Consider this a catch all news/game thread. Talk about the Series here.

I have to say that as a Phils fan, I like the team's chances in a series where the Brewers starting pitching lineup is lining up as TBD, TBD, TBD.

http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/p...MLB&id=4405

CC AGAIN on short rest. Gallardo has pitched only 24 innings this year, and once since May 1st.

This all has to catch up to him eventually doesn't it? I mean, no one can pitch that much that frequently and not have long term effects, right?

Whoa. I knew yesterday's start was on short rest, but am I the only one who didn't realize his previous 2 starts were as well? Game 2 will be CC's fourth straight start on short rest. That's just insane.

True his second half was incredible, but he's got a lot going against him. The short rest, the career high IP this season, as well as the added pressure of redeeming the bed-shitting from last year.

CC to Ken Rosenthal on starting on short rest (from Fox Sports) :



He has indeed pitched a lot, but for the most part, he's been efficient -- averaging about 111 pitches per start since becoming a Brewer.

As for Game 1, Gallardo will more than likely not pitch more than five or six innings, but he's fresh and healthy and looked good against the Pirates last week. It's pretty exciting to get him back in time for this, especially with Sheets likely out for the postseason.

I think the Brewers have the best chance of the four road teams to win the series simply because of Sabathia. They wont get much further than the NLDS though, because they don't have much in the way of pitching depth now that Sheets is done for the year, and the bullpen is Mets-esque.

Just a thought:

Last year there was a special non-Sox related playoffs games subforum where a thread was opened for each game, I thought it might be a good idea for this year as well...

Getting back to the series, it all depends on Sabathia for the Brewers. He pitches Games 2 and 5 probably which are the 2 road games in Philly. Plus they have 2 home games which they should take at least 1 so if CC can come up big in at least one of the road games I could see them taking this series. Otherwise, Phillies in 4.

Interesting to note that all Yahoo and ESPN experts (14 of them) are picking the Phillies, only 1 thinks it'll go 5 games.

No need for a new forum. We have threads for each of the three non-Sox series. If it becomes necessary to have the threads be for each game rather than each series... we can do that here as well.

Game 1 lineups:

MILWAUKEE
M. Cameron, CF
B. Hall, 3B
R. Braun, LF
P. Fielder, 1B
J. Hardy, SS
C. Hart, RF
R. Weeks, 2B
J. Kendall, C
Y. Gallardo, P

PHILADELPHIA
J. Rollins, SS
J. Werth, RF
C. Utley, 2B
R. Howard, 1B
P. Burrell, LF
S. Victorino, CF
P. Feliz, 3B
C. Ruiz, C
C. Hamels, P

That changeup is fucking devastating.

First at-bat, a full-count swinging strikeout on Mike Cameron.

The Phillies fans are froggy today. They booed on ball 3.

Brewers retired in order for the top 1st, 2 K for Hamels. 14 pitches.

Strong first inning by Hamels.

Ha. Even Frank TV ads are making fun of how many Frank TV ads there are.

Hamels is sick.

This Philly team is pretty good, I could see them going to the WS if the Dodgers beat the Cubs.

i wonder what we can expect from gallardo today. tons of talent but the guy hasn't pitched all year... i'd be shocked if sveum let him pitch past the 6th

Ruiz has the weirdest catchers stance ever. His right leg is positioned so weird.

Gallardo's "stuff" is just as filthy. This could be a great matchup, although we'll see how long Gallardo lasts

Fielder is so big.

I asked in a Jim Callis chat recently this question:

Pick a career from today forward: Hamels or Lester?

Called it an even draw.

Yeah, he looks even fatter as a vegetarian than as a carnivore.

The one positive to the Yankees not being in the playoffs this year is less Frank TV commercials in my life.

Who is this Yovani Gallardo fellow?

Being purely objective, that's what they said about Josh Beckett before he tossed that 2-hit CGSO in Game 5 of the 2003 NLCS. You just never know...

Full inning in the books, another 1-2-3 inning. Grounded Rollins out (sweet fielding by Weeks), struck Werth out on the high cheese, then Fielder caught a liner by Utley to finish it off. Gallardo at 12 pitches.

"gallardo on a strict pitch count"

anyone know what it is? i missed the pregame

Kinda reminiscent of Tony Peña.

Not really, they both were pretty big prospects not long before. Gallardo was all the rage coming into 2007, Beckett had, well, since he was in high school.

He threw 65 last time, so probably not much more than 70.

Apparently the Brewers were not informed that Hamels has invented a new pitch. It's like a fastball, but slower and less straight. He apparently calls it a "changeup". If only the Brewers scouting staff had discovered this beforehand.

(also, excellent play by Utley there)

I have to say this is by FAR the worst HD signal I've ever seen at any sporting event. The signal noise level is off the charts and it looks like a night game. Atrocious.

Corey Hart should be banned from baseball for that awful AB he had against the Cubs with the bases loaded the other day.

Watching those swings and misses on Hamels' changeup just reminds me of how good Buchholz was before he struggled.

And from what I see, Gallardo did fairly well in 2007. 3.67 ERA and 101 K in 110 1/3 IP.

Only 4 starts this year, but >2 ERA and 20 K in 24 IP. No decisions, though.

Prince whiffs on an inside curve, then a flyout by Hardy and a groundout by Hart. 3 up, 3 down, Hamels at 25 through 2.

I remember growing up and thinking all catchers stances looked like Tony Peña's stance. Seriously. I thought it was textbook, for all I knew. Then I caught in little league, and opposing players kept tripping over me.

I then realized other players crouched right. My dreams dashed, I took up shortstop.

It's funny to see Howard with 48 HRs and an OPS less than .900.

First baserunner: five-pitch walk to Ryan Howard. Then Burrell grounds into a double play on his first pitch.

Well, in high school his letter jacket had the name "phenom" embroidered on it - he didn't exactly come out of nowhere....

Commentators just put Gallardo's pitch count at "around 80, 85 pitches"

Yeah, but what do they know?

Gallardo is going to be a freakin beast next year when he is back to 100%

He's like a grown up Pedro Feliz.

Definitely. It's too bad he tore his ACL, I was really excited to see him pitch the entire year.

Although, I did take him in the Tommy John pool before the season started so he was bound to get hurt

He is making me angry though for getting hurt and screwing around with my fantasy team all year long (yes I know people hate fantasy talk in a gamethread, but I can't help it).

hm.. but he's the nl mvp. don't you watch around the horn?

A shade dicey there for Gallardo with two walks. 26 pitches through 2 for him.

That Sanctuary show looks just like "Special Unit 2", an engrossing yet failed show of the same ilk. Boy does the NL bore me.

I tune out any and all MVP discussion that I see on TV. It's a mental health thing.

This year we get to see Frank in Dish network commercials also. Twice the fun.

Does Hamels have the best changeup in baseball? I've seen him pitch a few times but not too many. Is Johan's better?

gallardo with the best swing off hamels so far

Another 1-2-3. 36 pitches, and 4 K's now.

The Brewers guy (not Uecker, his sidekick) said on a normal day that Gallardo flyball might be a homer.