NewsHoffman relieved to get his feet wet
Milwaukee (9-10) vs. Pittsburgh (11-8), 7:05 p.m. CT
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
04/28/09 3:03 AM ET
MILWAUKEE -- As the Brewers turned a 5-5 tie into a 10-5 cushion in the bottom of the eighth inning on Monday, Brewers manager Ken Macha called down to the bullpen to see if baseball's all-time saves king wanted to delay his Milwaukee debut by a day or two. Wait for a save situation. Save his 41-year-old arm for when it was really needed. Nope, Hoffman wanted to pitch. "I wanted to get in the game," Hoffman said. "The whole waiting process, that's where you get your anxiousness and you get out of your comfort zone. It's important, at some point in time, to get an inning under your belt." He did just that Monday, retiring the Pirates Nos. 4-6 hitters in order on 13 pitches to seal the Brewers' 13th consecutive win over the Pirates, the longest such streak in the Majors. Hoffman, who left San Diego after parts of 16 seasons for a one-year contract to be Milwaukee's new closer, made his Brewers debut three weeks late because of a strained muscle on the right side of his rib cage. He had not pitched against big league hitters since March 13, his final appearance in a Cactus League game. It was time. "This was kind of the Opening Day for me," Hoffman said. "Unfortunately, it was [19 games] into it. It's more the anxiousness to get out on the mound and pitch. You're not nervous when you're out there. That's kind of your comfort zone. "Everyone has been very patient," Hoffman said, giving particular credit to Brewers head athletic trainer Roger Caplinger and assistant trainer Dan Wright. "That's the last thing I wanted to be, was patient. I wanted to get out there right away and help everybody out. But what a great reception coming into the ballpark. I think everybody was pretty excited to hear the music and secure a win." That music, of course, was AC/DC's "Hells Bells," the rock anthem that has ushered Hoffman into save situations since July 25, 1998, when a Padres marketing staffer suggested it. Never mind that Monday was not a save situation at all. A ballpark employee made the same understandable error as Hoffman trotted in for his first Spring Training game. No problem, Hoffman shrugged. But unless it's a save chance, he'd like to hear something else next time. "First one, I understand," he said. "Everyone is allowed a mulligan. We did it in Spring Training, too. But let's not allow the other team to get fired up." His teammates were fired up on Monday. "I felt like a fan," said left fielder Ryan Braun, who grew up rooting for the Dodgers, Hoffman's nemeses during his Padres tenure. "Any time you get to watch one of the greatest closers to ever play the game pitch for your team, it's exciting for us. Obviously, the crowd was pretty fired up. It was cool." Even Mike Cameron, a former teammate of Hoffman, got into it. "It's always good to see one of the historic players go out and play," Cameron said. "Hoffy is probably feeling a little out of place right now, but hopefully we'll get many more nights like tonight." Even Macha was happy. "I was happy that he wanted to take that inning," the manager said. "He's got his feet wet, and the crowd liked it when they rang the bell. Whatever that is." Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Dave Bush (1-0, 3.86 ERA)
In his last start at Philadelphia, Bush was five outs shy of the first Brewers no-hitter in 22 years when Matt Stairs clanked a solo home run off the right-field foul pole. It marked the second time in 10 months and the third time in Bush's career that he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a game, and he's not an altogether surprising candidate to end Milwaukee's no-hitter drought, even if he's not exactly a household name outside of Milwaukee. Bush has ranked among the National League's five best pitchers in terms of limiting baserunners (as measured by WHIP; walks plus hits per inning pitched) in two of the past three seasons, including 2008, during which he worked seven no-hit innings against the Blue Jays in June. He's had mixed results in 11 career matchups against the Pirates (10 were starts), going 3-4 with a 4.67 ERA. Two of those wins came last season, when Bush posted a 3.98 ERA against Pittsburgh in five starts. PIT: LHP Paul Maholm (3-0, 2.03 ERA)
Maholm stumbled a bit in his last outing, allowing four runs on eight hits in six innings. He still managed to get the win and has now pitched at least six innings in 24 of his last 25 starts, dating back to 2008. He continues to be the Pirates' most reliable arm, and when he's sharp, his efficiency is remarkable. He's a groundball pitcher and will mix all of his pitches to both sides of the plate. The fact that he is consistently around the strike zone also keeps him from going into deep counts too frequently. Tidbits
The top five hitters in Milwaukee's lineup on Monday combined to go 6-for-19 with six runs scored and 10 RBIs. ... Braun has raised his batting average 121 points in the past seven games, from .222 to .343. ... Brad Nelson struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the sixth inning and is 0-for-13 to start his first full season in the Majors. Macha said he's not panicking yet, partly because he was a bench player for much of his own Major League career and knows how difficult that role can be. For the record, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said the Brewers are not talking about bringing back free agent Geoff Jenkins, another left-handed hitter with pop. ... Catcher Jason Kendall was struck in the right hand by a Tyler Yates pitch during the Brewers' eighth-inning rally, but he luckily got his hand off the bat before the baseball struck. He figures that spared him some broken fingers. ... The Brewers lead the National League with 26 home runs. Tickets
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• Wednesday: Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, 2-1, 3.71) vs. Pirates (Ian Snell, 1-2, 4.50), 12:05 p.m. CT
• Thursday: Brewers (Jeff Suppan, 1-2, 7.32) vs. Diamondbacks (Max Scherzer, 0-2, 4.91), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Friday: Brewers (Manny Parra, 0-4, 6.52) vs. Diamondbacks (Jon Garland, 2-1, 5.47), 7:05 p.m. CT
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
