Brewers - Does Capuano suck more than Suppan?

The Brewers are still a pretty good club and have plenty of time to get things turned around. The list of their ranking in various statistical categories attests to the team's overall strength.

The big problem they have had for the last month or so is piss-poor starting pitching, especially from Chris Capuano and Jeff Suppan.

Capuano last won a game on May 5. Wow, sometimes it doesn't pay to look at the stats - that is shockingly bad. Their supposed number 3 starter has gone 13 starts (nearly three months, although he was out for 4 of those weeks with an injury) without a win and the team has lost every single one of those starts. Granted he's had four starts where he pitched 7+ innings, but overall he hasn't given them much of a chance most of the time.

Suppan has been a little better, but not much. He last won on June 22. Soup's problem - or rather the problem he causes for the team - is that he almost never lasts more than 6 innings. Therein lies a problem that ripples through the whole staff. With Sheets out, nobody apparently is going to throw more than 6 innings, so the bullpen gets worked to death every single day.

Who would have thought that Dave Bush and Claudio Vargas would keep the team from completely sinking while Ben Sheets is out. Yovani Gallardo has been fulfilling his promise as well.

It's tempting to say they ought to use the impressive youngster Manny Parra in place of Capuano or Suppan, but that's not going to happen. More interesting is what they will do when Sheets returns later this month. If Gallardo continues to pitch well, don't they have to leave him in the rotation? Yes and I think they will as Yost and Melvin are rewarding/demanding performance more and showing less patience. Produce or move out.


Statistical Rankings

Brewers are 4th-best in league in runs scored
only 6th-worst in strikeouts
9th-best in on-base percentage
3rd-best in slugging percentage
9th-best in batting average
3rd-best in OPS

8th-best in ERA
5th-best in WHIP
5th-best in OBA
tied for 2nd-best in K/BB

only 13th in fielding percentage