Hi all.  Here’s how I see baseball on this Tuesday, May 16.

I guess the Brewers’ shocking sweep of the Mets made them feel bullet-proof as they headed west to face the woeful San Diego Padres.  This isn’t the 1950’s Milwaukee Braves team of Hank Aaron and Steady Eddie Matthews here.  The Brewers, other than 1982 have been a joke and arguably a disgrace to the game.    This is a bunch of guys you never heard of and probably won’t hear of again any time soon.  Their one name is Ryan Braun and he’s injured (nothing new there.)  But the Mets have clearly left the rails which enabled the Brewers to pull off an embarrassing sweep in Milwaukee.

The Brewers, down 7-1 and facing Jacob DeGrom would have mailed the game in if the Mets’ pitching wasn’t in such a bad way.  The Brewers embarrassed the orange-and-blue Sunday but found out last night they weren’t heading for  a pennant.

The Padres, only half a game shy of having the sport’s worst record beat the Brewers 6-5 in 10 innings in the first game of a series before an intimate gathering of friends at Petco Park. The Brewers gave it their best.  In the top of the 10th Eric Sogard, who began the year at AAA launched what would have been a game winner against the Mets. But unlike the Mets, the Padres didn’t quit.  Hunter Renfroe, another name you wouldn’t think twice about during a clubhouse meeting walloped a two-run shot to win it for the Padres. The home run was the second hit of the night for the Padres’ rookie following a double earlier on. It marked only the third time the Padres had won on a walk-off when trailing in extra innings. And like the Brewers (Who began as the Seattle Pilots,) the Padres have played the game since 1969. Early in the game starting pitcher Luis Perdomo of the Padres tripled and doubled.  The only other pitcher this year with two extra base knocks in a game was Madison Bumgarner. For the Brewers, Domingo Santana had 3 hits and 3 RBIs.

I had hoped to write about how the AAA Yankees-the Scranton-Wilksbarre RailRiders got a walkoff grand slam from Eddie Rodriguez in the 12th inning to beat  Pawtucket 8-4.  However, neither team wrote what’s called a game story that is supposed to come with every box score. That’s where the bulk of my information comes from. Instead, I’ll tell you of the game’s hero, Eddie Rodriguez for whom a walk-off grand slam in extra innings at AAA is probably the second highlight of his life.  The first would be when he fled Cuba with his family. He was 8 and had no clue his family were defecting until they were at sea.  He went to high school in Coral Gables, home of the humorous writer and baseball fan Dave Barry.  Rodriguez played college ball for the Miami Hurricanes. Another Hurricanes’ catcher to make the bigs was Charles Johnson with the Marlins early in their existence. His major league time was brief, a “cuppa coffee” with the Padres in 2012.  Even then he was officially 26 years old. He had played independent ball in 2009 and 2010.   He homered on his first major league atbat. Johnny Cueto was his unwitting victim. Rodriguez has been a minor league catcher with the Yankees since 2015 and has rarely if ever had a moment in the sun like he did last night, launching one with the bases full in the last of the 12th to beat the AAA Red Sox.

There’s an unusual Tuesday afternoon game in Toronto.  The resurgent Jays host the Braves.  The Jays who got off to a wretched start still have a ways to go but it appears they’ve gotten back on course. The Rays face the Indians at 6 PM. The Indians’ starters are suffering from Mets’ Disease.  Carlos Carrasco had to leave in the 4th inning with a vague injury.  Now tonight it’s all on Danny Salazar who didn’t last through the third inning his last time out of the gate. The bull pen had to bail out Carrasco, they can’t be expected to do it again. They’re already down a man with Corey Kluber on the Dl with a back injury. The Indians got 5 in the first but only had a 7-4 lead when Carrasco bailed out. Neither Stephen Strasburg of the Nats or the Pirates’ Chad Kuhl have been particularly effective up to now.  They meet tonight in Pittsburgh. Houston, who undressed the Yankees by winning 3 out of 4 now gets a breather against the Marlins, the one team with fewer wins than the Padres.  Dallas Keuchel, fresh off his domination of the Yankees last Thursday faces Tom Koehler of the Marlins. The Rockies, who shockingly do better on the road than at Coors Canaveral face the Twins in Minnesota tonight. The national game on the MLB Network features the Red Sox and Cardinals.  The Sox’ Eduardo Rodriguez has performed stoutly following the injury to David Price. The Yankees also happen to be in Missouri, to be exact they’re in Kansas City.  Both their starter CC Sabathia and the Royals’ Jason Hammel have been hammered in their most recent outings. The Mets turn to Tommy Milone who deserved a win which he didn’t get thanks to Jeurys Familia.  With Familia out TFN following surgery the Mets have turned to veteran journeyman Neil Ramirez as a warm body from the bull pen. The Mets, who should be playing for pride if nothing else are facing Zack Greinke. He had a no-no going until he gave up a home run in the 8th in his last go-round. The Dodgers’ Rich Hill will try his luck again.  Each of his first two starts have landed him on the DL with blisters. His foe is Ty Blach, and the Giants haven’t won any of his 4 starts since he took Madison Bumgarner’s spot in the rotation.