Milwaukee Brewers News Clips

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

MLB.com

Braun, Brewers can’t pick up Garza vs. Marlins

Lohse still adjusting to new bullpen role

Brewers players happy for Roenicke

Cravy continues audition in battle of rookies

Journal Sentinel

Brewers win streak halted at three, Matt Garza roughed up

Taylor Jungmann has proven worth as pitcher, batter

Brewers vs. Marlins: Monday game report

Associated Press

Nicolino leads Marlins past Brewers

Preview: Brewers vs. Marlins

FOX Sports Wisconsin

Brewers minor-league stars of the week: Aug. 17

ESPN the Magazine

On the road again...

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/143769942/marlins-reward-justin-nicolino-in-milwaukee

Braun, Brewers can’t pick up Garza vs. Marlins

By Adam McCalvy and Brandon Curry / MLB.com | August 17, 2015

MILWAUKEE -- Rookie left-hander Justin Nicolino pitched into the seventh inning and Derek Dietrich hit a

two-run home run as the Marlins won for the fifth time in seven games, 6-2, over the Brewers on Monday night at

Miller Park.

Dee Gordon punched a two-run single to left field in the third inning and Dietrich cleared the center-field fence for

two more runs in the fourth against Brewers starter Matt Garza, who rode a hot streak into the game but lasted

only five innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits. He matched teammate Kyle Lohse's 13 losses.

"It was just one of those days where I left balls up," said Garza, who entered the night with a 2.56 ERA in his

previous five starts. "I haven't been getting away with anything this year, so I didn't expect to get away with much."

Nicolino, a 23-year-old in his second stint this season with Miami, threw 95 pitches in 6 2/3 relatively stress-free

innings for his second Major League victory in his fourth start. He allowed two runs on six hits, with two walks and

three strikeouts.

"Being able to use offspeed in any count is something you have to do up here. Tonight I had better command of it,"

Nicolino said. "To me, when I have command of those pitches, it's easier to get those outs."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Dee does it all: Gordon ignited Miami's offense a day after collecting his 20th three-plus-hit game in a win over the

Cardinals. The speedy second baseman drove in the Marlins' first two runs in the third with a single to right, and

followed it by stealing his 37th base this season. He picked up his second hit with a double in the fifth, worked his

way to third and eventually scored on Martin Prado's sacrifice fly.

"Dee had a big hit in the top of the third, two RBIs, shooting the ball the other way," Marlins manager Dan

Jennings said. "It was a heck of an at-bat."

Small ball for Braun: Ryan Braun's only hit during the Brewers' weekend sweep of the Phillies was a grand slam

that gave him 251 career home runs, matching Robin Yount's franchise record. Braun didn't go deep Monday, but

he did log a walk and a pair of singles, including a run-scoring hit in the fifth inning that cut the Brewers' deficit to

5-2. He didn't make an out until the seventh, when Braun, representing the tying run, grounded out to end a Brewers

threat.

Dietrich delivers: Following Justin Bour's single to lead off the fourth, Dietrich crushed his eighth home run of

the season on the first pitch he saw from Garza in the at-bat to give Miami a 4-1 lead. The homer gives the 26-year-

old five RBIs over his past two games. He has 16 on the season.

Upon review: Brewers manager Craig Counsell challenged the game's final out after Miami shortstop Adeiny

Hechavarria made a terrific pick and throw on Jonathan Lucroy's grounder to the hole. But the call stood, and the

Marlins were able to resume their celebration. More >

QUOTABLE

You get a guy like [Nicolino] tonight, now the baton is passed to [Adam] Conley tomorrow, and this is the

opportunity these guys are looking for. It's here for them to go out and take advantage of it." -- Jennings, on turning

to rookies to fill in for an ailing starting rotation

"I think there are plenty of guys with a lot to play for. It is a Major League Baseball game. Guys get up for that. I

don't see that as a problem at all." -- Counsell, on playing in front of a relatively subdued crowd of 21,910 on

Monday

WHAT'S NEXT

Marlins: Miami will hand the ball to another left-handed rookie on Tuesday at Miller Park, as Conley is set to take

the mound. In two starts this season, Conley has posted a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings. First pitch is scheduled for

8:10 p.m. ET.

Brewers: Right-hander Tyler Cravy is still seeking his first Major League victory as he enters his sixth appearance

and fifth start for the Brewers on Tuesday night at 7:10 CT. Cravy has been effective his first two times through

opposing order, but hitters are batting .450 and slugging 1.100 the third time up.

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/143794874/kyle-lohse-still-adjusting-to-new-bullpen-role

Lohse still adjusting to new bullpen role

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | August 18, 2015

MILWAUKEE -- Two weeks into his stint as one of baseball's highest-priced middle relievers, Kyle Lohse still

cannot say the role feels comfortable. By definition, every one of his outings is uncomfortable.

Take Monday, when Lohse surrendered a run while logging the final two innings of the Brewers' 6-2 loss to the

Marlins at Miller Park. It was his fourth appearance since the move to the bullpen. All have come in losses.

"It's a tough situation," Lohse said on Monday afternoon. "Obviously, the kind of games I'll be getting in, I know

the situation. I've been that guy who's fourth or fifth in the playoff rotation earlier in my career, and that's a tough

one, too. You want to pitch in the playoffs, but you know it's going to take a [bad] situation. It's going to be a short

start for the starter, or you're way behind, or even way ahead.

"You want to be in there competing. That's what I love to do. So it's still working on stuff. If I get a chance to do it

in a game, I do it in a game, and we'll see how it pans out in the end."

Lohse is earning $11 million in the final season of a three-year contract, but he was bumped from the rotation

during the Brewers' last homestand in favor of rookie Tyler Cravy, a right-hander who will make a third start in

Lohse's spot on Tuesday night. Cravy is still seeking his first Major League win.

"I think Kyle has done a really nice job in going to the bullpen and taking that as a fresh start and using that as a

point where he can gain something," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's adapted to it really well. I

expected him to. That's one thing Kyle is really good at -- he is adaptable. He's a pro. He's able to quickly find his

niche. If you are 37 and still pitching in the big leagues, you are pretty adaptable."

The Brewers are now 7-19 in games Lohse has pitched, including his starts. Other Brewers relievers can relate,

including Neal Cotts (Milwaukee is 13-36 when he's pitched), Corey Knebel (11-20) and Tyler Thornburg (0-

10).

"It is different," Counsell said. "I think the best way to treat it is to just get outs. Outs are still important. I think the

games [Lohse] pitched in, we've been losing so far, but when you are pitching in the fifth inning at 6-1, we still

have a chance to win that game. If you get six outs there, those are big outs to give us a chance to get back in it."

http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/143727470/brewers-players-happy-for-ron-roenicke

Brewers players happy for Roenicke Crew reacts to news that former manager back in coaching with Dodgers

By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com | August 17, 2015

MILWAUKEE -- News that former Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had landed a coaching job with the Dodgers

was met warmly in the home clubhouse at Miller Park on Monday. In fact, after the Dodgers named Roenicke their

third-base coach for the rest of the season on Monday, one of Roenicke's congratulatory text messages came from

Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

"That's good, man. I root for him," Lucroy said. "He's a baseball guy, a very knowledgeable baseball man. I know

he loves being on the field. I'm happy for him."

The Brewers dismissed Roenicke on May 3 after a 7-18 start and replaced him with Craig Counsell. Roenicke took

some time off before making a series of appearances last week as an analyst on MLB Network.

Now he's back in uniform. Roenicke took over third-base duties from Lorenzo Bundy, who remained on L.A.'s staff

in charge of outfield defense. It marked a return for Roenicke, who previously played for the Dodgers, served on

their coaching staff and managed in their Minor League chain.

"I'm happy that he was able to find another place to fit in and continue his coaching career," said Kyle Lohse, who

was named Milwaukee's Opening Day starter by Roenicke this year. "Personally, I feel like we kind of let him

down here. That's my feeling. We didn't have a good start to the year, and unfortunately, he had to pay the price."

Roenicke will continue drawing a salary from the Brewers. The team had exercised his 2016 option in Spring

Training before dismissing him in May.

"He's a positive influence," Lucroy said. "He helped me out a lot while he was here, and I know a lot of the other

players, too. For any team he was going to go to, he was going to be contributing in a very positive way."

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20150817143760190?game_pk=415430

Cravy continues audition in battle of rookies

By Brandon Curry / MLB.com | August 17, 2015

When their series continues on Tuesday night at Miller Park, the Marlins and Brewers will square off with an

opposing pitcher they've yet to see. Left-hander Adam Conley will take the mound for Miami, and he will be

opposed by fellow rookie Tyler Cravy.

The Marlins are still deciding on what role Conley will play with the club, as they've used him both as a starter and

reliever. The lefty carries a 4.32 ERA in 8 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, and a 5.59 ERA in 9 2/3 innings over two

starts.

Cravy has struggled for Milwaukee, but the club will continue to let the right-hander audition for a spot in its

rotation moving forward. The 26-year-old is 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in 24 1/3 innings.

Things to know about the game

• Miami second baseman Dee Gordon's 20 games with three or more hits are the most in the Majors this season and

is a career high for Gordon. He had 19 such games in 2014.

• Ryan Braun is one home run away from becoming the Brewers' solo all-time franchise leader. His grand slam

Sunday against the Phillies tied Robin Yount (251) atop the list.

• Cravy has surrendered 14 earned runs over his last three starts, which include 20 hits and seven walks.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/milwaukee-brewers-vs-miami-marlins-b99558672z1-322110911.html

Brewers win streak halted at three, Matt Garza roughed up

By Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel

August 17, 2015

A run of solid starts by Matt Garza was halted by the Miami Marlins on Monday night.

The right-hander lasted only five innings as the Milwaukee Brewers saw their three-game winning streak snapped

by a score of 6-2 at Miller Park.

Garza (6-13) allowed eight hits and five runs (all earned) to a Miami team that entered only 11/2 games ahead of

the Philadelphia Phillies team that the Brewers swept over the weekend. His five-inning start was his shortest since

May 26.

He came into the game with a 2-2 record and 2.56 ERA in five starts since a stint on the 15-day disabled list for

right shoulder tendinitis.

"I think they were very aggressive with him," manager Craig Counsell said. "I think a bunch of the hits came first

pitch. They were aggressive and they took advantage of some mistakes early in the count and did some damage on

those pitches.

"It wasn't Matt's best night. He's had five really nice starts since the all-star break. Five out of six pretty good ones.

We'll take that and move forward."

The Brewers actually took a 1-0 lead in the second when Khris Davis led off with a single against Justin Nicolino,

moved to third on a double by Hernan Perez and scored on an Adeiny Hechavarria error on a grounder up the

middle by Shane Peterson.

Garza retired the Marlins in order in the first two innings before falling behind thanks to three third-inning singles

by J.T. Realmuto, Hechavarria and Dee Gordon. Gordon's hit to left scored Realmuto and Hechavarria, giving

Miami a 2-1 lead.

Miami hit Garza hard again in the fourth, with Justin Bour singling to start and Derek Dietrich following with a

home run to center to make it 4-1. Marcell Ozuna then doubled, but Garza got three ground-ball outs to strand him.

Gordon doubled to lead off the fifth and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Martin Prado, stretching

the Marlins' lead to 5-1.

"I want them to swing early and get quick outs. That's what they did the first few innings," Garza said. "Third

inning on, I just left pitches up. There was no excuse for it, I just missed my spots and that's about it.

"That's all it was; I left fastballs up and they hit them."

Garza finished out the fifth but that was it for him, with his 72 pitches his lowest total for a start on the season. The

five innings matched Garza's shortest outing since he pitched five innings of relief in the Brewers' 17-inning victory

over the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 31.

"My timing was a little off. It was just one of those days that I left balls up," Garza said. "I haven't been getting

away with anything this year, so I really can't expect to get away with much. Just come back, 5-6 days, and do it

again. Get back on the horse.

"Not a big issue. Just a game of inches, and I went the wrong direction."

Jason Rogers, who pinch hit for Garza in the bottom of the fifth, drew a one-out walk, went to second on a single

by Jean Segura and scored on a single to left by Ryan Braun as the Brewers cut the deficit to 5-2.

But Milwaukee managed three hits and four base runners over the final four innings against Nicolino (2-1) and

three relievers.

"He was just a standard lefty," Counsell said of Nicolino. "We just couldn't string together sequential offense

tonight."

Former Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee capped the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth off

Kyle Lohse.

The game ended on a replay challenge, with umpire Bill Miller's out call on Jonathan Lucroy at first base standing

in 1 minute, 12 seconds.

"I think it was close enough (to challenge)," Counsell said. "Obviously you use a little more discretion if it is earlier

in the game, but last play of the game, you're going to just roll the dice."

It was in some ways a fitting end to an otherwise dull game, played in front of a crowd of 21,910.

"I played in Tampa for three years and we drew about 7,000 a night," Garza said when asked about the atmosphere.

"It's great to have fans but at the same time, you're here to play a game, do a job. I didn't do a good job tonight and

that's it."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/taylor-jungmann-has-proven-worth-as-pitcher-batter-b99558674z1-

322118551.html

Taylor Jungmann has proven worth as pitcher, batter

By Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel

August 17, 2015

While Taylor Jungmann has turned plenty of heads with the way he's thrown the baseball for the Milwaukee

Brewers this season, the rookie has proved to be quite adept at the plate as well.

Jungmann extended his hitting streak to five games Sunday, the same day he improved to 7-4 by beating the

Philadelphia Phillies at Miller Park. He has at least one hit in six of his last seven starts overall.

In fact, he’ll head into his next start Saturday in Washington, D.C. hitting .348 with eight hits in 23 at-bats. His five

sacrifice bunts rank second behind Matt Garza’s six, and he’s only struck out five times in 29 plate appearances.

Yovani Gallardo established himself as the best-hitting pitcher the Brewers have ever had during his tenure with the

team. And while Jungmann has a long way to go to become the established threat Gallardo was, he clearly

understands the importance of putting together good at-bats.

"As a pitcher in the National League, you see a guy who can hit up there as a pitcher and it's just annoying,"

Jungmann said with a laugh. "You're thinking 9-hole's up; easy out here. Then the guy can swing it and you're like,

'Dang, got to work again here.'

"A lot of guys get lazy on those guys. If you've got to work a little bit harder to get that ninth batter, it really is

annoying."

Jungmann credits his father with impressing the importance of being able to hit as a pitcher as the right-hander was

growing up in Texas.

"I don't want to say I take it more seriously than others, but I have an approach and I think the biggest thing for me

is stick with my approach," he said. "I'm not trying to change it for the pitcher, change it to try and hit a home run

or something like that. I try to stay consistent in my approach and just stick with it.

"I'm trying to hit the ball the other way or up the middle unless somebody comes in and tries to take that away

early....Just trying to be competitive up there as a hitter is big. Make the pitcher work for it, at least."

Jungmann pointed to his at-bat in the fifth inning Sunday against Aaron Harang. With one out and the Brewers up,

2-0, he laid down a bunt that was meant to move Elián Herrera up but instead wound up as a single when he beat

the throw to first.

Three batters later, Ryan Braun's grand slam to left-center decided the game.

"I tried to push-bunt it. I didn't get it past the pitcher but it ended up working out," said Jungmann, who was robbed

of a second hit in the sixth when Odubel Herrera made a diving catch on his bloop to center.

"I got to first base. If I just get a sacrifice bunt there and I don't run that out, it's two outs and Braun might not even

get an at-bat right there. Just little things as a starting pitcher that you can do to get on base and be competitive up

there, make the pitcher waste some pitches."

Manager Craig Counsell agrees there's definite value in a starting pitcher who can handle himself competently in

the batter's box.

"In the National League, you see how it can help," he said. "I think it's the difference often between leaving the

game winning and leaving the game tied or losing. The statistical stuff doesn't tend to give it a lot of credit because

it's so few at-bats.

"It feels like he's had a lot of games where he's added something to our run total at the end of the day, and that

makes a difference."

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/brewers/brewers-vs-marlins-monday-game-report-b99558678z1-322126801.html

Brewers vs. Marlins: Monday game report

By Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel

August 17, 2015

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

■ Former Brewers manager Ron Roenicke was hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. He

replaces Lorenzo Bundy as the team's third-base coach for the remainder of the season. "I texted him and said

congratulations," Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "That's good. I'm happy for him. He's a baseball guy, a

very knowledgeable baseball man, and I know he loves being on the field and at the ballpark."

General manager Doug Melvin said the Dodgers would be sending Roenicke's agreed-upon prorated coach's salary

to the Brewers to defray some of what they owe Roenicke for the remaining year-plus he is under contract to them.

■ Two members of the Brewers' 2011 National League Central champion team were back in Milwaukee on

Monday with the Miami Marlins. Third baseman Casey McGehee is in a Miami uniform once again after being

traded to the San Francisco Giants last off-season. Chris Narveson, the No. 5 starter in a rotation that

included Yovani Gallardo, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf, pitches out of the Marlins' bullpen.

Also, hitting coach Lenny Harris played for the Brewers in 2002 and outfielder Cole Gillespie was a third-round

draft pick of the Brewers in 2006.

■ Marlins reliever Erik Cordier, was called up from Class AAA New Orleans prior to Monday's game. Cordier is

a graduate of Southern Door High School in Brussels, Wis.

Ben May, umpiring the series and at second base on Monday, is a graduate of Racine St. Catherine's.

STATITUDES

■ Ryan Braun on Sunday tied Cecil Cooper, John Jaha and Jeromy Burnitz for the most career grand slams in

franchise history with his fifth. It also was his second of the season.

■ The Brewers dropped to 14-9 in replay challenges this season after Bill Miller's out call at first base stood to end

the game.

■ The Brewers dropped to 23-10 over their last 33 games against the Marlins.

RECORD

THIS YEAR: 51-69

LAST YEAR: 66-54

HOME: 27-37 (roof open, 14-15; roof closed, 13-22)

ROAD: 24-32

ATTENDANCE

MONDAY: 21,910

OVERALL (64 dates):2,050,237 (32,035 avg.)

SELLOUTS: 3

COMING UP

Tuesday: 7:10 p.m. at Miller Park. RHP Tyler Cravy (0-4, 5.92) vs. Miami LHP Adam Conley (1-0, 5.00). TV —

FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

Wednesday: 1:10 p.m. at Miller Park. RHP Wily Peralta (3-7, 4.07) vs. Miami RHP Tom Koehler (8-10, 3.68).

TV — FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

Friday: 6:05 p.m. at Nationals Park. RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-9, 3.61) vs. Washington LHP Gio Gonzalez (9-5,

3.86). TV — FS Wisconsin. Radio — AM-620.

IN THE MINORS

COLORADO SPRINGS (AAA): The Sky Sox lost a pair of early leads as they were swept by scores of , 3-2 and

7-3 by the Reno Aces in a doubleheader, Zach Davies allowed two runs on five hits for the Sox in the opener,

while Domingo Santana had three hits and a run in the nightcap.

BREVARD COUNTY (A): Jorge Ortega twirled a four-hit, seven-inning shutout for the Manatees, who beat the

Daytona Tortugas, 3-0, in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader. The nightcap, though, was washed out.

http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/justin-nicolino-leads-miami-marlins-past-milwaukee-brewers-081715

Nicolino leads Marlins past Brewers

By Associated Press

August 17, 2015

MILWAUKEE -- Without an arsenal of overpowering pitches, Miami rookie left-hander Justin Nicolino relies on

his defense to make plays behind him.

The gloves were there Monday night, and the results were encouraging.

Nicolino pitched 6 2/3 solid innings and Derek Dietrich homered as the Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2

to win for the fifth time in seven games.

"That's the approach, I'm not an overpowering guy," Nicolino said. "I'm not going to punch out many people. If I

can go out there and get guys to hit my pitches and get a ground-ball out, or a fly-ball out, that's what I'm out there

to do."

Miami manager Dan Jennings likes his rookie's approach.

"It's great to see a young guy like that and not be afraid of results," he said. "Nico set the tone. That was a

tremendous outing and something we desperately needed."

Nicolino (2-1) scattered six hits and allowed just two runs in his fourth major-league start. He retired the first two

batters of the seventh inning before allowing a two-out double and was replaced after throwing 95 pitches.

He said his off-speed pitches were the key to success.

"I had better command of it than my last couple of starts," he said. "For me, whenever I have command of those

pitches, it is easier for me to go out there and get those outs."

Milwaukee starter Matt Garza (6-13) pitched two perfect innings to start the game but ran into trouble the rest of

the way, lasting only five innings. He allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out two. He set a career record

for losses in a season -- he was 8-12 with Tampa Bay in 2009.

"Third inning on, I just left pitches up," Garza said. "There was no excuse for it, I just missed my spots and that's

about it."

Dee Gordon had two hits, two RBI, scored a run and stole a base for Miami, which has won five of seven games.

Ryan Braun had two singles and a walk for Milwaukee, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

After using only 19 pitches to get through the first two innings, Garza allowed consecutive singles to J.T.

Realmuto and Adeiny Hechavarria to open the third. One batter later, Gordon singled and both runners scored to

give Miami the lead for good, 2-1.

Dietrich hit his seventh home run, a two-run shot to center field, to make it 4-1 in the fourth inning.

"Dietrich crushed that ball to center field," Jennings said. "It was good to see crooked numbers in back-to-back

innings."

Martin Prado's sacrifice fly made it 5-1 in the fifth.

Milwaukee scored one earned run on an error by Hechavarria in the second and another on an RBI single by Braun

in the fifth to close the gap to 5-2.

Marlins pinch-hitter Casey McGehee hit an RBI single in the eighth.

The Brewers had two runners on and Braun at the plate as the tying run with two outs in the seventh, but Bryan

Morris got the Milwaukee slugger to ground out to end the inning.

REVIEW ENDS GAME

The game ended on a close groundout by Jonathan Lucroy at first that was challenged by Brewers manager Craig

Counsell. After a short review, the call was confirmed and the teams left the field.

UP NEXT

Miami will start left-hander Adam Conley in Game 2 of the series. Milwaukee has fared better against southpaws,

going 13-13 against lefties compared to 38-56 against right-handed starters.

Brewers rookie Tyler Cravy will make his sixth appearance and fifth start. He allowed four runs in just 4 1/3

innings in his last start, a 9-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/preview-milwaukee-brewers-vs-miami-marlins-081815

Preview: Brewers vs. Marlins

By Associated Press

August 16, 2015

With his thumb no longer bothering him, Dee Gordon is gaining ground in the race for the NL batting title.

Gordon looks to continue his hot hitting and help the Miami Marlins to another win over the last-place Milwaukee

Brewers on Tuesday night.

Gordon was hitting .222 with six RBI in 11 games after missing the same amount while on the disabled list with a

dislocated left thumb.

The All-Star second baseman has shown no signs of it remaining an issue, hitting .406 with six RBI, six runs and

three stolen bases in his last seven games.

Gordon's career-best .331 average leaves him three points back of Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for the highest in the

majors.

His recent offensive surge has coincided with Miami (48-70) winning five of seven games after dropping 13 of the

previous 15.

Gordon is a .172 career hitter against the Brewers (51-69), but he had a two-run single before doubling and scoring

in Monday's 6-2 win in the opener of this three-game set at Miller Park.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits, giving him a .381 average during an 11-game hitting streak that matches his

career high set as a rookie from July 1-12, 2013.

The shortstop is batting .452 in eight career games at Milwaukee and his .367 average in 14 overall matchups is his

highest against any opponent.

Hechavarria and Gordon will try to continue making things difficult on Tyler Cravy (0-4, 5.92 ERA), who gets

another chance to audition for a spot in next year's rotation.

The rookie right-hander has surrendered 10 runs and 12 hits -- including three homers -- in 9 1/3 innings while

losing two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace an ineffective Kyle Lohse in the

rotation.

Manager Craig Counsell is entertaining the idea of replacing Cravy with Zach Davies, one of the Brewers' top

pitching prospects.

"I think we're kind of just going start by start right now," Counsell told MLB's official website. "Davies is a guy we

traded for. He could be a possibility. But I think for now we're going with Cravy and letting him show us what he

can do."

The Marlins will counter with a rookie of their own in Adam Conley (1-0, 5.00), who gets another turn with Jose

Urena on the disabled list due to a bruised left knee.

The rookie left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 14-6 win over Boston on Wednesday in

just his second career start.

Each of Conley's three previous appearances came in relief. He yielded four runs in 7 1/3 innings after being

recalled from Triple-A New Orleans for the third time this year.

He'll try to slow Ryan Braun, who is hitting .409 with two homers and eight RBI in the past six games. He had two

hits and one RBI in the opener, giving him a .381 average in the last six matchups.

http://www.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/milwaukee-brewers-minor-league-stars-of-the-week-aug-17-081715

Brewers minor-league stars of the week: Aug. 17

By James Carlton, FOX Sports Wisconsin

August 17, 2015

Each week FOXSportsWisconsin.com identifies the best pitcher and position player from the Milwaukee Brewers'

top four main affiliates: Triple-A Colorado Springs, Double-A Biloxi, High-A Brevard County and Low-A

Wisconsin. Here's a look at all eight stars who made the list this week.

TRIPLE-A COLORADO SPRINGS (4-3)

Player of the Week: Luis Sardinas

Week stats: .444 (12 for 27), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Recent highlights: Sardinas led the Sky Sox charge on offense this week, racking up three multi-hit games,

including a 4-for-6 performance in the Aug. 14 win over Round Rock. Batting mostly in the No. 2 hole, the 22-

year-old shortstop got on base often, made things happen with his legs and scored runs. A lot of runs. Sardinas stole

three bases and crossed home plate 10 times. He also hit his first home run of the year. For the season, he's batting

.270 (.662 OPS) with 26 RBI in 80 games.

Pitcher of the Week: Mike Strong

Week stats: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Recent highlights: The Colorado Springs' staff struggled as a whole this week, but Strong was steady in his two

appearances. The 26-year-old left-hander made his first start of the year in the Aug. 12 loss to Round Rock,

throwing three shutout innings and allowing just one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. A few days later, he

came on in relief against Reno and helped the Sky Sox to a 7-1 win with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball

again. For the season, Strong is 5-2 with a 2.93 ERA (0.99 WHIP) and 57 strikeouts to 24 walks in 58 1/3 innings.

DOUBLE-A BILOXI (4-3)

Player of the Week: Victor Roache

Week stats: .476 (10 for 21), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Recent highlights: Roache had a fairly productive week, with four multi-hit games, four RBI, four runs scored,

four walks, four strikeouts, a double and a home run. The 23-year-old left fielder raised his batting average 29

points over the seven games. For the season, Roache is batting .282 (.812 OPS) with 17 homers and 68 RBI in 111

games.

Pitcher of the Week: Jorge Lopez

Week stats: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Recent highlights: The Shuckers' ace came through again in his Aug. 12 outing against Pensacola, pitching eight

dominant innings and picking up the win. The 22-year-old right-hander's eight innings matched a season and career

high, and the eight strikeouts were his most since July 2. For the year, Lopez is 11-5 with a 2.45 ERA (1.11 WHIP)

and 119 strikeouts to 45 walks in 124 2/3 innings.

HIGH-A BREVARD COUNTY (2-4)

Player of the Week: Chris McFarland

Week stats: .320 (8 for 25), 1 RBI

Recent highlights: Not a whole lot of offense coming out of Brevard County last week, as McFarland gets the nod

here for at least getting some base hits. The 22-year-old second baseman had a couple of multi-hit games, stole a

base and two runs, though none of his hits were for extra bases. For the season, McFarland is batting .280 (.669

OPS) with 43 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 117 games.

Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Woodruff

Week stats: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Recent highlights: Woodruff had some competition for this week's honor, as Wei-Chung Wang and Cy Sneed also

turned in excellent pitching performances. But the 22-year-old right-hander had his best start of the season,

throwing seven shutout innings, giving up four hits, striking out four and walking one on 89 pitches. On the year,

Woodruff is 2-5 with a 4.03 ERA (1.39 WHIP) and 46 strikeouts to 27 walks in 87 innings.

LOW-A WISCONSIN (2-4)

Player of the Week: Blake Allemand

Week stats: .417 (10 for 24), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Recent highlights: Batting in the second spot in the Timber Rattlers' lineup, Allemand mustered three multi-hit

games, with a home run, a double and four RBI. The 23-year-old shortstop also stole a base and scored two runs.

For the season, Allemand is batting .280 (.669 OPS) with 10 doubles and 16 RBI in 52 games.

Pitcher of the Week: Kodi Medeiros

Week stats: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Recent highlights: Medeiros only pitched a few frames this week, coming in his Aug. 12 start against West

Michigan, but he was perfect in those three innings. The 19-year-old left-hander threw 24 of his 35 pitches for

strikes, didn't allow a baserunner and kept the Timber Rattlers in a game they would ultimately lose. For the season,

Medeiros is 4-2 with a 3.95 ERA (1.21 WHIP) and 84 strikeouts to 33 walks in 84 1/3 innings.

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/13337860/biloxi-shuckers-endless-54-game-road-trip-takes-south

On the road again… …and again and again and again. The Biloxi Shuckers spent two months of the Southern League season

everywhere but home. This is the epic story of their 54-game, 2,800-mile odyssey.

By David Fleming, ESPN the Magazine

August 17, 2015

APRIL 14

Biloxi, Mississippi

The Coast Bar/Restaurant at the Beau Rivage Casino

TECHNO THURSDAY doesn't drop for another two days, which means the packed crowd inside the casino bar

tonight is here for only one reason: Biloxi's first official event of the Shuckers' inaugural season as the Double-A

affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. But there's a catch. Tonight's event will serve as both a meet-and-greet and a

bon voyage.

After relocating from Huntsville, Alabama, at the end of last season, the team faced a string of political, financial

and environmental snafus, all of which delayed the opening of the Shuckers' new stadium. In fact, right now the

ballpark is little more than a shell, with no seats or grass, and center field is submerged in swampy rainwater. The

team played its first four games in Pensacola, Florida, going 3-1. And tomorrow morning, the Shuckers will pile

into a 56-seat bus with a spotty entertainment system and a single airplane toilet and hit the highway for one of the

most epic, grueling road trips in sports history: a nonstop 58-day, 54-game, eight-city, 2,800-mile odyssey across

the Deep South.

After the one-two punch of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the folks in Biloxi don't need much prompting to

throw a party. But before the Shuckers take off, the woman who has already designated herself Team Grandma has

some important business to tend to. "I'm going to bake my famous banana bread and brownies for y'all," she says to

the players. "Just tell me when you'll be home again so I know when to start baking." The players just stand there in

awkward called-third-strike silence, staring at the casino's mesmerizingly ugly carpet.

At this point no one is sure when -- or even if -- the Shuckers will be back to enjoy a little home cooking.

APRIL 15 TO APRIL 24

Biloxi to Mobile to Jacksonville

Games 5 to 14

At 11:42 a.m., under threatening purple skies, the Shuckers' bus lurches away from the massive nicotine-beige Beau

Rivage, heading north on I-110. The route takes the team under the casino's electronic marquee that boasts the

south's premiere entertainment resort while simultaneously promoting upcoming shows by Bret Michaels and

Kenny G. On the elevated highway out of town, the bus passes within 50 feet of the stadium construction site. It's a

soggy, deserted mess. The players try not to look.

Because of the bumpy roads and unpredictable sway of the bus, a sign is posted just above the can inside the

vehicle's funky bathroom. The sign features an odd stick figure wearing a cowboy hat, urging the "cowboys" who

use the facility to, well, sit down when they pee to avoid excess spray. Over the course of the trip, the players

ignore the advice, preferring to brace themselves by placing one hand on the low, slanted ceiling of the bathroom,

which, they secretly admit, gives them an odd, uplifting sensation of hi-fiving someone while relieving themselves.

Following the Shuckers' team bus is a burgundy Kia minivan, loaded to the roof with kids and animal-print

luggage, driven by manager Carlos Subero. "We're looking at this as a test of character, an extreme test of what

you're made of as a man, a manager, a player and a team," says Subero, who has spent 14 years in the minors. "The

way I'd describe 55 straight road games in baseball terms is, we're all about to face 55 straight Roger Clemens split-

finger fastballs, so it's gonna be nasty and probably pretty humbling." Failure is as inherent to minor league baseball

as bus trips and bad food, and the players who don't learn to deal with it don't tend to last.

Outfielder Josh Fellhauer, 27, knows this truth better than most. Since leaving Cal State Fullerton in 2009, he has

clicked on his phone after every game he's played to read texts from his mom, Julie, back in Rancho Cucamonga,

California.

The messages -- Come on Bubba! I can't believe you swung at that pitch! Don't forget: You are living your dream! -

- make even the most dreadful day at the plate evaporate. Even in early March, after Julie was diagnosed with acute

lymphoblastic leukemia, the texts from Momma Felly didn't stop.

"My first thought was, 'Cancer has no chance against my mom,'" Josh says.

At 52, Julie was still playing competitive soccer three nights a week and was the kind of warm, upbeat person who

always needed extra seats at Thanksgiving dinner because nearly everyone she met seemed to become a family

member, including Shuckers first-base slugger Nick Ramirez, a teammate of Josh's at Cal State Fullerton. But

shortly after the team arrives in Mobile for the first series of the road trip, Josh's phone goes blank. After her first

round of chemo, Julie developed ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and was placed in a medically

induced coma. When Josh's phone finally does light up, it's 6 a.m., and this time the messages are from his brother

Justin. You need to come home.

"I knew something was wrong, really, really wrong," Josh would say later.

It isn't long before the rest of the team knows it too. On April 18 in Mobile, a game suspended by rain, the Shuckers

get the news that Fellhauer, a well-liked veteran clubhouse leader, has been placed on the temporary inactive list by

the Brewers so that he can fly home to be at his mother's side.

But on April 19, with Fellhauer's No. 7 jersey hanging on the dugout wall, the players' spirits lift when they see a

group of a few dozen fans who have made the 55-mile drive east from Biloxi.

In the eighth, infielder Yadiel Rivera homers down the left-field line, powering the Shuckers to a 6-2 win to

complete the suspended game. The small group of fans goes berserk, and the Shuckers, like desert wanderers gifted

with a brief rain shower, try to soak in every last second of the illusion of a home crowd.

The only player on the Shuckers' roster who has any real experience navigating the cruel, desolate landscape that

lies ahead on this trip is veteran backup catcher Tyler LaTorre. At 32 and after nine years in the minors mentoring

countless major league pitchers, LaTorre has developed a calming, magnanimous, untouchable air about him, as if

he's wearing his catcher's gear even when he's not. With talented Shuckers catcher Adam Weisenburger getting the

bulk of the work behind the plate, LaTorre rarely sees the field. But he's still the first one to the park, the first one to

dive while shagging fly balls during BP and the first one to blow a bubble nearly twice the size of his head in the

dugout. "There have been a ton of players maybe more talented than me, but I was better at the mental part of the

game," he says. "That's why I'm still playing and they're home working at a sales job, out of baseball."

That might have been the fate of the 2014 World Series MVP, Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner, if not for LaTorre.

In the summer of 2009, Bumgarner was 19, fresh out of high school and struggling as a one-dimensional fastball

pitcher for the Giants' Double-A affiliate, the Connecticut Defenders. LaTorre was asked to help Bumgarner

develop his secondary pitches, the same way the catcher had done for Tim Lincecum, Hunter Strickland and

countless others.

Bumgarner did indeed develop a changeup and a decent slider that summer (his curve would come later), but he

was so intense and competitive on the mound that after giving up a few hits to the lowly Altoona Curve one day, he

started shaking off his catcher and reverting back to the fastball on every pitch. LaTorre called timeout, tilted his

mask back and walked to the mound with that invisible shield of his. "He's got an intense bulldog mentality on the

mound, and he thought he was failing," recalls LaTorre. "I just explained, 'Even though you're getting hit, you're

getting better.'"

Bumgarner relented and went back to working on his changeup. He was called up three months later. LaTorre

pauses the story for a second and rubs his thick black beard. "Those are the things you remember," he says. "That's

what you live for, but no one else ever sees."

APRIL 25 TO APRIL 29

Jacksonville to Pensacola

Games 15 to 20

A few hours before today's series opener, the team's pitchers are on the field throwing and running sprints, when

out of nowhere the skies turn biblical. The clouds run black. The wind howls through the stadium like a train

whistle. The rain hits in buckets. Dumbfounded Shuckers pitchers are told to evacuate and take immediate shelter in

the visitors' clubhouse. With the team huddled together in the tunnel, watching and thinking the same terrible

thought -- Are we in a f---ing tornado right now? -- the entire left-field fence uproots, cracks in half and blows to

the ground. "Craziest thing I've ever seen," outfielder Kyle Wren says.

Then, just as suddenly, it all stops, and the grounds crew patches the fence. What felt like a tornado turns out to be

just a 31-minute rain delay. Eventually, the players take the field but can't help glancing over their shoulders toward

left, searching for funnel clouds.

The only Shucker who seems unaffected by the extreme weather -- or anything, frankly -- is shortstop Orlando

Arcia, a 20-year-old can't-miss future MLB star. After the delay, he leads the Shuckers to a 4-3 win with a double

and a homer. The second-youngest player in the Southern League, he's already equipped with major league

defensive skills. All he needs is a bit more power at the plate -- like his mom, Lilibeth, a renowned softball slugger

back home in Anaco, Venezuela. Confidence and charisma have never been an issue, though. Signed at 16, Arcia is

the energetic, fearless locker room yin to the statesmanly yang of LaTorre, even if, as far as anyone can tell, his

English to date mostly consists of two phrases: "You suck!" and "I'm Captain America, baby!"

Two days later, with an 8-2 win in Pensacola, right-hander Tyler Wagner becomes the first pitcher in the Southern

League to reach four wins. He doesn't look long for Double-A, which is unsettling for the Shuckers. Sure, they'd

hate to lose his arm and grind-it-out leadership. But the team would be even more devastated to lose Wagner's

PlayStation.

APRIL 30 TO MAY 15

Pensacola to Huntsville to Pearl to Jackson

Games 21 to 35

When right-hander Jorge Lopez finds out he's starting on May 10 in Pearl, Mississippi, he strolls down to the

computer in the hotel lobby and Googles: How to concentrate better. Lopez, a native of Cayey, Puerto Rico, and

the Brewers' second-round pick in 2011, has struggled in his first few Double-A starts. These days his mind,

sometimes even on the mound, is on his son, Mikael. Since his birth in 2013, Mikael has suffered from a

mysterious, painful intestinal disorder that has required the use of a feeding tube. Despite numerous tests and long

stays with specialists in Ohio, the word in May from Lopez's wife, Karla, is that there still isn't a definitive

diagnosis. "I am scared for him," Lopez says.

On the morning of his start, Lopez kneels at the edge of his hotel bed, his elbows sinking into the soft white

comforter. My son has a lot of sickness, but he keeps fighting, so I will keep fighting. My son is tough, so I will be

tough. My son won't stop, so I won't stop. Everything is gonna happen positive today, for him, for his mom and for

me.

"What I do now is I pray and I think about my son," he says, "and then I put that to the side and go to work."

Soft-spoken and always smiling away from the park, Lopez flips a switch on the mound. Able to spot his fastball on

both sides of the plate and armed with a low, indecipherable changeup and exquisite command of his curve, Lopez

mows down 14 consecutive hitters and carries a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He even adds an RBI single in a 2-0

masterpiece (the third of seven straight wins for Lopez) that manager Subero proclaims is "as good of a pitching

performance as you'll see on this level."

Meanwhile, almost 2,000 miles to the west, in California, Josh Fellhauer can feel himself going numb as doctors

inform his family: If anyone needs to see Julie or to say their goodbyes, "today's probably the day." Julie, though,

has different plans. Still in a coma but off sedatives, she's fighting. Her blood pressure stabilizes and an EEG comes

back positive for brain function. For the first time in eight years, instead of being on the road at a baseball game,

Josh is able to spend Mother's Day with his mom. At home the next night, though, the Fellhauer men are making

dinner when the hospital calls. She just coded, says the voice, you need to make your way down here. "I think she

wanted to get to that day and then say, 'I made it, I'm ready to go,'" Josh says. Later that night, Julie dies. It has been

less than 100 days since her diagnosis -- a thought that leaves Josh unsure where the strength for his next breath

will come from. "She was competitive, and she beat us all to heaven," Josh says. "I try to think of it that way, and

that helps, because honestly, I got nothing else to go to when I try to make sense of it all."

The Shuckers drop three of their last four to the Braves in Pearl and drag themselves back onto the bus. Half an

hour into the 300-mile trek north on I-55 to Jackson, Tennessee, Brent Suter, a Harvard kid, somehow convinces

his teammates that there is only one possible antidote to their mini-slump: Pitch Perfect. A chorus member at

Cincinnati's Moeller High School, Suter tried out for Harvard's prestigious a cappella group but didn't make the

final cut. So he decided instead to focus on how to pitch, perfect. "I say this in all seriousness," says Chris Harris,

the team's media relations director, radio play-by-play man, website manager and occasional grounds crew

assistant. "Brent Suter has the legitimate voice of an angel."

There is some grumbling resistance to the movie suggestion at first. But slowly, quietly, up and down the bus,

teammates unburden themselves of their secret admiration for the Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers. "We have

guys of all ages, at all different points of their careers, from all different kinds of backgrounds and from all over the

world," Suter says later. "Yet everyone realized they genuinely like each other, and maybe it was at that moment

that we all started to realize this trip wasn't a disaster or a nightmare but a once-in-a-lifetime thing happening."

Still, some disasters can't be avoided. Most minor league clubhouses fall into a narrow range when it comes to

quality and comfort. The best ones are a step or two below a high school locker room. The bad ones are a step or

two above a serial killer's lair. Take the clubhouse in Jackson. It's painted cinder block, with coffin-low ceilings and

no windows. It's steamy from poor ventilation and a permanently moist, thin layer of cheap carpet -- it might have

been green once, but it's impossible to be sure -- laid over concrete that oozes and bubbles around your feet as you

walk. It smells of mold, urinal cakes, rust and feet. Everything, from the hair gel to the coffeemaker to the towels, is

mismatched, generic, gently used or held together with athletic tape. The showerheads are rusty, and the urinals

stagnate to the point of coagulation. The more time you spend living and breathing inside spaces like these, the

more your vision squeezes, narrows and stretches, as if looking at your baseball dreams getting farther and farther

away through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars.

On the lower left-hand side of the doorway to the visitors' clubhouse entrance is a mysterious indentation about the

size of a serving platter; at first glance it looks like the work of an industrious woodpecker. For several minutes, a

group of baseball neophytes stand and stare at the strange marking, trying to come up with a hypothesis. And then

Nick Ramirez leans out of the doorway and, with his right hand, slams his dirty cleats against the wall and into the

indentation.

At 7:08 p.m., just a few moments before they take the field, most of the Shuckers are singing along to "Everything

Is Awesome," which is playing on the stadium speakers.

Another feature of the Ballpark at Jackson: a popular smoking section located down the right-field line, right above

the visitors' bullpen and just below a kids play area. When the wind blows east toward the outfield, as it does

tonight, it feels a bit like warming up in a cigar bar. To avoid the smoke, the Shuckers' staff retreats to the far, deep

corner of the bullpen, just under the foul pole sponsored by the local Harley-Davidson dealership. There, before too

long, Austin Ross and Suter are begging reliever Jaye Chapman for a little story time from the bigs.

It's a delicate request and a test of just how much the 24/7 close confines of the road trip have accelerated the

friendships and trust among players who were strangers just 20 days ago. To some, talking about the dream of a

call-up is like speaking about a no-hitter in progress -- you just don't do it. What's more, Chapman, a mature,

approachable Florida native with Thor-like shoulder-length blond hair, doesn't want to be seen as bragging or,

worse, endlessly reliving his 29 major league glory days at every turn. But when he looks around at his eager

younger teammates huddled together on folding chairs, trying to escape the smoke and, at the same time, hold on to

a dream just as ephemeral, he relents.

"So I'm in the Nationals' bullpen," Chapman begins. "I look down at my shoes, and I am so scared and freaking out

... "

Armed with a fastball in the low 90s and a split-finger changeup, Chapman was called up by the Cubs on Sept. 4,

2012, while the team was in Washington, D.C. Expecting a day or two to acclimate, Chapman hadn't bothered to tie

his cleats when the bullpen phone rang. Panicked, he hurried to the rubber and started throwing, his laces still loose.

His feet and his pitches slip-sliding all over the place, Chapman was living out a pitcher's version of the show-up-

to-school-graduation-in-your-PJs nightmare.

Nearly two weeks later, he was on the mound at Wrigley freakin' Field. After the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hit a grand

slam in the sixth to put Chicago up 10-9 against the Pirates, Chapman was tapped for relief duty. He allowed a

triple to Starling Marte and struck out Andrew McCutchen, then got out of the inning with what might have been

the last legal execution of the third-to-first pickoff move outlawed by major league baseball a few months later. The

Cubs went on to win 13-9. "The crowd at Wrigley went absolutely crazy," he tells his teammates. "It was so cool."

At spring training the next season, a pair of sore hips and decreased velocity sent Chapman to the team's doctor,

who discovered that he had a genetic bone-growth condition called femoroacetabular impingement in both hips. So

he had both hips repaired, sat out the entire 2013 season and has been steadily working his way "back from the

dead" and into major league form ever since.

Right now, though, it doesn't look like anyone on the Shuckers will beat Arcia to the big leagues. The left-field

fence in the ballpark in Jackson is 25 feet high, and Arcia, the shortstop, all of 165 pounds, clears it by 20 feet with

a blast in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to seven games. A moment later, the skies open and the game is

called. "Eat. Shower. Pack. Let's go," Subero says.

At 10:51 p.m., the Shuckers' bus merges onto I-40 East. The first sign says Nashville 121 miles. As FedEx trucks

and horse trailers roar past on the left at 65 mph, blasts of lightning flashbulb on the horizon, showing the outline of

huge thunderclouds. The Shuckers are headed right for it. Just a few minutes into the trip, the fuse on the TV screen

blows. Then the outlets fry too. Without a movie or the ability to charge their cellphones, players sleep, watch their

teammates play hockey video games or stare out the window, counting roadkill. At 1:37 (two dead deer, one

possum), they pass the sweet home Alabama sign. At 1:54 (six dead deer, one possum, one skunk, one unconfirmed

porcupine), they pass a rest stop featuring a full 363-foot Saturn V rocket. They are not hallucinating. The rocket

commemorates Huntsville's contribution to the space industry and is proof that they are about to go where few

teams have ever gone before: back to the city they abandoned.

MAY 16 TO MAY 31

Jackson to Huntsville to Chattanooga

Games 36 to 49

At 2:19 a.m., the bus swings around the exit ramp in Huntsville, where the Shuckers will play the Jacksonville

Suns. At this point, the Shuckers have logged 2,122 miles on the road. As they pull into the parking lot of a

SpringHill Suites, it's dark, drizzly and deserted; the only living creature awake to greet them is a groundhog

waddling across a nearby grassy median.

Less than a year ago, this same team gleefully bolted Huntsville to become the Biloxi Shuckers, so there's little

shock over the town's cold shoulder. Attendance for the second game of a doubleheader on May 18 is announced as

116, but the players swear the crowds are actually about one-tenth of that. The stadium here has been empty for a

year but neglected and run-down for much longer. Before the first Jacksonville game, goats from the county fair

next door are grazing on the overgrown grass that has sprouted through the cracks of the parking lot.

Thirty-five games into the scheduled 55-game tour, Subero senses for the first time that the dead atmosphere and

animosity in Huntsville, as well as the wear and tear of the road trip, are starting to get to his players. The next day,

he dials back the intensity of the Shuckers' pregame work, giving the team more time away from the park. Instead

of sprints, the pitchers are allowed to play Frisbee in the outfield and run football pass patterns for their mandatory

conditioning. "Send this film to Calvin Johnson!" left-handed pitcher Mike Strong yells after catching a TD all the

way at the center-field warning track.

The team instantly responds, winning 10 of its next 14. With a 2 1/2-game lead in the Southern League South

standings, the Shuckers head toward Chattanooga, relieved to have Huntsville in their rearview mirror once and for

all.

Or so they think.

Sometimes, there is crying in baseball.

Before the team takes the field in Chattanooga on May 28, Subero gathers up players in the visitors' clubhouse for a

series of announcements. The first one, he knows, could spark a mutiny. Word from Biloxi is that newly elected

mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich has announced that the stadium will not, in fact, be ready on June 6. (Gilich replaced

six-time mayor A.J. Holloway, the 75-year-old former Ole Miss football star, who resigned in March a few months

after entering alcohol rehab.) It gets worse. One of the possible contingency plans is for the team to return to

Alabama and play inside the crumbling, empty former stadium in Huntsville again.

The players' body language nose-dives into a collection of bowed heads and angry faces. Equipment that just

yesterday was being placed in lockers is now being thrown. But in a masterful stroke of timing, Subero says he has

one more announcement.

"I've never had a Double-A call-up go straight to the bigs," he says, as the room goes still. "But this pitcher will be

starting on Sunday in Milwaukee." At that moment, as many as five Shuckers pitchers might be thinking, 'Oh my

god, it's me, I'm going to the bigs.' The staff has been that good. But none has been more dominant than Tyler

Wagner, 24, who has begun to remind LaTorre of Bumgarner after going 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in his first nine

starts. When Subero says, "... and congratulations, Tyler Wagner," something amazing happens. The room explodes

in celebration, and 100 percent of the team mobs Wagner, whose blond beard is soaked in tears. There is no

jealousy or envy visible here. The Shuckers have been saying the trip has turned them into a baseball brotherhood.

This moment seems to prove it.

As soon as he can, Wagner finds a quiet corner near the clubhouse to FaceTime his mom.

"Whatcha doing on Sunday?" he asks her.

"Oh, I don't know, church and probably some gardening," she replies.

"Well, you better get a plane ticket to Milwaukee, because I'm starting on Sunday for the Brewers."

Now it's her turn to cry.

The Brewers fly Wagner north the next day. First, he stops by a mall to buy some dress slacks and enough button-

down shirts to last at least a week. Wagner takes the mound on Sunday in front of family, friends and 32,000 other

Brewers fans. But with his Shuckers teammates watching on a small TV back in Tennessee, Wagner lasts less than

four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits -- a heartbreaking debut.

By the end of May, the effects of the Biloxi Shuckers' historic 54-game road trip hadn't shown up in the standings --

the Brewers' Double-A affiliate was in first place. But as Will Cain reports, the trip certainly impacted those

surrounding the team.

Afterward, Wagner is savoring some perfectly prepared filet mignon in the Brewers' clubhouse when manager

Craig Counsell asks to see him. Because the game went 17 innings, the Brewers have already used their starter for

tomorrow's game and are now in need of both a fresh arm and a roster spot to place it in. Wagner is back down in

the sticks with the Shuckers on Monday with several unwrapped dress shirts. "Emotional-wise, it was a pretty tough

24 hours to deal with, I'm not gonna lie," he says.

The Shuckers finish their series in Chattanooga with an 11-8 win, powered by a home run, triple and four RBIs

from outfielder Michael Reed, who will eventually be recognized as the Brewers' minor league player of the month.

"We're playing so well right now, I hope they delay the stadium construction even longer," whispers Shuckers

hitting coach Sandy Guerrero. No one wants to admit it, but from a developmental standpoint, Guerrero is exactly

right -- the road trip has been hugely beneficial. For players like Texas native Reed, 22, being forced to concentrate

on baseball 24/7 has been a big help. The brutal road trip that just a month ago seemed like a colossal disaster in the

making is actually turning into something of a dream season. "This trip has definitely given me the time to figure

out for myself what type of player I am and want to be," Reed says.

Just as the benefits of this monster road trip are becoming clear to the team, the biggest news of the season trickles

into the clubhouse and then spreads like wildfire: An eleventh-hour deal has been struck between the team and the

town over additional stadium construction costs. The June 6 debut in Biloxi is back on. Instead of five more weeks

on the road, the Shuckers will be sleeping in their own beds in just five days -- as soon as they can get them out of

storage, that is.

JUNE 1 TO JUNE 5

Huntsville to Birmingham

Games 50 to 54

Tonight is Fellhauer's first game back in the Shuckers' lineup. Standing at attention near third base, about 10

seconds into the national anthem, right around dawn's early light, Fellhauer's eyes fill with tears. After the song, he

turns to infielder Taylor Green and says, "Man, I almost lost it right there. ... I don't even know what to think or do

right now."

The first church the Fellhauers looked into for Julie's funeral service had only 300 seats, and they all knew right

away: not big enough. So they moved the service to a larger chapel, where the priest told Josh and Justin it was

perfectly OK if they weren't up to speaking during the funeral. "But I could just hear my mom's voice so clearly,"

Josh says. "She was like, 'Uh, you both better get up and say something. It doesn't have to be great or long, but get

back up, get back moving -- do something.'" It was right then, at the funeral, that Josh knew how best to honor his

mom. "The only thing on my mind was doing what she would want, what she would tell me to do," he says. "And it

was: 'Don't you dare sit there and do nothing because of me. Get back up, get back to Biloxi and start playing

baseball again.'"

But by the third inning in Huntsville, he's more exhausted than he has ever been. He goes 0-for-3.

Two nights later, Fellhauer adds a new wrinkle in the box. Before digging in, with his hands near his heart, clasped

together in prayer but still wrapped around the bat handle, he pauses for a moment and tilts his face to the sky.

"Thinking of her, knowing she's watching and that she never misses a game now, it helps me relax in there," he

says. In the second inning, he completes the ritual again and singles to right, bringing in two runners, and the

Shuckers go on to win 6-3.

A few hours before the final game of the trip, Subero is taking on all challengers on a pingpong table wedged

sideways into the hallway just down from the team's dugout. "Canada! Puerto Rico! Venezuela! I am working my

way across the globe!" he shouts, referring to the different nationalities of his pingpong victims. The team is 32-21

with a 2 1/2-game lead in the Southern League South standings. Everyone is loose and happy and practically

floating across the infield, especially Arcia, who dances his way around the cage while hitting five homers into the

left-field seats during BP. Closer to game time, Subero opens his final speech of the journey by holding up a single

finger. "Guys, it's been a long, long trip," he tells his players, "but you have one day left, one, and I just want you to

know how proud I am and how proud you should be for what you've done with this trip. Someday, all of our careers

in baseball will be over, but what you did the last 55 games -- the memories, the relationships, the camaraderie, the

support -- that will last you forever."

A few moments later in his office, away from the players, Subero adds: "I don't want to ever do something like this

again. But it really was a good test for all of us. I said this was going to be like a Roger Clemens split-finger

fastball, but they ended up making it more like a hanging slider. They crushed it out of the park."

But in what will become a recurring theme over the next 24 hours, the baseball gods seem intent on keeping the

Shuckers on the road for as long as possible: In the last game of the trip, the Shuckers and Barons head into extra

innings.

On the team's radio network, Harris uses the bonus time for a poignant history lesson on Regions Field. A baseball

stadium built on this side of town won't help revitalize a thing, people said. No one will come to this place just to

watch minor league baseball. And now, three years later, the Barons have just welcomed their 1 millionth fan while

construction cranes dot the landscape beyond the left-field fence.

Could the same thing happen in Biloxi? You never know. Moments later, Kyle Wren, 0 for his last 9 in

Birmingham, hits a liner to center to put Biloxi ahead in the 10th inning. When the Shuckers hold in the bottom of

the 10th, Harris exhales into his mic, "... and the road trip comes to an end."

JUNE 5 TO JUNE 7

Birmingham to Biloxi

End of the Road

The little green digital clock above the bus driver's head reads 11:05 as the Shuckers circle the stadium and then

head west on I-20. Two hours later, after crossing into Mississippi, the bus makes a quick pit stop at a Love's gas

station. The players climb down off the bus and do that stiff-back waddle across the parking lot.

Half the Shuckers head for the bathroom. The other half head for Arby's. After 54 games on the road, even their

gastrointestinal habits are synced up.

At 2:50 a.m., they fly past Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, in the pitch-black dead of night, having gone 18 minutes

without seeing another car on either side of the road. At 3:11, they pass the Dizzy Dean rest stop on I-49. Closing in

on 4 a.m., the bus cruises toward the Gulf, past MGM Park, lit up like a lighthouse and full of workers and

construction activity. The bus driver goes to the wrong entrance of the Beau Rivage, but a minute later, after two

more right turns, he brings the vehicle to a halt outside the hotel's front door.

The brakes exhale. The door swings open.

At 3:49 a.m., after 58 days, 54 games and 2,800 miles, the Shuckers are home.

The next afternoon, led by the Black Water Brass Band, featuring a bearded sax player sporting daisy dukes,

hundreds of locals escort the team down Vieux Marche to the steps of the nearly opened MGM Park. It's something

of a miracle in this town: People have untethered themselves from their dog-leash-style retractable umbilical VIP

Players Cards and come out of the casinos to watch baseball. The players scale what they think are the final steps of

their journey ... only to discover that the stadium gates are locked. Wren pushes his face through the blue metal

grates and shouts, "Come on, let us in!" No luck. The Shuckers backtrack down a ramp, through the crowd they just

left and around to an unlocked side entrance.

"Awkward," Suter says to the crowd, with a shrug.

An hour before BP, a construction worker in an Atlanta Braves hat hammers down the last pieces of the Shuckers'

dugout floor.

Biloxi wins its opener 5-4 over the BayBears with a walk-off single in the 14th inning that scores pinch-runner

Suter, who is so excited when he rounds third that he runs behind Subero in the coach's box. The next night, after

the second home game in team history, Fellhauer walks to the Beau Rivage in the cool, quiet darkness. The crowd

barricades from yesterday's festivities still line the streets, and he uses them occasionally to brace himself when the

memories of his mom make him pause in his tracks. The hardest part of his day begins now, when the baseball ends

and he finds himself alone, staring at his phone, waiting for the postgame text messages from Momma Felly he

knows will never come.

Later in the evening, at least, he'll be with his teammates, watching the NBA Finals. It's hard to fathom, perhaps,

but after two straight months on the road together, when they finally have the freedom and opportunity to go their

separate ways, the Shuckers do the exact opposite. "Baseball is more important than ever to me now," Fellhauer

says. "After what we've been through these past few months, these guys aren't teammates anymore -- they're

brothers."

With that, Fellhauer says good night, takes a deep breath as if to brace himself and walks away.

One epic road trip has come to a successful end. Another, far tougher, journey is just beginning.