Bacon's Forever Franchise

[finzerjim]

I am 40 games in BFR pirates. Just saw u did update to roster. Should I stick with your old mlb20 bfr or go get new bfr roster and start over? I dimmed year 1, so I'm into year 2

[bacon96]

Quote: Originally Posted by finzerjim

I am 40 games in BFR pirates. Just saw u did update to roster. Should I stick with your old mlb20 bfr or go get new bfr roster and start over? I dimmed year 1, so I'm into year 2

No wrong answers. I added about 100 players and edited about 100 more for this newer version so it may not be worth it for you since you're that far in.

[bacon96]

Game 10: @ Cincinnati Reds
Another cold April night in Cincinnati as the Reds welcome us to their city for a quick two-gamer with a battle of the five starters. The Reds jumped out to a quick lead before Jake Fish and Troy Drennan hit two run homers in the 2nd and 3rd. We then added on in the 4th and then there was no more scoring from either side. B.J. Butler did his part. The soft-tosser went five innings, gave up three runs on seven hits and only punched out two. Lefty reliever, Will Bell, ran into some trouble in the 8th, as in a 6-3 ballgame, he allowed all three batters he faced to reach base, which meant we had to go back to the bullpen. Fireballer, Bryce Black, was next and he stranded all three Reds baserunners by striking out the first two batters then forcing Casey Quick to hit a lazy flyball. The rest was easy as D.J. Ryan shut down the door in the 9th for his 3rd save on the year. Final 6-3.

Game 11:
Nellie Orvella made his first Major League start in this ballgame and he made sure it counted. Orvella batted 7th, playing second base and had a great performance at the plate. He walked in his first plate appearance, then homered in his second chance, before coming through with a single in his third. On the pitching side, ace, Austin Wright, did ace things. He threw seven innings and only gave up two hits, one of which was a fluke, broken bat infield single by Jairo Sanchez that hit off the third base bag. The offense came up with seven runs again and we won by a touchdown. 7-0.



Series Recap:
Our bats came to play in this quick two-gamer in Cincinnati, scoring six in one game then seven in the next. The quick sweep against a rival also showed how well our bullpen works when all well rested. The seven different arms who pitched in relief this series combined for six innings, four hits allowed and six strikeouts while allowing no runs over the two games.

What's Next?
The 6-5 New York Mets make their lone trip to Milwaukee with a four game set at Miller Park. These Mets are led by Rex West who is off to a very hot start. The DH only has one home run but his hot stick could carry any team for any length of time. On the pitching end, Rafael Rivera is off to a very hot start as well after two great outings including 14 strikeouts over his first 16 innings.

Baseball is Better!

[bacon96]

Game 12: vs. the New York Mets
Our four game series hosting the Mets began with Devon Sampson on the mound. He allowed two runs in the first inning thanks to a bomb into the bullpen by Marco Mendoza. Sampson then settled down to provide 7.1 innings in this start and would later give up an unearned run due to a throwing error from our third baseman, Jake Fish. We did score one run but the Mets pitching shut down our offense for almost the entirety of this game. Final 3-1.

Game 13:
In the second game, Zackary Myers shocked me by actually being really good in this one. He outdueled Shawn Malone, who had a tough time in this start then he yielded to Will Bell who proceeded to give up a left-on-left home run to the first batter he faced. As we entered the ninth inning, we trailed 5-2 but then promptly loaded the bases for Michael McCoy with nobody out. Roberto Reyes however slammed the door shut and we ended up losing by that score. Final 5-2.

Game 14:
In our third matchup hosting the New York Metropolitans, James Anderson put on a show. He hit a three-run homer and then a two-run home run both against our starting pitcher, left hander, Jacob Quantrill. Entering the eighth inning, we trailed by three but that deficit was erased in that frame thanks to a Troy Drennan double. It stayed that way through nine innings and in the 10th, the defense couldn't hold up D.J. Ryan's performance on the bump and let him allow his first runs of the year. He would end up getting the loss because we couldn't score in the bottom of the 10th. Final in extras, 7-6.

Game 15:
In our finale versus New York, we sent a lineup full of backups against Matthew Martin for the Mets. Martin was making his season debut for the team but couldn't make it out of the first inning. He was the third Mets pitcher this series to leave with an injury. The game was 2-2 entering the 8th and our A bullpen gave up a few more runs to make this an easy win for the Mets. Marco Mendoza's home run in the 8th was the biggest blow. Final in game four, 5-2.

After this game was completed, our release of Khristopher Smith went through and we will now announce the signing of Brixton Myers. Myers, 27, signed a minor league contract and will be assigned to AAA. The left handed hitting infielder is boasting a career line of .195/.318/.496 with 35 career home runs in 147 career games between the Angels and Padres.

Series Recap:
The New York offense was effective in taking early leads and their bullpen made sure we could not come back in any of these ballgames. Marco Mendoza was a major threat in all three of his starts going 7 for 12 with a pair of doubles, three long balls and drove in five runs.

What's Next?
We finish up our season series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils are also coming off a four game series where they split with the Reds. Their record entering this series sits at 8-8 which puts them third very early on in the NL East.

Baseball is Better!

[bacon96]

TRADE ALERT!

My first trade after taking over the Brewers has just been approved!

The Brewers trade utility player Brandon Kelly to the Dodgers for pitching prospect, Jaylen Cotton and catcher Artemio Gonzalez.

Kelly, 27, plays all over the diamond and is off to a rough start in 2020. The left handed hitter has only recorded 18 at bats but is slashing .167/.423/.167 without a homer and just one driven in. While he is mostly around for his defensive versatility, the Brew Crew does not lack players who have this utility type build. Nellie Orvella's promotion and the return of Nick Paxton are why Kelly became expendable.

While the return looks like this: Cotton, 22, is a right-handed relief pitcher prospect who throws a fastball and a curveball. His fastball can sink or cut and his breaking ball is thrown as a knuckle curveball. The velocity sits around 92-95 mph and he has a good feel for both of his offerings.

Gonzalez, 21, is a Mexican catcher who has yet to reach AA. The young stud is more advanced on defense so far in his young minor league career but has shown some ability to draw walks and pull the ball for power. He has lots of development to do before he is a viable Major League backstop.

I also had to clear a roster spot so first baseman Paul Enfield has been released.

Baseball is Better!

[bacon96]

Game 16: vs. the Philadelphia Phillies
Ace, Austin Wright, was back at it in this game. He backed up his great start vs Philadelphia earlier this month with another great one here today. Wright threw seven frames and only allowed a single tally, a manufactured run in the second inning. While on offense, Troy Drennan had a good day. He went 2-4 win a home run and a double which helps him get back over the dreaded Mendoza line. D.J. Ryan came on and allowed one run to score in the ninth but still got our 27th out to seal the win. 3-2

Game 17:
Devon Sampson's struggles continue in this game as he was unable to complete two full innings against the Phils. The dagger was a two-out bases-clearing three-run triple hit by the Japanese import, Fukanori Kodeyashi which made the score 7-0 when Sampson was yanked. Jake Fish decided today would be the day he gets his first left on left extra base hit when he went deep in both the second and the eighth innings. Fish is now batting .130 vs lefties versus his robust .313 vs righties. Kenny Story has been off to a great start, mostly playing in centerfield against lefties but he went off in this game collecting FIVE hits including a triple and a double but it wasn't enough. Our bullpen continued to let Philly add on (and I wish there was a built-in mercy rule) as they scored almost twenty total runs in this game. Final 18-8 as the two teams combined for 39 hits.

Game 18:
With all players wearing 42 thanks to it being April 15, there were lots of stars on display in this one. Most notable for us was Jacob Quantrill who went 6.2 impressive innings in his start and only allowed a single tally in his first frame. Nick Paxton coming off the IL and playing first base in this one quietly had three hits but didn't score or drive in a run. Our A bullpen once again proved why they're the best as they combined to get the last seven outs without allowing a baserunner. Brewers win on Jackie Robinson Day, 2-1!

After the game, Alexander Goodwin was placed on the IL with a bruised arm. Goodwin, 23, has primarily been used as the designated hitter here in Milwaukee and currently sports a .231/.348/.487 line with three home runs and six runs batted in. Since he is a liability in the field, he has begun to instead cement himself as the DH of the future. Mark Chiavacci has been recalled from Triple-A. Chiavacci, 24, is primarily an outfielder but has some experience playing first base in the Majors. He had a cup of coffee with Kansas City last season where he swung a wet pool noodle (not in a good way) on his way to just one hit in fifteen at-bats in September before he was waived by the Royals. The Brewers claimed him in December and his first game this season will be his first as a Brewer. He'll wear #29.

Game 19:
We played a tight game in game four against Philly here. A pitcher's duel between Mitch Zimmerman and Shawn Malone had us down just one run entering the 8th inning. Malone lowered his ERA to 7.17 so far on the season but the offense and bullpen could not pick him up forcing him to fall to 0-4 in four starts this April. Jake Madison hit a home run late to keep this one out of reach and earn the Phils a series split with a 4-1 victory.

Series Recap:
Other than the laugher in game two, this was a very closely contested series between the two teams. Excluding the Phillies outburst in that game, our starting pitching combined to go 20.2 innings, while yielding only 21 hits, 7 walks and 4 runs which equates to a 1.78 earned run average. When the starters are right, it becomes so much easy to pull of these victories.

What's Next?
We head to Queens to play the hottest team in the entire National League, the New York Mets. The Mets are surging so far in April with a 12-2 record entering this weekend series hosting the Brewers. Notable hitters include familiar names like Rex West and Marco Mendoza are performing as expected while Felipe Quinones has been an early surprise rocking an OPS over .800.

Baseball is Better!

[bacon96]

Game 20: @ the New York Mets
In our Friday night matchup versus the Mets, we jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to a big first inning which included back-to-back two-run doubles by rookies Mark Chiavacci and Nellie Orvella. After two frames, I thought I'd be able to cruise to an easy win but that wasn't how this game played out. B.J. Butler couldn't hold down the fort as he allowed seven earned runs in just 4.1 innings. Butler didn't even strike a batter out and left with the score 7-6. It didn't get better from there as our bullpen let four more score resulting in an 11-7 loss. The last notable offensive performance was by Josh Carroll who reached base three times including his first dinger in garbage time. His OPS sits at .594 after his first 46 plate appearances of the year. We lost Pedro Liriano for the season with a torn rotator cuff.

Since Liriano is hitting the IL and ending his season, we need a new Major League caliber catcher and we went out to sign Tommy Darling to a one year deal worth $1.5M. Darling replaces Lirano who was off to a terrible start to his 2020 season before tearing his rotator cuff in the 3rd inning of our April 17th game in New York. Liriano was only slashing .121/.256/.182 in 39 plate appearances on the year while playing unremarkable defense. He still has $7.5M on his contract for this year and 2021 so the Brewers are hoping and expecting him to make a return to the lineup next spring.

Game 21:
Game two didn't go much better. Austin Wright was beat up by the Mets but found a way to provide length in this one. He allowed 15 hits and scattered most of them on his way to only allow four runs in 6.1 innings on the bump. On the offensive side, Nellie Orvella hit a two run shot in the 4th inning which, at the time, gave us a 3-2 advantage. We also benefitted from a Troy Drennan double in the 5th and some quality hitting from newcomers Mark Chiavacci and Tommy Darling. But four runs wasn't enough because the Mets threw together a rally in the ninth where Nick Olsen's single walked it off for the Mets. 5-4 final score as head to game three.

Game 22:
The final game of this series was featured on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN and we finally played a game that was good all around. Our offense was carried by the middle of the order with our 3-5 hitters combining to go 10-14 and drove in six of the eight runs in the game. Most notable hitter for us was Mark Chiavacci who is currently hitting .571 since being recalled earlier this week. Of course, he can't stay on this pace but this has been a fantastic first impression for the young outfielder. On the pitching end, Devon Sampson collected his first win with a great performance on the bump allowing just two runs in his 6.1 innings en route to a 8-2 win for the club.

Series Recap:
Playing a hot team like the Mets went as expected because the Brewers couldn't put together a complete performance until game three of the series. Marco Mendoza was again a menace as he combined to go 5-13 with three home runs and four batted in after batting cleanup in all three contests.

What's Next?
We continue the road trip east as we make our second trip to Pennsylvania but instead this time, playing the division rival, Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh is currently 8-14 which places them in fourth in the division here early in April. The Pirates are coming off a three game sweep of the Dodgers where they only allowed one total run.

Baseball is Better!

[bacon96]

Game 23: @ Pittsburgh Pirates
On a cold Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, we played a tight game versus a fairly equal team in the Pirates. We scored 3 runs in the first but they came back with three of their own in the second. Jacob Quantrill did everything we needed from him despite allowing those runs. His line ended at 5.2 innings with 3 strikeouts and a walk. The difference in this game was a sac fly that Josh Carroll hit in the 6th inning. The bullpen was unstoppable until D.J. Ryan came on. Ryan is usually dominant but today he allowed each of the first three hitters on base before striking out future stud Timmy Alexander and then inducing a double play to end the ball game. Final 4-3.

Game 24:
The offense had the pedal to the metal to begin this game as we scored 5 in the first frame to again give B.J. Butler an early lead. Michael McCoy continues to show his great hitting ability as he had two doubles in this game. He is nearly batting .400 on the month but has yet to hit one over the fence. We added on in the 5th when Derrek Hills hit his third home run of the year. Just like in his last start, Butler could not hold the lead. He allowed six runs and left with the game tied after five innings. We picked up two runs in the 7th inning and then another two in the ninth before we brought on Broderick Blankenship to finish off the ballgame. Final 10-6.

Game 25:
We pounced on the Pirates' starting pitcher in this game. Joe Looper only recorded two outs and seven total runs before exiting. The scoring was a team effort started by Troy Drennan but then we hit consecutive extra base hits from Mark Chiavacci, Josh Carroll, Nellie Orvella and Oswaldo Segovia (with Segovia's being a home run) to put up seven total runs in the first frame. Shawn Malone had his first great start of the season in this game as well - he pitched just five innings but gave up only two runs and with the offense adding on, this was plenty to earn his first win of the year. We added on more against the Pirates bullpen by putting up crooked numbers in the 2nd, 6th and 8th en route to our easiest win of the young season - 15-3.

Series Recap:
Our big bats were able to carry the team to a sweep against the division rival Pirates resulting in 29 total runs in just three games on the road. The big bats in this series were Josh Carroll, who went 6-12 with a triple and six runs batted in and Derrek Hills, who also had six hits but also hit two home runs and drew two walks.

What's Next?
Our road trip continues, this time out west to Denver, Colorado. The hosting Rockies enter the series 14-10 and are just half a game out of first place in the NL West. They just took two of three from their rival Giants where speedsters Speedy McGee and Miguel Ramirez starred in their wins.

Baseball is Better!