After four games in the NLDS between the Brewers and the Diamondbacks, there have been plenty of storylines. For instance, the D-Backs pitcher Ian Kennedy stirred up heat by saying how Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy wasn’t that good of a hitter. Or how Arizona won back-to-back games thanks to grand slams by rookie Paul Goldschmidt and the “Tat-Man” Ryan Roberts. So as the decisive game five looms Friday night what do the Brewers need as a boost to slow down the power bats of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kennedy’s arm?
Obviously, the Brewers need a solid outing from ace Yovani Gallardo. If he pitches as he did in game one against Kennedy than the Brewers will be tough to beat. But the Brewers expect that from him, just as they expect Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder to provide strength in the middle of the order. Why? They’ve been the heart of the team for the entire season. However, the Brewers could really use a boost from their recent underachieving second baseman: Rickie Weeks.
Weeks–who was drafted 2nd overall by the Brewers in ’03–has battled through an up and down career with the team. As with most premier draft selections, Weeks arrived in the Brew City with high expectations. He struggled early and heard it from the media and the fans. “Can’t spell weeks without two E’s and a K” was a popular motto as many fans called for the Brewers to trade him. However since the 2009 season, Rickie has begun to live up to his draft hype. The only problem now is his health, which dogged him this season as he missed all of August. Before he got hurt, he exhibited an incredible season earning him a starting gig in the all-star game. At the time of the injury, Rickie sported a .272 batting average with 20 dingers.
Yet since he came back, Rickie has fought to regain his early form. Through four games in the NLDS, Weeks has only reached base twice. More importantly in the Brewers two losses, he has left ten people on base: many of which came at pivotal points in the game. Take last night: in the first inning Braun stood on third and Weeks grounded into a double play. If he just hits the ball into the outfield, than the Crew would have taken a 2-0 lead and changed the dynamic of the game. Yes, Randy Wolf and the pitching was the reason the Brewers lost last night, but Weeks could have gave Wolfie another run before even taking the mound.
Can the Brewers score runs tomorrow night without Weeks recording a hit? Absolutely. This is still Braun and Fielder’s lineup. But part of the reason Braun is such a good hitter is because pitchers have to pitch to him. If they don’t, then they have to face the big bat of Fielder. The Brewers always struggled to find someone to protect Prince in the five-spot until Weeks took that role mid-season. When he was hitting well, opposing pitchers feared that part of the lineup where they couldn’t pitch around Braun or Fielder. If Weeks starts raking, than Kennedy will face the same problem–pitch to Fielder, and he’ll make you pay, pitch around Fielder, and Weeks will make you pay.
Postseason streaks rarely can be attributed to one guy. Pitchers need shutdown performances backed by clutch bats. But if Rickie Weeks starts finding the ball, the Brewers might find themselves a postseason catalyst for a World Series run.