NL Central Update, By Tom Brew

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NL Central Update

By Tom Brew
Inspin.com
Contributing Writer

The Milwaukee Brewers were in a bind, and it was a situation that likely couldn’t have a good result. That’s why, when it was all said and done, they came out on top with the trade of slugger Carlos Lee.

Now don’t get me wrong: I think Carlos Lee is a great player. But he wanted too much money, and the Brewers did the right thing by moving him before the Monday trade deadline.

What makes it even better is they got three serviceable major leaguers in the deal, not just some hit-or-miss prospects. That’s good work by general manager Doug Melvin.

This is the dilemma that mid-market teams such as the Brewers face. Lee was offered a four-year, $48 million deal by the Brewers to stick around and be the cornerstone in their attempt to become a perennial factor in the watered-down National League Central. He said no, thinking he’s worth a five-year, $65 million deal from someone. He’s dreaming.

The Brewers were the team on my radar in April as a wild-card candidate, but
injuries to starting pitchers Tomo Ohka and Ben Sheets have decimated the
staff. Their replacements were only 6-17.

"The injuries have been a factor, but we don't want to use that as an excuse," Melvin said. "We need all of the guys to step up and play better." There are reasons to be optimistic about the club's future, with budding talent on hand, such as first baseman Prince Fielder, and a farm system with many solid prospects. But it just wasn't going to work this season, especially with a road-heavy schedule in August and a team that has been horrid (18-32) away from home.

The Brewers never were going to give Lee the $65 million he sought. Lee is probably better suited for an AL-designated hitter slot anyway, especially in the later years of a long-term deal.

That left Melvin with two choices: Lose Lee to free agency and receive draft picks in return or get the most he could via trade before the Monday deadline. He chose the latter; time will tell if he got enough back. The newcomers are already paying off. Kevin Mench, Tony Graffanino and Francisco Cordero all contributed in Saturday’s 6-3 win against the Reds, who still lead the wild-card race.

"That was a big win for us, no matter how we got it," said shortstop Bill Hall, who hit another big home run to help the Brewers win for only the fifth time in 17 games. "We're still in this thing. It shows that we're still going to try to win. We're not giving up and we're not rolling over and playing dead."

Even troubled closer Derrick Turnbow came through in the clutch. He walked Adam Dunn with one down and fell behind in the count to Ken Griffey, 2-0. But he rebounded to strike out Griffey on a 97-mph fastball and retired Rich Aurilia on a soft liner to short.

"That was a big relief," said Turnbow, who saved his first game since June 29 in Chicago. "It's been a while since I've done the job."

The Brewers will be an interesting team to watch down the stretch here. After they finish Sunday’s series with the Reds in Milwaukee (Sheets vs. Aaron Harang, with WagerWeb Sportsbook favoring the Reds at -$115), the Brewers play 12 of their next 15 games on the road. They’ve been bad on the road this year (18-32) but should be better with Ohka and Sheets back in the rotation. Keep an eye on the starting pitching and play them from there.

CARDINALS BLOWN AWAY IN WINDY CITY: Tony La Russa used to love Chicago when he managed the White Sox. If he has his wish this year, he’ll be glad to see the Windy City in his rear-view mirror after Sunday’s game with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

What began in early April with an abrupt loss of hot water in the visitors' clubhouse and a three-game sweep continued Friday afternoon with a 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs that left CLa Russa noticeably hot beneath the collar.

The "weird" loss extended a "weird" trend. The Cardinals dropped to 0-5 at Wrigley this season and 0-for-Chicago in eight games, including a three-game setback to the White Sox last month. Their latest loss dropped them to 21-22 within a division they led by 4 1/2 games entering Friday. The Cubs (41-61) trail the Cardinals by 17 games but are 27-24 in the NL Central, including 8-3 against the Redbirds.

"A lot of (the division record) has to do with this club," La Russa said. "It's a big minus. But you know what counts: how many wins you accumulate. And we're trying to accumulate them. But we've struggled against this ballclub in particular."

There’s very little doubt that there are only two good teams in the National League, the New York Mets and the Cardinals. Every one is very average. But it’s mind-boggling how bad they are against the Cubs. It makes no sense.

CLEMENS BEGS FOR HELP: Roger Clemens is back on the mound Sunday for the Houston Astros, and he’d love to have some run support against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Clemens (2-4, 2.45 ERA) seeks a strong performance on the heels of a solid outing by Roy Oswalt in Saturday's win. Clemens dropped his previous decision, once again being hampered by a lack of run support. The veteran right-hander yielded two runs and seven hits with four strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-0 loss to Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Here’s the most amazing stat: In all four of Clemens’ losses this season, the Astros have not scored a single run while he was in the game. Clemens is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts against the Diamondbacks, whom he will be facing for the first time this season.

Miguel Batista (9-5, 4.65) will do all he can to help Arizona take the rubber game and extend his personal winning streak to four. The Dominican right-hander did not factor in the decision of his previous start, a 6-5, 11th-inning victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday. WagerWeb.com line: Diamondbacks +145; Astros -$160.

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