Milwaukee Brewers News Clips Thursday, August 13, 2015

MLB.com  Braun’s big night not enough vs. streaking Cubs  Braun’s 250th HR one shy of Yount’s record  Prospect Hellweg sees boost in velocity  Cravy takes on Cubs, seeking first career win

Journal Sentinel  Another solid start by is wasted  Jonathan Lucroy ‘embarrassed’ by his recent play  Brewers vs. Cubs: Wednesday game report

Associated Press  Montero, Cubs finish Brewers in 10th  Brewers-Cubs preview

SI.com  After long, successful tenure, steps down as Brewers’ GM

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/142759768/cubs-beat-brewers-on-monteros-walk-off-homer Braun’s big night not enough vs. streaking Cubs

By Adam McCalvy and Carrie Muskat/ MLB.com | August 13, 2015

CHICAGO -- Miguel Montero smacked a redeeming walk-off leading off the 10th inning and Anthony Rizzo made an acrobatic catch to lead the Cubs to a 3-2 victory Wednesday night over the Brewers for their 12th win in the last 13 games. It was the Cubs' 11th walk-off win this season.

Milwaukee had tied the game at 2 in the ninth when scored from third on a wild pitch by Hector Rondon, which Montero said he should've blocked. Braun belted his 250th career home run in the first inning, but the Cubs tied the game in the second on Kris Bryant's opposite-field blast and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth on Addison Russell's RBI single.

Montero connected off Michael Blazek for his second career walk-off hit.

"He was upset with himself [about the wild pitch] -- any catcher would be," Cubs said of Montero. "You always believe it's your fault. [The home run] was kind of a redeemer right there. That ball was properly struck."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Glovework: Rizzo's spectacular catch was a highlight of the game. He jumped on top of the rolled tarp near first base, then took a step on top of the wall and the back of a seat to grab a popup by Braun with one on and one out in the sixth. Besides his balancing act on the tarp, Rizzo also made a stellar defensive play in the second. Scooter Gennett was at second with nobody out when bunted to Jason Hammel, who threw him out at first. Rizzo then fired to Bryant at third to get Gennett, who had rounded the bag too far. Rizzo wasn't alone. In the third, Chris Coghlan made a leaping catch to rob Jonathan Lucroy of a potential hit and end the inning. Rizzo also made a perfectly timed grab of Segura's liner in the fifth. More >

"That was one of the best plays I've ever seen in ," Hammel said of Rizzo's precarious play. "It was impressive."

Extra life: The Brewers missed an opportunity to put Russell away in the fifth. With two outs and a runner at second base, Milwaukee's Adam Lind and Gennett converged on Russell's popup in foul ground near the visitor's bullpen, but neither could come up with a catch. Russell smacked the very next pitch for a go-ahead single against Milwaukee starter Matt Garza, who pitched seven innings for the second straight start.

"It's a tough play," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Tough play, but makeable."

Start me up: Hammel wasn't happy about being pulled after four-plus innings in his last start, and didn't look pleased when he was lifted with two outs in the sixth Wednesday. Hammel did reach a milestone when he fanned Shane Peterson to start the sixth -- it was career No. 1,000. The right-hander scattered four hits over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five in the game. More >

"I am certain he's going to be upset," Maddon said of Hammel. "I expect him to be upset. I'm happy that he's going to be upset because he's such a competitor and an outstanding pitcher."

Wanting more: Braun's single put the Brewers in business in the top of the ninth inning against Rondon, who had already thrown one wild pitch when he found himself with runners at second and third and nobody out in a one-run game. Rondon struck out Khris Davis and Gennett, then struck out Segura, too, but threw another wild pitch in the process that allowed Braun to score the tying run. Still, it felt like a missed opportunity for Milwaukee.

"We had a couple spots in the game where we had to execute, and I think with where we're at right now to win games we've got to out-execute the other team and execute the baseball plays," Counsell said. "We had a baserunning mistake early that cost us a rally. We were fortunate to tie it there in the end. But we've got to make that extra play to win a game like this."

QUOTABLE

"They've got a youth movement. They sacrificed a lot of years for, not only the city, but a bunch of guys who played here to get what they've got, but they've been adamant in sticking with their plan, and they got what they wanted. -- Garza, the former Cub talking about the buzz at Wrigley Field of late

"Of course [I've seen Derek Jeter make those kind of plays]. I don't know what baseball fan hasn't. Mine is nothing compared to his. He's all out, face in the stands. I had a nice easy landing, which I'm very lucky for. It's one of those things where instincts take over. Every little play matters." -- Rizzo on his catch

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Braun had three hits and scored three runs, beginning with the first-inning solo home run off Hammel that left Braun one shy of Hall of Famer Robin Yount's franchise record for home runs. Yount hit 251 home runs during his 20-year Brewers career. More >

Cubs starting pitchers are 9-0 with a 2.38 ERA in their last 13 games.

QUOTABLE

"This is a team on a roll right now. At times, you play teams during different stretches, and this is a team that's playing well, playing with a lot of confidence right now. Everything is going their way. We have to upset that somehow." -- Counsell, on the Cubs

WHAT'S NEXT

Brewers: Rookie right-hander Tyler Cravy will make his first career start against the Cubs when the teams finish their three-game series on Thursday. Cravy is still seeking his first big league win after three starts and one relief appearance, including a loss to the Cardinals last week in which Cravy surrendered six earned runs in five innings.

Cubs: is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his last four starts, and will try to keep that string going Thursday in the series finale against the Brewers. This will be Lester's fourth career start against Milwaukee and second this year. He picked up a win May 1 at Wrigley over the Brewers, throwing seven scoreless innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT. More >

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/142762666/ryan-braun-hits-250th-career-home-run Braun’s 250th HR one shy of Yount’s record Brewers outfielder closes in on franchise mark with first-inning shot

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | August 13, 2015

CHICAGO -- In the moments after a 10-inning, 3-2 loss to the Cubs that presented the Brewers opportunities to win, Ryan Braun had a hard time finding the joy in his position alongside a franchise icon.

On one hand, Braun hit his 250th home run in the first inning Wednesday at Wrigley Field to move one shy of Hall of Famer Robin Yount's franchise record. But Braun was also on the wrong end of a sensational Anthony Rizzo catch that carried the Cubs first baseman into the seats, and lamented the Brewers' 15th loss in their last 21 games.

"Obviously, it's special," Braun said of pulling to within one home run of Yount. "I'm headed in the right direction. But right now we focus on us, focus on what we're trying to do as a team, and it's hard to enjoy any type of individual success when things are going the way they are as a team.

"Obviously, home runs are nice. It's challenging for us to score runs right now. But other than that, I never reflect on anything like that during the year."

Braun, who sat out the start of Tuesday's series opener with a stiff back, hit No. 250 off Cubs starter Jason Hammel in his 4,619th at-bat. Yount amassed his 251 homers in 11,008 at-bats.

It gave Braun 20 home runs in a season for the first time since 2012, when he was runner-up to the Giants' Buster Posey in MVP balloting. Braun hit nine home runs in a 2013 season shortened by a suspension, and 19 home runs in 2014 while battling discomfort at the base of his right thumb.

Braun received treatment for a nerve issue in the joint in October and again in May, and has resumed hitting for power this season.

The homer was the first of Braun's three hits, and he scored again in the ninth on a wild pitch that pushed the game to a 10th inning, when Cubs catcher Miguel Montero won it with a home run off Michael Blazek. In between, Braun found himself part of a play for the highlight reel. In the sixth inning, Braun hit a pop-fly foul along the first-base side. Rizzo gave chase, climbed atop the tarp, stepped on top of the low brick wall separating the playing field from the stands, then took another step onto a seat to make a terrific catch.

Initially, the umpires ruled Rizzo was out of play. But after the crew conferred, the call was out -- and it was the right call, according to Brewers manager Craig Counsell.

"Just incredible effort by an unbelievable player," Braun said. "From a pure effort perspective, one of the greatest plays I've ever seen in the regular season. It's a really dangerous play, obviously. You have no idea where you're going to land. If his foot were to hit the seat wrong or fall in between seats, he could have broken an ankle. So for him to even attempt that, it's a special play by a really good player." http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/142762590/johnny-hellweg-takes-big-step-in-surgery-rehab Prospect Hellweg sees boost in velocity Brewers righty touches 98 mph in latest Tommy John rehab start

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | August 12, 2015

CHICAGO -- Brewers pitching prospect Johnny Hellweg touched 98 mph in his latest Minor League start Tuesday, marking a significant step forward in his comeback from Tommy John surgery that was not reflected in the box score.

Pitching for Advanced Brevard County in Tampa, Hellweg surrendered seven runs (four earned) on six hits and four walks in four innings, boosting his ERA to 8.31 after 12 starts this season at Brevard County and Double- A Huntsville.

"I had a message last night from [Minor League pitching coordinator] Rick Tomlin, who thinks that [Hellweg] got over the hump last night," Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash said Wednesday. "Guys that come back from surgery are always a little guarded, and Rick thinks [Hellweg] got to the point last night where he finally said -- he let his guard down.

"He started cranking out a few 97s [mph] and 98s. It comes at different times for different guys coming back from that surgery. It gets to a point where you let it go, and there are better days ahead."

It's the first time the right-hander has produced those radar gun readings since undergoing elbow reconstructive surgery in April 2014.

Assuming continued progress, Hellweg is a candidate for the , a venue in which he could make up some innings lost earlier this season to rehabilitation. Assignments to the AFL could be finalized in the next week to 10 days, according to Ash.

Hellweg will turn 27 in October. The Brewers acquired him in July 2012 from the Angels as part of a prospect package for , and Hellweg was the Triple-A 's pitcher of the year in 2013 before a subpar showing in the Major Leagues late that year. He sustained the elbow injury four starts into the 2014 season.

Hard-throwing right-hander Taylor Williams underwent Tommy John surgery Tuesday in Milwaukee. The procedure was completed without any complications, Ash said.

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/142760824/calvy-takes-on-cubs-seeking-first-career-win Cravy takes on Cubs, seeking first career win

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | August 12, 2015

The Brewers will try again to stop Jon Lester and the steamrolling Cubs when the teams finish a three-game series on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs rode a remarkable Anthony Rizzo catch and Miguel Montero's walk-off home run to a 10-inning, 3-2 win on Wednesday and have won 12 of their last 13 games. Conversely, the Brewers have lost 15 of their last 21.

"This is a team on a roll right now," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of the Cubs. "At times, you play teams during different stretches, and this is a team that's playing well, playing with a lot of confidence right now. Everything is going their way. We have to upset that somehow."

Things to know about this game

•. It's up to Brewers rookie right-hander Tyler Cravy to upset that Cubs confidence. He'll make his first career start against Chicago, still seeking his first Major League win. Cravy replaced slumping veteran Kyle Lohse in Milwaukee's starting rotation last week and surrendered six earned runs in five innings of a loss to the Cardinals.

•. The Cubs counter with Lester, who is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA over his last four starts, striking out 30 batters in those games versus four walks. He owns a 2.01 ERA in three previous starts against the Brewers, including seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 win on May 1 at Wrigley Field.

• Cubs rookie Kris Bryant extended his hitting streak to nine games with a second-inning solo home run on Wednesday. He's hit 13 of his 16 home runs in home games.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/milwaukee-brewers-vs-chicago-cubs-b99555423z1-321650431.html Another solid start by Matt Garza is wasted

By Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel August 13, 2015

Chicago — The ' sixth consecutive loss to the on Wednesday night — a 3-2, 10- inning affair at Wrigley Field — ranked right up there among their most frustrating games of the season.

The Brewers failed to execute several key plays throughout the course of the game before rallying to tie it up on a wild pitch by Hector Rondon in the ninth inning. Then, three pitches into the bottom of the 10th, Michael Blazek give up the game-clinching home run to Miguel Montero.

"We had a couple spots in the game where we had to execute, and I think, with where we're at right now, to win games, we've got to out-execute the other team and execute the baseball plays," manager Craig Counsell said.

The Brewers trailed the Cubs, 2-1, with closer Rondon on the mound to begin the ninth. Ryan Braun singled, Adam Lind reached on an error by Addison Russell, and then both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett both struck out. Then, with Jean Segura up, Rondon uncorked another wild pitch that allowed Braun to scamper home from third to tie the game and Lind to get to third. Segura eventually struck out.

After Will Smith worked around a leadoff walk to Anthony Rizzo in the bottom of the ninth, Blazek (5-3) surrendered his third homer of the season — all of which have come this month — and the surging Cubs had another wild victory in their pockets.

"You get second and third, nobody out, whoever's in the game, you've got to get runs across," Counsell said. "Contact's important in those spots. He's got a good slider, and you're going to get swings and misses on the slider.

"I think Khris had a pitch to hit. Scooter had a pitch to hit. Those are the ones you've got to do your damage on because they didn't get a pitch to hit after that."

The Brewers took a 1-0 lead against nemesis Jason Hammel in the first on Braun's 250th career homer, a long shot to left.

The Cubs tied it in the second when rookie sensation Kris Bryant muscled a Matt Garza offering just into the basket on the right-field wall.

After that, both pitchers settled in with Hammel retiring 11 of 13 after Braun's homer and Garza nine of 10 after Bryant's. The Brewers let Hammel off the hook in the second when Gennett led off with a double, only to be doubled off third when he rounded third base too far on a bunt by Segura.

Garza walked Montero with one out in the fifth, and Hammel bunted him up to second to bring up Russell, who lofted a foul ball down the first-base line. Gennett made a try for it, but the ball popped out of his glove, giving Russell second life.

He capitalized on it by singling to center on the next pitch, driving in Montero to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.

Jonathan Lucroy singled with one out in the sixth before Rizzo made what might have been the catch of the year on a foul ball by Braun near the same spot Gennett was unable to reel in Russell's.

With the ball sailing into the stands, Rizzo leapt onto the tarp, put a foot on the wall and leaned into the seats, somehow hauling in the ball. Rizzo was ruled out of play, but Cubs manager Joe Maddon asked the umpires to confer and not long thereafter, the catch was allowed.

Counsell said the umpire got the ground rule wrong initially, as the top of the wall is considered in play at Wrigley Field.

Braun, meanwhile, couldn't believe it.

"Just incredible effort by an unbelievable player," he said. "From a pure effort perspective, one of the greatest plays I've ever seen in the regular season."

Lucroy was allowed to move to second as the result of a fielder making a catch in the stands. But after Hammel was lifted in favor of left-hander Clayton Richard, Lind flied out to the warning track in center.

Garza tied his season high by pitching seven innings, limiting the Cubs to three hits, two runs (earned) and two walks while striking out four over 96 pitches.

"I'm finally healthy, and I'm doing what I should have been doing," Garza said.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/jonathan-lucroy-embarrassed-by-his-recent-play-b99555425z1- 321698181.html Jonathan Lucroy ‘embarrassed’ by his recent play

By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel August 12, 2015

Chicago — Jonathan Lucroy, who missed more than five weeks earlier this season with a broken big toe, made it clear that he feels fine physically.

Mentally? Not so much.

"It's actually embarrassing, the way I've been playing," Lucroy said in the midst of the Milwaukee Brewers' three- game series at Wrigley Field. "I'm not performing at the level I'm capable of.

"I feel fine physically. Mentally, it's a different story."

It's easy to see that Lucroy is a bit beaten down these days. It has not been his year, going all the way back to spring training, when he reported as a limited participant while recovering from a high hamstring injury near his right hip. Lucroy, who is signed through next season with a club option for 2017 at team-friendly terms, pitched the idea of a contract extension to the Brewers in the spring. He was told not at this time.

Despite swinging the bat well at the end of camp, Lucroy went ice cold when the bell rang, as did most of his teammates. He was batting .133 with a .393 OPS through 12 games when he took a foul tip off his left big toe, badly breaking it.

By the time Lucroy returned to action, the Brewers had a new manager and were completely out of the playoff race. He has continued to struggle at the plate but made it clear his toe was not an issue.

"That hasn't bothered me at all," Lucroy said. "I've just sucked. I wish that was the excuse, but it's not.

"I've been working on it in the cage every day. Me and DC (hitting coach Darnell Coles) get after it. I don't know what's going on. I've been fighting and battling, trying to figure things out."

In 2014, when he was a National League all-star, Lucroy batted .301 with 53 doubles, a record for catchers, 13 home runs and .837 OPS. Entering Wednesday, Lucroy was batting .238 with 12 doubles, four homers and .637 OPS in 71 games.

"In spring training, I felt really good," he said. "I don't know what happened. I just haven't felt the same at the plate, and I've been battling all year. I've had flashes of it. In the series in San Francisco (in late July), I felt decent.

"Back in Philly (in early July), I was swinging the bat good. That road trip, I felt good. But I haven't been able to find any consistency, and that's what has bothered me about it.

"I don't feel sorry for myself, but it's really hard to fail. I hate failing. I'm not used to failing this much when it comes to my at-bats. I know my offense is important to the team, and so it's gotten to me."

The biggest difference in Lucroy's game these days is his inability to drive the ball. He has grounded into 17 double plays, one of the highest totals in the league despite his long stay on the disabled list, and his ground-ball ratio of 47.4% is a career high.

"I think he's been battling himself a little bit," manager Craig Counsell said. "He's been grinding through at-bats. He's not lost at the plate. That's not what it is. He hasn't gotten pitches in his spot and driven them to the wall or in the gap. "We're trying to get him back to it. That's who he is when he's at his best. A lot of his double plays have been hard ground balls. As a hitter, that can be frustrating. But it's in there, and it's not far away."

The opener of the series against the Cubs on Tuesday did little to brighten Lucroy's spirits. In his first two at-bats of a 0-for-4 night, he hit screamers that were gloved by third baseman Kris Bryant, one in spectacular fashion. Lucroy also let the ball get away from him on a play at the plate for an error that led to two unearned runs.

So, the beat goes on.

"I want to finish strong," Lucroy said. "Hopefully, I'll get on a roll and get hot. That's the plan. I've played this game long enough. I know how hard it is. The pitchers are only getting better.

"I know I can hit. I'm very competitive in the box. That's why I'm so embarrassed about it."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-vs-cubs-wednesday-game-report-b99555427z1-321697331.html Brewers vs. Cubs: Wednesday Game report

By Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel July 23, 2015

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

■ Pitcher Brandon Kintzler was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Class AAA Colorado Springs. Kintzler had been on the DL since May 29 with left knee tendinitis. He began a rehab assignment with the Rookie Arizona Brewers on Aug. 4.

■Ryan Braun now has 250 career home runs and has hit at least 20 in seven of his nine major-league seasons.

"Obviously, it's special," Braun said of the milestone. "I'm headed in the right direction. But right now we focus on us, focus on what we're trying to do as a team, and it's hard to enjoy any type of individual success when things are going the way they are as a team. Obviously, home runs are nice. It's challenging for us to score runs right now.

"But other than that, I never reflect on anything like that during the year."

STATITUDES

■ Braun is a .350 hitter with nine home runs in 57 career games at Wrigley Field. He also collected his sixth three- hit game of the season.

■Jonathan Lucroy snapped a 17 at-bat hitless streak with a sixth-inning single. He's 2 for 20 against the Cubs this season.

RECORD

THIS YEAR: 48-67

LAST YEAR: 63-52

HOME: 24-36 (roof open, 12-15; roof closed, 12-21)

ROAD: 24-31

COMING UP

Thursday: 1:20 p.m. at Wrigley Field. RHP Tyler Cravy (0-3, 5.40) vs. Chicago LHP Jon Lester (7-8, 3.22). TV — FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

Friday: 7:10 p.m. at Miller Park. RHP Wily Peralta (2-7, 4.48) vs. Philadelphia LHP Adam Morgan (3-3, 4.06). TV — FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

Saturday: 6:10 p.m. at Miller Park. RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-9, 3.65) vs. Philadelphia RHP Jerome Williams (4-8, 5.73). TV — FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

IN THE MINORS

COLORADO SPRINGS (AAA):Domingo Santana had two of the Sky Sox's four hits in a 7-0 loss to the Round Rock Express.

In a makeup game, Matt Clark drove in the lone run for Colorado as Round Rock won, 2-1.

BILOXI (AA):Brett Phillips went 4 for 4, falling a homer short of the cycle, in the Shuckers' 4-1 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

BREVARD COUNTY (A): Dustin Houle drove in the game's only run and pitched seven scoreless innings in the Manatees' 1-0 victory over the Tampa Yankees.

WISCONSIN (A): Mitch Meyer had two hits and an RBI in the Timber Rattlers' 3-2 loss to the West Michigan Whitecaps.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/08/13/montero-cubs-finish-brewers-in-10th/31600091/ Montero, Cubs finish Brewers in 10th

By Associated Press August 13, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — Ryan Braun thought it was an "incredible effort by an unbelievable player." Matt Garza thought the umpires got the call wrong.

Either way, Anthony Rizzo's sixth-inning circus catch was just one reason the Milwaukee Brewers lost 3-2 to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night. Miguel Montero's game-winning 10th-inning homer off Michael Blazek (5- 3) finished the Brewers, who didn't take advantage of opportunities or play defense the way Chicago did.

"We didn't do all the little things well enough tonight to give us the best opportunity to win," Ryan Braun said.

Chicago had a 2-1 lead entering the ninth inning before Hector Rondon blew the save. After putting runners on second and third and none out, Rondon appeared on the verge of getting out of it by striking out the next two batters.

But with Jean Segura at the plate, Rondon threw a wild pitch, allowing Braun to score the only run of the inning.

"You get second and third, nobody out, whoever's in the game, you've got to get runs across," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.

Braun hit a long solo shot in the first inning against Jason Hammel. It was the 250th of his career, moving him one behind Robin Yount for the most in Brewers history.

The Cubs tied it in the second as Kris Bryant hit a drive into the basket in right.

The Cubs grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fifth with help from Milwaukee. With Montero on second and two out, Russell lifted a foul popup into the bullpen area down the right-field line. Both first baseman Adam Lind and second baseman Scooter Gennett went after it. Gennett got a glove on the ball, but it seemed like he was screened by Lind and dropped it.

"Tough play, but makeable, I guess," Counsell said.

With new life, Russell singled to score Montero.

A few minutes later, Chicago turned in a spectacular defensive play in almost the same location.

With one out and a runner on first base, Braun lifted a popup into foul territory. Rizzo raced over, jumped up on the tarp positioned along the wall and then stepped onto the brick wall. He appeared to make the catch as he was falling into the stands and first base umpire Mark Carlson initially waved it off.

"I really don't remember anything about it," Rizzo said.

After Cubs manager Joe Maddon came out, the umpiring crew got together to discuss the play and then overturned the call, ruling Rizzo made the grab before falling into the stands. The runner on first, Jonathan Lucroy, then was awarded second because Rizzo went into the stands.

Garza called it a "great catch" but maintained the play was dead. He said he looked it up in the rule book and that a player isn't allowed to stand on the wall to make a play.

"They get that right it might be a different ball game because I know Hammel was having trouble with Braun tonight," Garza said.

Braun's view was different.

"From a pure effort perspective, one of the greatest plays I've ever seen in the regular season," Braun said. Tommy Hunter (3-2) pitched a scoreless 10th.

NO PART

Counsell didn't seem interested in being part of the process to find a replacement for outgoing general manager Doug Melvin.

"My role is the manager down here, so I don't necessarily think it makes a ton of sense to hire the person you're working for," Counsell said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: OF Braun (lower back) returned to the starting lineup. He didn't start Tuesday but pinch-hit in the seventh.

Cubs: President Theo Epstein said INF Tommy La Stella (right oblique) was sent to the minors to get at-bats and will return by Sept. 1 at the latest.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Tyler Cravy (0-3, 5.40) pitches the matinee finale of the series and will be making his first appearance against Chicago.

Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (7-8, 3.22 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his last four starts.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/brewers-cubs-preview-081315 Brewers-Cubs Preview

By Associated Press August 13, 2015

Brimming with confidence and sending Jon Lester to the mound, the Chicago Cubs appear poised to continue their surge.

As the left-hander looks to win a fourth straight decision, the Cubs try to sweep this three-game series from the lowly Milwaukee Brewers with a season-high seventh straight victory Thursday at Wrigley Field.

After Hector Rondon blew a save in the ninth inning, Miguel Montero homered in the 10th to give Chicago (64- 48) its 12th win in the last 13 games, 3-2 on Wednesday. Owners of a 4 1/2-game lead for the NL's second wild- card spot, the Cubs last won seven straight in 2011.

''When we come to the ballpark now, we know we're going to win,'' said Montero, who is 3 for 12 in four games since missing almost a month with a sprained left thumb.

The Cubs, 1 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh for the top wild-card spot, were limited to four hits for the second time in the last three games but continue to get strong pitching. Chicago's posted a 2.46 ERA over the last 13 contests and has struck out 22 while walking two in the first two of this set.

"Guys have energy, guys have excitement to be in this position," Lester told MLB's official website. "You've got that excitement of every single day, we've got a chance."

Lester (7-8, 3.22 ERA) allowed two runs in seven innings of Friday's 7-3 victory over San Francisco to improve to 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break.

"Right now, he's turning into the metronome that he is," manager Joe Maddon said about Lester, who has completed at least seven innings in his last seven starts. "You're going to see those kind of performances and it doesn't surprise me."

Lester enjoyed one of his best outings as a Cub on May 1, when he gave up three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 home victory over Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun, who is 3 for 10 with a double against Lester, hit his 250th homer as the Brewers (48-67) dropped their sixth straight to Chicago.

"(The Cubs are) on a roll right now," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "At times, you play teams during different stretches, and this is a team that's playing well, playing with a lot of confidence right now. Everything is going their way. We have to upset that somehow."

Dealing with a lower-back issue, Braun had three hits Wednesday after going 0 for 9 in the previous three contests. His next home run will tie him with Robin Yount for the franchise lead.

Making his fourth career start, Tyler Cravy (0-3, 5.40) looked strong Friday until he allowed all six runs in his fifth and final inning of a 6-0 defeat to St. Louis. It was the right-hander's first major league appearance in a month after being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace the demoted Kyle Lohse in the rotation.

"Obviously, I'm thankful for the opportunity," Cravy said. "I'll just go out every fifth day or whenever they want me to go out there and give it everything I've got that day. I'm not going to hold anything back, really. Just throw each day like it's your last."

He'll try to handle rookie Kris Bryant, who is batting .310 in his last nine games and has hit 13 of his 16 home runs at Wrigley.

http://www.si.com/mlb/2015/08/12/doug-melvin-brewers-leaves-general-manager After long, successful tenure, Doug Melvin steps down as Brewers’ GM

By Cliff Corcoran, SI.com August 12, 2015

Doug Melvin, who turned 63 on Saturday, announced on Tuesday that he’d be relinquishing his position as the Brewers' general manager, a job that he has held for Milwaukee since September 2002. He steps down as the fourth-longest tenured general manager in baseball, behind only the Yankees’ Brian Cashman (since February 1998), the Athletics' Billy Beane (since October '97) and the Giants’ Brian Sabean (since September '96), and as one of the two most successful general managers in Brewers history.

Melvin’s place in the franchise is rivaled only by that of Harry Dalton, the one-time architect of the -era Orioles who served as Milwaukee’s general manager from 1978 to '91. Here’s a quick snapshot of how Melvin and Dalton measure up against each other as well as the other six men to serve as Brewers general manager combined. (Notes: Years denotes full seasons as general manager, including 2015 for Melvin; >.500 denotes winning seasons; 1st or 2nd denotes first or second-place finishes in the division; Division denotes division titles, including 1981 when the Brewers had the best overall record in the AL East and were the second-half division winners.)

MELVIN DALTON ALL OTHERS

Years 13 14 20

>.500 5 8 2

1st or 2nd 3 3 1

Playoffs 2 2 0

Division 1 2 0

Pennant 0 1 0

Melvin’s tenure as the Brewers’ general manager predates the current ownership, which purchased the team from the trust of former commissioner Bud Selig in late 2004. When Melvin joined the Brewers, fresh off guiding the Rangers to the first three playoff appearances in that franchise’s history, Milwaukee was finishing off its 10th straight losing season and on its way to a franchise-worst 106 losses. It took Melvin a few years to dig the Brewers out of that hole, but by retaining scouting director Jack Zduriencik, who had drafted Prince Fielder just before Melvin’s hiring in '02, he made good use of the high draft picks that resulted from those poor showings. In '03, the Brewers drafted Rickie Weeks second overall. In '05, they tabbed Ryan Braun with the fifth pick of the draft. They also made several astute late-round picks, taking Yovani Gallardo and in the second and 17th rounds, respectively, in '04; Michael Brantley in the seventh round in '05; and Jonathan Lucroy in the third round in '07.

Meanwhile, Melvin’s first major trade at Milwaukee's helm remains one of the most lopsided trades of the new century: a nine-player blockbuster that sent star first baseman , who was entering his walk year, and two pitchers to the Diamondbacks for five major leaguers and lefthanded pitching prospect in December 2003. and , both acquired in that deal, were key members of the '05 Brewers team that nearly snapped the team’s losing streak, finishing at 81–81, and helped convince the team’s new ownership to begin expanding payroll.

In Melvin’s first two years with the Brewers, Milwaukee ranked 28th and 29th in the majors in end-of-the-year payroll. That ranking improved under the new owners in 2005, but only because of cost-cutting elsewhere in the league: The '05 Brewers spent less on player salaries than the '03 team. In '06, however, they saw their payroll increase by more than a third. In '07, the Brewers enjoyed their first winning season in 15 years thanks to the emergence of a generation of young talent including Fielder (23), Weeks (24), J.J. Hardy(24), Braun (23), Corey Hart (25) and Gallardo (21). In '08, Melvin added free-agent centerfielder Mike Cameron and catcher Jason Kendall to that young core, then traded Brantley and three other minor leaguers to Cleveland in early July for impending free agent and defending winner CC Sabathia. The result was the team’s first playoff appearance in more than a quarter century as Sabathia turned in one of the greatest rental-player performances in major league history (11–2, 1.65 ERA in 17 starts with seven complete games and three shutouts).

With Sabathia gassed by the time the Brewers reached the Division Series as the NL wild-card team, Milwaukee lost to the eventual world champion Phillies in four games. However, after two years of retooling, they returned to the postseason via their first division title since 1982, winning a franchise-record 96 games with a team that was much more fully of Melvin’s making. Only Fielder and Hart pre-dated Melvin on that '11 squad, which fell just two games shy of the franchise’s second pennant, defeating the Diamondbacks in a thrilling five-game Division Series, then once again losing to the eventual world champions—this time the Cardinals—in the National League Championship Series.

Sustaining that success proved to be expensive and elusive. The team’s payroll again stagnated, never surpassing its 2010 year-end ranking of 13th. Fielder left as a free agent following the '11 playoff run, and would-be ace Zack Greinke, who had been acquired from the Royals prior to the '11 season at the high cost of Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and reliever Jeremy Jeffress, was traded to the Angels at the '12 deadline in anticipation of a similar departure. That second Greinke trade, headlined by shortstop prospect Jean Segura, has failed to compensate for the talent lost in the first and likely never will.

Within his limitations, Melvin continued to make smart moves, signing veterans Aramis Ramirez and Kyle Lohse as free agents and continuing to give young and otherwise unproven players such as Lucroy, Segura, , Jim Henderson, Khris Davis, Scooter Gennett, Mike Fiers, Wily Peralta and Jimmy Nelson opportunities to succeed, even if those opportunities came at the expense of established veterans. The emergence of Carlos Gomez—acquired straight up for Hardy in November 2009—as an all-around star in the wake of Fielder’s departure stands as a late-career highlight.

In 2012, Milwaukee made a late surge toward wild-card contention, but ultimately fell five games short. In '14, with a payroll topping $100 million for the first time in franchise history following the signing of free agent Matt Garza, the Brewers stood in first place in the NL Central for all but three days through the end of August, but fell out of a playoff position via a 9–17 showing in September. Those struggles carried over to this season and, buried underneath the Cardinals, Pirates and Cubs in what is arguably the game’s toughest division, Melvin was forced to start selling off pieces of his team. That process started with trading Gallardo prior to his walk year over the off- season and accelerated at the non-waiver trading deadline as Melvin dealt Gomez, Fiers, Ramirez, outfielder Gerardo Parra and reliever Jonathon Broxton.

The team Melvin hands to his successor comes with just two significant financial commitments: the two years and $25.5 million (plus a $13 million vesting option) remaining on Garza’s contract and the five-year, $105 million extension for Braun from April 2011, a deal which begins next season. Both players will turn 32 in November and both contracts are problematic. Still, it’s worth noting that Braun, though no longer the superstar he was at his peak for various reasons and no longer worth $21 million a year, is in the midst of his most productive season since '12. Melvin also passes on Lucroy under team control at well below market value for two more years thanks to a five- year extension signed in March 2012. In addition, the Brewers possess some good, young, team-controlled starting pitchers in Nelson and Peralta (both 26) and Taylor Jungmann (25) and near-ready shortstop prospect Orlando Arcia, ranked the eighth-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America last month. Milwaukee also has control over Segura and Gennett (both 25) and the 27-year-old Davis, though all three have disappointed since their initial breakthroughs.

As for Melvin, who has held a front-office position for one of four different teams in all but one year since 1983, he will remain in charge of the Brewers’ baseball operations until his replacement is hired and has an agreement to stay on board beyond this season as an advisor to that replacement, as well as to team owner Mark Attanasio. Also remaining in Milwaukee will be manager Craig Counsell, hired in May and signed through 2017. Attanasio has already announced that he intends to retain Counsell, who had been a special assistant to Melvin prior to moving down to the dugout, under the new general manager. Counsell is reportedly not under consideration to take Melvin's job, but Attanasio said on Tuesday that the organization will be casting a wide net for Melvin’s replacement, who may not be named until after the season, looking both internally and externally and perhaps even beyond baseball. The only limitation Attanasio placed on his search was a desire to have a new GM in place for this December’s in Nashville.