."
i usually do hate the fire yost talk that makes up 60% of the content on brewers blogs, and hope that you dont follow through on this banner idea, but neds biggest flaw--managing pitchers--reared its ugly head again last night.
when things are going well, the fire yost talk quiets, but it never seems like his decisions play a huge factor in the wins, its just a matter of the guys hitting like they should be. when we lose, it can usually be traced in large part back to him due to his decisions on the mound.
part of me thinks we should sign yost to a ten year extension just to spite the ignorant and uneducated assholes who usually bitch about managers and other authoritative figures becuase, as you said, its trendy. for the same reason, bush should get three more terms. even if they suck, at least be able to tell me why they suck. i digress. but basically, if the best thing we can say after a game is "well, yost didn't get in the way today," maybe its time to punch his ticket out of town.
If CV and/or Shouse gets it done last night in the 8th then no one talks about bad moves by Yost. Thats the thing it all comes down too, execution on the field. Yost made the right moves just his guys could not get the ball to Torres with the lead in tact.
true, it comes down to execution and the players didnt completely hold up their end of the bargain. but you cant deny he botched it with tavarez (so did melvin? even though he costs peanuts...).
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