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Brewers acquire veteran reliever John Axford

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The Milwaukee Brewers have acquired right-handed reliever John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash considerations.  Axford will join the team in their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight.

The 38-year-old Axford spent five seasons (2009-13) with the Brewers where he went 21-19 with a 3.35 ERA and 106 saves in 268 appearances.  He is the all-time franchise leader in saves for a single season with 46 back in 2011 and ranks second in franchise history to Dan Plesac (133) in career saves.  His 43 straight saves without a blow save in 2011 is a franchise record.

Axford hasn’t pitched in the Major leagues since 2018 and started as a studio analyst for Blue Jays television this season.  He then pitched for Team Canada in the Olympic qualifier before Toronto signed him to a Minor League contract on June 24.  He went 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA and 2 saves in 9 relief appearances at Triple-A Buffalo, holding opponents to a .061 batting average.

Axford has a career record of 38-34 with a 3.87 ERA and 144 saves in 543 games (1 start) during 10 Major League seasons with Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Oakland, Toronto and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

 

 

Brewers make moves to clear space for 2020

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Chase Anderson File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The Milwaukee Brewers exercised club options for $8.5 million on pitcher Chase Anderson and $7.5 million on first baseman Eric Thames on Monday.  They traded Anderson to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league 1B/OF Chad Spanberger.  They payed a $1 million buyout to Thames.

The Brewers also exercised an option on catcher Manny Pina for $1.85 million for 2020.

The moves clear around $15 million off the books for the coming season.

Anderson went 8-4 with a 4.21 ERA over 139 innings last season.  He spent four seasons with the Brewers, going 38-27 with a 3.83 ERA in 118 games (112 starts).

The 24-year-old Spanberger has hit 59 home runs in 305 minor-league games, including 13 homers and [Read more…]

Brewers drop series opener against Toronto

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The Milwaukee Brewers dropped back-to-back games for the first time since May 5-6, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in their series opener on Tuesday night at Miller Park.

The Blue Jays scored a pair of runs in the second inning and twice more in the fifth off of Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson.

The two run second inning could have been worse for the Brewers.  Toronto loaded the bases with nobody out but Nelson wiggled out of the jam without any major damage.

In the fifth inning, Jose Bautista reached on a single with two outs, then Kendrys Morales clubbed a long home run to center field to give Toronto a 4-0 lead. [Read more…]

Anderson leads Brewers to sweep of Blue Jays

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Chase Anderson (File Photo) – by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Chase Anderson tossed seven innings of 3-hit, shutout ball as the Milwaukee Brewers pulled out a 2-0 win and two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Anderson walked two and struck out seven and has now pitched 13 innings in two starts, allowing only six  hits and one run with four walks and 11 strikeouts.  He improved to 1-0 on the season with a 0.69 ERA.

The Brewers got a second inning run-scoring double from Keon Broxton and a sixth inning solo home run from Jonathan Villar to account for their two runs.

World Baseball Classic hero Marcus Stroman took the loss for the Blue Jays.  He went the full nine innings, allowing seven hits.  He fell to 1-1 on the season and still owns the only victory for the Blue Jays, who fell to 1-7. [Read more…]

Brewers play spoiler in Toronto’s opener

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The Milwaukee Brewers got off to a good start and beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 before 48,456 fans in Toronto’s home opener at the Rogers Centre.  It was the sixth consecutive home opening loss for the Blue Jays, who are tied with Philadelphia for the longest active streak.

The Brewers and Blue Jays hadn’t played in Toronto since July 2, 2014, with Wily Peralta and J.A. Happ starting for their respective teams.  That turned out to be the same matchup last night.

The Brewers scored two runs in the first inning on Keon Broxton’s first home run of the season.  Travis Shaw tripled to center and Domingo Santana added an RBI single.

Troy Tulowitzki had a pair of run-scoring doubles for the Blue Jays, but Wily Peralta held Toronto in check for six innings to earn his second win of the season.

Domingo Santana also clubbed his second home run of the season in the fifth inning to give the Brewers their fourth run, the eventual game winner.

Neftali Feliz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to record his second save of the season.

Chase Anderson pitches the series finale for the Brewers tonight.