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Semrau: Melvin, Yost remain optimistic about playoff hopes after Gallardo injury

Dennis Semrau  —  5/07/2008 9:26 am

Doug Melvin wasn't expecting any sympathy from his rival general managers after the Milwaukee Brewers recently lost rising star right-hander Yovani Gallardo to an apparent season-ending knee injury.

Melvin actually expected the vultures to be circling after an MRI on May 2 revealed that the 22-year-old Gallardo had a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Gallardo collided with the Chicago Cubs' Reed Johnson and twisted his right leg in the fifth inning of the Brewers' 4-3 victory at Wrigley Field on May 1.

"Teams generally try to take advantage of you when a key player goes down," said Melvin, who admitted the club had to "prepare for the worst. They know when you're at a disadvantage and desperate for help. You'd overpay to get somebody right now because you're dealing from a point of weakness."

Yet, Melvin didn't waste any time in instructing his scouting staff to keep an eye out for any potential pitching prospects.

Good luck.

"You've not going to find anyone in baseball that will give up a quality pitcher this early in the season," said Melvin, reaffirming that the Brewers will have to focus on their own organization for any additional help. "Every team still thinks they have a chance right now. But we still plan to be in the pennant race. We'll survive."

That quest mostly likely must be accomplished without Gallardo. He has begun his rehabilitation, working with a member of the Brewers' training staff at Miller Park on exercises designed to help the swelling subside around his torn ACL. Team medical officials were expected to wait seven to 10 days before setting a date for surgery, if it was deemed necessary.

Gallardo had not earned a decision in his three starts since coming off the disabled list following surgery in spring training on his left knee. But he had allowed just four earned runs in 20 innings (1.80 ERA). He also strengthened his rep as a team player when he continued to pitch 1 2/3 innings after being injured against the Cubs.

Onus on Sheets, Suppan

In reality, the push to make the playoffs -- which continues Tuesday in Miami, where the Brewers open a three-game series against the Florida Marlins at 6:10 p.m. -- will have to depend on veteran right-handed starting pitchers Ben Sheets and Jeff Suppan leading the way. The duo has to produce if the Brewers are to end their 25-year playoff drought.

While Brewers manager Ned Yost maintains that they don't have to solely shoulder the pressure of compensating for the loss of Gallardo, Sheets and Suppan have to do what they are being paid quite handsomely to do: win ballgames.

For Sheets, priority No. 1 is staying healthy and taking the ball every fifth day, just like a staff ace should. Sheets, who was 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his first six starts, missed a turn in the rotation because of tightness in his triceps muscle. The problem forced him to leave an April 18 game in Cincinnati early.

Ironically, Sheets and Gallardo have swapped roles from last season, when Gallardo took Sheets' spot in the starting rotation after he missed nearly two months with a finger injury. Now the Brewers will count on Sheets even more to anchor a pitching staff missing one of its key components.

A candidate for April National League pitcher of the month honors, Sheets had allowed just 35 baserunners in his first 39 1/3 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 32-to-11 was vintage Sheets.

Suppan had a staff best four "quality starts" of at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs heading into the disaster at Wrigley Field April 30. In his worst start as a Brewer, Suppan was rocked for a career-high 11 runs, though only eight were earned, and allowed 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of an eventual 19-5 loss to the Cubs.

However, if you subtract his two poor outings, including the six runs he allowed to the New York Mets in four innings on April 13, Suppan has a stingy 2.00 ERA in those four quality outings.

Yost wants his two veteran pitchers to do just what they are capable of doing and not try to overcompensate for the loss Gallardo or the inconsistency of the remaining trio in the starting rotation.

Inconsistency plagues trio

That group includes 24-year-old right-hander Carlos Villanueva and 25-year-old left-hander Manny Parra, who are expected to struggle at times, given their youth and minimal big league experience. Right-hander Dave Bush, 28, who was recalled from Triple-A Nashville after making one successful start, needs to improve his consistency as well.

After receiving the bad news on his close friend Gallardo, Villanueva had to go out and pitch for the Brewers that same night. He was nearly perfect for four innings, retiring the first 11 batters he faced and 12 of the first 13.

Then the bottom fell out as Villanueva (1-3, 5.56) surrendered hits to eight of the final 10 hitters he faced, including back-to-back-to-back home runs. It was the fifth time in his six starts that he failed to pitch into the seventh inning.

Parra (1-2, 5.86) had allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his first five starts before he got rocked by Houston on May 3. Parra's stuff has been described by Yost as "electric," although he has yet to pitch more than 5 1/3 innings in a game this season and allowed too many baserunners (38 hits and 17 walks in 27 2/37 innings).

During his five days with Nashville, Bush made one start, allowing one earned run in six innings. He was 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts with the Brewers before being sent down. He was recalled when Gallardo was hurt and tossed an inning of scoreless relief of Parra. But Bush will take Gallardo's place in the rotation.

If those three continue to struggle, don't look for any immediate help from Triple A Nashville, where left-handers Chris Narveson (1-4, 4.11 ERA) and Zach Jackson (1-3, 8.38) have struggled this spring.

Right-hander Jeff Weaver (0-1, 7.20), who was signed to a minor league contract last month as insurance for the big league club, can declare free agency if he is not called up to the major leagues by June. Weaver, 31, was 7-13 with a 6.20 ERA in 27 starts for Seattle in 2007 after signing as a free agent with the Mariners.

Veteran lefty and former All-Star Chris Capuano, who was placed on the disabled list retroactive to March 21 with a sprained/torn ligament in his left elbow, isn't expected back any time soon.

Former Milwaukee pitcher Claudio Vargas, who was released at the end of spring training, isn't an option any longer either. He made his first start for the New York Mets Triple-A New Orleans affiliate on May 3. While it might be a bit surprising that Vargas couldn't find a spot on a major league roster, he is expected to be among the Mets' first call-ups this season in case of an injury.

'Like a punch in the gut'

Much was expected of the pitching staff this season. However, Yost said the experience his position players gained last year will be counted on to help the club offset the shock of losing one of the best young pitchers in baseball.

"It's devastating, like a punch in the gut," Yost said of the feeling that spread through the clubhouse upon hearing of the news of the extent of Gallardo's injury.

Yost said his players had to regroup and move on.

"We're not the only team that suffers adversity like this, but it's still very painful," he said. "Yovani fit in so well with everyone and was someone we could count on to take the ball every fifth day. He's one of the best pitchers in the league, period, so it hurts a lot.

"Yet you can't dwell on it. The guys have to find a way to fill in, like we've done in the past."

Yost referenced comments he made during spring training concerning the character of his club.

"Our kids have a high right of expectancy. They don't have expectations. They understand the difference," Yost said.

"It's Prince's team. It's Rickie's team. It's J.J.'s team. It's Brauny's team. It's Corey Hart's team. It's Billy's team. It's everybody's team. Gabe Kapler, Jason Kendall, Craig Counsell and Mike Cameron all bring a nice veteran presence, too. But the kids learned how to be the veteran presence themselves last year.

"We'll adjust."

Brewers fans, long-starving for playoff baseball, shall see.

Dennis Semrau  —  5/07/2008 9:26 am