Brewers record: 6-1 (week), 12-6, 2nd place, 1/2 gb (season)
Now this is more like it!
April 27-29, at Baltimore:
1-6,
6-0,
11-0.
The Brewers uneven start continued in the first game in Baltimore as the offense could only manage 3 hits off Sako Zakian (3rd pick overall in the 1972 draft) and Erik Sloan (0-1, 6.94) gave up 6 runs on 10 hits in his 5 2/3rds innings pitched.
And then in game 2 the Brewers got the kind of start from Sadahige Kawasaki that they were envisioning when they signed him this off-season. Kawasaki gave the beleaguered bullpen a break as he got the complete game shutout, allowing 6 hits, striking out 3 and walking just 1. He improves to 2-1, 1.40. He got some help from Joe McPhillips (.273/.322/.582), who went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and hit his 6th double and 3rd HR of the season. And Andrew Kennedy (.447/.462/.500) remains hot with a 3 for 4 game and hit his 2nd double.
And then the Brewers kept it going with another complete game victory (Matt Helm, 2-0, 3.21) and a 5-hit game by Josh Schaeffer (.379/.471/.448). With Schaeffer's performance, Andrew Kennedy's 4 for 5 day was nearly lost in the shuffle. Bobby Erbakan is not off to a great start (.233/.300/.372), but he did hit his 3rd HR of the season in this one.
April 30-May 2, at Phoenix:
5-2,
6-4,
7-2.
The starting rotation continues its resurgence as Steve Green works 8 1/3rd in game 1, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He improves to 2-1, 3.80. Oscar Vargas got a start at shortstop and went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI on his 6th inning 3-run HR. On the less happy side, Ryan Rodgers had to leave the game with an injury suffered in a base-path collision.
More of the same in game 2, as Cheol-han Lee (3-1, 3.99) gave up just 3 runs- 1 earned- on 6 hits in 7 2/3rd innings. John Flores (.367/.355/.700), who should be getting a lot more playing time with injuries in the Brewers outfield, went 3 for 5, hitting his 2nd double and 1st triple of 1975.
And in the final game of the series, Erik Sloan finally has his first good start of 1975, going the distance for his 1st win, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. Joe McPhillips was lost to injury in this game, but the guy who came in to replace him in center field, John Flores, ended up hitting a Grand Slam HR in his first plate appearance. It was Flores 3rd HR of the season.
May 3rd, versus Brooklyn:
9-2.
In the first of three in Denver against the first place Aces, Harry Lyerly keeps things going for the rotation and Josh Schaeffer shines again at the plate. Lyerly (2-1, 3.27) lasted 7 innings, giving up 2 runs on just 4 hits. Schaeffer (.405/.490/.595) was 4 for 4 at the plate, hitting 3rd double of the season and his 1st HR and driving in 4 runs. Bobby Erbakan (.263/.313/.439) went 2 for 5, hitting his 3rd HR and driving in 2 runs.
So, what happened this week? First of all, the starting pitching, which was horrible in the first few weeks of the season, was fantastic this week. The bullpen was pretty good but mostly very little used. And then a few hitters got red-hot- particularly Josh Schaeffer, Andrew Kennedy (remained hot), and John Flores.
Notes from around the league: The Columbus Whalers are en fuego, having now won 12 games in a row, and lead the SJL with a 15-4 record. The Boston Berserkers and Jacksonville Wolf Pack are tied for second place with 12-7 records.
Brooklyn barely leads the Brewers in the MGL now with 13-6 mark. Andrew Kennedy leads the MGL in batting average at .439.