Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs Favored To Win 3rd Straight NL Central Title
Sunday, February 15th, 2009 | MLB, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Cubs are once again favored to win the National League Central Division title for a 3rd straight year. For an inside look at the race for the NL Central division title, take a look here with Jeff Passan spring training division tour.
Guess we’ll have to wait and see how it all turns out. Check back often to the Ticket Chest Blog for more updates on your favorite MLB teams.
Brewers Hire Ken Macha as New Manager
Thursday, October 30th, 2008 | MLB, Sports | No Comments
The Milwaukee Brewers announced the hiring of Ken Macha as the new Manager of the major league baseball club. Macha is 58-years old and a former Manager of the Oakland A’s where he led the A’s to a 368-260 in 4 years as the Manager. He also led the A’s to 2 AL West division titles during his tenure. Macha signed a 2-year contract with the Brewers.
The Milwaukee Brewers made their first playoff appearance in over 25 years following the 2008 season. In the middle of September, as the Brewers were chasing the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies for the wild card playoff position, the Brewers fired Manager Ned Yost and replaced him with interim manager Dale Sveum. Sveum coaxed the team into the playoffs on the last day of the season with a win over the NL Division Central champion Chicago Cubs. A New York Mets loss that same day catapulted the Brewers into the playoffs. By that point, however, CC Sabbathia and the rest of the Brewers were playing on fumes, and the eventual World Series Champion Phillies ousted the Brewers from the NLDS in only 4 games. Despite Sveum’s late season success, Brewers brass chose to go with a more-seasoned manager to work with the young, talented Brewers lineup. The key question mark is its pitching staff. Starters Sabbathia and Sheets are both free agents and many believe the Brewers do not have the cash to compete with the rest of the big spenders in the big leagues. The bullpen was one of the worst in the league, and unless they can sign some dependable arms, that will also be a major weakness during the 2009 campaign.
Lester, Red Sox Top Angels, While Hamels, Phils Shut Down Brewers
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-1 in ALDS Game #1. Red Sox Pitcher Jon Lester pitched 7 superb innings, giving up only 6 hits and 1 run, while striking out 7. Red Sox Closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a scoreless 9th inning, giving up 1 hit but striking out the side to record his first save of the 2008 post-season. After falling behind 1-0 on a Torii Hunter RBI single in the 3rd inning, the Red Sox took the lead for good on a Jason Bay 2-run home run in the 6th inning off Angels starter John Lackey. It was the first post-season game in Jason Bay’s career, as he came over to the Red Sox in the mid-season trade of Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox tacked on 2 insurance runs in the 9th inning on RBI singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz off of Angels reliever Scott Shields. ALDS Game #2 features 18-3 Daisuke Matsuzaka for the Red Sox against 16-7 Ervin Santana for the Angels.
The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 in NLDS Game #1. Phillies Pitcher Cole Hamels pitched 8 shutout innings, giving up only 2 hits and striking out 9. Brad Lidge gave up 2 hits and 1 run in the 9th inning, but held on to record his first save of the 2008 post-season. The Phillies scored all 3 of their runs in the 3rd inning, 2 on a double by Chase Utley. All 3 runs were unearned, courtesy of a botched catch by 2nd baseman Rickie Weeks who was covering 1st base on a sacrafice bunt by Cole Hamels. The Phillies scored all 3 runs following the error. NLDS Game #2 features Brewers ace CC Sabbathia against Phillies starter Bret Myers.
Chicago Cubs Clinch NL Central Title
Monday, September 22nd, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
With a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs clinched back-to-back NL Central titles under 2nd-year Manager Lou Pinella. The Cubs eanred back-to-back post-season appearances for the 1st time in 100 years – the Cubs played in 3 consecutive World Series from 1906 through 1908 – the last time the Chicago Cubs franchise actually won a World Series. Ted Lilly recorded his 15th win of the season – his 2nd consecutive season in which he has won 15 games for the Cubs. The Cubs 94 wins is tops in the National League and all but assures them of having home field advantage through the NL Championship Series. The Cubs extended their lead over 2nd place Milwaukee to 10 games – its largest lead of the season. The Chicago Cubs can now focus their attention on resting players for the post-season and setting up the pitching rotation to start the playoffs on Wednesday, October 1st at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.
Zambrano No Hits Astros
Monday, September 22nd, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
Chicago Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano threw his first career no-hitter on Sunday, September 14th in a 5-0 win over the Houston Astros. After a 12-day layoff to heal a sore shoulder plagued with tenditis, Zambrano needed only 110 pitches to win his 14th game of the season and become the 1st Cubs pitcher to throw a no-hitter in 36 years. Zambrano allowed only 2 base runners – Michael Bourn reached on a walk in the 4th inning and Hunter Pence was hit by a Zambrano pitch in the 5th inning – and he struck out 10 Astros batters. Alfonso Soriano homered to lead off the game in the 1st inning and the Cubs added 4 runs in the 3rd inning on a 2-RBI double by Derek Lee, an RBI single by Aramis Ramirez and an RBI double by Geovany Soto. The game generated much controversy – the 3-game series was supposed to be played in Houston, but because Hurricane Ike was supposed to crash through the Gulf Coast and Houston, Texas throughout the weekend, MLB was forced to re-schedule 2 of the 3 games in a venue where weather would not play a role. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig seletced Miller Park – home of the Milwaukee Brewers – depsite the fact that the stadium was only 90 miles from Chicago. Astros players and fans as well as baseball critics felt that this gave the Chicago Cubs an unfair “home field” advantage as Cubs fans generally travel well for games played at Miller Park. The Chicago Cubs ended up sweeping the Astros in Milwaukee 7-1 the next day. Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly took a no-hitter into the 7th inning and the Cubs ended up holding the Astros to only 1 total hit in the 7-1 loss. Jim Edmonds, Geovany Soto and Derek Lee all homered for the Cubs.
Cubs Sweep Brewers in Milwaukee – 5-Game Lead!
Thursday, August 7th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
Rich Harden pitched the Chicago Cubs to a 4-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, July 31st, with a solid 7 inning effort in which he struck out 9 batters. Jim Edmonds homered twice, including a grand slam in the 5th inning that broke the game open giving the Cubs a 5-0 lead. Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome also homered for the Cubs. The Cubs defeated the Brewers 6-4 on Monday, July 28th behind a solid effort from Ted Lilly and clutch hitting from Derek Lee; 7-1 on Tuesday, July 29th behind a strong pitching performance from Cubs Ace Carlos Zambrano; and 7-2 on Wednesday, July 30th behind a strong pitching performance from Ryan Dempster. It was a pivotal series for the Chicago Cubs who had struggled mightily after the All-Star break. While the Cubs had lost 4 of the first 10 games played after the All-Star Break, the Brewers had won 8 of their first 10 games played after the All-Star Break, cutting the Cubs lead in the division to only 1 game. The 4-game sweep definitely gives the Cubs some breathing room heading into the final 2 months of the season.
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