Jerry Kelly makes a late charge, Thongchai Jaidee hangs on to win the 2022 AmFam Championship
Chaos is a good way to describe Sunday at the 2022 American Family Insurance Championship. Eight players entered the calm, overcast day within two strokes of Thongchai Jaidee and Miguel Angel Jimenez’s lead of -10, with two-time defending champion Jerry Kelly entering just three back.
The final round was crowded at the top throughout, with as many as nine players holding a share of the lead at a time. After a Jaidee bogey on the par 3 5th hole sent him back to -10 for the tournament, he along with Kelly, Kirk Triplett, Jimenez and Paul Broadhurst were all tied at the top. Several more joined that lead at -10 which stood for nearly an hour before Jimenez and Jaidee both birdied the par 5 9th hole to get to -11.
The back nine at University Ridge Golf Course presents golden scoring opportunities throughout, though the closing two-hole stretch has enough bite to ruin a player’s round.
The first part of that happened Sunday. Tournament host Steve Stricker birdied the par 4 14th to get to -5 on the day and -9 overall. He was one shot back at that point but did not pick up another birdie for the rest of his round and finished tied for 11th.
“I told (wide and caddy) Nicki I had to get to 13 yet and I was at 9 and we had four holes left,” Stricker said. “I was thinking an eagle in there at 16 and then trying to birdie some coming in. Yeah, a little late to join the party, but it was some better things today. I putted awful, though. I didn't birdie any of the par 5s today. Could have been a real special round, but just didn't get it in the hole very well.”
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1536048859834683394
The next player through was Tom Pernice Jr., who began the day just three shots back at -7. After making the turn at -9 he picked up birdies at 11, 14, 15 and 16 to post 66 and enter the clubhouse with the lead at -13.
Then came Kelly. The Madison native made the turn at -10, picked up birdies at 13 and 15 to get to -12, but missed makeable looks at 16 and 18 to fall just short of matching Pernice in the clubhouse.
“That was a lot of good putts out there on the back side,” Kelly said. “I struck it well, I putted well, they just didn't go in this time, but I gave myself some good looks. I mean, I was really happy with the way things were going and I was kind of expecting them to drop, 'okay, anytime now.' Then I just ran out of holes and didn't make them.”
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1536057143719251969
As this was taking place Jaidee was getting hot. The Thailand native birdied 9, 10, 11 and 15 to stretch his lead to -14 walking to the 16th tee. That's when chaos mentioned earlier ensued. After finding the trees with his drive on 16, Jaidee was forced to drop and leave the scoreable par 5 hole with a bogey. His lead was back to -13, tied with Pernice.
His playing partner Jimenez showed a similar flash early on his back nine, birdieing 9, 10 and 11 to match Jaidee at -12 at the time. But then the wheels came off on the greens for the Spaniard. Jimenez three-putt bogeyed the 14th, three-putt parred the par 5 16th and posted 70, finishing the tournament at -12.
While this all was going on Kirk Triplett had a makeable putt on 18 to match the clubhouse lead. That roll slid by on the right side, leaving him at -12.
At this point a playoff seemed likely with Pernice in at -13, Jaidee sitting at -13 on the 17th tee and Jimenez and Broadhurst with a few chances to join the two at the top.
But all of the back-and-forth was finally put to rest on the 17th green. Jaidee stuck his approach from 180 yards out to 20 feet and left a downhill putt sweeping right to left. After Jimenez and Broadhurst both missed their bids to tie his lead, Jaidee calmly slid the putt in on the left edge. It was a birdie on the hole, -4 for the day and -14 overall for the tournament.
https://twitter.com/ChampionsTour/status/1536087865200869379
A difficult 18th hole can always sway a tournament’s result. Just look at the recent PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where leader Mito Pereira double-bogeyed the final hole to relinquish the lead and allow Justin Thomas to win the tournament in a playoff.
But Jaidee’s final hole was anything but nervy. He striped it into the fairway, narrowly missed the green with his approach and got up and down for a tournament-winning par.
"Excited," Jaidee said when asked to describe his emotions. "I played a solid, solid week. I took one mistake on 16, hit the tree and lost the ball, we make a good bogey...holed a good putt on 17 and the game changed. I think my confidence in putting, that's why helped me a lot for this week."
With the win, Jaidee became the first player from Thailand to win on the Champions Tour and finally took the trophy from Kelly, who had held it since 2019. The win also moves Jaidee up to No. 12 on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List, still a ways behind leaders Steve Alker, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Bernhard Langer.
'Moving Day' lives up to its name Saturday at the AmFam
FITCHBURG, Wis. -- Saturday is labeled “moving day” at professional golf tournaments for a reason. It’s the time when the contenders make their move and separate themselves from the pretenders.
Round 2 at the 2022 American Family Insurance Championship lived up to that name and then some. A lead that sat at -7 after Friday moved up to only -10, though there were numerous golfers that made big jumps into contention.
The headliner entering the day was Steve Flesch. The overnight leader played lights out tee-to-green on the front side Saturday, birdieing the 4th, 6th and 7th holes to shoot an opening nine 33. The gear was set back to neutral for the back side, though, as Flesch mixed in one birdie with two bogeys to shoot a second-round 70. He sits at -9 entering Sunday, just one back of the lead.
The big movers of the day started at 3-under and 6-under respectively. The first was Thongchai Jaidee, who fired a bogey-free 65 to move to -10 for the tournament.
Jaidee’s name was still a few slots back as he ventured through the back nine. That was until he stood on the 14th tee, where birdies on the next three holes vaulted him into a tie for first.
“My confidence with my putting was very good today,” Jaidee said. "I holed some good putts, but the more important thing here is keeping ball in play. That was my plan today. I hit a lot of greens, hit a lot of fairways. The most important thing, I feel is putting. That's the key for this week. Finally 7 under today, bogey free today, very happy. I'll try to keep my same game plan tomorrow.”
The 13-time Asian Tour winner hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his second round and 10 of 13 fairways, in addition to scrambling successfully all 4 times and finishing 1 for 1 in sand saves. The most telling number: Jaidee needed only 11 putts to close out a back nine 32. His 65 was the best in the field Saturday and puts him in a good position to close out a victory Sunday.
The man he is tied with also happens to be the least surprising name to appear at the top of this leaderboard. It’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, who finished tied for second last year when Jerry Kelly’s late run captured the trophy.
Jimenez’s round is interesting to unpack. The Spaniard started the day at -6, birdied his first hole to get to -7, hit his drive on 2 out of bounds & made bogey, bounced back to play holes 3 to 11 at three-under, stumbled again on 15 to drop back a stroke and then finished birdie-birdie-par on 16, 17 and 18 respectively.
His round was highlighted by hitting 10 of 13 fairways and 15 of the 18 greens in regulation. Jimenez was also successfully able to scramble each of the two chances after the aforementioned bogey on 2. Take away that errant drive on the second hole and he would easily be the tournament’s leader by a few shots.
Another big mover was Paul Broadhurst. He was playing just a few minutes behind Jaidee’s 65, though was also scoring at a similar pace. Broadhurst started hot, birdieing three of his first four holes to get to -7. A bogey on the par 3 8th set him back for a second, but the United Kingdom native got hot down the stretch with birdies on 11, 13 and 15 and an eagle on 16.
A closing bogey on 18 dropped him back a stroke, but he sits tied for second at -9.
In all, 16 names are within three shots of the lead entering Sunday. Among that group is Kirk Triplett at -8 (a double bogey on 17 dropped him out of the lead), Paul Goydos, Colin Montgomerie, Jerry Kelly, Tim Herron, Doug Barron and John Daly.
Hometown favorites Kelly and Steve Stricker both fired three-under 69s today. Kelly's will keep him in the hunt entering the final round, while Stricker's unfortunately likely won't be enough after an opening-round 71. Despite the deficit, though, Stricker is still setting goals for the final round.
"I mean, I went out there with 8 under in my head and just never really got any momentum," Stricker said. "So tomorrow, hopefully, hopefully I can do that and put up a low one. Too far back to win the thing, but to try to get up there and get a top-10 or something."
The final tournament highlight of the day came from the most interesting man on the Champions Tour: John Daly. Daly, in fluorescent flower-covered pants, notched a bogey-free 66 to stay in the hunt entering the final day.
“I made a few putts here and there, hit a lot of fairways, but the guys are going low,” Daly said. “It's hard to win out here. Triplett's hot, Flesch is hot.”
Daly vaulted his way to -7, tied for 9th and again only three shots back of Jimenez and Jaidee.
Now moving past the tournament itself, the 2022 edition of the AmFam Championship saw the celebrity foursome return. Two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North and Packers legend Brett Favre squared off against MLB Hall Of Famer Derek Jeter and LPGA legend Juli Inkster.
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1535683489227497479
The entertaining match between the two teams was decided midway through the back nine when Jeter and Inkster got hot and left Favre and North shots behind. The final score was Team Jeter/Inkster -5, Team Favre/North -2.
The Jeter-Inkster team earned a significant charitable donation in their names to American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.
https://twitter.com/amfamchamp/status/1535733238366449666
Action returns Sunday morning where a packed leaderboard will battle to finally take the trophy away from two-time defending champion Jerry Kelly. That is unless Kelly recaptures last year’s magic and finds an improbable three-peat.
Jerry Kelly finds a groove, Steve Stricker stumbles, Steve Flesch leads Friday at the AmFam
A rainy morning turned into a picture-perfect day for golf Friday at the American Family Insurance Championship. The light drizzle conceded around 11 a.m. and blue sky subsequently found its way through the clouds. When the sun began to shine down, the temperature rose…and so did the golf.
Tournament host and heavy favorite Steve Stricker almost perfectly embodied the mood of the day for his first 16 holes. He bogied the par 4 1st while the rain was still trickling down then proceeded to record five birdies in his next 15 holes as the sun was shining.
That sent him to the 17th tee at -3, where a poor tee shot led to a crushing double bogey, undoing much of the forward progress he’d made.
“Yeah, that was a disappointing way to finish really because I had it in the middle of the fairway at 16 with a 7- or 8-iron in my hand,” Stricker said. “ I've been trying to hit some hard shots and I tried to hit a hard one there and just didn't go. And then make the double at 17.”
The tournament host hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation today despite only hitting 9 of 13 fairways. His only missed green on the back nine was at the 17th, where a big number can always hurt a good day’s work. Stricker now sits at -1, tied for 28th entering the weekend.
Two-time defending champion Jerry Kelly’s first-round took a nearly opposite path to that of his fellow Wisconsin native. He made the turn at -1 after solid golf on the front nine (6/6 fairways, 9/9 greens in regulation) was not rewarded with many birdies. He then stood on the 16th tee at that same number, before proceeding to play the par 5 16th, par 3 17th and par 4 18th at a combined three-under to card a four-under 68.
“I started out today just pretty weak, just not being able to do what I did last week,” Kelly said. “I mean, I had some new swing thoughts last week and it was great, and I had some new putting thoughts last week and it was great, and trying to duplicate sometimes is difficult. I kind of realized a few things going into that back side after I hit some really bad shots through like 13 or so and really got on top of it.”
Kelly sits tied for 4th place entering a weekend where he’ll look to win this tournament for a third straight time.
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1535291058845847553
The trios of Stricker, Jim Furyk and Davis Love and Jerry Kelly, Fred Couples and Retief Goosen captured much of the fan attention today, understandably so. But the best golf of the day came from 55-year-old Steve Flesch. His opening-round seven-under 65 puts him one shot clear of Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez for first place entering the weekend.
“You know, hit a lot of good shots, got away with a few scratchy ones,” Flesch said. “Putted great and got the ball up and down all but one time, so I had a great day out there. But the putting was better than normal and I was rewarded with a lot of good looks for birdie and capitalized on them.”
Flesch was a scrambling machine throughout the day, converting 6/7 of his scramble chances and getting around the course with only 24 putts. A three-putt bogey on 12 turned out to be the only blemish on a field-leading card.
The rest of the top 10 includes Montgomerie and Angel Jimenez at -6, Esteban Toledo, Paul Goydos, Tom Pernice Jr, Tim Herron, Kirk Triplett and Kelly all tied for fourth at -4 and eight more players tied for 10th at -3.
Another highlight from an entertaining Friday was John Daly breaking par with a first round 71. Or maybe the highlight was just the flamingo pants.
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1535266878561689609
The golfers will head back to the tee at University Ridge Golf Course tomorrow morning.
Brewers Week In Review: May 30 -- June 5
An action-packed week for the Milwaukee Brewers started with a strong showing in Chicago. The team swept the Memorial Day double-header and looked poised to dominate the Cubs, return home for the first time in 12 games and continue their NL Central-leading momentum.
Well, that didn't happen. The Crew went 1-5 to close the week and limped to Monday's off day (the team's first in 18 days).
The shame is, there were good stories coming out of the week. A career minor leaguer excelled in his first major league start, two of the wins saw big-time late-game heroics and more. But the results were not there for the most part, and dropping Friday, Saturday and Sunday's games at home to the Padres leaves a bitter taste.
With this long stretch of games finally behind us, here is this week's Brewers Week in Review:
Record: 3-5
Current Standing: 33-23, first place in NL Central
The Good: A few fill-ins had impressive weeks.
The Brewers are not close to a healthy baseball team right now. They're playing without two of the lineup's scarier hitters (Hunter Renfroe, Willy Adames), two of the rotation's better arms (Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta) and a host of other players.
This column is highlighting two fill-ins who received extended playing time for different reasons: OF Tyrone Taylor, SP Jason Alexander.
Taylor started all eight games this week in the outfield mostly due to the struggles of Lorenzo Cain, though also due in part to Renfroe's absence. His week-long tallies don't look great (5 hits in 31 at bats, 2 HR, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 7 Ks). But he was arguably the biggest reason the Brewers swept the Memorial Day double-header down in Chicago.
The outfielder went deep in Game 1 of the twin bill to tie the game at four before Luis Urias' 3-run home run gave the team a lead they would not relinquish. He then went deep again in Game 2 in addition to making a circus catch to get Aaron Ashby out of a jam.
There wasn't much good after those two wins on Monday (aside from some heroics I'll note below). That's why Taylor's Monday in Chicago is what we'll highlight.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1531450910903357443
The other "good" from the week was the MLB debut of Jason Alexander, a 29-year-old who battled for years to finally reach The Show.
His debut on Wednesday had a rocky start --- a 28-pitch first inning where the Cubs put two runs on the board. But he settled in after that, finishing his day with a line of 7 innings, 7 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts. While the Brewers ended up losing the game in extras (after failing to score the ghost runner in the top of the 10th), Alexander's debut for an injury-riddled rotation was a tremendous development.
The final "good" which I pointed to previously: the Brewers' walk-off win against the Padres on Thursday. The team trailed 4-1 entering the 9th inning against a closer in Taylor Rodgers that has been one of baseball's best this season. What came next: Keston Hiura single, Kolten Wong hit by pitch, Victor Caratini hit by pitch, Jace Pederson 3-run triple, Andrew McCutchen walk-off single.
The single for McCutchen snapped an 0 for 32 cold spell and ended up salvaging what would have been a disastrous week for the ball club.
The Bad: Almost everything.
Monday's twin bill sweep was a perfect start to the week. Thursday's improbable win was a bonus after a poor showing during the first 8 innings. But aside from those days, the Brewers went 0-5 and were outscored a combined 29-14.
Corbin Burnes had his worst start of the season (3 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 5 earned runs), Christian Yelich went 2 for 22, Keston Hiura continued to struggle in the big leagues, Trevor Kelley blew a 3-run lead on Tuesday, the defense was poor and the offense only scored 4 runs over the weekend.
I will credit part of the struggles to the team playing its 18th game in 17 days and playing without many of its most consistent contributors. But finishing the week 3-5 after starting 2-0 is a rough development. We'll see what better health and Monday's off-day does to help the team's momentum.
MVP:
-Jace Pederson (.304, 7 hits, 5 XBH, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB)
Stat Of The Week:
https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/1531443267253985286
Video(s) Of The Week:
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1532538178111938560?s=20&t=V6KfKnR7_ZFNaGs_Yk_Z8A
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1531447919487991808
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1532558840268574721
Tweets Of The Week:
https://twitter.com/JeffHemPBP/status/1532888945616371718
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1533564301495218176
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1533520754763091968
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1532183447984300032
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1532557854586150920?s=20&t=V6KfKnR7_ZFNaGs_Yk_Z8A
Next Week: vs. PHI, @ WSH
Brewers Week In Review: May 23 -- May 29
A special Memorial Day edition of Brewers Week In Review has more news and notes than I can remember this column having. We look back at a week that started with an action-packed series win in San Diego (the word "action" meaning several different things in this context) and crept to finish with a four-game split in St. Louis.
What's impressive, though, is the context associated with those results. The team is now playing without its two best offensive threats (Willy Adames, Hunter Renfroe), played without star closer Josh Hader for a series, lost Freddy Peralta for a lengthy period and now will be without Brandon Woodruff. The team's depth is being tested big-time, and not just the position depth. We're seeing different relievers get high-leverage opportunities, different starters take the mound and, obviously, some new combinations across the field.
In all, the 4-3 record should feel better than it looks, especially winning the first series in San Diego.
One piece of news before last week is fully recapped: the Brewers have called up prospect Ethan Small to pitch Monday's game in Chicago. He is the team's No. 7-ranked prospect in its system & top-ranked pitching prospect.
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1531271206715932673
And now, your Brewers Week In Review:
Record: 4-3
Current Standing: 30-18 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: An expected Corbin Burnes bounce back.
Last week Corbin Burnes headlined "the bad" column after his worst start of the season (4 earned runs, 7 hits, 2 home runs in 6 innings). If any out there had doubt he would bounce back in a big way, that doubt should be put to eternal rest. The Brewers star started two games last week (Tuesday @ SD, Sunday @ STL) and absolutely dazzled in both opportunities.
Tuesday @ SD: 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts, 1 win
Sunday: @ STL: 7 innings, 2 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts, 1 win
Total: 2-0, 0.69 ERA, 13 innings, 7 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts.
His season line now sits at a near-perfect 10 starts, 3-2 record, 64.2 innings, 1.95 ERA, 0.82. WHIP, 78 Ks, 11 BBs. Cy Young-caliber production from the top of the rotation.
An honorable mention for this category: RP Devin Williams.
While Hader was away from the team during the three-game set in San Diego, Williams was tasked with the closer role. He went on to appear in every game (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday) and finish the week with 2 saves, 3 innings, 2 hits allowed, 0 runs and 4 strikeouts. The bullpen needed a jolt without Hader's lockdown stuff available. Williams gave them that and more.
The Bad: Injuries.
This column could get a big long, as the Brewers have suddenly been hit hard by injuries all over the field.
First, Freddy Peralta left his start last Sunday with right shoulder tightness. We learned Monday he would be placed on the injured list and miss "significant" time. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters they expect him to return this season, but it's still a near worst-case scenario for the All-Star pitcher.
Next, with the team already without Willy Adames due to a sprained ankle, outfielder Hunter Renfroe sprained his hamstring during Tuesday's win in San Diego. If you're a regular consumer of this weekly article, you'd know he was the team's "good" last week after slashing .526/.542/1.174 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI. For a lineup that has struggled to stay healthy all season, and hit consistently for that matter, he had become one of the more reliable producers. The outfielder has now been out since Tuesday though is expected to return late this week.
Finally, starter Brandon Woodruff was removed from Friday's start in St. Louis with right ankle discomfort. The two-time All-Star said he began feeling pain in the first couple innings and it got progressively worse. He attempted to go back out for the 5th inning but was pulled after his warmup pitches. There was initial hope that Woodruff wouldn't miss his next start, but that changed Monday when the team placed him on the 15-day IL with a high ankle sprain.
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1531308957125554177
While it sounds crazy, the Brewers sit 12 games over .500 on Memorial Day while having never been fully healthy at a single point during the season. Whether it's bats in the middle of the lineup, Josh Hader stepping away for a few days or long-term injuries to a starter, this is a team that's scraping by in an extremely impressive way. One way to look at this: better health is to come as the summer progresses, which should probably lead to better play on the field.
MVP(s):
-Corbin Burnes (2-0, 13 innings, 0.69 ERA, 16 strikeouts, 7 hits, 1 earned run)
Stat Of The Week:
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1530212487588716544
Best Video(s):
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1531025551305195522
Next Week: @ CHC, vs. SD
Brewers Week In Review: May 16 -- May 22
Another pair of three-game series, another highly successful week for the Milwaukee Brewers. The team has played 13 series so far this season plus a one-game stop against the Giants. They've now won 9 of those 13 sets with this week's series wins over the Braves and Nationals. A common question raised is always whether the team needs more offensive help to reach a World Series. While this isn't an argument in either direction, the now-healthy offense continues to help the team take 2 of 3 from whoever visits town.
For more on this week's mostly winning, here is your Brewers week in review:
Record: 4-2
Current Standing: 26-15 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: Hunter Renfroe is on fire.
A previous recipient of this honor is Rowdy Tellez, a great example of David Stearns finding fantastic value in the trade or free agent market. The team's main offense now consists mostly of players who fit that description -- Willy Adames, Andrew McCutchen, Tellez, Hunter Renfroe and Christian Yelich (kind of). Well, it's Renfroe's time to earn the spotlight this week.
His stat line in six contests: 19 at-bats, 10 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, 3 walks, .526 average, .542 on base percentage, 1.174 OPS. While there were no long balls to compliment the hot hitting, his year-long digits are now 38 hits, 9 home runs, 19 RBI, 2 doubles, 9 walks, .268/.305/.812. He leads the team in hits, home runs and batting average.
The Brewers acquired him this offseason in the 11th hour before baseball entered a work stoppage. They forfeited the services of the poor-hitting OF Jackie Bradley Jr. and two top-30 prospects. Looking back, as is the case with a lot of these moves, it seems to be a massive win. Renfroe has given the lineup one of its most powerful and consistent bats, otherwise known as another productive bat to take the shine away from Yelich's up-and-down play.
The Bad: Corbin Burnes
Not many times will Corbin Burnes finish a week as the team's least efficient starter. His line of 6 innings, 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 home runs allowed was bailed out by Keston Hiura's walk-off home run in extra innings, though it is still worth noting the hits, runs and home run tallies were all the worst of his season.
The good luck no decision was deserved, if possible, as Burnes has an ERA of 2.26 through 8 starts yet has only one win on his record. Nevertheless, expect the razor-sharp Burnes to return next week when he faces off against the Padres.
MVP(s):
-Hunter Renfroe (.526/.542/1.174, 2 doubles, 4 RBI)
Stat Of The Week: Is this any good?
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1527989211617447936
Best Video(s):
https://twitter.com/WISN_Watson/status/1527021535847927808
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1527035461587324929
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1527834397436698624
Best Tweets:
-Happened to the wrong side, but a triple play is a triple play
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1527842783712583682
-(before a poor start on Sunday that saw Peralta leave the game early with a shoulder injury)
https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/1526399942968979456
-Monday dominance
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1526386007192518659
-struggles against lefties
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1526738752600694786?s=20&t=r617sz5px9VOOFFYhmWY7Q
-time to shut off the Twitter account for a few weeks?
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1526927109251387393
-Renfroe is hot
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1527848425697558528
Next Week: @ SD, @ STL
Brewers Week In Review: May 9 -- May 15
A 6-game week with series in Cincinnati and in Miami should generally breed a lot of success for the Milwaukee Brewers. The Crew has the best pitching in the league, the lineup does enough to win games, the Reds are historically bad and the Marlins are a sub-.500 baseball team.
Well, the paper matchups didn't exactly bring the expected outcomes this week. Craig Counsell's team dropped two of three in Cincinnati to start the week (the Reds lineup looked like the 1927 Yankees for a few hours) and turned around to take two of three from Miami over the weekend. So is a 3-3 week a disappointment? In the grand scheme of things, it is not. But the first-place Brewers have set a high bar for matchups against the league's struggling ball clubs. If the week was to be graded like a college midterm, I'd give it a B-. It won't come close to tanking a GPA, but it's really not what you're looking for.
Here is everything you need to know about the week that was for the Milwaukee Brewers:
Record: 3-3
Current Standing: 22-13 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: Kolten Wong
Kolten Wong's bat is starting to heat up now more than a month into the season. His average hovered in the low .200s for weeks to start the year, with much of the team's offensive production coming from the spots directly behind him in the lineup. This week was a different story. Wong batted .353 in 5 games, including 2 HR, 6 walks, 3 RBI, and 4 stolen bases. Among his highlights was a game-tying home run in the 5th inning of Sunday's 7-3 win. That game turned into an all-around banner day for Wong, as he reached base safely in all 5 at-bats (a single, a home run and 3 walks) and lit up the basepaths with two stolen bases.
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1525920484352835590
A 3-3 week against a horrid Reds team and sub-par Marlins team is a disappointment in many respects. Wong's bat heating up should eliminate some of that sour taste.
Oh, Christian Yelich also hit for the cycle in Wednesday's 14-11 loss to the Reds. He is now one of only six players in MLB history to have three career cycles (all of his are against the Reds). The Dodgers' Trea Turner is the only other active player on that list.
Yelich's week-long numbers -- .273/.407/.952, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 5 walks -- are quite solid but not phenomenal. He is starting to play some consistently-solid baseball, though (.286/.397/.928, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 8 walks in his last 13 games). One more productive week and he'll find himself the headliner of this section.
The Bad: Brandon Woodruff, Adrian Hauser & Eric Lauer
The matchup between Brewers starters and struggling lineups should usually be a one-sided affair in favor of Milwaukee. Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta accomplished just that, combining for 12.2 innings, 15 strikeouts and only 2 runs allowed in their time on the mound. The other three starters moved the needle to the bad end of the spectrum, going a combined 1-3.
Brandon Woodruff: 2 starts, 1-1, 9.1 innings, 13 hits, 9 runs, 6 earned runs, 4 walks, 3 HRs allowed, 12 strikeouts, 5.79 ERA, 1.82 WHIP
Adrian Hauser: 1 start, 0-1, 4 innings, 6 hits, 7 runs, 3 earned runs, 4 walks, 3 strikeouts, 6.75 ERA, 2.50 WHIP
Eric Lauer: 1 start, 0-1, 5 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, 3 home runs allowed, 7 strikeouts, 7.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Combined: 4 starts, 1-3 record, 18.1 innings, 25 hits, 20 runs, 13 earned runs, 8 walks, 6 home runs allowed, 22 strikeouts, 6.46 ERA
The schedule is going to get tougher for Milwaukee with upcoming series against Atlanta, San Diego, St. Louis and Philadelphia (with the Nationals and Cubs also thrown in there.) The team has done a lot of winning thus far, though have done so against some poor competition (a lot of Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). Starting pitching will need to return to ace level for that success to continue.
MVP(s):
-Kolten Wong (.353/.500/1.265, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 hits, 6 walks, 4 stolen bases)
Stat Of The Week: History For Hader
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1524216538823331841
Best Video(s):
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1524194251873128451
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1524200806286774275
https://twitter.com/BSSportsbook/status/1524483459527462916
Best Tweets:
https://twitter.com/BrewersRaptor/status/1523773871802908672
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1523825164802273282?s=20&t=J692--A9jBUEBoadDQf5eA
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1523826595093434370
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1523839876919185408
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1524176563591421955
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1524474842862571532?s=20&t=t7M-EjUPj-qiK9vPyhMJCw
https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/1525847756098912256
Next Week: vs. ATL, vs. WSH
Brewers Week In Review: May 2 -- May 8
The weather is heating up in the state of Wisconsin and so are the bats of the Milwaukee Brewers. Dropping the week's final two games in Atlanta -- both partially due to pedestrian days at the plate -- leaves a sour taste, though it should not overshadow what was a remarkable seven days of offensive production. The team did so well at the plate in the three-game set against Cincinnati (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) that even Christian Yelich started joking about how many refer to them as a team that "can't hit." So stop me if you've heard this before: facing pitchers from the NL Central cellar-dwellers leads to some big numbers in the runs and hits columns.
For more on the offense, what Yelich had to say and why the team can't score runs for Corbin Burnes, here is everything you need to know about the week that was for the Milwaukee Brewers:
Record: 4-2
Current Standing: 19-10 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: Offensive Explosions Against Cincinnati
Tuesday: 6-3 win, Wednesday: 18-4 win, Thursday: 10-4 win. That's 34 runs scored in a three-game series, 11.3 runs per game. The best part about the offensive barrage is it came from every part of the lineup. Willy Adames and Rowdy Tellez led the way with 3 home runs each, Yelich continued his hot stretch at the plate, Luis Urias came off the injured list in good form with a .353 average, 1.029 OPS and 1 home run, Kolten Wong was red hot in the leadoff spot and more.
The Reds actually put some runs on the board, surprisingly, including the first two home runs hit off Brandon Woodruff this season. But nobody in the Cincinnati rotation had an answer for Milwaukee's lineup -- even young flamethrower Hunter Greene, who was tagged for 8 earned runs in only 2 2/3 innings of work on Thursday.
Yelich, who finished the week hitting at a .348/.444/1.053 clip with 1 home run and 5 RBI, had to get in a little dig postgame at those who dwell on the team's poor offensive stretches (which is admittedly me, at times):
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1522328300378542080
The hot stretch continued in Atlanta on Friday in the team's 6-3 win before screeching to a halt in 3-2 and 9-2 losses over the weekend. I think a lot of what we saw early in the week was just an indication of how horrible the Reds are. It is worth noting, though, that we're seeing prolonged hot streaks from some of the big bats in the middle of the lineup.
Now they just somehow have to start scoring runs with Corbin Burnes toes the rubber.
The Bad: Run Support For Corbin Burnes
Sunday's 9-2 loss in Atlanta was bad all around, highlighted by a 6 ER start by Aaron Ashby. But the biggest "bad" from the week is something we've seen for quite some time now: Burnes is given zero runs of support in so many of his brilliant starts.
A few numbers to show how bad it's been:
-Burnes has pitched 19.2 innings in his last three starts, has given up only 3 runs during that time and is 0-2 in those starts.
-The Brewers average 4.86 runs per game. The team is averaging 2.83 runs per game when Burnes pitches.
The latest example came on Saturday in Atlanta. Burnes tossed 6 solid innings, the only blemish being a solo home run from Ronald Acuna Jr. Milwaukee lost the game 3-2.
Adam McCalvy had a great look at the situation.
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1523329916263149568
The good news is Burnes hasn't shown any signs of slowing down on the mound. The bad news is he could finish the year with a Jacob DeGrom-like 10-10 record.
MVP(s):
-Rowdy Tellez (.321/.786/1.107, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 9 hits, 4 doubles, 3 runs)
-Willy Adames (.227/.682/1.052, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 hits, 1 double, 6 runs)
Stat Of The Week: Mother's Day success.
https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/1523284070884868096
(they're now 34-21).
Best Video(s):
-The Cincinnati Reds, ladies and gentlemen
https://twitter.com/JoeGiglioSports/status/1522328958544621570
Best Tweets:
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1521654525127540737
-Filth from Devin Williams
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1521684897672355840
-Tape measure week from Rowdy Tellez
https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/1522036274768629761
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1522232765449740290
Next Week: @ CIN, @ MIA
Brewers Week In Review: April 25 -- May 1
Welcome back to our look at the week that was for the Milwaukee Brewers. What was a mild start to the 2022 campaign, one mostly due to freezing cold bats throughout the lineup, has quickly turned into consistent tallies in the win column.
This week started on a weird note on Monday, with the Brewers flying from Philadelphia to meet the Giants at American Family Field for a one-game series. The series between the two was one of the casualties of the MLB offseason lockout, as the late start time meant the rescheduling of some of the season's earlier games. The two teams will meet again for a double-header in September to round out the extended three-game set.
While a poor start to the week, Monday's 4-2 loss to San Francisco and the travel schedule it required had no effect on the role that the Cubs and Pirates play this year for the Brewers. Craig Counsell's ball club went on to finish 5-1 against the two struggling NL Central squads and outscored the two teams by a combined score of 38-16.
Here is a more detailed look back at the week that was for the Milwaukee Brewers:
Record: 5-2
Current Standing: 15-8 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: Willy Adames
Brewers shortstop Willy Adames is showing signs of being the team's most consistent offensive threat. The former No. 1 prospect in Tampa Bay usually flies under the radar league-wide, especially after being dealt last year from Tampa Bay to open space for phenom shortstop Wander Franco. That narrative should be changing soon, especially if he carries the hottest bat for one of the league's best teams.
Adames finished his first stint as a Brewer last year with a solid .285 average, .886 OPS, 20 HR and 58 RBI. But this year started slowly in all of those categories, struggles that became more apparent with the team as a whole really struggling to score runs. Well, this week could be the week that all changes for Adames. His final line: 29 AB, 9 hits, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, .310 average and 1.203 OPS. He came through with clutch hits (Monday vs. SFG) one of the bigger days in franchise history (Tuesday @ PIT). His big performance in the Brewers' 12-8 Tuesday win -- 5 AB, 4 hits, 7 RBI, 2 home runs --- tied the franchise's single-game RBI record.
Hunter Renfroe showed some pop at the plate (3 HR), Christian Yelich hit the ball well (.269 AVG, .821 OPS, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and the offense as a whole eclipsed 9 runs three times (Tuesday @ PIT, Friday vs. CHC, Saturday vs. CHC). But Adames finding consistent power in the middle of the lineup seems to be maybe the biggest key to the team's success. Every great lineup needs at least a few feared hitters. It's safe to say right now Adames is that guy.
The Bad: Middle relievers
Devin Williams and Josh Hader were both lights-out in limited work this week -- combining for 3 1/3 innings, 3 saves, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts.
The "bad" was the arms throwing before them. Monday's game against Giants saw Trevor Gott blow a 1-run lead in the top of the 8th, Adames respond with a game-tying home run in the next frame and then Jake Cousins surrender a 2-run bomb to Luis Gonzalez to give the Giants a 4-2 victory. Those middle-to-late inning struggles for relievers not named Williams or Hader continued throughout the week, as Gott finished the week with a 6.75 ERA over 2 2/3 innings, Jose Urena finished with a 3.86 ERA in 2 1/3 innings of work (several of his runs allowed weren't 'earned'), Hoby Milner finished with an ERA of 9.00 over 2 innings and Brad Boxberger was up at a whopping 13.50 ERA in his 1 1/3 inning of work.
Much of the bullpen work this week was low-leverage thanks to big offensive days against the Pirates and Cubs. But the bullpen arms not named Williams or Hader finished the seven-day stretch with 9 earned runs allowed (11 total runs) over 20 2/3 innings pitched. That isn't ideal. At least Hader had 10 saves in 23 games and has not allowed a run to date.
MVP(s):
-Willy Adames (29 AB, 9 hits, 3 2B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, .310 AVG, 1.203 OPS)
-Eric Lauer (1-0, 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 ER, 11 K, 1.29 ERA)
Story Of The Week: The Brewers' offense continues to beat up on the NL Central's worst
Now nearly a month into the 2022 season, we're seeing the clear divide between the Brewers & Cardinals and the rest of the NL Central. Milwaukee and St Louis are the only two teams over .500 and the only with a positive run differential. Some of those wins at the top are thanks to the massive struggles from the bottom of the standings chart. For Milwaukee, it has led to a 9-3 combined record against the Cubs and Pirates (no games yet against struggling Cincinnati) with a run tally of 62-39. For hitters like Yelich, Adames, Rowdy Tellez and Renfroe, these series present perfect opportunities to heat the bats up before tougher competition comes to town.
This week's offensive output against the Pirates and Cubs helped the heart rate of Brewers fans everywhere after countless 1-run or 2-run games to begin the year. The Crew put together a 12-8 win in Pittsburgh on Tuesday (Willy Adames day), more narrow 3-1 and 3-2 wins on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, a 11-1 beatdown of the Cubs on Friday and a 9-1 encore on Saturday before Sunday's low-scoring loss.
Stat Of The Week:
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1520853324207206401
Best Video(s):
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1518730540546940928
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1519470759403569152
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1518753466235199489
Best Tweets:
https://twitter.com/BallySportWI/status/1519116653824548864?s=20&t=cfPlpnbTkocZVBYvJjFOmA
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1519118336365314050
Next Week: vs. CIN, @ ATL
Brewers Week In Review: April 18 -- April 24
The Brewers on Sunday Night Baseball means a later version of "Brewers Week In Review." I'm sure everybody was wondering whether it would still be released -- that answer is yes.
Tonight's finale in Philadelphia capped off a tremendous week for Milwaukee. It feels like three-game sets at home against Pittsburgh will lead to a lot of winning, but going into Philly and taking 2 of 3 from a Phillies team with a lot of firepower seems like a significant positive.
All that winning leaves us plenty to get to, including the newest product of the Brewers' Pitching Machine, not much "bad" to discuss, more terrific pitching, an offseason addition finding his stride and cheesesteaks in Philadelphia.
Record: 5-1
Current Standing: 10-6 (1st in NL Central)
The Good: An electric week from Eric Lauer.
A lot is always said and written about the top-end of the Brewers' starting rotation. Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta deserve all the praise they get, as the three are probably the biggest force driving the team's success. Well, this section isn't about the "Big 3" this week. It's about Eric Lauer.
The 26-year-old southpaw started Monday against the Pirates and Sunday night in Philadelphia. His final line: 2 starts, 12 innings, 10 hits, 1 ER, 18 strikeouts, 0.75 ERA. Yes, one of those starts was against a bad Pirates lineup. But the second saw Lauer mow down an impressive Phillies lineup for the first 6 frames of the contest (and strike out 13!!).
One big reason Lauer now sits with a stellar 2.20 ERA through three starts is his cutter has some life that we haven't seen in years past. As Joe Girardi noted on the Sunday Night Baseball broadcast on ESPN, his hitters had to treat the now-93mph pitch like it was 96 or 97...and as was tweeted early in the week, Lauer is just one of 12 left-handed pitchers this year to register a pitch 96mph or above.
This being his second full year in the Brewers' rotation, it makes sense that we could now be seeing a significant rise in production. His first two seasons in San Diego saw a 4.40 ERA and a WHIP above 1.400. But the Brewers saw something, and their commitment is beginning to pay significant dividends. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Curt Hogg said it well: "America, meet Eric Lauer, the latest product of the Brewers Pitching Machine. Thirteen strikeouts on national TV."
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1518397668896169986
On the other side of the mound, Hunter Renfroe was the best hitter for the Brewers this week. He finished the seven-day frame with a .300 average, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 6 hits and 1 walk. Renfroe, a slept-on offseason acquisition, could be heating up at a good time for Milwaukee.
Another honorable mention: Brandon Woodruff was dominant on Wednesday going 6 innings and allowing just 1 hit.
The Bad: Aaron Ashby on Friday
There isn't much "bad" to point out during a week in which the Brewers go 5-1 and outscore opponents 23 to 12. But one of the losses came Friday night against the Phillies where the Brewers had a 2-1 lead entering a bottom of the 8th inning during which Aaron Ashby gave up the lead and the ballgame.
Ashby's 2 1/3 innings that night were his only of the week. His final line included 5 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk and 4 strikeouts.
Also, while semi-unrelated to the Brewers, Angel Hernandez was absolutely horrendous behind the plate on Sunday night. These called third strikes against Omar Narvaez and Andrew McCutchen were only a few of some absolute head-scratchers.
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1518377446617370625
And then there was how the game ended... (I think Kyle Schwarber spoke for everyone watching).
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1518409589812834306
MVP(s):
-Hunter Renfroe (.300, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 6 hits and 1 walk)
-Brandon Woodruff (6 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, 1 win)
-Eric Lauer (2 starts, 12 innings, 10 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, 18 strikeouts)
Story Of The Week: Playing Pittsburgh means good things.
The NL Central is not a strong division this season by any measure. The Cardinals will be good and the Cubs could be a pesky team, but any time the Brewers take the field against the Pirates or Reds it should mean good things. We saw the Pittsburgh side of that for the first time this week, as the Brewers swept the Pirates out of Milwaukee on the backs of a few good days of hitting and three dominant pitching performances.
One player this will be great for is Christian Yelich. There will be a discussion every time he goes deep about whether the former MVP is "back" to an All-Star-level form (everyone should read this article about Yelich's year thus far). We saw the first of many of those moments against Pirates pitching this week, as Yelich took Zach Thompson deep for a grand slam during Monday's 6-1 victory.
Both Woodruff and Corbin Burnes also had great weeks against the poor Pirates lineup, combining for 13 innings across two starts, only 2 total runs on 5 hits allowed and 19 strikeouts. The final score of the series was a whopping 15-5.
There is a lot of talent in the clubhouse in Milwaukee. Playing Pittsburgh should see that talent flourish more than against any other team the Brewers play.
Stat Of The Week: Josh Hader so far this season: 8 games, 8 saves, 8 innings & 0 runs. Opponents are 2-for-26 with 2 walks and 11 strikeouts.
Best Video:
https://twitter.com/Brewers/status/1516884416085245954
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1516247339027030024
Best Tweets:
-significant signs of life from Eric Lauer.
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1516208603358715906
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1516214561380212743?s=20&t=6MZMHJTKZkvcehty9gqr1Q
-Hunter Renfroe gets on the board
https://twitter.com/MLBHRVideos/status/1516594723582005259?s=20&t=c3oISoBAgGEawEjhRXkYcg
-Biggest win of the week at AmFam Field
https://twitter.com/WillSammon/status/1516588718773125122
-The Brewers maybe didn't need that big-ticket first baseman everyone was talking about
https://twitter.com/benzkenney/status/1516844080445243396
-More people should listen to Ben Kenney (me) about where to find the best cheesesteaks in Philadelphia
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1518029211826540545
-Angel Hernandez was in prime form on Sunday night
https://twitter.com/Starting9/status/1518372826381750273
-Brewers Pitching Machine continues to churn out studs
https://twitter.com/CyrtHogg/status/1518394788613177344
Next Week: vs. SF (1), @ PIT (3), vs. CHC (3)
