The Charlotte Sting host the Brewers for a three-game set surely looking to get some revenge for the crushing sweep they suffered at the Brewers hands last week in Denver.
And in Game 1 they do get a small measure of revenge with a narrow 5-4 win. Matt Helm got the start for the Brewers and the lefty worked 5 innings, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits, walking 5 while striking out just 1. Helm takes the loss to fall to 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA. Chad Brown (.333/.350/.433) was 3 for 5 in the loss but also committed his 7th error of the season. With his 3 hits he extended his hit streak to 15 straight games. Bobby Erbakan (.267/.333/.378) got a hit in his first at-bat to extend his streak to 16 games. Pat Rondeau (.475/.492/.559) was 2 for 4 to extend his streak to 13 games. Jonathan Koch hit his 2nd HR of the season.
Game 2 saw the Brewers bat booming once again (not that they were all that silent in the first game.) But once again the real story was the pitching of young Mr. Eric Johnson. Johnson carried a 2-hit shutout into the 9th inning and although he then ran into a bit of trouble and allowed a 3-run Cody Kane homer, he earned another win to improve to 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA. Not too shabby for the Trinidad, Colorado native. Jonathan Koch (.346/.363/.481) continues his terrific sophomore season and had a 3 for 5 game with 2 doubles (6) and 3 RBI (21). Oscar Vargas (.207/.273/.241), in a rare start giving Mike Foster a breather at third base, was 3 for 5 also and also drove in 3 runs and hit his 1st double of the season. Bobby Erbakan (.286/.357/.408) went 2 for 4 and hit his 4th double and his hitting streak extends to 17 games. Erbakan also picks up his 2nd stolen base. Chad Brown got 1 hit in 5 at-bats and extends his streak to 16 games. The Brewers win 9-3.
And the hits keep coming. The Brewers bang out 16 hits in the rubber match, including a pair of doubles, and a Grand Slam home run off the bat of back-up catcher Spencer Wilson in the 5th inning that turned a narrow lead into a decisive lead. (It was Wilson's 2nd HR of the season.) Cheol-han Lee pitched a solid 8 innings for the win, improving to 4-2 with a 3.04 ERA. Chad Brown (.338/.353/.438) was 3 for 5 and hit his 7th double of the season. Hitting streak now at 17 games. Andrew Kennedy (.339/.350/.470) was also 3 for 5. Mike Foster (.243/.287/.308), one of the few Brewers hitters who has been cold for the past several weeks, broke out a bit with a 3 for 4 game, scoring 2 runs, driving in 1, and drawing 1 walk. Ryan Rodgers (.349/.449/.470), oh, he just keeps quietly hitting, going 2 for 4 and hitting his 4th double of the season. Bobby Erbakan got a single hit to get to 18 straight games with his hitting streak. Pat Rondeau also got a hit and is now at 14 games. With the 1 hit in 5 AB's, Rondeau's batting average drops to .453. Yup, that's how crazy this offense is right now. Not a single Brewer's starter, including Cheol-han Lee, was held hitless in this game.
The Brewers team batting average is now .296. We even manage to move up a notch in team HR's, from 9th to 8th. Baby steps.
With a record of 18-12 the Brewers are currently tied for 3rd place in the MGL with Detroit, 1 1/2 games behind the first place Brooklyn Aces and 1 game behind the L.A. Spinners. Though it should be noted that the Brewers are 2nd only behind the Spinners in run differential in all of the WPK. (Denver is at +41, L.A. has a tremendous +53.)