{image1}Though I find myself quibbling about the Brewers' inability to finish off a three-game sweep, it's hard to complain about the team's surprising and impressive 35-31 record a mere three weeks before the All-Star break.

And the winning hasn't come against MLB's lower class, either. The Brewers have faced Anaheim, Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles, Minnesota, St. Louis, San Diego and San Francisco thus far. All are winning teams with legitimate playoff aspirations.

Effective and sometimes brilliant pitching has led the way for Milwaukee. While the starting rotation struggled in April, the entire staff has been good ever since. The team's 3.84 ERA is fifth in baseball; imagine where the Crew would be if they hadn't hit like a AAA team for much of the last month?

But good pitching still doesn't fully explain it. The Brewers -- four games over .500 on June 21? There's got to be something else at work here. What?

Fewer Baserunners

OK, the pitching is better. How? Why? Ben Sheets is developing into a true ace, and Doug Davis has continued his late-season, scatter-eight-hits-and-three-walks success of 2003. But how have the likes of Chris Capuano, Brooks Kieschnick, Wes Obermueller, Victor Santos, Matt Wise, etc., been so effective beyond them?

It's a credit to pitching coach Mike Maddux -- and a product of a lot fewer opposing baserunners. The Crew ranks second in baseball with just 564 hits allowed, and they're seventh in surrendering walks. So when they do allow a homer, which still happens fairly regularly, not as many guys trot home. The team's 1.28 WHIP is second only to the Cubs' mark of 1.27. Who would have guessed that in March?

Better Defense

If you're looking for "Web Gems," look elsewhere. But the Brewers have been a solid defensive team, an attribute personified by Craig Counsell. Counsell makes all the plays he should and a few he couldn't be expected to, which basically applies to the whole defensive unit save Junior Spivey, who has 10 errors.

In STATS, Inc.'s "zone rating" stat, which is a reflection of defenders getting to balls they're typically supposed to, the Brewers rank third behind Tampa Bay and the Cubs.

More Depth

Ned Yost and Doug Melvin deserve the praise here. The Brewers are deeper than they've been in years, and there are few if any Enrique Cruz/Jim Rushford/Lou Collier types on the roster. While no one among a group including Gary Bennett, Brady Clark, Keith Ginter, Ben Grieve, Wes Helms, Bill Hall, Jeff Liefer or Chad Moeller is an All-Star candidate, none of them is an outright bum, either. Each has contributed directly to important wins this year, even the struggling Bennett, whose double Saturday night played a key role in the team's comeback win over Minnesota.

More Fight

This trait was established last year with several comeback wins, but it's truly come to fruition in 2004. The back-to-back thrillers against Cincinnati, the amazing ninth-inning comeback against Montreal and Saturday's 7-6 win over the Twins are the difference between being four games over .500 and four under. It's becoming harder and harder to discount the team's "we're never out of it" mantra as typical pro athlete blather.

Home Performance

One of the most disheartening aspects of the 2002 and 2003 Brewers was their atrocious play at Miller Park. The Brewers went 31-50 at home in each season; this year, they're 20-15 --- and they've even won a couple games (including each of the last two Saturdays) in front of large crowds. Both are tangible signs of improvement.

Miller Park doesn't represent an ironclad home-field advantage yet, but the Brewers do hit better there (.260 vs. .247). Lyle Overbay (.386 vs. .299), Geoff Jenkins (7 HR vs. 3) and Spivey (.350 vs. 198) are emblematic of the trend, though Scott Podsednik (.222 vs. 290) still prefers road cooking.

And if we dig deeper, Melvin's pursuit of gap hitters has been vindicated by Miller Park's influence. According to ESPN.com's "park factor" ratings, which compare the rate of stats at home vs. the rate of stats on the road, Miller Park ranks seventh in runs and first in doubles. In other words, all other things being equal, Miller Park is the most double-friendly stadium in baseball. It's no surprise that 18 of Overbay's league-leading 29 two-baggers have come in Milwaukee.