Message #441534

[DPMOmaha]

Well this was a fun read:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/51820532.html

5th inning:

Every inning for Suppan is life and death. Every inning. And this inning, it's death.

Gonzalez leads off with a double, the fourth time in five innings the leadoff man has gotten on. After Stammen bunts Gonzalez to third, he scores on a sinking single to right by Morgan that eludes the diving Hart. Guzman then singles and Suppan hits Zimmerman to load the bases.

After getting ahead in the count, 1-2, Suppan walks Dunn to force in the tying run. Brutal. Absolutely brutal. He strikes out Johnson but surrenders a first-pitch grand slam by Willingham that gives the Nats a 6-2. lead

Six runs in one inning by the worst team in major league baseball!! How can a pitcher allow that to happen? That's as bad as it gets. Starting pitching is bleeding this team dry, drip by drip, game by game. Suppan was acquired to be a stabilizing force in the rotation. I'd say he's falling a wee bit short of that.

Kendall chops a double off the glove of leaping third baseman Zimmerman and Suppan bunts him to third. Why Suppan is still in the game is beyond me. Lopez singles into the hole at short, scoring Kendall.

After Counsell flies out to center, Braun lines a home run over the fence in center to cut the margin to 6-5. The question, as it is most nights with this pitching staff is: Will the Brewers be able to score enough to overcome their starting pitcher?

Fielder singles to left. Even though Stammen is one out away from qualifying for a victory, he is being removed from the game. Nice to see that one of the managers knows when his starting pitcher is done. I know the bullpen is weary and the Brewers are starting reliever Carlos Villanueva tomorrow, but what's the point of leaving Suppan in to get tattooed some more? I think he' s established -- for the second consecutive start -- that he has absolutely nothing.

Jason Bergmann comes in and strikes out Cameron.

6-5, Nationals.

6th inning:

Suppan walks Gonzalez, the fifth time in six innings he has put the leadoff man on base. Bergmann bunts in front of plate and Kendall grabs it and tags Bergmann all in one motion, then fires to second. But the tag removed the force and Hardy didn't know it, and he threw to first without tagging the runner, so Gonzalez is safe at second.

Morgan dumps a single into center and continues to second when Cameron throws to the plate, with Gonzalez holding at third.  It doesn't matter, because Guzman drills a double into the right-field corner to score both runners and make it 8-5. Suppan is instructed to walk Zimmerman intentionally, then is finally yanked from the game. So, Suppan is allowed to stay in the game and surrender 10 hits and 8 runs (with two runners still on base) before getting lifted. Can't wait to hear that explanation.

Dunn hammers the first pitch from Mitch Stetter for a ground-rule double to right-center, scoring Guzman. That's another run on Suppan's slate. Nine runs charged to him now. Stetter then walks Johnson and he's out of the game. Suppan sets the tone and Stetter follows suit. Mark DiFelice now coming in with the bases loaded. This is an absolutely embarrassing performance.

NOW, IT'S BEYOND EMBARRASSING. Willingham hits an 0-1 pitch from DiFelice for his second grand slam in two innings. That makes it 13-5, folks.

GM Doug Melvin should call all prospective trading partners right now and say, "Never mind." Unless they'd like to buy some players, that is.

13-5, Washington. At least we know what the low point of the season is now.

Kendall walks with one down and scores on pinch-hitter Jody Gerut's double to right-center. Lopez singles to center but Gerut is thrown out at the plate by Morgan. Geez. What else can go wrong?

13-6, Washington. And this isn't the Redskins and Packers.

8th inning:

The carnage continues as Zimmerman leads off with a homer off Swindle. That's 14-6. What an absolute debacle this game is.

9th inning:

Well, at least we know what the low point of the season has been -- tonight's game. This is about as bad as it gets for an alleged contending team. The Brewers drop below .500 for the first time since they were 9-10 on April 27.

Washington wins, 14-6, and the Brewers can't be criticized enough for what has happened with their pitching staff.