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I just... here come the Brewers, I guess

Crack open a beer and pass out while the Phillies play the Brewers, why don't you

By Justin Klugh
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies: Just trying to keep our heads above water as the ship goes down.

Ah yes, don't forget - by being swept by the Nationals for their fourth, fifth, and sixth losses in a row, the Phillies also nullified one of the season's best moments, when they swept the Nationals in their stadium back in April. Not only is the present bad, but they actually reached back and made the past less cool! BRING ON THE BREWERS I SAY.

The Brewers: Honestly, Milwaukee doesn't look to be much better off than the Phillies as they linger below .500 in the NL Central and barely avert sweeps at the hands of superior teams. They did win four in a row a little over a week ago, including a sweep of the Braves, which is what you are supposed to do to the Braves, but whatever, I'm done.

Heavy Hitters

Jonathan Lucroy: Obviously, Lucroy, the catcher expected to be a real hot commodity at the trade deadline, is still hitting, with three home runs, a triple, and a double in his last six games. He also nailed six out of seven attempted base thieves, which is great news for Phillies base runners, who seem to at times know where the bases are, which is a great start.

Aaron Hill: Hill recently preached on the merits of sticking with a work ethic, even when it's not working, to stay "consistent." The "do what doesn't work until it works" philosophy has worked for Hill of late, who has a pair of home runs over the last few days and seen a general surge in effectiveness.

Jonathan Villar: Without having to contend with Lucroy catching him, Villar stole four bases last week. He also matched Lucroy in hits over that seven-day period, with more annoying singles than long bombs, but still. He also has eight walks. My god, this guy is going to be annoying all weekend, isn't he.

Cesar Hernandez: With five hits in his last 18 ABs, including a double and a triple, Cesar has actually given me a reason to list his name here. Way to go, Cesar. Sorry you have become the punching bag for people's frustrations right now.

David Lough: Lough is 3-for-8 in the past week. No extra base hits. Seriously? These are our offensive leaders? We deserve this.

Andres Blanco: If somebody else on this team could hit as many doubles as Blanco, the Phillies would have lost each of their last six games by one less run. C'mon, guys!

Probable Pitchers

Chase Anderson vs. Jared Eickhoff

Anderson experimented with going deeper into games, throwing over 100 pitches two of his last three starts after not doing so since April 13, but but was harassed enough by the Reds in his last start to leave after the fifth inning. He does not seem to be a student of Aaron Hill's Consistency is Key course.

Eickhoff salvaged the series with the Braves, shutting them out over seven innings, and then the Phillies forced him to go back out there and take on the Cubs, which, after eight hits and four earned runs, did not go as well. However, he did his best to hold one of the league's top offenses back, and with only a Ryan Howard RBI-strikeout backing him, there wasn't a whole lot Eickhoff could do.

Jimmy Nelson vs. Vince Velasquez

Junior Guerra vs. Jeremy Hellickson

Apparently there's been some talk of Guerra being the Brewers' ace, which is debatable, given that he's only gone far as seven innings into a game one time this season and has only been making starts since May 3. His walks had been steadily increasing until last start, when he allowed none of them against the Cardinals, and his more productive nights are ones when he's facing unproductive lineups (Guerra allowed no runs to the Braves and Padres). So what does that mean for the Phillies?

Hey look, Hellickson is starting! He's got a 2.00 lifetime ERA against Milwaukee, and, AND, if the Phillies were going to win one of those games against the Nationals, it probably should have been the one Hellboy started, when he went seven innings and gave up only three hits and a run. They didn't win it, though. They didn't win any of them.

Wily Peralta vs. Adam Morgan

If this series goes the way a series has typically gone for the Phillies of late, then an Adam Morgan start on a boiling Sunday afternoon is exactly probably not the thing to turn this team around at the moment. Meanwhile, doesn't Wily Peralta own the Phillies for some reason?

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