Keep Your Hands Away From the Panic Button

The last thing you want to do after getting swept (at home) is lose the following game to the worst team in baseball (at home). But that's exactly what the Brewers proceeded to do Thursday night, as they dropped their fourth straight game in a 5-2 loss to the Padres.

Thankfully, during this little bump in the road the Brewers are fighting through, they've barely lost any ground. As of Friday morning, they're still five back of the Cubs, and still 4 games up in the Wild Card. I think before this slump, the wild card lead was 4 1/2. If the Brewers can lose four straight and only lose 1/2 game in the standings, I consider that a victory.

Granted, had the Brewers won a couple of these games, they might be in decent shape to make another run at the NL Central crown. The Cubs haven't been playing well of late, either. Nor have the others fighting for the Wild Card, including the Cards and Phillies.

So while it sucks to lose yet another game, and this one to an awful baseball club, the Brewers are still sitting pretty. With 20 games to go, the Phillies need to go 15-7 while we go 11-11 just to tie us in the race. I'll take those odds.

As for Thursday's game, not much exciting to talk about. Suppan crumbled the minute he got out of August, giving up 4 earned in 5 1/3 innings.

One very interesting stat is the Brewers had nine hits. Each batter one through nine had exactly one hit. Kind of strange.

Again though, the Brewers are definitely in a slump, but there is still no need to panic. But if Sabathia doesn't pick up a win on Friday night, then I'll be the first one to hit the button.

Box Score.

TBC's Player of the Game: J.J. Hardy. I feel like he gets a lot of these when the Brewers lose.

(AP Photo/Morry Gash)