[BirdWatcher]

Perhaps 4 games against the last place Portland Wild Things at home is what the doctor ordered to get the Brewers back on the right track.

Then again, maybe not.

Game 1 saw a great performance by Cheol-han Lee and every bit of it was needed as the Brewers just barely won, 1-0. Lee improves to 8-2 with the victory and now has a 1.86 ERA. He allowed 7 hits in the complete game shutout while striking out 9 and walking none. Andrew Kennedy (.283/.307/.399) went 2 for 3 in the game, hitting his 12th double and scoring the lone Brewers run. That run was driven in by Joe McPhillips (.252/.340/.480) with his 7th double of the year.

In the second game of the series the Brewers lost in 10 innings, 5-4. (The Brewers are 2-6 in extra innings games.) With a long stretch of games the Brewers found themselves with an exhausted rotation and no good option out of the bullpen and had to reach down to AAA to bring up a fresh arm to start the game. Unfortunately, all of their best options at AAA were also not well rested and they were forced to go with Jack Hinkel, hardly a prospect. Then again, the 23-year old Hinkel does have two exceptional pitches- a nasty slider and a great change-up- to go along with a decent fastball. His stuff is nearly Harry Lyerly quality, but his movement is also Lyerly-like and his control is well-below average. In a pinch I suppose one could do worse. And Hinkel, in his first major league start, wasn't bad. He lasted 6 1/3rd, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5 and walking 2. He kept his team in the game, at least. Which is more than one can say for Jorge de los Santos, who took the loss, and Eric Singer, who walked three and threw a wild pitch coming on after de los Santos and failing to strand the runner he inherited with one out. Bobby Erbakan (.302/.382/.423) went 3 for 5 and hit his 15th double in the loss.

Game 3 saw the Brewers return the favor with a 4-3, 10-inning walk-off win. The walk-off hero was rookie Paul Mackins (.263/.273/.329), who hit a 2-out pinch-hit single to win it. Steve Green pitched 8 strong innings- allowing 3 runs on just 5 hits while striking out 10 and walking only 1 (he did give up 2 HR's)- but didn't get a decision. Andrew Kennedy (.285/.316/.402) went 2 for 4 and hit his 13th double in the game.

Lefty Matt Helm started game 4 for the Brewers but had to leave the game with a sore back after throwing just 4 pitches. The bullpen was solid (Dave Duncan, Sam Pruiett, and Miguel Solis- along with 1 pitch by Eric Singer who then also had to leave the game with an as yet un-diagnosed injury) but the offense went cold and the Brewers lost 3-1. Bobby Erbakan (.305/.382/.427) and Andrew Kennedy (.291/.325/.407) were again the bright spots for the offense, Erbakan going 2 for 4 with his 16th double and Kennedy 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and a walk.

With the series split the Brewers once again fall back to .500 with 31 wins and 31 losses. They are in 4th place, 8 1/2 games behind the first place L.A. Spinners, and 7 1/2 behind the Charlotte Sting and Brooklyn Aces, who are in a virtual tie for 2nd place. On the other hand, at least they aren't the Phoenix Speed Devils, who were widely predicted to win the MGL this season. The Speed Devils have dropped to 9th place and are now 7 games under .500.