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With half the league out of official playoff contention, including the Brewers who came very close, the "Fall Failures" bracket kicked into gear. Milwaukee faced off against the Cleveland Indians, who were under the helm of newly promoted GM Shirley Sir.

The Brew Crew struck hard in the 2nd taking an early 4-0 lead on a pair of homers by Alex Peters and Ferret McGivins and an RBI single by Johnny Hendrix. The bottom of the 2nd, however, proved difficult for starter Ed Turner, who had been terrific all season. He gave up a 3-run homer with only one out, and was relieved by Ben Abenduct, who shut the Indians down for the final two outs of the game.

Fall Failure games are only 4 innings, and even though the lead had been trimmed to 1 run, the Brewers felt good going into the 3rd. Alex Peters was the only one to reach base again, though, and so on to the bottom of the 3rd. Abenduct's luck ran out, unfortunately. He gave up back to back solo shots, and the Indians took the lead going into the final inning of the game.

Milwaukee managed to load the bases with one out, and Ping Pong at bat. Anticipation was high and the whole team was up on the edge of the dugout. Unnnnnnfortunately, that would be the game as Pong grounded into a season-ending double play. So close.

With Season 5 completely in the books, the Brewers look to the offseason, hoping to make improvements through free agent signings and good draft picks. Lots of veterans have declared free agency, so it should be a fun hot stove league over the next several weeks. So, enjoy your holidays, and we'll see you back at the Keg for Season 6!

It started with an experiment and ended with a curb stomping. The Waukesha White Claws faced the all-GM & FA Lemons in the S4 MiLR Styrofoam Cup, with high hopes for victory. The first inning went sideways for Waukesha with 4 runs given up by the 2nd and 3rd pitchers of the inning. You read that right - as folks in the stands noticed, "the Claws were going through pitchers like a softball game" - 4 pitchers were used in the top of the 1st. Ferret McGivins coaxed a RGO to start the game, but Johnny Hendrix walked the next batter, and Skippy Schumaker gave up a walk, two singles and a double immediately afterward.

Newly-promoted MiLR Manager Guido came in to staunch the bleeding in the first. He had in mind to rotate through his top three pitchers one opposition AB at a time, with them taking the field in between pitches. Thinking this had been cleared with the umpire council and with the blessing of the game's umpires, the idea was to throw some chaotic fun into the game - to make it memorable.

The chaotic and memorable parts came to fruition, though "fun" turned out to be highly debatable. When Ferret McGivins came out to take the hill again in the top of the 2nd she quickly picked up her second out of the game, but then all hell broke loose. The game was put on pause while debates raged about whether this was allowable. Unrepeatable commentary was flying from the conference on the mound, and eventually the league proclaimed this "rotation" tactic illegal, and walked back McGivins' out, while disallowing any of the previously used 4 pitchers from throwing in the game again.
Guido eventually left the game and the ballpark, under protest (handing over effective managing duties to Schumaker for the remaining innings), and the game continued with J. J. Guemes pitching the next 4.1. Waukesha's bats were stone cold as well, and opposing pitcher Holden Summers took a no-hitter into the 6th inning (eventually giving up a lone double to Paddy O'Conner with 1 out in the final frame).

Guemes held the Lemons at bay the best he could, but eventually they got to him, and striking for anotehr 3 runs in the 4th and 2 in the 6th. Francis Swagger pitched the final 2/3rds of the inning, but ultimately the Lemons proved to be too overpowering on both fronts, and came away victors, chanting "Fuck the Draft Pick" as they piled on home plate, spraying themselves with champagne. Stay classy, OOTC.

Despite the ugly ending, the entire season for the White Claws was historically good, and the team can hold its head high for how Season 5's played out. The offseason is upon us though it'll be fairly short. So, enjoy some mulled wine in the chilly upcoming weeks, and we'll see you back at the Pony Keg soon!

Despite a late-game rally that saw the tying run ready to step into the on-deck circle, the Brewers took an 8-3 loss at the hands of playoff-bound Arizona in the final game of the season. Elimination from the post season happened shortly before the last at-bat, when the Colorado Rockies won their game, so even a victor here would not have been enough. The D'backs stymied hitters throughout the game with random meme'ing, and Brewers pitching hit a couple of rough spots coughing up 3 runs in the 1st and 5 in the 4th. It was a valiant effort to scratch back in, where homers from J. J. Guemes (pinch-hit 2-run) and Guido Ligiorno raised some last minute hopes. Alas.

So while this isn't the ending we'd hoped for, there were many bright spots to the season: At 7-9, S5 matched S2's highs for win totals, and set a new high for winning percentage (S2 had more games), and a franchise-high 3-game win streak was realized during the season. In addition, the Brewers had a number of representatives in both All-Star Games, including this year's breakout rookie Guido, who is a strong contender for S5 RotY. Stay tuned for that. Hitting improved greatly, and pitching saw flashes of greatness as well, despite losing Ed Turner mid-way through the season in the trade for powerhouse Ping Pong.

Our minor league Waukesha White Claws are kicking ass and taking names, so swing your support behind them to cheer them on as they play for the MiLR title game later this week.

So from all of us here at the Brewers, to all of you who followed along with us on Season 5 of MLR, thank you! And as always: Bottom's Up!

Your Waukesha White Claws defeated the Kerbin Gemini 5-1 and have advanced to the coveted MiLR Styrofoam Cup, where they will take on the GM & FA machine Lemons.

The game itself highlighted both the strong pitching and hitting that's carried the Claws throughout the season, right up through their current 11-game winning streak. All the runs needed were scored in the 3rd with a sac fly by Alex Peters that plated Roland Kholin (our PotG, 2-2), and 2-run blast by Francis Swagger with Paddy O'Connor on base. Henryk Szydlowski sac'ed Guido Ligiorno in the next inning, and Alex scored a second time on a triple by Eli Sasak. Speaking of triples, this game was rife with them: 4 total, with 3 from the local 9.

On the pitching side of things, Ferret McGivins and Skippy Schumaker each pitched 2 scoreless innings, and Guido brought it home in the final 2 for the save, giving up just one in the 5th on a 2-out single.

It's been a helluva ride so far, but we ain't done yet, so grab your kids and pile in the Winnebego to see the Claws take on the Lemons for the Season 5 MiLR championship Styrofoam Cup. We'll see ya there!

J.J. Guemes announced today: "Guido will be the acting official Claws GM for the remainder of the season to help in our playoff push, Paddy's working out a new work schedule but he'll stay on as a captain." The White Claws have had a superbly successful season with Paddy as manager and thank him for his work! Two more wins to go!

The Waukesha White Claws continued in their winning ways, defeating the Washington Nationals 6-2 in the first of three MiLR playoff rounds. Johnny Hendrix pitched four strong innings of 2-run ball, and Guido came in to slam the door shut. On the offense, Paddy O'Conner drove in 2 runs on 3 hits and was named PotS. All players but one either scored or drove in a run, in this great team effort. Round two will see a rematch with the Kerbin Gemini, though this time on planet Earth.

The Brewers fought hard but came up one run short on a 4-3 loss to the division-leading Pirates. Henryk's 2-run homer in the bottom of the first put the Brew Crew on top 2-1, and Guido's solo shot added some breathing room, but Pittsburgh answered with their own 3-run half inning in the top of the 2nd. From then out it was a tense back and forth pitching matchup, where the Milwaukee bullpen performed well - 2 hits, 2 walks and 5 Ks in 4.1 innings of relief. The season isn't over, though. 8 wins is needed for a shot at the playoffs, and manager J. J. Guemes calcualted the Brewers have a 16% chance of making it, so... just win, baby!

Grab your grog, and come on out to support your White Claws as they march to the Styrofoam Cup, and your Brewers as they push to cross the finish line and hope to be among the contenders for the Season 5 Paper Cup. Either way, we'll see ya there!

Both the White Claws and Brewers won their session 14 games. The Brew Crew outlasted division rival Chicago Cubs in an intense back and forth game 7-5 that went to extra innings. Guido continued his smoking hot streak with 2 homeruns and a triple (and was named PotG), and Ping Pong flexed hard in the 7th with game-winning bases-clearing 2 RBI triple of his own. Ligiorno's slashline now sits at .455/.520/1.227 with a DPA of 206.92, and there are some ROY rumblings emerging from some corners of the league. Ping Pong - Milwaukee's half of the best in-season trade of the year - is batting .423/.464/.962 with a DPA of 183.57. There's no doubt the lineup has been potent here in the second half of the season.

With this session 14 win over the Cubs, the Brewers are now 7-7 on the season, have matched the franchise record for wins in a season, and are in sole possession of 2nd place in the NLC, with a verifiable shot at the post-season as a wild card. Manager J. J. Guemes was beaming with pride for this win, exclaiming "It was a great performance all around and everyone refused to give up, which is what we're gonna need to make it to those playoffs!"

The last two games of the season are at home, and first up is Pittsburgh, who has been atop the division all season long, and was only supplanted as the #1 team in power rankings after session 13, for the first time this year.

Meanwhile, down on the farm... the White Claws wrapped up their outstanding season with a 2-0 blanking of the Yum Yum Yum Yums, and sit alone on top of MiLR with an impressive 11-3 record, which was made possible by going 9-1 over the final 10 games of the season. Ferret McGivins started her second game and went 4 innings, giving up only 2 hits while striking out 2. She is first or second on the MiLR pitching leaderboards in several ratio categories (not bad for a catcher!) J.J. and Guido each threw an inning of hitless relief, to secure the win. Francis Swagger provided all the offense needed with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 4th, good for PotG.

The White Claws begin their post-season in the coming days, once their first opponent is determined. Should be an exciting series!

So whether you're headed to Milwaukee or Waukesha, grab a cold one and come tailgate at the ballpark with your grill and brats. It's October baseball! We'll see ya there!

The Waukesha White Claws notched their 8th straight win, with a 6-3 victory at the Tri-State Area Platypi's Doofenschmirtz Evil Incorporated Parkinator... park... field. They were on the road.

LF Alex Peters handily carried the game on his big bat, with a pair of two-run homers, and nabbed Player of the Game honors. Ping Pong continued his torrid pace with a 2-run HR of his own. Pitching in this game was also mostly rock-solid, with only Ferret McGivins having an unusually difficult time of it, giving up 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Guido closed the game out to earn a save, and J.J. Guemes picked up his first win of the season in relief.

With only one game left in the MiLR season, and in posession of the best record in the minors, Waukesha is looking forward to taking on the post-season. We don't know who the opponent will be, but can't imagine that any of them are looking forward to facing the Claws.

Last game is at home on 9/21, hosting the Yum Yum Yums. So come on out and cheer on your top-tier Waukesha White Claws. We'll see ya there!

On the heels of session 12's disappointing loss, the Brewers were looking for redemption and to re-establish a winning streak for a strong finish to season 5 (as well as playing spoiler or chaos-maker for teams vying for the playoffs). They did just that, in a 6 - 3 win on the road over division rival Cincinnati, and in the process moved into second place in the NL Central, behind the league-leading Pirates.

The game started with a bang, on a pair of home-runs: A solo shot to start the game by RF Roland Kholin and a 3-run blast by LF Hubert Farnsworth. Ultimately these two would be all that was needed, but we still gotta play 6, right?

Kholin, PotG, tacked on another run with a second solo shot in the second inning, and lead the team in hits with 3 for the game. There was plenty of activity on the basepaths, as the Brew Crew put 13 men on, with 8 hits and 5 walks. Paired againt 6 strikeouts... it was an aggressive game all the way around, as one would expect when facing the Reds.

Meanwhile in the bottom halves of the innings, winning pitcher and All-Star Ed Turner continued his successful run in season 5, twirling 4 innings of good work. 1 run, 3 hits, two walks and 4 Ks, lowering his ERA to a nice 1.97 for the season. Ben Abenduct came in on relief, giving up a pair of runs on a homer to the Reds' 3B LaPrince Frye in the 6th, and picked up a save in the process.

The next game is at the Chicago Cubs (FTFC!). With two games left in the season, and the Brewers 2 games out of the wildcard, there is the possibility of reaching the playoffs, so every game counts - more than ever. With that in mind, grab a cooler and hit the road for the short trip to the Windy City to cheer on your Milwaukee Brewers. We'll see ya there!

The game was going well until the 5th inning. With a 4-1 lead over the NLE 1st place Expos, Milwaukee's pitching hit a rough patch, and coughed up the lead on a sac fly and grand slam from Montreal's light-hitting 1B Iris Solstice. Prior to that, the game appeared to be well in hand.

Alas, the winning streak came to an end, and the Brewers fell 6-4, now at 5-7 on the season. The All Star Break is this coming week, and regulation play returns after that, with the next game on the road at Cincinatti. This will be a shot at redemption against division rivals. Meanwhile, sit back and enjoy the ASB, which will feature several of Milwaukee's finest in both the MLR and MiLR games. We'll see ya there!

Three Brewers were voted into the MLR All-Star Game: Ping Pong, Ed Turner and Guido Ligiorno.

On the MiLR side of things, Guido was elected the team representative for Waukesha and Ferret McGivins is on the ballot for the final 2 roster positions of the PCL in general.

Congratulations to all! Let's show everyone what our Beer Guts look like as we go Bottom's Up! in style at both ASGs!

Waukesha played host to the Panama Prowling Pigeons in session 12, and blanked the birds 5 - 0 to win their 7th in a row, improving to 9-3 on the season with (as of this win) a 1/2 game lead over GTY for the best record in all of MiLR.

The offense was clicking up and down the lineup with each player recording either a hit, run or RBI. Hans Ali got the party started with a solo shot in the 2nd, and Ping Pong launched the big 3-run homer in the bottom of the 5th, to give some breathing room in a game that had been 1 - 0 to that point. Paddy O'Connor's sac in the 5th scored Henri Deschenes for the final run of the game.

Ferret McGivins made her first start of the season, and pitched a CGSO, giving up 4 hits and notching 4 strikeouts along the way, and was named PotG, as a result.

So, barring a come-from-behind-win by the Yellowjackets, our White Claws will be top of the heap in MiLR and looking to clinch the first playoff spot, when they travel to Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated Parkinator to take on the Tri-State Platypi in session 13. So grab the kids and fuel up the Winnebago. We'll see ya there!

Milwaukee has been part of MLR since Season 2, and a franchise record was set with the 5.11 game at St. Louis. For the first time in franchise history,a 3-game win streak was established, courtesy of a 7 - 4 stomping of the division rival Cardinals (who are 0 - 2 vs the Brewers this season).

Newcomer Ping Pong has made quite a splash since being traded for prior to session 10, including this victory where he was named PotG for his 2-homer performance, which pushes his slash line to .438/.471/1.063 for the season. Contributions to offense came from all of the 4 - 9 hole batters, with each scoring at least once, and Jeremy Nakamoto picking up 2 RBIs along the way as well. In addition, Henri Deschenes - who started the game as DH and clubed a home run of his own - shut the Cards down in the back half of the game with a strong 1.1 innings of relief work.

When asked how he felt about the new longest winning streak during a post-game presser, J.J. Guemes said, "This is just my first time setting the record so I'm not sure yet. Let me try setting it again each of the next few sessions and get back to you."

The S5 record currently sits at 5-6, and remaining games will feature formidible opponents, so keeping the momentum going will require continued team effort. Next target is reaching .500 for the season, as the Brew Crew hosts visiting Montreal, who are sitting in first place in the NLE at 8 - 3. So let's show them that white cheddar curds are superior to poutain, and let the rest of the league know that Milwaukee can't be overlooked for the playoffs. Still plenty of games to go, and we're heating up at the right time.

We'll see ya there!

The White Claws continued in their winning ways, with a HRD victory over the Kerbin Gemini (Minnesota affiliate) after a 2-2 tie. This game was clearly a pitchers' duel, with 3 solo shots accounting for all but 1 run in the game. Skippy and Henri handled the hitting and pitching duties for the HRD and came out on top with 2 HRs hit and 0 given up (the final out in the HRD was a 101-diff pitch, in fact).

The Claws' record sits at 8-3 on the season, and with only 3 games remaining, playoff chances are looking good. Next game sees Waukesha hosting the (currently 2-8) Panama Prowling Pigeons at the Pony Keg, so grab some peanuts and cracker jack and we'll see ya there!

Brewers Manager and White Claws' league-anchor BA "leader" J.J. Guemes threw off the shackles of his sub-.050 BA and went 3-for-3 with 3 HRs and 3 RBIs in Waukesha's victory over the Trash Pandas in session 10. For this major flex, he was awarded MiLR Player of the Session - the first in the Brewers' system to pick up that honor for season 5. Congrats JJ!

Ferret McGivins, Milwaukee's rookie C/1B interviewed 5 fellow rookies to get their takes on Redditball. You can read the interview here.

Waukesha's White Claws took to the road to go dumpster diving at G.A.R.B.A.G.E. field against the Trash Pandas. Guido continued his torrid pace and fleet feet, helping the Claws draw first blood on a sac fly by Francis Swagger in the 2nd inning. Then came some flexing on both sides with homeruns from JJ Guemes and Nick Dudley. That would be the only time the TP's would score, for the game, however. Waukesha wasn't done yet, and added two more runs by way of the longball from Hubert Farnsworth and JJ again (who, incidentally, tripled his season BA and SLG in the course of this game - up to a robust .160/.222/.560 slash now).

Along the way, things got weirder than JJ's hitting clinic.

The Trash Pandas brought Mong in with 1 out in the 4th, and he took a very robotic approach to his relief appearance throwing 12 straight 3s, to start. His first out was a double-steal where Guido was caught stealing 3rd base. From that point forward it was a game of chicken, and though there were a few blinks on the Waukesha side (some 503s guessed, and a 420 missed) another 4 runs were added in the top of the 6th:
Two zero diff homers (Hubert's and JJ's), A 1-diff homer by Johnny Hendrix, Guido scoring on a BB-SB2-SB3-SBH

The Redditball game summary is quite an interesting scan.

In addition, there were a number of autos (BBs by the TP's pitchers and Ks by their hitters), a missed pitching change announcement that wiped out one homerun, and gave it right back on on the mulligan, and the TP's brought in a pinch hitter who was a FA when the inning began, and whose ink on the contract wasn't even dry.

Ferret McGivins, who was 0-2 at the plate in all that mess, closed out the game with a perfect 2.2 innings, and that was that. Starting Pitcher Tex Hershey got the win (2IP, 1 H, 1BB, 0 ER), and JJ was named PoTG for his perfect 3-for-3 with 3 HRs day. Notably, Guido managed not only the rarely seen CSM (on the double steal attempt), but he also stole home (the second in recorded Redditball history) and the five he picked up in this game puts him at 10 for the season - double the next closest MiLR thief.

This win extends the Claws' streak to 5, and puts them at 7-3 on the season.

Next game is at the 6-4 Kerbin Gemini, who play on the International Space Station. Mention "White Claws are First in MiLR" to Elon Musk, and you'll get a 20% off coupon for a ride to the game. We'll see ya there!

Guido Ligiorno and Ferret McGivins have been named as co-captains along with continuing vet captain Johnny Hendrix, for the Brewers. Ferret has stepped aside as the captain of the White Claws, and Guido and Skippy Schumaker have taken over as Captains there. So far the mojo is working out well for both teams (see below).

The Brewers had some more impactful player movement immediately following Session 10 as well, with staff ace Salazar Santiago being traded to Minneapolis for hard-hitting infielder/LF Ping Pong. While the Brew Crew was sad to see Sal go, we know he'll do well in his new clubhouse and should have an immediate impact on their run to the post-season. Manager J.J. Guemes: "Sal has been a great presence in the bullpen and the clubhouse this season since being drafted first in the fifth round of the Season 5 MLR Draft. He has excelled on the mound, leading the team in WAR and strikeouts, but has also been a friendly face in the clubhouse and will be missed. We wish him the best in Fake Minneapolis as he continues his MLR career!"

Guemes had this to say about Ping Pong: "We are tremendously excited to add him to our lineup for the remainder of the season. Pong is a second-year vet who has been putting up impressive offensive numbers throughout the season, and we look forward to him continuing to do so in his new club as we fight to remain in the playoff race."

Speaking of playoff races... in a Battle of Beers, it was the Brewers who came out on top, with a solid 4-1 win over the NL West first place Rockies. Guido has found his stroke and launched a pair of solo homeruns in the game, taking home PotG bragging rights. Ben Abenduct picked up the win, twirling 4 innings of 2 hit ball, giving up just a solo home run, and Henri Deschenes secured his first MLR save, with two strikeouts and a popup in the 6th.

This win over Colorado establishes the second official winning streak of the season, and all players are looking forward to their next game, which features a rematch on the road at St. Louis - the team they beat for the first win of the season. So, pile your family in the car, grab some appropriate beverages and join in on this multi-city beer run, where we plan to continue adding crooked numbers to the W column. We'll see ya there!

Alex Moran, a long-time Brewer, retired from MLR effective today. Alex signed with Milwaukee midway through Season 3 and has been a Brewer ever since, making him one of the team's longest-tenured players. He's always been a part of the server and has steadily improved his play over the years. He will be sorely missed and we wish him the best in life!

Both Milwaukee and Waukesha came away with victories today. For the Brewers, it came at the expense of the Detroit Tigers, in the form of a 6 - 0 trouncing. The game was a slogfest and called early as time ran out (though we like to think it was more a mercy rule, as things went into the books with Henryk sitting on third and nobody out, so there was room for more bloodshed). Ed Turner pitched a masterpiece, picking up POTG, and driving his season ERA down to 0.97 The offense was clicking on all cylinders, as Guido was involved in 4 of the scoring drives (including 2 RBIs), Ferret smacked a 0-diff meme homerun on an 880, and Henryk had a late-game triple with two RBIs.

This win snapped a 4-game losing streak for the Brew Crew, and surely put a spring in everyone's step. Next game will be at Colorado.

The White Claws extended their win streak to 4 in yet another homerun-derby-determined outcome. They struck early in the game, scoring 4 in the first inning. Francis Swagger battled through 3.1 innings surrendering 3 runs, before Henri Deschenes and Guido came on in relief. A triple and double from the tenacious Isotopes in the 6th tied it up, and despite a 1-out triple by the silent but deadly Jeremy Nakamoto, the game headed into extras to be determined at the Tris-doam. Johnny Hendrix pitched for the Claws, surrendering only one homerun to tingle. Bob Dobby - the 'Topes' starter also pitched against Ferret, who needed only 4 pitches to knock two out, and win the derby. The White Claws head to G.A.R.B.A.G.E. Field to take on the Rocket City Trash Pandas next.

So whether you're going high in the Rockies or going dumpster diving in the city of angels for the next game: we'll see ya there!

The White Claws came out roaring early on in Staten Island against the Pizza Rats, putting up 4 in the first and 1 in the second. Ed Turner put in 4.2 innings giving up 4 runs before Guido came on in relief. Waukesha was't easily detered and reclaimed a brief 6-5 lead in the top of the 6th, but Staten Island's Tommy Tightpants knotted it up again with a solo homerun leading off the bottom of the inning. A homerun derby would determine the outcome of this game, and Skippy Schumaker came out victorious outslugging Saito Syde 4-3 in the 'Doam. Next game is against the Springfield Isotopes at home. We'll see ya there!

Something in the poutaine musta gotten the Brew Crew feeling a little ill. After dodging customs and sneaking into Toronto, Milwaukee came back home with a few bruises and a 6 - 1 loss to the Blue Jays. Next game will be at home vs the Detroit Tigers. Hopefully home cooking will do the boys good. We'll see ya there!

Slow is the key word here. This game was glacial. In the end, though, Waukesha came out victorious, with a 3-2 win over the Chicago Red Line. Notable performances included Henri Deschenes in 3.1 innings of relief, yielding just one run, and Guido, who got the final out in the top of the 5th, and drove in the winning run with a sac fly in the bottom of the inning (the session had run over by a day, so it was called on account of rain).

With this win, the White Claws moved back over .500 to 4 - 3, good for second place in the Dominion division of the PCL, and are tied for the Wild Card slot at just about the midway point of the season. With less than 24 hours to turn around, the boys from Waukesha are flying out to the NYC area to take on the Pizza Rats of Staten Island (who are already claiming they will win by 12). Let's get 'em! We'll see ya there.

Session 7 of Season 5 saw the Brewers on the road in sunny San Diego, taking on the Padres. Unfortunately, the losing streak continued, extending to 3, with a 5-2 loss. The "Dad Gang" jumped on lefty starter Ben Abenduct early with a run in the 1st and a 3-run homer in the 2nd.

Milwaukee clawed back a pair of runs in the 4th and looked to be mounting a comeback with 3 hits in the inning, but that was all they'd manage in the game. The Padres tacked another run on in the bottom half of the inning, and that ultimately was the final score.

Not what you want to see approaching the midway point of the season, but you gotta wonder... why are friars brazenly promoting high sperm count when bragging on their team? Shouldn't they be a bit more humble and chaste? Oh well. Next game is across the continent at Toronto. We'll see you there!

Mixed bag for the Milwaukee franchise here in Session 6 of Season 5.

Good news first: The White Claws hit the road - a long road as they travelled to Cuba to take on the Guantanamo Bongocats (Miami affiliate). The good guys jumped on starter Henry Crowell, with homeruns from rookies Guidooooo and Ferret McGivins, for an early 3-0 lead in the top of the 2nd. The drum kitties plated a run in the 4th on a sac fly, which was quickly answered by a solo home run from peanut butter master Skippy Schumaker in the top of the 6th. Johnny Hendrix, who usually patrols the outfield in the bigs, flexed his two-way muscles in this game, and pitched a terrific 2-hit outing heading into the 5th inning, giving up the sac fly and ultimately one other run, when he was pulled for Guidoooo in relief with one out in the 5th. Guidooo gave up a pair of runs to make the game closer, but ultimately held the opposition at bay, and Waukesha came away winners of a 4-3 affair, pulling their record back even to 3 - 3 on the season.

Meanwhile, back in Milwaukee... a few position players were on a fast shuttle back and forth between Cuba and Wisconsin for both games, and so the hitting game was a bit off in the bigs. The Brew Crew scored one in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded double play, but ultimately that would be it. Even though 10 runners reached base in the game (with an additional 3 ghost runners in extra innings) the local 9 weren't quite able to pull the trigger when it mattered most. The visiting Reds didn't do any better until the last minute, tying the game in the 5th inning, and ultimately winning on an 8th inning homerun by the leadoff hitter. This drops their record to 2 - 4 on the season.

So, you win some, you lose some. Next game is on June 21st, when the Brewers travel to San Diego to take on the Padres. See ya there!

The 5th sessions of Season 5 were not kind to either the Brewers or White Claws. Both teams saw final scores of 0-1 losses. All was not bleak, however. For the White Claws, recently-signed free agent pitcher Henri Deschenes made his debut in the league and tossed a fantastic complete game, giving up only 3 hits with a trio of ones: ER, K and BB. His is a welcome addition to the rotation, where J. J. Guemes is looking forward to bringing him in as the team's only other righty. GT's starter also only gave up 3 hits, but he was effectively wild around 4 walks in the game. The Claws kept him busy throughout and were blazing around on the basepaths, with 3 stolen bases (including a bold steal of 3rd by Guidooooo in the bottom of the first inning). Ultimately, though Waukesha couldn't quite get it done from the batter's box, and were blanked in their home game.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, righty Ed Turner got the nod against the league-leading Pirates, who were defending their lossless season, and had outscored opponents 25-15. Turner was terrific and held the Pirates at bay on 3 hits through 5 innings. Across the diamond, though, Yolo Hernandez raised the stakes and carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning. Alex Peters was the only Brewer to get a hit off Hernandez. Though the offense did pick up another 3 base runners on walks, they just weren't able to string together enough action to plate anyone, and like Waukesha, fell 0 - 1. JJ did express his excitement at how the scouting department had progressed, and he is looking forward to further advancements in that area.

Next games see the Cincinnati Reds visiting Milwaukee on the 9th, and the White Claws Head way down south to Guantanamo Bay to face off against the Bongocats on the 10th. See you there!

Pinocchio got the start for the Nationals against Hans Ali of our Claws. Hans got off to a rocky start when the third batter of the game, Oliver Yu, smoked one out of the park. The Claws answered in the second when Guidooooo hit a double and scored the Brewers manager, JJ. Fellow rookie Henryk Szydlowski would homer in the third and for the next two innings we had a pitchers duel.

For some reason, Pinocchio would only last three batters, so Jack Ryan pitched the majority of the game for the Nationals. Skipping ahead to the Top of the 6th, Hans finally gave up a hit, and it was a bad one. With one out, Oliver Yu once again got a hold of one and got on third base. Paddy decided this was the time and yanked Hans out the closer, Guido. Guido immediately gave up a fly ball, which was good enough to score the runner. Just like that, we had a tie ball game.

Feeling a bit down about giving up the tying run, Guido made sure to get the next batter out and was hoping to be the one to score the winning run. The bottom of the 6th turned out to be a crazy affair, with Skippy Schumaker leading off with a single. Hubert would follow that up with a walk and Guido swung for the fences but settled on a single himself. Nakamoto gave it his best shot, but was led astray by scouting, striking out. Henryk came up to the plate, perfect on the day, and took 4 balls for a nice Claws win.

This one felt good, as it was the first come from behind victory for the club. Hopefully in the future we can continue to win while being ahead the whole time.

The Brewers seem to be establishing themselves as late game threats. Apparently, taking an early lead is for plebes. If you ain't making the 6th inning exciting, are you even playing, bro?

The NLE Atalanata Barves rolled into Milwaukee with a 2-1 record and a respectable 8th place in the post-session-3 power rankings, with a 3-0 win over the Phillies. Meanwhile, feeling a bit dissed at #24 but riding high on the first win of the season over the Cards, the Brew Crew was looking to establish some momentum, and send a message to the rest of MLR that these ain't your daddy's Brewers.

Veteran lefty Ben Abenduct took the pill on the hill to start, but got touched early, when leadoff 2nd baseman Sammy Tee tee'd off with a solo home run. Abenduct surrendered another single in the inning, and the Braves swiped a base, but the inning was over with a pair of popups and a groundout.

Milwaukee came out strong in the home half of the first, against perpetual starter B. A. Dickey and threatened with a single and double, but couldn't quite pull the string, and stranded some cRISPY runners with a pair of strikeouts.

The second inning looked painfully familiar though, as a leadoff single was followed by another homerun - this time Hotlanta DH Shogun of Harlem was the one going downtown. The B-Raves tried to push their luck on the basepaths again, but Brian Tilapia's attempted steal of second on the heels of a walk was a flop - Hans Ali gunned him down handily. Tee's second time at the plate wasn't as successful, and he struck out to end the top of the 2nd.

From this point forward, it was an all-out pitcher's duel. Only two batters reached safely (both Brewers) and both starting pitchers combined for only 1 over the minimum for the next 3 innings.

Which brings us to the 5th

Chris Orosz came in to relieve Dickey after 4 rock solid innings. Rookie SS Jeremy Nakamoto stepped in and deftly slapped a ball down the line for a lead-off double. Perhaps the excitement of seeing a RISP was a bit much, but even though they resulted in outs, the next two batters moved Nakamoto to 3rd. Up came Alex Moran. Maybe it was a little extra electricity in the air, perhaps it was just the confidence that comes with a hot start to the season. Whatever it was, Moran liked what Orosz was offering, and absolutely crushed a 2-run bomb. The lead had been cut to 1 at this point: 3-2 Barfs.

We ain't done yet.

Co-captain Johnny Hendrix stared down a suddenly shaky Orosz, and coaxed a 2-out walk. BrAvesS manger Beowolf had seen enough, and gave the nod to the bullpen, calling in rookie Brian Taylor, who had one previous appearance in the season. With the tying run on first and 2 out, tensions were palpable. Brewers rookie DH Ferret McGivins, feeling good about finally getting off the goosegg in the 1st inning, leaned way in and launched a rocket to left center, giving the Brewers a lead at 4-3. Down by 3, late in the game, with 2 outs? Brewers don't give a crap. Drop a pair of deuces on that bad boy.Taylor collected a K to end the inning, but the damage was done. With a razor-thin lead, but all the confidence in the world, we head to the top of the 6th.

JJ Guemes called on Ed Turner to TCB, and Turner did just that. A leadoff single made things tense for a bit, but a followup double-play groundout wiped the bases clean. Guemes brought in Tex Hershey to collect the final out and put a crooked number in the win column. He first faced dookie stane (not cocl) who avoided immeasurable disappointment, and singled up the middle. Dick Pole followed up with another bloop single into shallow right, and suddenly Atnalta was threatening to return the favor with runners on the corners and 2 outs. Pete Jones took the plate politely, requesting a hit but wound up striking out. He broke his bat over his knee in frustration, but only the home plate ump could hear it, as the home crowd went wild!

With this game in the books, the 2-2 Milwaukee Brewers are only 1 win away from matching their S4 win total. A hard-fought and well-earned victory, as the season of Bottom's Up marches on.

The next game will be at division rival Pittsburgh, and will be a real test. The 4-0 Pieroots are currently in 1st place across MLR, including the power rankings, and will undoubtedly be protecting their booty from invading forces, with great tenacity. So, enjoy a few days off, and get ready for what is hopefully another great, nail-biting and entertaining game. See y'all then!

Today, thanks to some aggressive recuiting, the Milwaukee Brewers signed FA Henri Deschenes. Deschenes is a RHP and an XB hitter - two areas that are underrepresented on the current roster. His addition is highly welcome and brings much excitement to his teammates familiar with his work from BYB and LLWS leagues!

With two down-to-the-wire games landing in the L column, the Brew Crew was getting antsy for righting the ship. Confidence was high, and the local 9 knew they'd done better than the team record indicated, taking two strong teams right to the edge, but falling just short. With that in mind, our intrepid heroes unpacked their road bags and prepared to pluck some visiting Cardinals.

St. Louis came limping into town with the same 0-2 record, so something had to give. Milwaukee was determined that this would be their session to shine.

Taking the hill for the Brewers is rookie Salazar Santiago, and from the first batter he faced, he let it be known he was all business. Wasting no time, Salazar went three-up-and-three down with a trio of strikeouts to start the game. Facing Cy Hadd, the Brewers put a couple of players on the bases in the bottom half, but they were stranded.

The second inning saw both pitchers settling in nicely, and by the end of the 3rd, Santiago had amassed an impressive 5 strikeouts.

The botth of the third, though, proved to be a doozie.

Eli Sazak and Alex Moran reached base to start off, with a single and a double, and in stepped the big offseason signee, Roland Kholin. With one mighty swing, he hooked a ball down the line just inside the RF foul pole, putting the Brew Crew on top 3-0. Not wanting to be left out of the party, the Brewers' own Tapmaster drove in Hans Ali from 2nd, on a 1-out single, and Milwaukee headed into the 4th with a 4-0 lead after sending 8 batters to the plate.

Santiago pitched efficient 4th and 5th innings, picking up another pair of Ks, for 7 total in the game. In Hadd's final inning of work, he was torched by another homerun - this time, a solo shot by Hans Ali, the Brewers' catcher, giving the local 9 a 55-0 lead.

St. Louis sent a new pitcher to the mound for the 5th: Filib Al'anhar Jr. The inning started out promisingly, with rookie Hubert Farnsworth lacing a rope to the gap in right center, and hustling in for a stand-up triple. Unfortunately, Al'anhar stymied the rest of the batters he faced, striking out all 3, leaving Farnsworth standing on third.

On to the top of the 6th, with a 5-0 lead, rookie Tex Hershey is called upon to shut the door. Rightfielder Grimm Carp lead off for the Cards in their last real chance to make any headway, and got around on a pitch for a double to the outfield. DH Dirk Diglett followed up with a single up the middle, putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Milwaukee was starting to feel a little anxious, despite the big lead, but manager J.J. Guemes held fast with his reliever, and urged him on. The Cards catcher Bob Dobby came up to hit, and though he grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, the runner on third scored. Down 5-1 and sitting on their final out, Goldie Jones swings hard at an 0-1 fastball. O'Conner took it on one hop at short, fired to first, and that - folks - marked the end of the game, and the first win of the S5 for the Milwaukee Brewers.

So with a number in the win column, and congratulatory high-fives all around, our intrepid Brew Crew takes a well-deserved break for a couple days, before a strong visiting Atlanta team rolls into Milwaukee, hoping to extend their win streak to 2. Stay tuned, and we'll see you then!

Following a nailbiting loss to open the season at home, our intrepid Brewers packed their bags and headed out to Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. With girded loins and a drive to put numbers in the wins column, the Brew Crew stepped took the field for Season 5, Session 2 against a team which finished middle of the pack in the NL East last season. The Phillies were pheeling confident as they had blanked Montreal in their home opener already, and were probably feeling thirsty for more.

And oh boy did this game deliver!

Through two innings, starters Francis Swagger and Cagney O'verpaid held their opponents in check, with only a pair of singles given up by the Brewers. The third inning looked to be more of the same dominant pitching, with Milwaukee going three-up and three-down. The Phillies had other plans, and with one out, KC Bats tagged Swagger with a homerun, to take the early lead 1-0.

But hold onto your hats, folks! This is where the ride got a little rough.

Refusing to let their past dicate how the game would go, these upstart Brewers took to the plate like a fly to honey. The veterans came to play: Roland Kholin lead the inning off with a walk, and Hans Ali folowed up with a double, serving up a RISPy at-bat for Paddy O'Connor, the Milwaukee shortstop. He tipped his cap and thanked the boys for their work by slapping a double to the gap in right-center, scoring both runners and putting the Brewers up 3-1. Not to be left out of the party, leftfielder Johnny Hendrix yanked the first pitch he saw deep out into right center for a solo homerun, and the Brewers found themselves up 4-1.

Bottom of the inning, and Swagger is back on the bump, facing a stunned Phillies offense. He coaxes a quick groundout before walking Jackson Takegi. That's when aptly-named Jeff Dingerhitter stepped into the box. Woj lifts this one high and far, drawing the Phillies back into the game on his homerun. 4-3. Swagger was touched for another double on the inning, when Guemes nodded to the pen, calling on relief from Ed Turner, who walked Charlie Bae Jr to set up for a double play. It wasn't needed, ultimately, as previous hero KC Bats struck out to end the inning. And the Brewers let out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps the tension of a growing threat took some wind out of their sails. Perhaps it was a momentum shift. We won't know for sure, but it was a quick 3-up-3-down top of the 5th. With competitiveness flaring, Joe Pidgeon stepped into the box with one away and an epic battle of fouls and brush-backs took place for close to 10 minutes. 15 pitches in a variety of locations were delivered and battled, but in the end, the birdie won, crushing Turner's 3rd eephus in a row deep to left field, and tying the game at 4-all.

Veteran Hans Ali - DH'ing for this game - decided he'd had enough, as he grabbed a low-and-away fastball from Mitch Kramer (who had come in to retire the side in the 5th inning) and deposited it out of the park, on a 3-diff homer. The Brewers' dugout went wild as he trotted around the bases. WIth their spirits lifted, and having apparently shaken Kramer's focus, Milwaukee loaded the bases on 3 straight walks with two out. That brought Guido Ligiorno to the plate, to pinch-hit for Jeremy Nakamoto. Guidooooo stroked a neat single into the outield, scoring McGivins and Hendrix, putting the Brewers up once again: 7-4. On to the bottom of the 6th. Can the Phillies pull one out of the hat?

Rookie Tex Hershey is brought in to close out the game, and strikes out Woj for the first out. His control falters, though, as he issues and walk and single to the next two batters before Billy McBeans steps in as a pinch-hitter to face him. By now, word has gotten around on Discord, and players from other games are listening in. Cool as a cucumber, he utters a solitary number and swings. Folks, this was a monster 0-diff homerun that cleared the bases and tied the game yet AGAIN at 7-7. By now, all pitchers involved in the game have seen their ERAs inflated to no less than 4.5

With the bases cleared, J. J. Guemes continues to support his young pitcher, leaving him in to hold the game in check and give the offense another shot at pulling off an upset. KC Bats steps in again and lines an 0-3 curve that issed its mark into the leftield corner for a double. With the winning run now on second, the Brewers' strategy group let everyone know how big their balls are and Hershey is given the greenlight to take on Chody McCarty. He drew three deep breaths and threw three true strikes, retiring the leftfielder handily. That brought Pidgeon back up, and he was immediately walked, to face Phil Coulson, who had been hitless on the day.

The winds shifted almost impreceptibly. Coulson dug into the back of the box, issuing a stony glare out to the mound. Taking a big broad hack at the first pitch he sees it, catches plenty of wind towards the outfield, but it doesn't have much carry, and drops into very shallow short for a single. Bats had been heads-down as soon as Hershey went into his windup, and mere moments after the ball landed, he had crossed home safely, giving Philiadelphia a thrilling 8-7 come from behind win over the Brewers.

That's a tough loss to take, but a number of firsts were met in this game for the Brew Crew, including first runs of the year, the first lead and some firsts hits as well. Following today's loss, Milwaukee finds itself out starting 0-2 on the young season,with the next game at home hosting division rival St. Louis Cardinals. So come on out and cheer on your boys, Brewer fans! The bats are feeling lively, and the pitching staff is itching for redemption. We'll see you here!

With the entire world in quarantine, all eyes are on MLR for a much-needed sports fix. Today marks opening day of Season 5 (aka "2020") and the Brewers find themselves hosting their division rivals the Chicago Cubs, at a brand new ballpark: "The Keg." It's no secret that there's no love lost between these two teams, and with the Brewers looking to redeem themselves from struggles in recent seasons, this promises to be an entertaining first game.

Sporting a new slogan of "Bottom's Up!" and a refreshed attitude, they are looking forward to an improved Season 5. The local 9 have plenty of new faces to augment returning veterans, including J. J. Guemes in his first full season as manager, and their big offseason free agent signing Roland Kholin. The Cubs, looking to build on Season 4's strong results, are rolling into town stocked with experience and confidence.

The first two innings were pitcher-dominated, with Velvet Scarlatina (nee Nick Tit[s]) and Ben Abenduct yielding only 3 base runners between them, while putting good defense behind them to work on 8 groundball outs. The Cubs drew first blood, though, with a double and triple in the third, which put them on top 2-0.

While the Brew Crew's offense remained stymied, the Cubs kept chipping away at Abenduct, who found himself with a runner on second and nobody out in the 4th. Doc McBiggins laced a double to right, scoring the visitors' 3rd run, and that would be it for Abenduct for the day. Nodding to the bullpen, Guemes called in Salazar Santiago, who induced two groundouts and a popup to retire the side and limit the damage.

Rookie Tex Hershey took the mound for the Brewers in the 6th, and was greeted by a primed heart of the Cubs order. After giving up back to back singles and a steal of 3rd, Hershey coaxed a double-play but not before Isaac Saffron drove in McBiggins to make the score 4-0.

With one last chance at redemption in the game, all eyes tuned to the offense. Would it be the new enthusiastic Brewers, or a repeat of past seasons? It appeared that perhaps a slumbering giant was rousing and the Brewers offense began to wake, finally driving starter Scarlatina from the game after loading the bases on a pair of walks and a single. With strategic wheels spinning, the Cubs made two key pitching changes, striking out the next batter, and inducing a double-play to end the game.

Although the final score was 0-4 in favor of the Cubs, this Brewers team never gave up, and had everyone on the edge of their seats, up to the very last play. Fans should be excited about what they saw, and look forward to more exciting baseball in the season to come. The next game is on the road at Philadelphia. We'll see you then!