Milwaukee Brewers’ Zack Greinke hopes to pitch beyond 7th inning
– MLB News
The Milwaukee Brewers’ starter Zack Greinke said on Sunday, April 08, that pitching beyond seventh inning gets tougher. He was speaking to the media after the Saturday’s game where the Brewers No. 2 starter went for seven scoreless innings against the St.
Louis Cardinals.
Not that he objected to the idea of pitching more than seven innings, he was actually referring to the capability and the potency of the Brewers’ bullpen, which – at its disposal, has the likes of Frankie Rodriguez and, the closer John Axford.
That is where the thrust of the argument lies. While he aspires to pitch more, others too need to get the chance. "It's almost tough. The late end of our bullpen is so good," Greinke said. "It's hard to get past that seventh inning because you want to bring
in Frankie [Rodriguez] and [closer John Axford]."
The team manager, Ron Roenicke, on the other hand, has his perspective to put forth. Part of the reason why they want Greinke to pitch till seventh inning is because it provides the team enough depth, increasing the possibility of winning the game.
Once Greinke has made it to the seventh, it will become easier for the likes of Rodriguez to come forth and pitch with more confidence, and with better position to pave the way of victory for the team.
"I understand what he's saying," manager Ron Roenicke said of Greinke, "and our point of view is, if we get past the seventh inning, we feel very good about winning that ballgame, with Frankie coming in and then 'Ax'.”
Roenicke’s strategy, for now, is to let the pitchers be fit and strong for September and October when the team will be playing the postseason games provided they qualify for it.
"But I want these guys strong for September and October," Roenicke said. "With our bullpen, I don't know why we would push a guy."
It will be interesting to see how strong and invulnerable the rotation remains by the September. The Brewers will certainly hope to have the rotation completely intact to face the formidable challenges ahead.
Tags: