Never Mind Lucroy, Folks

After the game Sunday, Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonanthan Lucroy had this to say to St. Louis Post Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz, according to Miklasz’s twitter.

Jonathan Lucroy on Cardinals: “They always play us good but I still believe we’re better than they are. I do.” (1/2)

— Bernie Miklasz (@miklasz) September 7, 2014

(2/2) Lucroy on Cardinals: “All around, player for player matchups, I believe we are (better.)”

— Bernie Miklasz (@miklasz) September 7, 2014

Jonathan Lucroy is thinking positive but he is also in shock folks. Like the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers, who are experiencing a painfully unkind sequel to 2011. The Brewers won the division in 2011 but ran into a St. Louis Cardinals juggernaut in the playoffs, losing in the NLCS in six games. Their “beast mode” was deflated and left for dead. Now, flash forward to 2014, and the Brewers controlled the division for 5 months. Suddenly, like a comfortable family having their house ransacked by burglars, the Brewers are stunned as they see the same pesky Redbirds steal the division lead and punctuate the theft with a demoralizing four game set beating right in their home ballpark. So, forgive me if I care little about what Lucroy told Bernie Miklasz after the game. Lucroy remained optimistic and said that his Brewers are STILL the better team, player for player. It’s too bad Lucroy misses the point.

It doesn’t matter which team is better in the end. It matters who plays better at the right time and who flops.That’s all there is to it. The 2006 Cardinals team wasn’t the best in the National League by any means, but it ran off with the World Series because they got hot at the right time. Same for the 2011 Cards. You save your best baseball for the right period. The month of September calls for no lackluster play and full proof hard nosed baseball. The strong survive and the weak make post game comments that mean little to the overall result. The Brewers started 20-9 and have played average baseball since. Lucroy’s team was the best team….in April. Unlike the Brewers, the Cards have played plus .500 baseball every month this season. It doesn’t matter who is better on paper. It matters who plays better over the entire season and more importantly, who finishes hot, especially in a close division like the NL Central.

The Cards have won 8 of 9 and built a 5 game lead over the Brewers, who have now lost 9 of 10 games and dropped to third place. Out of the smoke and flames of inconsistency, the Cards have built a sizable lead on their division foes by putting together the best inner division record and playing the best baseball at the right time. Explain that to Jonathan Lucroy, if you can find him in the clubhouse sulking a corner as Fredbird plays the saddest of songs with his feathered violin.

A few more notes…

*Adam Wainwright was indeed close. He said it after his four earned run outing against Pittsburgh. He was close. He followed that with a season defining complete game performance in a 9-1 route on Sunday. Waino was close. He arrived at the location of “Ace” yesterday.

*Right field looks better these days. Between Jon Jay, Oscar Taveras and Randal Grichuk, the production out there is miles ahead of the output from June-July. Mike Matheny replaced old tired legs of Allen Craig with a youthful shot of 5 hour energy in Oscar and Randal with the power source that is Jon Jay’s on base percentage.

*Jhonny Peralta has 20 home runs and leads the team in fWAR. How is he a bust again, Jon Heyman? Those 14 million Washington’s are looking bright and shiny red at the moment.

*Trevor Rosenthal has looked sharper since the return of Yadi. A calming effect for the bristled young closer full of heaters. Molina has called more offspeed and Rosenthal has responded with less blood pressure rising ninth innings. He will most certainly break Lee Smith’s single season Cardinal save record. Yeah, let’s yank him out of that spot…right…..!

*Peter Bourjos isn’t faking. He has been slowly coming alive with the bat since late July. He is 9-19 in September. During the Craig/Taveras turmoil, Peter raised his hand and politely suggested, “Hey Mike, how about a little wild reckless abandon on the bases and game saving catches in center field?” That Freese trade looks pretty good right now.

The Cards are 15 games over .500 and in control as they start a four game set with Cincinnati tonight. The Brewers are in third place and spinning out of control while getting booed by their home crowd. They get three more shots at the Cards next week, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find Lucroy staring out at a sea of red next Tuesday and thinking to himself, “Damn, that must be nice!”

Thanks for reading,

DLB-@buffa82