Brewers general manager Doug Melvin will sit down with manager Ned Yost and the coaching staff to discuss the state of the team at a meeting today.
They'll have plenty to discuss, considering the woeful nature of the Brewers' offense, inconsistency from the starting rotation and closer Eric Gagne's recent meltdown.
While the timing of the meeting -- following a six-game losing streak and a stretch where the Brewers have won just three of 10 games -- may be suspect, it was scheduled well in advance.
"It's not like it's a secret emergency meeting," Yost said. "We do that over the course of the year. It's more for helping him."
Melvin says discussing things with Yost and the coaches gives him a better idea of what moves, if any, he needs to make with the roster.
"Before I make any assessment on those things, I like to get the input of everybody," Melvin said. "We'll go over a lot of things, from the last seven or eight days. We'll talk about the things we were doing well in the first two or three weeks, too."
But don't expect the get-together to result in a lot of earth-shattering moves. Melvin and Yost feel the club is still talented enough to be a force in the National League Central Division. In addition, there isn't much help waiting in the wings at Class AAA Nashville.
The losing streak will come up, too, but Melvin points to other teams who have struggled coming out of the gate this season with similar expectations to those of the Brewers.
"It's not gloom and doom," Melvin said. "It's an opportunity to get together and figure it out."
Parra still erratic: Manny Parra can expect his name to come up in conversation.
The rookie left-hander has struggled in his first extended major-league action. Just twice has he pitched past the fifth inning and he was so ineffective in the second inning of his last appearance that Yost had to get a pitcher up in the bullpen.
Parra has been plagued by an inability to throw strikes, which has, in turn, led to an alarming number of walks. His WHIP (walks and hits per innings-pitched) is a team-high 1.87 and he has been throwing balls and strikes at a nearly-even pace.
Those extra pitches have contributed greatly to his string of short starts.
"The only strain I feel on myself are the expectations I have to pitch better," Parra said. "I expect myself to go six or seven innings every time.
"It's very difficult to me to deal with the fact that I'm not pitching deep into games."
After allowing three runs on a pair of hits, two walks and a hit batter in his start Friday night, Parra found a way to regain his composure. He worked out of the inning thanks to a well-hit line drive that Prince Fielder caught for an unassisted double play. Parra then got Aaron Miles to pop out to second.
Parra walked Albert Pujols to open the third, but retired the next nine batters before leaving for a pinch-hitter in the sixth.
"I don't think so," Yost said when asked about the possibility of Parra being removed from the rotation. "Nothing's for certain, though. He's still under review."
Parra isn't alone in his struggles. Carlos Villanueva and Dave Bush have both had difficulties, combining for a 1-8 record with a 6.68 ERA.
With Yovani Gallardo out for the season, Yost needs the back half of his rotation to step up. Take Ben Sheets out of the equation, and the Brewers staff ERA is much higher than its current mark of 4.60; the second-worst in the National League.
"We need to get that ironed out, one way or another," Yost said. "We need to get some of those numbers knocked down and be a little more consistent."
Parra thinks that the staff has what it takes to get back on track and pick up the slack in Gallardo's absence.
"We can get the job done," he said. "It's a matter of having confidence in ourselves and just getting the job done."
Closing statement: Eric Gagne is out as the Brewers' closer, at least for the time being. After another dreadful outing, the right-hander told reporters that he "didn't deserve the ninth inning."
Yost had no plans to change roles when he got to the ballpark Sunday morning, but made the adjustment after hearing about Gagne's remarks.
"He probably needs a little bit of a mental break," Yost said. "He's pushing himself really, really hard."
With Gagne out indefinitely, Yost plans to use a committee approach to closing games. He feels confident with using David Riske, Salomon Torres, Guillermo Mota or even Brian Shouse to close out games.
"I feel good about every reliever I've got down there," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "These guys make their money by being ready."
The manager thinks he knows what's wrong with Gagne, who signed a $10 million free agent contract before the season. He wouldn't get into details, but expects that Gagne will be able to work back into the closer's role by straightening out the flaws; something Yost hopes Gagne can do while pitching in the seventh or eighth innings.
"His stuff is not a problem. He's throwing the ball really, really well," Yost said. "He just, right now, has been beat down a little bit and needs to take a step back and regain his confidence and make an adjustment or two. He'll pitch in the seventh and the eighth and if we mix and match, he'll pitch some in the ninth, too, just like everybody will."
A number of closers are struggling this season in the majors, including St. Louis' Jason Isringhausen, who tied Gagne for the NL lead in blown saves Friday night and asked to be taken out of the role.
Boston's Jonathan Papelbon and San Diego's Trevor Hoffman have struggled as well.
Sheets sets record: With a pair of first-inning strikeouts Saturday, Sheets surpassed Teddy Higuera on the Brewers' all-time strikeout list. Sheets finished the game with six strikeouts and hold the top spot on the franchise list with 1,086.
Sheets didn't seem too impressed by the mark, which he would have surpassed much earlier were it not for a series of freak injuries that derailed him the past two seasons.
"It's cool that I've been here that long," Sheets said. "That's virtually what it is; it's not that big of a number."
Weaver update: Veteran right-hander Jeff Weaver made his third start Sunday for Nashville, getting a no-decision after surrendering five runs while giving up four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and left the game with the Sounds down, 5-0. Weaver is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA. The Brewers have until June to bring him to the majors, or he can declare free agency.
Vote early, vote often: Balloting is underway for the 2008 All Star Game at Yankee Stadium in New York. It's highly unlikely that the Brewers will again send three representatives to the game, but Ben Sheets could be in position to make a return trip to the mid-summer classic.
On the ballot: Jason Kendall (catcher), Prince Fielder (first base), Rickie Weeks (second), Bill Hall (third), Ryan Braun, Mike Cameron and Corey Hart (outfield).
Voters can also cast ballots online at mlb.com.
Quick hits: Yost gave centerfielder Mike Cameron the day off Sunday; his first since returning from a 25-game suspension to open the season. Cameron was hitting .172 with 3 HR and 9 RBI... Four of Fielder's five home runs in 2008 have come off of lefthanders... LF Ryan Braun is batting .467 (14-for-30) against St. Louis this season... Nine of the Brewers' eight hits Sunday came off pink bats.
Injury report: RHP Yovani Gallardo will undergo surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee Tuesday. Team orthopedist William Raasch will perform the procedure at Froedtert Hospital. Gallardo is not expected to return this season.
On the farm: Nashville rallied from a 5-0 deficit and scored twice in the 13th to beat Las Vegas, 7-5 Sunday. Russell Branyan hit his team-leading eighth home run.... 3B Mat Gamel homered in three consecutive games for Class AA Huntsville. Class A Brevard County pitcher Omar Aguilar leads the farm system with 10 saves.
This week: The Brewers wrap up their four-game series with St. Louis tonight at 7 p.m. Joe Torre brings his Los Angeles Dodgers to Miller Park Tuesday for a three-game set. Then it's back on the road, where the Brewers kick off Interleague play with three games against Boston at Fenway Park.
He said it: "I could have gone three rounds with Mike Tyson," -- 2B Rickie Weeks, after his walk-off hit Friday night that capped the Brewers' 4-3 comeback victory over St. Louis.
Attendance (through 15 games): 566,221. Average - 35,389. On pace for - 2,866,509. Sellouts - 7.
NL Central Standings (through Sunday): 1, Chicago, 22-15; 1, St. Louis, 23-16; 3, Houston, 21-17 (-1.5); 4, Milwaukee, 18-19 (-4.0); 5. Pittsburgh, 17-19 (-4.5); 6, Cincinnati, 15-23 (-7.5).
