MINNEAPOLIS — Frank Viola was great. The Milwaukee Brewers weren’t. The way things have gone for them lately, the Brewers’ lack of greatness is no surprise.
“I’m puzzled,” manager Tom Trebelhorn told the Milwaukee Sentinel.
So are most Brewers fans who watched their team fall 7-2 to the Twins at the Metrodome. As usual, it was the offense that failed to show. The Crew has now gone 11 consecutive games without getting double-digits in hits. Compound that with the dismal hitting with runners in scoring position — they were 2-for-12 — and you’re gonna get a team that can’t push guys across the plate.
“I was impressed with Viola’s changeup,” Trebelhorn said.
Brewers hitters are easily impressed these days. Viola had entered the game with a 2-5 record.
Trebelhorn has been shuffling the lineup more than a Vegas dealer shuffles cards. Against Viola, Trebelhorn put Mike Felder at the top of the order and still had Paul Molitor in the five slot. Treb sat lefties B.J. Surhoff, Greg Brock and Jim Ganter against the lefty. And of course, it would figure that Jim Paciorek would have two hits hitting behind Molly.
Meanwhile, Bill Wegman got cuffed around to the tune of six runs in five innings.
“When things get going tough,” Treb said, “you expect more tough things to happen. You say, ‘Are we ever going to get out of this?’”
Good question. Here’s hoping they find the answer soon.
