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It wasn't pretty, but Sheets back on mound

Jeremy ReevesSpecial to The Capital Times  —  4/30/2008 8:05 am

CHICAGO -- Center fielder Mike Cameron wasn't the only Milwaukee Brewer to make a much-anticipated return to the field Tuesday.

Eleven days after leaving his last start after five innings with tightness in his right triceps, ace right-hander Ben Sheets again took the mound.

It certainly wasn't pretty for Sheets -- not like his first four starts when he went 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA.

Though he allowed only three hits, Sheets walked a career-high seven hitters but still went the required five innings to record his fourth win.

"Have you ever seen me walk that many batters, throw that many balls?" said Sheets, who tossed 108 pitches (60 strikes) and had walked only four hitters in 28 innings before Tuesday.

"I felt real rusty. I've been laid off before and not ever felt near like that. I would say that's about as bad as I've pitched location-wise probably ever."

Sheets departed after striking out Felix Pie with two runners on in the fifth to preserve a 5-4 lead in Milwaukee's eventual 10-7 victory.

But perhaps the bigger news was how Sheets felt afterward.

"There was no pain, so that was a good thing," he said. "I ain't saying I'm in the clear, but I think it's going to be a good, positive thing (today)."

Sheets and Brewers manager Ned Yost each said that Sheets' velocity was down a few mph -- to about 90-91 mph on his fastball -- but 38-degree temperatures at game time and the aforementioned rustiness likely factored in that.

"He said that his arm felt no stiffness, no tightness, no pain -- just a little heavy -- and that's probably from missing a turn and the cold weather and everything else," Yost said. "But no problems. We were checking with him every inning. (Head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger) had strict orders to check with him.

"We talked to Ben before the game to make sure that we were on the same page in terms of communicating how we feel, and he did fine."

Sheets credited catcher Jason Kendall with helping him gut out the five innings.

"We made some good pitches when we had to," Sheets said. "Jason, I can't say enough about the job he did back there. He kind of kept confidence in me, even in all my pitches, even though I might not have had it."

It's no secret that the Brewers' hopes of reaching the postseason greatly depend on Sheets' health. For now, at least, they appear to have dodged any further problems with his latest in a long line of injuries.

"I think we're pretty much past it," Yost said.

Jeremy ReevesSpecial to The Capital Times  —  4/30/2008 8:05 am