Do a swept Brewers forecast doom in September?
MILWAUKEE -- So what's the deal?
Prince Fielder gets a rare off day and Dave Bush decides to take off the first inning, too?
Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost gave Fielder just his third day off this season, and the Brewers couldn't let him enjoy it.
Bush, who has been the picture of consistency over his last 12 starts -- 7-2 with a 2.73 ERA -- was just awful in the first inning against the New York Mets Wednesday afternoon.
New York jumped on the Brewers right-hander for six runs on five hits, including a grand slam by Ryan Church and a solo home run from Brian Schneider before Milwaukee's first at bat.
It didn't matter that Bush settled down to allow just two hits and two walks over the next four innings -- the damage was already done.
"That's not the way I wanted to start. It was a pretty rough series for us all and all," Bush said. "But I put us in a big hole in the first inning."
Corey Hart's RBI double in the sixth inning and J.J. Hardy's solo home run -- his 21st homer of the season -- were all the Brewers could manage on offense as the closed out their three-game sweep with an 9-2 victory before a crowd of 25,236.
Miller Park looked a bit deserted one day after the Brewers' record streak of sellout crowds ended at 22 Tuesday night. But with school back in session across the state, that was to be expected.
Yet, remember when club officials would have been ecstatic over an attendance figure over 25,000 for a midweek afternoon game?
Still, what did Milwaukee have to show for three straight games against the best team in the National League's East Division?
Could it be that the three disappointing losses are a possible foreshadowing of a one-and-done series in the playoffs?
Can the Brew Crew hang with the league's big dogs?
First they lose four straight games to the Cubs in what is still being referred to as the Miller Park massacre.
Now the Mets cruise into town and escape with three straight wins, taking advantage of nearly every opportunity on the table like championship clubs do.
"They're a contending team. They're a contending team for a reason," Yost said. "They have good starters, and when we're pitching good the opposing team's manager is getting asked that question.
"That's what happens when you face good pitching."
Sure, the Brewers have been hot since being swept by the Cubs in Milwaukee July 28-31, winning 20 of 27 games in August before the calendar turned into September.
Keep in mind, though, that streak included 22 games against teams with a losing record.
Since the Mets arrived at Miller Park on Monday to open a 10-game home stand for the Brewers, Milwaukee hasn't played like a playoff-bound team.
If the Brewers manage to erase a 26-year playoff drought, will they have what it takes to make an extended run in the playoffs?
Is a September swoon on deck?
"You take away the first inning and we're in the game," Yost said of Wednesday's loss. "The first inning hurt us. But in the other two games, a hit here or a productive out in a situation and we win the game.
"You don't sit back and say, 'Oh boy, the Mets have got our number.' It was a good series."
Yost acknowledged that his team's margin for error is slim when it comes time to play for keeps.
"You can't make mistakes. You have to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself," Yost said. "You have to pick up runners on third base with less than two outs, especially with the infield playing back. You must put the ball in play. You can't make mistakes defensively. You can't make mistakes pitching-wise."
Although Fielder has been struggling of late, Yost said his day off had nothing to do with that. Just a well-earned break in the action for Fielder, who had started 132 games at first base and four at designated hitter in Milwaukee's first 138 games.
"We've faced a rash of solid left-handed pitchers, so I'm going to give him his last day off of the year," Yost said during his pre-game meeting.
Fielder was replaced at first base by Mike Rivera and in the batting order by Ryan Braun, who dropped from third to fourth in the lineup for the day.
Yost also gave outfielder Mike Cameron a rare day off, giving Gabe Kapler a start in center field.
Fielder, who has struggled recently against a steady diet of left-handed pitching, has just three hits in his lat 25 at-bats (.120) and has not hit a home run over the last 17 games, which includes 66 at-bats.
After hitting 50 home runs with 119 RBIs a year ago, Fielder is hitting .265 with 28 home runs and 81 RBIs this season.
"I don't think he's getting the least bit fatigued. He's just facing good, left-handed pitching," Yost said. "Being the only left-hander in our lineup, they save their lefties for him. He just gets nonstop lefties."
Lefty Oliver Perez started Wednesday's series finale against Milwaukee, the fifth left-handed starter Milwaukee has faced in the last six games. The Brewers face another left-hander Thursday when San Diego's Shawn Estes is scheduled to start against Milwaukee right-hander Jeff Suppan in the opener of a four-game series.
While a faulty bullpen outing by Eric Gagne, who served up a game-winning home run on Monday, and shaky defense on Tuesday led to a pair of close losses to the Mets, Milwaukee was out of the series finale nearly from the start.
After retiring lead-off hitter Jose Reyes on a pop out, Bush allowed six of the next seven batters to reach base.
Yost said the rough start was too much to overcome. But he cautioned not to make too much of a three-game series, no matter with how much is on the line.
"Yeah we got swept. We didn't want to get swept but we did," he said. "I think we match up OK with them."
The Brewers should get back on the winning track with San Diego coming to town Thursday for a four-game series followed by Cincinnati.
But we will know more when Milwaukee hits the road for an important 10-game road trip that begins Sept. 11 with stops in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Bill Waugh/Associated Press
Brewers pitcher David Bush gave up six runs in the first inning of the series finale against the Mets. New York swept the series, winning Wednesday 9-2.
