[BirdWatcher]

The home stand concludes with a 3-game series against the 7th place Baltimore Lords.

Sometimes one of those games comes along where all cylinders are firing for your team and you have to wonder what it would look like if they could just put it together like this more consistently. Game 1 of this series was just such a game for the Brewers. Great pitching? Check. Cheol-han Lee pitched a complete game, 2-hit shutout, striking out 8 while walking 4. Great hitting? Check. The Brewers collected 19 hits in the game, including 4 doubles, turning that into 9 runs. Some speed on the bases? Check. Pat Rondeau picked up his 13th stolen base. Defense? Well, in addition to the usual great range at most every position, Pat Rondeau, playing center field, threw out a runner at third base. Lee improves to 12-5 on the season and sees his ERA drop to 1.99. Every batter in the Brewers starting lineup had at least one hit, including Lee who singled twice, scored a run and drove one in as well. Four Brewers batters collected 3 apiece in the game: Chad Brown (.303/.328/.402), Pat Rondeau (.287/.305/.357), Bobby Erbakan (.273/.345/.381), and Andrew Kennedy (.294/.324/.388). Chad Brown hit his 27th double, Andrew Kennedy hit 2 to get to 24 on the season, and Mike Foster hit his 2nd.
Brewers win game 1, 9-0.

Game 2 was much the same- Brewers winning 8-2. Harry Lyerly got the start, and the win, as he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits in 7 1/3rd innings pitched. Lyerly struggled with his control a bit, walking 6 batters but he also struck out 9. With the win he improves to 11-5 with a 2.69 ERA. Antonio Puente (.209/.306/.342) came through big for the home side as he went 3 for 4 with 2 HR's and 5 RBI. Andrew Kennedy (.299/.329/.392) stays red-hot at the plate as he went 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored. Bobby Erbakan (.275/.346/.390) chipped in with a 2 for 4, 2 run, 1 HR game (his 7th HR.)

The final game of the series required a bit more drama. The Brewers are out-hit by the Lords 12-8 and enter the bottom of the 9th trailing 5-2. Then they really got to work. Kevin Curtis (.188/.323/.322) walked to start the inning. Andrew Kennedy (.299/.331/.392) came in to pinch hit for pitcher Dave Duncan. And he walked. Chad Brown then struck out for the first out of the inning. (After striking out only 11 times the entire 1971 season, Chad has now struck out 30 times in 1972.) But then the recently torrid Pat Rondeau (.291/.311/.360) singled, loading the bases. Ryan Rodgers (.313/.415/.361) followed with a single of his own, driving in Curtis and re-filling the bases. Antonio Puente (.211/.313/.343) then walked in a run. With 1 out and the bases loaded the Brewers now trail 6-4. The Lords bring in a new pitcher, John Velasco, who has great stuff but questionable control. Bobby Erbakan is up. Perfect time for the young budding superstar to come up with the big game-winning hit. Nope. Erbakan strikes out. Last chance, Oscar Vargas, who came into the game as a defensive replacement at third base to begin the 9th, when the score was still 5-2, comes to the plate. With a slash line of .203/.257/.278 he is one of the weakest hitters on the club. It is decided to let him hit anyway. And after working to a 3-2 count, Vargas slashes a line drive to the opposite (right) field. The speedy Pat Rondeau scores easily. Ryan Rodgers rounds third and heads for home. He makes it, easily. And the team comes out to mob Vargas, the ultimate hero of the game.

The Brewers get an exciting sweep of the Lords before heading out on the road for a 13 games in 13 days stretch (after a day off for travel.) That's the good news. The bad news is that the Charlotte Sting are also playing well and the Brewers remain 9 games off the pace.