NewsBraun looks to make All-Star impression
Milwaukee (42-35) vs. New York (37-39), 1:05 p.m. CT
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
06/30/09 11:58 PM ET
MILWAUKEE -- Hall of Famer Robin Yount is the only Brewers player to make consecutive All-Star starts. Ryan Braun would love to become the second. Online balloting for the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game concludes at 10:59 p.m. CT on Thursday, giving Braun one last game to make his case in front of the home fans. Braun and the Brewers will host the Mets in the finale of a three-game series and nine-game homestand on Wednesday afternoon. Braun, the National League starter in left field last year, is in position to join Yount, who started consecutive Midsummer Classics for the American League All-Star team in 1982 and '83. In the latest round of balloting results released Monday, Braun ranked second among National League outfielders, behind Raul Ibanez of the Phillies and ahead of Carlos Beltran of the Mets. Both of those players are on the disabled list. "It's special, man, anytime you're mentioned in the same breath or the same category as Robin Yount," Braun said. "He's a legend, an icon around here and the greatest Brewer of all-time. To have my name mentioned with him is really special." Braun has the numbers befitting of an All-Star bid. He went 3-for-4 on Tuesday, including a third-inning RBI single and a three-run double in the fourth against Mets ace Johan Santana, and is batting .327 this season with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs. The top three vote-getters among NL outfielders will start, assuming they are healthy. On Monday, Ibanez led the way with 2,970,139 votes, followed by Braun (2,654,061) and Beltran (2,085,028). Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs ranked fourth among outfielders with 1,916,598 votes, Shane Victorino of the Phillies was fifth with 1,642,248 votes and the Brewers' own Mike Cameron was sixth with 1,345,763 votes. "Obviously, I feel like I have a good chance," Braun said. Braun batted seventh and went 0-for-3 in the NL's extra-inning loss last summer at Yankee Stadium. He led NL outfielders in fan balloting and trailed only Phillies second baseman Chase Utley in votes among all NL players. This year's All-Star Game is in St. Louis on July 14, and Braun would love to be there. "I always talk about how I never have an opportunity to reflect on what I'm accomplishing," Braun said. "But being there, playing with guys that I admired coming up, like [Alex Rodriguez] and [Derek] Jeter and Manny [Ramirez], and getting to play with and against them, it really put into perspective where I'm at. "It was an amazing experience, and something I would love to do every year. My goal is to never have an All-Star break." Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Yovani Gallardo (8-4, 2.86 ERA)
Gallardo gave up a home run in the first inning in his last start, but allowed just three other hits the rest of the way to pick up his eighth win against the Giants on Friday. Gallardo allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings, striking out nine and walking three in his ninth quality start of the season. Gallardo faced the Mets earlier this year when he threw six scoreless innings in a 1-0 Milwaukee loss on April 18. Gallardo took a no-decision in that game, finishing with seven strikeouts. NYM: RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-3, 4.67 ERA)
Pelfrey was once again the victim of one bad inning on Friday night against the Yankees. This time it was the second, in which he allowed four hits that, combined with three Mets errors, led to four runs. Pelfrey responded by retiring 11 of the last 12 batters he faced. Pelfrey is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in one career start against the Brewers, a 12-3 loss on May 12, 2007. Pelfrey finished this June with a 1-2 mark and a 6.31 ERA; he is 6-4 lifetime with a 3.79 ERA in July. Tidbits
Brewers manager Ken Macha took a moment on Tuesday to praise the tradesmen who have worked throughout the homestand to repair flood damage at Miller Park. The weight room and batting cages remain out of commission, but work has begun to replace the lower sections of drywall removed in the wake of the flood. "They have done a tremendous job," Macha said. "I don't think the people understand the magnitude of what happened here." ... Braun's younger brother, Steve, underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday, but even before the results were back it was clear to Brewers officials that he would miss the rest of Class A Wisconsin's season because of a fractured ankle. Ryan Braun said the MRI would determine whether his brother will require surgery. ... Tim Hewes, head of the Brewers' employee assistance program, will meet on Thursday with suspended Brewers prospect Jeremy Jeffress to make plans to enroll in a drug rehabilitation program. ... Assistant general manager Gord Ash said outfield prospect Lorenzo Cain was "a little stiff" after playing for rookie-level Arizona on Monday. It was Cain's first game action since he suffered a left knee injury at Double-A Huntsville in April. Cain will play a few games in Arizona before a promotion to Class A Wisconsin and then back to Huntsville, Ash said. The Brewers may send Cain to the Arizona Fall League for more at-bats. Pitching prospect R.J. Seidel, also rehabbing a knee injury in Arizona, is nearing a promotion to Wisconsin as well. ... The Brewers will kick the tires on right-hander Brandon Backe, who refused an assignment to Triple-A with the Astros on Monday and became a free agent. "You have to at least take a look," Ash said. Tickets
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• Thursday: Brewers (Seth McClung, 3-1, 3.55) at Cubs (Ryan Dempster, 4-5, 4.09), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Friday: Brewers (Jeff Suppan, 5-6, 4.86) at Cubs (Carlos Zambrano, 4-3, 3.69), 1:20 p.m. CT
• Saturday: Brewers (Braden Looper, 6-4, 4.90) at Cubs (Rich Harden, 5-4, 4.57), 12:05 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.
