Back from a two-day business trip, will try to get the World Series done by Sunday 
The Milwaukee Brewers:
Having eliminated the
Braves and
Mets, the
Milwaukee Brewers entered the postseason with their first division title since 2011, a 92-70 record, and the will to finally win the first World Series of their existence.
Managed by 49-year old Jose Zapata, the team did not shine on the pitching side, allowing 769 runs(8th) and a 4.73 starters ERA. But, no reason to underestimate that group. Led by the NL Pitching WAR leader RHSP
Freddy Peralta(26, 5*, 16-5 3.05 268K 31GS) and groundballer (and former TEX trade target) RHSP
Zach Davies(29, 3.5*, 17-7 3.97 131K) who also led the NL in Wins, they have a strong 1-2 punch.
To the surprise of many, they run out the corpse of RHSP
Jeff Samardzija(37, 2.5*, 1-2 7.52 18K 6GS) and former first-rounder RHSP
Tanner Houck(26, 2.5/3*, 14-8 4.56 143K)... that is three right-handers again. Now, if we focus on their pen(4.11, 5th), they do have lefties(!) in there... and one of them may be a problem... and it is not LHRP
Ben Bowden(28, 2.5*, 3-7 3SV 5.43 70K 61.1IP).
It is their closer in LHCL
Felipe Vazquez(31, 4*, 5-1 18SV 1.82 34K 34.2IP with MIL), a trade deadline acquisition from
Pittsburgh... he is
Alex Claudio with 98-100mph and therefore more K's... we should hope to avoid him.
Now, how did this team get here? Offense... They led the NL in runs scored with 831 and on merit. SS
Luis Alexander Gonzalez(23, 2/2.5*, .306-12-73 .809OPS 25/42SB) was drafted in the Rule V last year... and promptly amassed 4.0 WAR. They will continue to gamble on former 2nd round pick 3B
Bryson Stott(25, 3/3.5*, .232-7-49 .655OPS) in the #2 hole as the rookie struggled to fulfill his promise in regular season and playoffs(.222) so far...
And then, there are the big run producers. LF
Corey Ray(28, 2.5*, .261-31-87 .816OPS) and 1B
A.J. Reed(29, 2.5*, .268-40-102 .903OPS), both underappreciated by scouts, both acquired via trade over the years... good business... And all four are left-handed.
Also, keep an eye out for 2020 NL Rookie of the Year 2B
Keston Hiura(26, 3.5*, .286-15-70 .794OPS)... the kid can bat .300 easily...
Prediction: I don't predict World Series outcomes... but IF I were to place a bet... it would be on us...
World Series Game 1:October 28th, 2022
Milwaukee Brewers -
Texas Rangers @ Globe Life Park
MIL: SP
Freddy Peralta(R, 1-1 2.25)
TEX: SP
Cory Taylor(R, 3-0 3.00)
Ok, to be honest... we could've started
Lodolo here... but I did not want HIM to start against bloody
Peralta... definitely one of the best starters of this young, fresh generation.
And it was a game of quick innings.
Taylor with groundballs,
Peralta with K's... the Brewers with a couple of singles, a groundout and a
Luis Alexander Gonzalez RBI... and the home team with a
Hansel Moreno solo home run to make it 1-1 after three....
It was clear that the Brewers did not exactly know what to brew, and the Rangers were still investigating the strange people visiting them here... but the hits came closer.
Joey Gallo struck out with
Bradley waiting at second... and our defense eroded with
Taylor making a throwing error on a easy grounder.... and
Moreno then just had to get eaten up by a grounder... two on... two down...
Bryson Stott sent one DEEP to right... deep... way deep... CAUGHT...
Everybody was waiting for the one run to score... and we had another chance when
Peralta lost
Moreno on five pitches, and
Almora singled to bring the go-ahead run to third base... and then, we choked...
Velazquez grounded out softly to third, but at least
Almora stayed away from the double play... and
Bailey lifted a soft flyer to right... no problem for
Ray out there...
Two down, two on...
Royce Lewis hacked at the first pitch... groundball... routine play at third for
Stott... throw to first... PAST REED! THE BALL FLIES ALL THE WAY TO THE WALL BEHIND
REED AND RICHOCHETS INTO RIGHT! ...
MORENO IN... ALMORA IN...
Bryson Stott with a crucial throwing error that scores TWO RUNS for the home team! TEX 3, MIL 1!
The Brewers were completely stunned, the Rangers fans were excited, and
Peralta, shaking his head, started pitching to
Justin Williams... and got a cute little grounder to second, throw to first... and the embarrassment continued as
A.J. Reed dropped it and it rolled away from him big time... 4-1 TEX.
After walking
Mazara intentionally,
Bobby made the final out of a bottom of the fifth that the Brewers fans will want to erase from their memory right away and suddenly,
Cory Taylor was throwing a 2-hitter with one earned run and only two hits allowed... and brought that one through seven before getting a handshake and some big boy hugs.
Looking to actually score another EARNED run on
Peralta,
Patrick Bailey upped his pedestrian postseason batting average up to .094 with a leadoff single bottom 7th, and that sealed the deal for
Peralta... but the book on him closed two batters later... lefty
Ben Bowden conceded a sac bunt... and
Justin Williams made it 5-1 with a hard single to left that
Bailey scored upon...
Four runs of cushion meant that Joe Girardi decided to call upon
Brian Adcock... the lefty only allowed a shy single in the eighth... and
Tommy Kahnle struck out a couple in a fairly clean ninth... ONE GAME UP IN THE ****** World Series.
SP
Cory Taylor 7IP 2H 1ER 0BB 8K W
SS
Royce Lewis 0-3 R
RF
Justin Williams 3-4 RBI
1B
Bobby Bradley 1-3 BB
2B
Hansel Moreno 1-3 2R RBI BB HR
CF
Albert Almora 2-4 R
C
Patrick Bailey 1-3 R
HR MIL: none
HR TEX:
Hansel Moreno(1)
W:
Cory Taylor(4-0 2.52) L:
Freddy Peralta(1-2 1.42)
MIL 1 TEX 5 TEX leads World Series 1-0
Logan keeps on whispering into my ear that their best hitters are not that good and if we get past
Peralta and
Nola manages a big start in game three... we technically can not lose this series...
Optimistic dude... I'll celebrate when we actually have won it... beating
Davies won't be easy... and we got lucky today with their fielding being ****...