For all the hoopla over Homer Bailey in the years since the Reds took him in the first round, he hasn't been worth much more to Cinci this year than Mark Rogers has been to the Brewers.  Kind of odd that, despite all that hype, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez (who, to be fair, wasn't in the org until this season) have completely overtaken him.

So yeah, Bailey is 0-5 with a 7.55 ERA this year.  He was solid in Triple-A, but has walked guys like crazy everywhere he's been.  Going for us this afternoon is Jeff Suppan, who has also been walking more batters than usual, but at least has an ERA under 5, and is coming off his second best start of the year.

Game time is 11:35 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

Seems like a few lopsided pitching matchups haven't gone the way they should lately, so maybe it's for the best that we're sending Dave Bush to the mound--on the road, in a homer-friendly park--against Edison Volquez. 

Game time is 6:10 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

I was at the Nats-Reds game in Washington yesterday, watching the Reds get swept.  If you think the Cubs made us look bad last week, imagine what it's like to watch a team go down in three straight to Washington.

Tonight's matchup is Bronson Arroyo and Manny Parra.  Arroyo hasn't been good this year, but he did beat the Brewers twice in the last two months of the 2007 season.  Parra has scuffled a bit lately; let's hope he's due for a good one.  I hear about the Reds offense all the time, but it sure didn't show up in DC yesterday afternoon.

Game time is 6:10 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

The Brewers are going for the sweep, but it isn't an easy task, with Crew-killer Jorge Campillo on the hill for the Braves.

Game time is 12:30 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

I like winning.

The matchup this afternoon--doubtless blacked out on MLB.tv because of FOX--is CC Sabathia and Charlie Morton.  Morton has made eight career starts, all this season, and his performance against the Crew back in June was actually his second best outing.  That isn't saying much, since he comes into this afternoon's game with an ERA over seven.

Game time is 2:55 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

The matchup tonight is Jeff Suppan and Chuck James.  Apparently the lineup-juggling (including Corey sitting) will continue, so maybe by the beginning of next week, Ned will have taken all of the good hitters out of the lineup.

Game time is 6:30 CT, and here's the BR Game Preview.

Go Brewers!

(because looking backward sucks.)

We've been looking forward to it for a while--an easier schedule in August, not only compared to what we've faced lately, but compared to what our division rivals have to deal with.  Here's how the month shapes up:

• Aug 1-3: @Braves (3 games) -- a better team than their record suggests, though hurt by losing Tim Hudson to injury and Mark Teixiera in a trade.  (Hudson is bigger--Kotchman is a nice substitute at first.)
• Aug 4-6: @Reds (3 games) -- they lost Griffey but kept Dunn.  The top of the starting rotation makes them a dangerous opponent no matter what, though.
• Aug 8-11: Nats (4 games) -- back home, and if we don't take three out of these four, we don't deserve to make the playoffs.
• Aug 12-14: @Padres (3 games) -- like the Braves, better than their record, but the Padres still aren't very good.  One challenge will be relying on a homer-happy offense in Petco.
• Aug 15-17: @Dodgers (3 games) -- I'm not convinced Manny makes this team much better.  He does, however, increase the average age of the starting lineup, which is what Joe Torre really wants.
• Aug 18-20: Astros (3 games) -- sounds easy, but that didn't go so well last time.  And now they have LaTroy Hawkins.  (uh...)
• Aug 22-24: Pirates (3 games) -- like the Nats series, we really should take this one.  The Pirates are building for the future, which is great for Pittsburgh and good for baseball, but not likely to help the '08 Rats win 75 games.
• Aug 26-27: @Cards (2 games)
• Aug 29-31: @Pirates (3 games)

Lots of easy opponents, but plenty of road series.  The situation reverses itself in September: 16 of 26 at home, but half of the 26 games are against the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs.