Buzz Saw

Sellout Crowd, Playoff Implications, Hot Pitcher!! When Our Washington Nationals reach that day in the schedule I will will mighty happy-whether they win or lose. Tonight, The Milwaukee Brewers continued riding the hot Pitching Hand of C.C. Sabathia. Now, 6-0 with four complete games in seven starts in Cheeseland. Yeah, Brett Favre may be Wisconsin's Native Son--now lost--but if C.C. leads The Brewers deep into the playoffs--Old Number 4 for The Green Bay Packers may well be slowly replaced by New Number 52. At least Sabathia can help relieve the pain of Favre now being a New York Jet. That Man Is Pitching Lights Out. And the Brewers better lock him up now--before Sabathia walks after the season. Is he ever impressive!! Old School--wanting to go the distance in every game. Give him the baseball--let him shine. How Great Is That!!

There is a time in The Great Game where you just have to appreciate the desire you just witnessed from your opponent. The effort put forth by this Big Lefthander this evening and his Milwaukee teammates-- Fighting for the Division Title, Fighting for A Wild Card Spot--not wanting to give in to The Cubs, The Cardinals, The Marlins, The Mets, or maybe even The Phillies. Winning was the only object, and that yearning for victory, nothing short of spectacular by The Brewers.

With each and every game, ever more important in the standings--C.C. Sabathia has been Light Outs. For 9 Complete Innings he was The Buzz Saw. As long as his Brewer Teammates were able to score one run tonight--Big Number 52 was going to win. When you can shutout a team early on off speed and breaking stuff--then, just when your opposition believes you might be faltering and you start throwing the gas--effectively--THIS GAME WAS OVER!! What an impressive performance. Sabathia was tossing his heater into the 90's in the final frame. Washington had no chance.

9 Strong Innings from Sabathia. 9 Strikeouts from Their Number 52. Just five hits allowed from Our Youthful Lineup--attempting to adjust, but never able to make the change.

Simply, Our Washington Nationals got beat tonight by A BUZZ SAW. C.C. Sabathia is the hottest pitcher in the game. And as much a disappointment it is to watch Our Team Lose--it's very hard to root against The Milwaukee Brewers. Another Franchise, down on their luck for so long with only one World Series Appearance Ever--1982--and that was one Great Year. Ask Don Sutton. For many years, the so called experts proclaimed that Milwaukee was a Bad Baseball Town. Just like many obsess over Washington, DC being just as putrid.

I have never believed Milwaukee was a bad baseball city. Just like I will never believe Washington, DC is a bad baseball town either. No way--not possible. The interest is just too great.

Everybody just wants to see a winner.

2008 is hopefully The Brewers Time. 2009 and beyond will hopefully be Our Washington Nationals Time. Yeah, we lost tonight, against a hot opponent, but the world hasn't come to an end and there are three more games to play over this extended weekend against Commissioner Bud Selig's Former Team.

At least for one night--I don't feel so bad about a loss. Another Ball Club, long wanting for success--had beaten us.

Final Score from Sold Out and Hopping Miller Park--The Milwaukee Brewers 5 and Our Washington Nationals 0. Washington didn't play bad-they just couldn't get runners on base against that Buzz Saw--C.C. Sabathia.

Game Notes & Highlights

Since Our Washington Nationals couldn't score any runs off C.C, it didn't really matter that Collin Balester only lasted five innings. You could argue that a bad call by Third Base Umpire Marty Foster allowed an unexpected run for Milwaukee in the bottom of the 1st inning. But even if Foster HAD CALLED OUT Rickie Weeks on a grounder to Ryan Zimmerman at Third Base--a play that replays showed "Z" tagged out Weeks on a grounder by Ryan Braun--there was no excuse for Balester losing control over the missed call and delivering an easy over the plate toss to Prince Fielder on the very next pitch to score Weeks for the first run of the game. That was a learning experience for Our 22 Year Old. Not every call will go your way in any game, but you can't get flustered. You have to be professional and a stand up guy--to survive.

No, he wasn't great tonight--but Our Number 40 was educated on pitching in a Playoff Atmosphere, on giving your best, when you obviously don't have it. Down by 4 Runs (three earned) after 5 Frames, Our Washington Nationals could not solve C.C. Sabathia for a comeback.

A quiet offense tonight for Washington. Just five hits, two apiece from Lastings Milledge and Jesus Flores. Another hard thrower tossing tomorrow evening for Milwaukee--Ben Sheets. Can our Washington Nationals solve him? And did Our Young Lineup Learn anything from tonight at Miller Park?

Finally--Why in the world do The Milwaukee Brewers NOT WEAR THOSE GORGEOUS Retro Pinstripe Power Blue Uniforms at each and every home game? The Blue with Gold Trim is CLASSIC. The Glove "MB" Logo" on the cap maybe the most ingenious of my lifetime. For years and years and years, I honestly thought The Brewers Emblem was just a Glove. Only years later, after reaching Adulthood, did I realize their logo was not only a Glove, but their Signature--"MB"

This evening on the radio broadcast, Charlie Slowes highlighted how this classic emblem came about. Apparently, a Milwaukee School Kid in the 1970's produced it and, in his love over His Milwaukee Brewers--submitted the design to the team.

History was made. A Great Story Found. Thank you for telling it--Charlie Slowes.

Tonight's InGame Photos--(AP) Ben Smidt