31-year old lefty Chris Capuano has had a few major operations in his major league career but he keeps coming back. He has pitched in 17 games (2 starts) for the Brewers this year and he is 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He has whiffed 28 batters while only walking 8 in 29 innings for the Brewers. The Brewers hope that Capuano has a strong and healthy end to the season so they can pencil him in for the 2011 starting rotation.

42-year old righty Trevor Hoffman has worked himself back into a time share with rookie 27-year old righty John Axford for the closer’s role in Milwaukee. I think this really has more to do with Hoffman getting near 600 saves (he has 598) than with the way he has been pitching. Hoffman has pitched in 41 games (0 starts) this year and he is 2-6 with 7 saves, a 6.69 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Hoffman looked like toast the first two months of the season. He was 1-3 with 5 saves, a 10.69 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP which is the reason he lost his closers’ job. He gave up a stunning 7 homers in only 16 innings in April and May. But in the last three months has has been a lot better. Since June 1st, Hoffman is 1-3 with 1 save, a 3.91 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP. Hoffman also is keeping the ball in the yard as he has only given up 1 homer in the last three months (23 innings). Still, Hoffman does not deserve to close based on Axford’s pitching. Axford has pitched in 37 games (0 starts) this year and he is 7-1 with 18 saves, a 2.74 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. He has whiffed 50 batters while only allowing 34 hits in 42 2/3 innings this year.

27-year old Manny Parra looked decent in the bullpen at the start of the year for the Brewers. He pitched in 17 games in relief for the Brewers this year and he was 1-3 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP. But injuries ransacked the starting rotation so the Brewers needed him in that role and he has been truly awful. Parra has started 14 games this season for the Brewers and he is 2-6 with a 6.01 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP. In his last two years with the Brewers, Parra has pitched in 58 games (41 starts) in which he is 14-20 with a 5.99 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP. The Brewers need to call someone up to replace Parra in the rotation so they can put him back in the pen where he pitched decent for them earlier this year.

The Brewers are sending OF Ryan Braun, righty starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo and OF Corey Hart to the All-Star Game. Ryan Braun has been elected to the All-Star Team by the fans so he will be starting. He has played in 80 games for the Brewers this season and he is 96 of 325 (.295 avg, .825 OPS) with 50 runs scored, 11 homers, 51 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. This will be the third time Braun has played in the mid-summer classic. 24-year old Yovanni Gallardo might miss his first All-Star Game as he was injured in yesterday’s game. Gallardo has started 18 games for the Brewers so far this season and he is 8-4 with a 2.58 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. He has only given up 93 hits in 111 2/3 innings this season while whiffing 122 batters showing how nasty he has been. Gallardo’s only weakness is his control as he has walked 48 batters so far this year. Corey Hart has played in 74 games for the Brewers this season and he is 79 of 276 (.286 avg, .922 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 19 homers, 61 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. This will be Hart’s 2nd All-Star appearance which isn’t bad seeing how he was platooning with Jim Edmonds when the 2010 season started.

When Trevor Hoffman went into the tank this season the Brewers called up 27-year old righty reliever John Axford and threw him into the closer’s role and he’s running with the job. He has pitched in 17 games (0 starts) for the Brewers this year and he is 3-1 with 7 saves, a 2.70 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Axford has only given up 16 hits in 20 innings pitched this year with a stunning 25 strikeouts. Axford not only has the stuff to succeed buy he definitely has the look with a cool handlebar moustache which harkens back memories of Hall of Fame closer Rollie Fingers. The Brewers need Axford to keep up the good work because they can’t afford to blow any more games late.