NewsVillanueva filling starter vacancy Tuesday
Milwaukee (49-50) vs. Washington (31-68), 7:05 p.m. CT
The Brewers hope to stretch Carlos Villanueva out to around 80 pitches in his next outing. (AP)
By Cash Kruth / MLB.com
07/28/09 12:44 AM ET
MILWAUKEE -- In a move that raised eyebrows and led to numerous follow-up questions from reporters Monday afternoon, Brewers manager Ken Macha announced that reliever Carlos Villanueva will start Tuesday against the Nationals. "[Villanueva's] the starter," Macha said. "We've had other options, we've put the other options in there and they have not worked out. Our people feel that he's going to give us the best chance to win." Reporters were not the only ones surprised at the move. Villanueva himself thought right-hander Tim Dillard -- recalled from Triple-A Nashville on Sunday -- would get the start, especially after Dillard went 10-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 19 starts in Nashville. "Yeah, it was [a surprise]," Villanueva said. "I really thought that [Dillard] was going to start. But [Macha] called me into the office and told me I was going to go [Tuesday], and I'm just thankful for the opportunity." Villanueva is 2-7 with a 6.18 ERA in 43 relief appearances this season, and has especially struggled as of late. Even though he held Pittsburgh to one run in three innings on July 20 -- an outing Macha was quick to point toward -- Villanueva has given up 10 runs in his past 4 2/3 innings. In the top of the 10th inning of a tie game against the Dodgers on July 10, Villanueva gave up six runs, including a grand slam. In his last appearance on Friday against the Braves, Villanueva gave up a solo home run in the sixth inning to Braves third baseman Chipper Jones with the score tied at 4, to take the loss. "I understand your point," Macha said in response regarding Villanueva's recent struggles. "We've got a hole in our rotation at that starter right there. We're trying to fill it the best we can. We'll see how this works out. It may work out very well, hopefully it does." Villanueva has made 21 starts in his career, compiling a 5-9 record and 4.40 ERA. His first nine appearances in 2008 came as a starter, with his last start coming on May 18, 2008 when he gave up five runs in four innings against Boston. Macha wasn't sure how deep in the game Villanueva would be able to go, but said he thought 60 pitches would be Villanueva's maximum. Villanueva's longest outing this season was his 56-pitch, three-inning stint against the Pirates on July 20. The chances of Villanueva starting a game other than Tuesday's appear to be slim. As the reliever-turned-starter said himself, "you don't have to be a brain surgeon," to figure out that he could be an on-field placeholder while team officials work behind the scenes to bolster the starting rotation ahead of Friday's nonwaiver Trade Deadline. Milwaukee's rotation has been in need of help for much of the season, but even more so since Dave Bush went on the 15-day disabled list with a right triceps tear on June 23. Different pitchers have had the opportunity to throw in the rotation slot vacated by Bush, but while the name in the slot has changed, the production -- or lack thereof -- has remained consistent. Long reliever Seth McClung earned two starts in that slot before being removed for ineffectiveness. He went 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in the pair of outings and was unable to make it out of the fourth inning in both. Mike Burns, who was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Monday, also got a crack in the rotation after putting up successful numbers in the Minor Leagues. Burns had more opportunities than McClung but he struggled as well, going 2-3 with a 7.20 ERA in five starts. "We're looking at who we put out there," Macha said. "[Villanueva] is where that's put us. We didn't feel the Burns option was there anymore, so we had to figure out who our option is. McClung went out there, [and] didn't get it done. "Putting McClung in was a gamble, so was putting Burns in, so [Villanueva is] not that much more of a gamble." Pitching matchupMIL: RHP Carlos Villanueva (2-7, 6.18 ERA)
Even with Triple-A starter Dillard in the fold after a Sunday promotion from Nashville, the Brewers are giving the start to Villanueva, who has made his last 81 appearances in relief since last May and has struggled over the past six weeks. Villanueva has been excellent against the Nationals in his career, going 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in five appearances, all in relief. He has allowed nine earned runs in his last three outings at home, spanning just 1 1/3 innings. WSH: RHP Collin Balester (0-1, 6.00 ERA)
Balester started for Washington on Thursday night against the Cardinals and gave up three runs -- two earned -- in three-plus innings. The defense behind Balester ended up hurting him in a 4-1 loss. He left the game because of a rain delay. Tidbits
Villanueva's surprise start is a bonus for his cousin, Pedro Villanueva, who is visiting from the Dominican Republic. Pedro took grounders at Miller Park early Monday afternoon in blue jeans. "I might get some heat from the guys for that," Carlos joked. ... Dillard was named the Pacific Coast League's Pitcher of the Week for July 20-26 for his July 22 start. Dillard pitched an eight-inning, one-hit shutout, throwing just 65 pitches while facing the minimum 24 batters. The only hit Dillard allowed was a first-inning single. ... Ryan Braun's two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning was his 20th of the season, making him the first player in franchise history to hit 20 home runs in each of his first three Major League seasons. ... The Brewers initially said that recently-signed reliever Jesus Colome would begin his tenure at rookie-level Helena, but he instead reported directly to Triple-A Nashville and worked two scoreless innings on Sunday. The Nationals designated Colome for assignment earlier this month and the Brewers picked him up on a Minor League contract. ... Monday's game against the Nationals began a seven-game stretch where the Brewers will face the two teams (Washington and San Diego) with the lowest winning percentages in the Major Leagues. Tickets
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• Wednesday: Brewers (Manny Parra, 4-8, 6.42) vs. Nationals (Garrett Mock, 0-4, 7.06), 7:05 p.m. CT
• Thursday: Brewers (Yovani Gallardo, 9-7, 3.09) vs. Nationals (J.D. Martin, 0-1, 7.50), 1:05 p.m. CT
• Friday: Brewers (Braden Looper, 9-5, 4.79) at Padres (Chad Gaudin, 4-9, 4.57), 9:05 p.m. CT
Cash Kruth is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
